The curriculum & the built environment | Subject criteria

The curriculum & the built environment

This resource is fully cross-curricular and may be used as a basis of preparation for Geography B, Unit 3: Environmental Investigation, and also Unit 6: Synoptic Assessment.

The table below (developed from Edexcel course specifications) illustrates links to the A and AS level courses. Teachers may use these suggested links to establish the best fit for students’ course work, and also to expand on existing course structures.

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Subject Criteria

Geography AS and A level

When using this pack students may meet the following subject criteria as identified by QCA.

Specifications:

• Require study of physical, human and environmental aspects of the subject
• Require students to undertake investigative work, based on primary, including fieldwork, and secondary sources

Knowledge
Students need to develop a knowledge of:

• Geographical terminology
• The location and geographical characteristics of places studied, their external relationships and how the places are changing
• The interaction of people and their environments in space and over time

Understanding
Students need to develop an understanding of:

• The distinctiveness and interdependence of places
• How physical and human processes bring about changes in spatial systems, distributions, places and environments
• The role of values, attitudes and decision making processes in geographical issues and in decision-making about the use and management of resources and environments

Skills
Students need to develop the ability to:

• Identify geographical questions and issues, select appropriate sources and methods, and establish effective approaches to enquiry in their geographical studies;
• Identify, select and collect - using a range of techniques - quantitative and qualitative evidence from primary sources, including fieldwork

Synoptic Assessment - involves the assessment of candidates’ ability to draw on their understanding of connections between different aspects of the subject represented in the specification.

The assessment in the pack includes an issues evaluation exercise, requiring candidates to draw together relevant knowledge, understanding and skills learned in other units to tackle a decision, problem or issue that is new to them

Computing AS and A level

Skills
Students should be able to:

Design
Specify and document, using appropriate systematic methods

Implementation

• Select appropriate software and hardware, and techniques for their use;
• Develop and/or assemble the implementation;Design and Technology AS and A level

Skills
Students should be able to:

• Clarify tasks
  • Develop initial design briefs and outline specifications
  • Design for manufacturing, maintenance and product life
• Generating and developing ideas
  • Originate ideas and possible solutions
  • Use knowledge and understanding to develop and refine alternative designs and/or design detail in the light of thorough analysis.
• Develop proposals
  • Model detailed aspects of ideas and proposals and use a systems approach to solve problems.
• Detail designing
  • Use knowledge and understanding of the working characteristics of materials and components, and restrictions imposed by tools, equipment and processes to prepare detailed design proposals which meet specifications.
• Communicate ideas and information
  • Use ICT where appropriate for designing, modelling and communicating
  • Develop ideas and design possibilities
  • Record and explain design decisions
  • Communicate information unambiguously to enable others to interpret design intentions.

Art & Design AS and A level

Knowledge and Understanding
Students should develop practical and theoretical knowledge and understanding of:

• How images and artefacts relate to the time and place in which they were made and to their social and cultural contexts

Skills
Students are required to develop the skills to:

• Use knowledge and understanding of the work of others to develop and extend thinking and inform own work
• Apply knowledge and understanding in making images and artefacts; review and modify work and plan and develop ideas in the light of own and others’ evaluations

Business Studies AS and A level

Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
Students are required to study:

Objectives and the Business Environment

• Business objectives
  • Differing stakeholder and organisational objectives and priorities.
  • Organisational culture.
• Impact on business of external influences
  • The market; competition

Marketing

• Marketing plan
  • Objectives/strategy.
  • The marketing mix, the development of pricing, product, distribution and promotion strategies. Responsiveness of demand.

Accounting and Finance

• Balance sheets and profit and loss accounts
  • Simple interpretation of final accounts, including ratio analysis.

Economics AS and A level

• How competitive markets work
  • Students should understand the basic model of supply and demand and price determination in product, factor and money markets
• Why markets may not work efficiently
  • Students should understand that externalities, market dominance, public goods, merit goods and an unequal distribution of income are significant causes and consequences of market failure.
• The impact of government intervention on market outcomes and efficiency
  • Students should understand the way governments, in pursuit of their economic, social and distributional objectives, intervene in markets to correct market failure, for example through taxation, subsidies, price controls, state provision and regulations.

Key Skills

All the subjects detailed above provide opportunities for developing and generating evidence for assessing the Key Skills listed below.

• Communication
• Information Technology
• Application of Number
• Improving Own Learning and Performance
• Working with Others
• Problem Solving

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