Geography 1.

Introduction

Geography is one of the elective subjects under Personal, Social and Humanities Education (PSHE) Key Learning Area in the Senior Secondary (SS) curriculum by the Education Bureau. There is a strong connection between the SS Geography and the school-based junior Humanities / Liberal Studies (LS) which aims at helping students understand the material foundations on which a man is based. Geography in Law Ting Pong Secondary School serves as an extension of what students have learnt in their junior Humanities / Liberal Studies – consolidation of basic geographical concepts and strengthening of students’ application of these concepts in a more complex context through issue-based enquiry approach at SS level. 1.1

The Study of Geography Geography is a social science subject which offers a variety of perspectives and methods of study. It tries to explain the characteristics of places and the distribution of people, features and events as they happen and develop over the earth surface. It is about the man-environment interactions in the context of specific places and locations. By examining the inter-relationships among people, places and the environment, Geography helps students acquire an in-depth understanding of the changing contemporary world in terms of space and environment. Geography is a multi-disciplinary subject which can be connected to other subjects and helps to explain historical events, scientific processes, social organization, cultural development and spatial relationships. The study of Geography provides opportunities for students to develop their general intellectual capacity for life-long learning, and for generic skills such as critical thinking, communication, information processing, problem solving and decision making. It also provides students with the survival skills for understanding and coping with their own living environment. Besides, Geography emphasizes on the following values in terms of social, environmental and cultural dimensions – a just society, sustainability and celebrating difference1 throughout the curriculum. The subject has the potential

1

Kriewaldt J. (2003). Values: Dimensions in Geography. Geographical Education Volume 16. Sydney, Australia: Australian

to develop young people’s understanding of their ‘place’ in the world and so to help them form their identity2. 1.2

Teaching Methods The students’ values are influenced by the approaches employed by teachers. An enquiry approach minimizes the opportunity for inculcation and develops a value of questioning different viewpoints. Engaging students in enquiry that is cooperative and in which all students are active participants is crucial to developing critical approach to values. Other strategies like role play, debate, decision making exercises and so on are also applicable. To cater for the needs of students with different learning styles, teachers would select different varieties of resources, for example, visual, audio, pictorial and graphic materials and texts to stimulate students’ interests and enhance students’ learning efficiency. With the advance of information technology, Geographic Information System (GIS) becomes a tool to facilitate and stimulate students’ learning towards our environment. It helps in organising, analysing and disseminating information. Every student taking senior secondary Geography should know how to use this tool in studying the subject3. Fieldwork is a distinctive attribute of Geography. It provides students with opportunities to apply the knowledge / concepts learned in the classroom to the real world, and through this to acquire new knowledge / concepts. A range of skills can be developed through fieldworks – setting objectives, formulating hypothesis, collecting data, presenting data, making comparisons, testing ideas and predictions, solving problems and making decisions.

Geography Teachers' Association. 2

Naish, M. (1997). The scope of school Geography: a medium of education. In Tilbury, D. and Williams, M. (eds), Teaching

and learning Geography. London: Routledge. 3

Curriculum Development Council and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (2007). Personal, Social

and Humanities Education Key Learning Area: Geography Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 - 6). HKSAR.

1.3

Assessment Assessment is an integral part of the whole teaching and learning process. It should not be viewed as the final stage of the whole process of curriculum development. Assessment provides solid evidence to make evaluative judgments on teacher’s teaching and pupil’s learning. Therefore, students are assessed through continuous assessment. Efforts spent both in lesson time and at home will be counted in the assessment. Meanwhile, teacher’s feedback at various stages of teaching and learning will be given in order to allow students to reflect their learning instantly and more effectively.

2.

Aims and Objectives

According to the Geography Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 – 6) prepared by the Curriculum Development Council and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority in 2007, the aims of the curriculum are to enable students to: (a)

(b) (c) (d)

understand the Earth in which they inhabit, and enable them to recognize and interpret, from a spatial perspective, the arrangement of phenomena and features on Earth, the processes at work, the interactions that occur, the changes that result, and the issues and management responses that arise; develop the general intellectual capacity and generic skills needed for life-long learning through geographical enquiry, and the ability to apply these in life situations; appreciate the wonder, interdependence and fragility of the local and global environment, and the importance of promoting sustainable development; and develop a sense of citizenship, a global outlook, and readiness to take action for the betterment of society, the nation and the world.

For the objective of the curriculum, it would be categorized into three – knowledge and understanding, skills, and values and attitudes. 2.1

Knowledge and Understanding Students are expected to develop knowledge and understanding of: (a) (b)

how natural environments influence human activities, and how human activities alter natural environments; the changing development of geographical phenomena and issues in terms of space and time;

(c) (d) (e)

2.2

the characteristics and functioning of major natural environments, through analyzing the processes and interactions within and between them; the characteristics and development of major human activities, in order to achieve a sense of “region”; and the issues arising from people-environment interactions and the human responses to such issues, as well as the implications of these human responses for resource management.

Skills Students are expected to develop: (a)

geographical enquiry skills, including the ability to: (i) identify and ask questions from a geographical perspective; (ii) locate, select and extract appropriate information and data from primary and secondary sources (e.g. the field, surveys, documents, maps, charts, ground and aerial photos and Geographic Information System [GIS] data), which require the ability to observe and record data systematically and accurately; (iii) present and organize information and data, which involves the ability to:  use appropriate techniques for summarizing (e.g. descriptive statistics such as measures of central tendency and variability);  use appropriate formats, such as texts (e.g. reports, tables, summaries, etc.) and illustrations (such as maps, diagrams, models, sketches, and graphs); (iv) compare, analyze, synthesize and evaluate, in order to interpret

(b)

information and data for making inferences and drawing conclusions, which includes:  the use of appropriate statistical techniques (e.g. correlation);  analysis of spatial patterns using GIS. (v) evaluate the findings, solutions or conclusions drawn from enquiry. generic skills of communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity through geographical enquiry, in particular the ability to: (i) select appropriate means of effective communication; (ii) draw out meaning from information, and determine what to and what not to believe; (iii) analyze problems through logical reasoning, and determine the optimal course of action from a number of alternatives; (iv) view situations from different perspectives and adopt appropriate approaches to analyze problems.

2.3

Values and Attitudes Students are expected to develop values and attitudes that will enable them to: (a) have a sense of wonder and curiosity about peoples, places and environments; (b) show respect for all peoples, and their cultures, values and ways of life; (c) recognize environmental problems and take appropriate action to promote sustainable development; (d) cultivate a sense of belonging to society and the nation and become active and responsible citizens; and (e) be aware of the increasing global interdependence of peoples and nations, and appreciate the importance of international solidarity and cooperation.

3.

Delivery Schedule Weeks

Secondary 4

2–5 6 – 10

11 – 14

Module 1a: Opportunities and risks – is it rational to live in hazard-prone areas?

15 – 17

19 – 21

Module 1b: Dynamic Earth: the building of Hong Kong

23 – 25

26 – 30

31 – 36

Module 2: Managing river and coastal environments: A continuing challenge

37 - 39 40 – 41

Revision and Exam

Secondary 5

Secondary 6

Module 3a: Global warming — Is it fact or fiction?

Module 7: Changing industrial location – How and why does it change over space and time?

Module 3b: Weather and climate Module 4: Building a sustainable city — Are environmental conservation and urban development mutually exclusive?? Module 5: Disappearing green canopy - Who should pay for the massive deforestation in rainforest regions Module 6: Combating famine — Is technology a panacea for food shortage? Revision and exam

Revision and exam preparation

HKDSE Not applicable

4.

Assessing students 4.1

Weighting of Various Components for Subject Grades: Component

Continuous

S4

S5

S6

Uniform Tests

30%

30%

20%

Homework assignments and classwork

20%

20%

10%

Group work and field work

10%

10%

5%

Quizzes

10%

10%

5%

Final examination

30%

30%

Assessment

Examination Mock examination 4.2

60%

Internal Examinations (a)

Secondary 4

Section / Question Type

Suggested Duration

Weighting

No. of Questions to be completed

A. Multiple choice*

0.5 hour

30%

30

30

B. Data-based / skill-based / structured questions*

1.5 hour

50%

3

3

C.

0.5 hour

20%

1

2

Short essay

Total No. of Questions in the Section

(b) Secondary 5 & 6

Weighting Time duration Scope

Paper 1

Paper 2

70%

30%

2.5 hours

1.25 hours

Compulsory part*

Elective part

Paper 1

Section / Question Type A. Multiple choice

Suggested Duration

Weighting

No. of Questions to be Completed

1 hour

22%

40

40

1 hour

36%

2

4

0.5 hour

12%

1

3

No. of

Total No. of

Total No. of Questions in the Section

B. Data-based / skill-based / structured questions C.

Short essay Paper 2

Section / Question Type

Suggested Duration

Weighting

Questions to be Completed

Questions in the Section

A. Data-based / skill-based / structured questions

0.5 hour

18%

1

4

B. Short essay

0.75 hour

12%

1

4

* Mapwork will be included using local topographical maps (1:20000/ 1: 5000) and / or simplified map extracts.