GCSE Geography revision list 2013

The exam is on 12th June 2013(morning). It lasts 1 hour 30 minutes.

It will assess three units (see below). You will not be assessed on Population and Settlement.

There will be two questions for each unit, you need to answer one question per unit. You will answer three questions in total in the exam.

This link is a sample paper and the resource booklet:

The following is a list of what you should revise:

Rivers and coasts

  • The hydrological cycle (p.4-5)
  • Drainage basins and system (p.6-7)
  • Weathering and river processes - erosion, transportation and deposition (p.8-9)
  • Upper course features - v-shaped valleys, interlocking spurs, waterfalls and gorges (10-11)
  • Middle course features - flood plains and meanders (p.12)
  • Lower course features - ox-bow lakes, levees and deltas (p.12-13)
  • Case study of a river to show features – River Tees
  • Hydrographs (p.14-15)
  • Natural and human causes of flooding
  • The cause, effect and management of a flood in an MEDC – Boscastle (p.18-21)
  • The cause, effect and management of a flood in an LEDC – Bangladesh (p.22-23)
  • The sustainable management of rivers (p.26-27)
  • The coast as a resource (p.30-31
  • Coastal processes - marine and sub-aerial (p.32-33)
  • Features of erosion – headlands, bays, cliffs, stacks, etc. (p.33-37)
  • Features of deposition - beaches, spits, bars and tombolos (p.38-41)
  • Case study of a coastal area - Dorset or North Norfolk
  • Coastal protection - natural and hard and soft engineering (p.42-49)
  • Case study of coastal management - North Norfolk or Pevensey Bay (p.46-47)

Natural hazards

  • The global distribution of tectonic hazards (p.110-111)
  • Plate boundaries (p.112-113)
  • Types of volcano(p.114-115)
  • The impact and management of a volcanic eruption in an MEDC – Mt Etna (p.118-119)
  • Why do people live in volcanic areas (p.120-121)
  • The impact and management of an earthquake in an LEDC – Sichuan, China (p.126-127)
  • Why do people live in earthquake zones – differentiate between MEDC and LEDC (p.128-131)
  • The global distribution of tropical storms and why do they form? (p.134-135)
  • The impact and management of tropical storms in LEDCs – Cyclone Nargis (p.138-139)
  • How do people respond to tropical storms? (p.142-143)
  • Where and why do droughts occur? (p.144-145 and p.148)
  • The impacts and response to drought in an MEDC – Australia (p. 148-149)
  • Coping with drought – differentiate between LEDC and MEDC (p.150-153)

Economic Development

  • Defining development (p.158-159)
  • Measuring economic well-being and quality of life (p.160-161)
  • North-South Divide, stages of development and the development gap (p.162-163)
  • Advantages and disadvantages of using economic and social indicators
  • Types of aid and how it affects development (p.165-166)
  • Sustainable aid (p.165-167)
  • Case study of an LEDC aid project – Water Aid in Mali (p.166-167)
  • Employment structure (p.170-171)
  • How does employment structure vary between LEDCs, NICs and MEDCs? (p.172-173)
  • How does employment structure vary over time? (p.174-175)
  • Types of industry (p.176-183)
  • Economic and environmental factors affecting industrial location (p.176-183)
  • Primary – Top Farm
  • Secondary – VW in Slovakia
  • Tertiary – London
  • Quaternary – Cambridge Science Park
  • How and why the location of different economic activities has changed
  • LEDC case study for location of industry: SE Brazil (p.184-185)
  • MEDC case study for location of industry: Cambridge Science Park
  • MNCs and globalisation (p.186-187)
  • Positive and negative impacts of MNC investment in an area (p.188-189)
  • Case of MNC investment – Nike (p.190-191)
  • Possible futures for globalisation and its effects on people (p.192-193)
  • How can different economic activities affect the physical environment? (p.196-197)
  • Case study of conflicts between economic development and the physical environment: China’s Pearl River Delta (p.198-199)
  • Causes, effects of global climate change (p.200-203)
  • Responses to global climate change at a variety of scales (p.204-205)

So…the case studies you must know are:

  • Boscastle – causes, effects & management of river flooding in an MEDC
  • Bangladesh – causes, effects & management of river flooding in an LEDC
  • River Tees – river valley & its landforms
  • Dorset – coastal area & its landforms
  • Norfolk – coastline management including its reasons for protection, measures taken, resulting effects & possible conflicts
  • Sichuan Earthquake – tectonic event in a LEDC
  • Mount Etna Volcano– tectonic event in a MEDC
  • Cyclone Nargis – climatic hazard in a LEDC
  • Australia Drought – climatic hazard in a MEDC
  • WaterAid in Mali – aid project in a LEDC
  • South East Brazil – factors that affect location of economic activity in a LEDC
  • U.K - factors that affect location of economic activity in a MEDC
  • Nike in Vietnam – MNC investment in specific areas
  • Pearl River Delta – economic development and environmental damage

Good Luck!