Geography A Level - Humanities
KS5 Coordinator
Mr S Smith: SSmith@woolwichpolyboys.co.uk
Click to download the subject information poster for Geography A Level PDF
Click to download the Geography Curriculum Map
reading list
Coastal Landscape Systems
Core Texts:
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"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 1" – Hodder Education (Michael Raw et al.)
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"Coasts" by David Burtenshaw (Access to Geography) – clear explanation of coastal processes and landforms
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"AQA A Level Geography: Coastal Systems and Landscapes" – useful for systems approach even across exam boards
Case Study/Extension:
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DEFRA reports on coastal management and SMPs (Shoreline Management Plans)
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Environment Agency – coastal erosion risk mapping (UK)
Online:
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Royal Geographical Society (RGS): Coastal fieldwork and case study articles
π https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/climate-change/coastal-change/
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Geofile/Geofactsheets (from Hodder): e.g., Holderness Coastline, Dawlish Warren
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YouTube: Time for Geography – Coastal Systems videos
π Earth’s Life Support Systems
Core Texts:
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"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 1" – chapters on the water and carbon cycles
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"Carbon and Water Cycles" – Hodder Dynamic Learning booklets
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Cambridge University Press Physical Geography Series – in-depth on biogeochemical cycles
Case Study/Extension:
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UNEP and IPCC summaries (esp. carbon cycle and climate feedbacks)
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NASA Earth Observatory – satellite views of water/carbon systems
ο· π https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
ο· π Real-time data and articles on climate, carbon sinks, and the hydrological cycle
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Woodland Trust or Forestry Commission – case studies on UK woodland management
Online:
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Time for Geography – Carbon and Water Cycles
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RGS: Climate and environmental change resources
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NASA Earth Observatory – satellite views of water/carbon systems
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π Real-time data and articles on climate, carbon sinks, and the hydrological cycle
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Global Carbon Projectπ https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/
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UN Water Reports π https://www.unwater.org/
π¦ Disease Dilemmas
Core Texts:
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"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 2" – Disease Dilemmas chapter
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"Health and Disease" (Access to Geography) – Andrew Doxford
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Geofile – key fact sheets on malaria, HIV/AIDS, cancer
Case Study Sources:
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WHO and CDC websites – data on epidemics, disease mapping
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GSK and Pfizer – transnational pharmaceutical company (TNC) case studies
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The Guardian / BBC News – archive articles on air pollution in India, Ethiopia malaria, Guinea worm in Ghana
Garrett, L. – The Coming Plague (Penguin, 1995)
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π Background reading on disease emergence and response
WHO Reports & Factsheets
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π https://www.who.int
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π Key for AO2/AO3 evaluation in case studies (HIV, malaria, smallpox, guinea worm)
Geography Review Magazine Articles (Hodder)
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π Accessible case study and theory-based articles on disease diffusion and mitigation
Public Health England & NHS Data
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π https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england
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Useful for data on cancer, diabetes, lifestyle disease
Online:
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RGS: Global health and spatial inequality
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Gapminder.org – Hans Rosling’s visual data on disease trends
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Worldmapper.org – mapped health data
π Hazardous Earth
Core Texts:
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"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 1" – Tectonics chapter
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"Hazards" by Garrett Nagle (Access to Geography)
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"Natural Hazards" by Edward Bryant – academic and useful for high-level AO1/AO2
Case Study/Extension:
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BGS (British Geological Survey) – Tohoku and Nepal earthquakes
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USGS and IRIS – tectonic animations and hazard monitoring data
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Insurance & risk management reports (Swiss Re, Munich Re)
Online:
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Time for Geography – Plate Tectonics and Hazard Risk
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Geofile: Case studies on earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hazard mitigation
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RGS: Disasters and Risk geography pages
The Geological Society of London – Plate Tectonics Resources
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π https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Plate-Tectonics
IPCC Reports & Summary for Policymakers (Climate hazards)
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π https://www.ipcc.ch
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π Excellent for climate risk, carbon emissions and projections
Volcano World (Oregon State University)
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π https://volcano.oregonstate.edu
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π Profiles of volcanoes with data for case studies
π Suggested Academic Reading & Journals Geographical Review
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Progress in Physical Geography
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Nature Climate Change
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Lancet Global Health – for disease-related themes
πΊ Documentaries & Videos:
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BBC Earth / David Attenborough – Planet Earth II / Our Planet (climate and ecosystems)
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Netflix: Explained – The World’s Water Crisis
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YouTube: Time for Geography
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BBC: The Day the Earth Shook (Tohoku 2011)
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Channel 4: Unreported World – health inequalities/disease
ποΈ Changing Spaces; Making Places
π Core Texts:
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"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 1" – Hodder Education (Ch. 6)
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"Changing Places" – David Anderson & Paul Warburton (Geofocus/Hodder Dynamic Learning)
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"Geographies of Place" – Access to Geography Series
π Case Study Material:
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Office for National Statistics (ONS) – UK census and deprivation data
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Local council/regeneration reports (e.g., Margate, Salford Quays, Birmingham)
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BBC 'Panorama' or 'Inside Out' – urban change documentaries
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Royal Geographical Society (RGS) – Changing places case studies and fieldwork resources
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The Guardian Cities section – articles on gentrification, sense of place, regeneration
π Online Resources:
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Time for Geography – Place & Identity
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Geofile/Geofactsheets – e.g., "Changing Urban Places", "Regeneration of Stratford"
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London Datastore – spatial inequality data
π§ Academic/Enrichment:
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Doreen Massey – "A Global Sense of Place" (seminal paper on place theory)
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Tim Cress Introduction"** (for deeper conceptual AO1/AO3 understanding)
π Global Governance: Power and Borders
π Core Texts:
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"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 2" – Hodder Education (Ch. 9)
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"Global Governance" – Geofocus Series (Hodder Dynamic Learning)
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"Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction" – Klaus Dodds (Oxford University Press)
π Case Study Material:
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United Nations & UNHCR reports – sovereignty, peacekeeping, and migration
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BBC News / Al Jazeera – South Sudan, Ukraine, Syria case studies on sovereignty and intervention
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Chatham House & Council on Foreign Relations – international conflict, governance, and diplomacy
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Global Witness – corruption and global justice case studies
π Online Resources:
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RGS – Geopolitical Resources
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Time for Geography – Global Governance
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Geofile – e.g., "Sovereignty and Global Governance", "Borders in Crisis"
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OECD / World Bank – development and aid governance data
π§ Academic/Enrichment:
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John Agnew – "Geopolitics: Re-Visioning World Politics"
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Saskia Sassen – "Territory, Authority, Rights" (globalisation and state power)
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Foreign Policy magazine – insight into current international issues, global governance, border tensions
πΊ Documentaries and Media:
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BBC: "The Refugee Crisis", "Panorama – Syria: The World's War"
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Netflix: Explained – Borders, The Great Hack (governance and digital power)
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YouTube: Time for Geography, Geopolitics Explained
Case Study Links
πͺ Ukraine – Challenge to Sovereignty & Territorial Integrity
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A detailed OCR-aligned case from Docsity outlines Russia’s annexation of Crimea (March 2014) and the Donbas conflict, exploring implications for sovereignty and UN responses (docsity.com).
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Studocu suggests supplemental reading: Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) background on Ukraine, timelines (2013–2014), and the Vox explainer (studocu.com).
South Sudan – Global Governance in Conflict Zones
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TES hosts a full OCR "Lesson 4 – Powers and Borders" resource exploring South Sudan’s post-independence violence, secession, and peacekeeping missions (tes.com).
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Brainscape flashcards cover governance strategies, UN/IGAD interventions, and South Sudan’s state-building efforts (brainscape.com).
Mali – Impacts of Global Governance on Fragile States
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Brainscape’s flashcard sets include “Strategies for global governance in South Sudan” and “Mali case study,” implying coverage of Malian instability and international intervention (e.g., MINUSMA) (brainscape.com).
π Laos – South–South Migration & Transnational Governance
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Notesale provides a focused OCR case study on Laos as a landlocked LIDC, exploring Mekong River dynamics, migration to Thailand, remittances, and regional cooperation frameworks (e.g., Mekong River Commission) (notesale.co.uk).
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TES hosts another structured “OCR ALevel Geography – Case Study Laos (Migration)” doc, outlining specaligned content (tes.com).
β Recommended Study Strategy
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Use textbooks for core theory.
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Use websites and reports for current data and case study evidence.
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Use GeoFactsheets and Geography Review to build exam technique and evaluation.