YEAR 12 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Outline
Overview
The Humanities Department Syllabi at GEMS Wesgreen International Secondary School strive to enable students to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes so as to develop an informed and critical understanding of social, environmental, historical and political issues so as to reinforce and stimulate curiosity and imagination about local and wider environments. The Curriculum provides a strong foundation to enable students to foster an understanding of, and concern for, the interdependence of all humans, all living things and the earth on which they live. To foster in students a sense of responsibility for the long-term care of the environment and a commitment to promote the sustainable use of the earth’s resources through his/her personal life-style and participation in collective environmental decision-making.
Learning Outcomes
IGCSE Environmental Management is accepted by universities and employers as proof of knowledge and understanding of issues concerning sustainable development and how the Earth’s resources are used. A core principle of the syllabus is that sustainability will only be achieved by changes in the ways in which people think and make decisions. A course in Environmental Management therefore calls upon learners to be participants in defining the future of their world.
The national curriculum for IGCSE Environmental Management aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical and environmental context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Are competent in the geographical and environmental skills needed to:
- Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical and environmental processes
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- Communicate geographical and environmental information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
- An understanding of sustainable development to meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
- Make reasoned judgements and reach conclusions based on qualitative and quantitative information.
Unit Overviews
Term 1
Unit 1 – Managing natural hazards
Approximate length: 5 weeks
In this unit, students will learn about the different types of natural hazard, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tropical cyclones, flooding, and drought and management of its consequences, strategies for managing these natural hazards.
Specific Curriculum Objectives Covered:
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical and environmental context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Unit 2 – The atmosphere and human activities & Investigation Skills
Approximate length: 8 weeks
In this unit, students will learn about the atmosphere including the impact of its structure on weather and climate and management of the consequences of weather, atmospheric pollution, and its management. Students will also how to plan individual environmental investigations, using suitable techniques of data collection, analysis and presentation.
Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical and environmental context for understanding the actions of processes
- Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical and environmental processes
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- Communicate geographical and environmental information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
- An understanding of sustainable development to meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
- Make reasoned judgements and reach conclusions based on qualitative and quantitative information.
End of Term Exam
Term 2
Programme of Study
Mocks
Term 3
External Exam
The assessment consists of two compulsory papers:
– Paper 1 Theory, 1 hour 45 minutes, 80 marks (This paper will be weighted at 50% of the final total mark)
– Paper 2 Management in context, 1 hour 45 minutes, 80 marks (This paper will be weighted at 50% of the final total mark)
Assessment
Formative: Throughout the units, the students will complete graded work, presentations, research projects, tests, quizzes, investigation activities and mocks which allows the teacher to assess the students’ attainment and inform their planning.
Summative: Throughout the school year, students will complete exam papers which allows the teacher to assess and evaluate their learning.
Remote / Blended Teaching, Learning and Assessment Pathways:
Small groups, (up to 15 students) will meet F2F. Where there are more than (15) Blended Learning will take place. According to the timetabling of classes also, there will be RL sessions where specified. All subject Units can be taught using any of these pathways. Students will collaborate and engage more with each other on set tasks in the break out rooms and collaboration spaces online. Lessons will be taught live as opposed to asynchronously. If a teacher is ill to point of being unable to deliver a lesson online, this lesson will be done asynchronously. During live lessons students will be requested to demonstrate a skill or understanding in short audio/ video recordings of themselves analysing, evaluating, explaining, showing (restricted time period). They will create Sway and other MS document presentations as instructed. Discussions will ensue among students and their peers and they will engage, respond and feedback using the chat feature. Students will be asked to watch video clip(s) and read a print/ broadcast/ another medium link and do a review, summary, explanation, give their opinion regarding the topic. They will be asked to design storyboards using a MS document for presentation. Rubrics will be attached as additional guide to support students’ progress and attainment. These are only a few of the techniques and methods that will be engaged during lessons.
Assessments:
Option 1: We will have a designated assessment week. All classes scheduled to complete online assessments that day will remain at home. On this day they can complete maximum 2 assessments for the day (grades 6 –8), 3 assessments for (grades 9 and above).
Option 2: During blended learning sessions the students who are at school will bring their laptop/device and complete the assessment online while the others who are at home (RL) will complete it on their device at home. Each assessment lesson will request an additional supervisor/invigilator to monitor those in the class while the teacher monitors the screen. Students in the class can even have their desk/back facing the teacher to create an extra precaution/ awareness to students that the teacher along with the supporting invigilator is also supervising. If a student forgets their device teachers will have the printed copies to distribute. This option will also take place during a designated assessment week.
Option 3: We will continue to conduct continuous assessment as was done during RL/Term 3, AY 2019-2020.
