Geology GCE A Level

Geology GCE A Level

Qualification: AS/A2 - 2 year course

Course type: Level 3 (advanced)

Entry requirements:
4 x GCSE B grades - must include C in any Science Subject.

Head of Department: Miss Mandy Winstanley

Course assessment:
The AS course:
Is assessed by three end of year examinations mostly involving short answer questions.

One examination is a practical paper involving rock and fossil samples, interpretation of photographs and a geology map.

The A2 course:
Has a coursework component, which involves lab and fieldwork investigations.

Has two written examinations involving short answer questions, essays and mapwork.

What can this course offer me?
Geology is the study of Planet Earth. The rocks and fossils beneath our feet contain clues about how the Earth works and indeed how it has changed over the last 4600 million years. Geology offers you the chance to discover for yourself the story of our remarkable planet and will introduce you to a very different way of looking at our world. With little or no previous knowledge of the subject, the results achieved by our students have made the Geology department at KGV one of the very best in the country.

What will I learn?
The course covers topics such as:

• Geological Hazards: Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Landslides
• Rocks, Minerals and Fossils
• Planet Earth: Plate tectonics and Earth's internal structure
• The Causes and Impacts of Ice Ages

Geology is a "hands on" subject and much time is spent using samples of rocks, fossils and geology maps. It is a subject that relies on logic, remembering facts and lots of new words. It does not make use of extended writing skills to a large extent.

Geology is a field science and so best studied in the outdoors. For trip details see 'Is there anything else I need to know' below.

What Makes a good Geology student?
You should be interested in the natural world and enjoy the great outdoors, be keen on problem solving using clues within the Earth, and enjoy working hard and learning new ideas!

Which other courses link well with this subject?
Subjects which go well with Geology include: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography and Archaeology. However, previous successful Geology students have combined it with almost all other subjects.

Future Opportunities
Students who study Geology at university can go on to:

• Investigate the impact of human activity on the environment e.g. water quality, disposal of waste,quarry activity
• Investigate the likelihood of Geology affecting human activity e.g. landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic activity.
• Explore for useful geological materials e.g. oil, minerals.
• Research into what Geology is telling us about past and future conditions on Earth and other planets.

Is there anything else I need to know?
Trips to: Mam Tor ,huge landslides and caves. Ingleton, spectacular waterfalls and outstanding geological features. Shap, rocks highly folded by collision of ancient continents. Anglezarke, how geology has affected the landscape.

The highlight of the course is a 7 day trip to the Isle of Arran, Scotland where what you have learnt in the classroom is there before your eyes.