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.) 
- 
	"Coasts" by David Burtenshaw (Access to Geography) – clear explanation of coastal processes and landforms 
- 
	"AQA A Level Geography: Coastal Systems and Landscapes" – useful for systems approach even across exam boards 
Case Study/Extension:
- 
	DEFRA reports on coastal management and SMPs (Shoreline Management Plans) 
- 
	Environment Agency – coastal erosion risk mapping (UK) 
Online:
- 
	Royal Geographical Society (RGS): Coastal fieldwork and case study articles 
π https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/climate-change/coastal-change/
- 
	Geofile/Geofactsheets (from Hodder): e.g., Holderness Coastline, Dawlish Warren 
- 
	YouTube: Time for Geography – Coastal Systems videos 
π Earth’s Life Support Systems
Core Texts:
- 
	"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 1" – chapters on the water and carbon cycles 
- 
	"Carbon and Water Cycles" – Hodder Dynamic Learning booklets 
- 
	Cambridge University Press Physical Geography Series – in-depth on biogeochemical cycles 
Case Study/Extension:
- 
	UNEP and IPCC summaries (esp. carbon cycle and climate feedbacks) 
- 
	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
- 
	Woodland Trust or Forestry Commission – case studies on UK woodland management 
Online:
- 
	Time for Geography – Carbon and Water Cycles 
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	RGS: Climate and environmental change resources 
- 
	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/ 
- 
	UN Water Reports π https://www.unwater.org/ 
π¦ Disease Dilemmas
Core Texts:
- 
	"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 2" – Disease Dilemmas chapter 
- 
	"Health and Disease" (Access to Geography) – Andrew Doxford 
- 
	Geofile – key fact sheets on malaria, HIV/AIDS, cancer 
Case Study Sources:
- 
	WHO and CDC websites – data on epidemics, disease mapping 
- 
	GSK and Pfizer – transnational pharmaceutical company (TNC) case studies 
- 
	The Guardian / BBC News – archive articles on air pollution in India, Ethiopia malaria, Guinea worm in Ghana 
Garrett, L. – The Coming Plague (Penguin, 1995)
- 
	π Background reading on disease emergence and response 
WHO Reports & Factsheets
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	π https://www.who.int 
- 
	π Key for AO2/AO3 evaluation in case studies (HIV, malaria, smallpox, guinea worm) 
Geography Review Magazine Articles (Hodder)
- 
	π Accessible case study and theory-based articles on disease diffusion and mitigation 
Public Health England & NHS Data
- 
	π https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england 
- 
	Useful for data on cancer, diabetes, lifestyle disease 
Online:
- 
	RGS: Global health and spatial inequality 
- 
	Gapminder.org – Hans Rosling’s visual data on disease trends 
- 
	Worldmapper.org – mapped health data 
π Hazardous Earth
Core Texts:
- 
	"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 1" – Tectonics chapter 
- 
	"Hazards" by Garrett Nagle (Access to Geography) 
- 
	"Natural Hazards" by Edward Bryant – academic and useful for high-level AO1/AO2 
Case Study/Extension:
- 
	BGS (British Geological Survey) – Tohoku and Nepal earthquakes 
- 
	USGS and IRIS – tectonic animations and hazard monitoring data 
- 
	Insurance & risk management reports (Swiss Re, Munich Re) 
Online:
- 
	Time for Geography – Plate Tectonics and Hazard Risk 
- 
	Geofile: Case studies on earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hazard mitigation 
- 
	RGS: Disasters and Risk geography pages 
The Geological Society of London – Plate Tectonics Resources
- 
	π https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Plate-Tectonics 
IPCC Reports & Summary for Policymakers (Climate hazards)
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	π https://www.ipcc.ch 
- 
	π Excellent for climate risk, carbon emissions and projections 
Volcano World (Oregon State University)
- 
	π https://volcano.oregonstate.edu 
- 
	π Profiles of volcanoes with data for case studies 
π Suggested Academic Reading & Journals Geographical Review
- 
	Progress in Physical Geography 
- 
	Nature Climate Change 
- 
	Lancet Global Health – for disease-related themes 

πΊ Documentaries & Videos:
- 
	BBC Earth / David Attenborough – Planet Earth II / Our Planet (climate and ecosystems) 
- 
	Netflix: Explained – The World’s Water Crisis 
- 
	YouTube: Time for Geography 
- 
	BBC: The Day the Earth Shook (Tohoku 2011) 
- 
	Channel 4: Unreported World – health inequalities/disease 
ποΈ Changing Spaces; Making Places
π Core Texts:
- 
	"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 1" – Hodder Education (Ch. 6) 
- 
	"Changing Places" – David Anderson & Paul Warburton (Geofocus/Hodder Dynamic Learning) 
- 
	"Geographies of Place" – Access to Geography Series 
π Case Study Material:
- 
	Office for National Statistics (ONS) – UK census and deprivation data 
- 
	Local council/regeneration reports (e.g., Margate, Salford Quays, Birmingham) 
- 
	BBC 'Panorama' or 'Inside Out' – urban change documentaries 
- 
	Royal Geographical Society (RGS) – Changing places case studies and fieldwork resources 
- 
	The Guardian Cities section – articles on gentrification, sense of place, regeneration 
π Online Resources:
- 
	Time for Geography – Place & Identity 
- 
	Geofile/Geofactsheets – e.g., "Changing Urban Places", "Regeneration of Stratford" 
- 
	London Datastore – spatial inequality data 
π§ Academic/Enrichment:
- 
	Doreen Massey – "A Global Sense of Place" (seminal paper on place theory) 
- 
	Tim Cress Introduction"** (for deeper conceptual AO1/AO3 understanding) 
π Global Governance: Power and Borders
π Core Texts:
- 
	"OCR A Level Geography Student Book 2" – Hodder Education (Ch. 9) 
- 
	"Global Governance" – Geofocus Series (Hodder Dynamic Learning) 
- 
	"Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction" – Klaus Dodds (Oxford University Press) 
π Case Study Material:
- 
	United Nations & UNHCR reports – sovereignty, peacekeeping, and migration 
- 
	BBC News / Al Jazeera – South Sudan, Ukraine, Syria case studies on sovereignty and intervention 
- 
	Chatham House & Council on Foreign Relations – international conflict, governance, and diplomacy 
- 
	Global Witness – corruption and global justice case studies 
π Online Resources:
- 
	RGS – Geopolitical Resources 
- 
	Time for Geography – Global Governance 
- 
	Geofile – e.g., "Sovereignty and Global Governance", "Borders in Crisis" 
- 
	OECD / World Bank – development and aid governance data 
π§ Academic/Enrichment:
- 
	John Agnew – "Geopolitics: Re-Visioning World Politics" 
- 
	Saskia Sassen – "Territory, Authority, Rights" (globalisation and state power) 
- 
	Foreign Policy magazine – insight into current international issues, global governance, border tensions 
πΊ Documentaries and Media:
- 
	BBC: "The Refugee Crisis", "Panorama – Syria: The World's War" 
- 
	Netflix: Explained – Borders, The Great Hack (governance and digital power) 
- 
	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). 
- 
	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). 
- 
	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
- 
	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
- 
	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). 
- 
	TES hosts another structured “OCR ALevel Geography – Case Study Laos (Migration)” doc, outlining specaligned content (tes.com). 
β Recommended Study Strategy
- 
	Use textbooks for core theory. 
- 
	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. 
 
						 
						 
					