ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
GCSE Grade 5 in Science and Maths, grade 4 in English with an average points score of 4.9 or above.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
This course is assessed by exams.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
This course is ideal for learners who have an interest in the structure and formation of the Earth and the dynamic processes which affect the world we live in. Within the course students will learn about earthquakes, plate tectonics, geological structures, the rock cycle, the Earth’s structure and the metallic mineral deposits.
Students will have the opportunity to go on trips and visits in this subject area to complement the course.
WHO IS
THIS AIMED AT?
This course is aimed at students who:
Discover the causes of catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and mass extinctions
Find out how the Earth was formed, and what it is like inside
Investigate the strange variety of life that existed before humans, and find out why mass extinctions happen
Learn how to research and make accurate observations in the lab and in the field
Combine Geology with any other subject, but particularly Geography, Physics, Biology, Chemistry and History
COURSE AREA LEAD
Emma White
Core Units:
Unit 1 Practical skills in geology: a minimum of 4 days fieldwork is an essential component of the A Level course and will be assessed in a written exam.
Unit 2 Foundations in geology: fossils and time; minerals and rocks
Unit 3 Global tectonics: earth structure; plate tectonics and geological structures
Unit 4 Interpreting the past: sedimentary environments in time and geochronology
Unit 5 Petrology and economic geology: applied sedimentology; fluids and geological processes; igneous petrology; metamorphic petrology; mining geology
Unit 6 Geohazards: geohazards; engineering geology
Unit 7 Basin analysis: key concepts in basin analysis; basin analysis in practice