What do I study......

• Physical Geography Revision
  
  Plate Tectonics:
  Main plates, plate boundaries (including how and why plates move), the three main features (v,eq, fm) and how we predict/measure/understand how and where each feature occurs.  Also revise specific words like internal/external forces, intrusive/extrusive features. Ensure you know names of features (batholiths, laccolith etc) and examples of plate boundaries and features all around the world. Predicting earthquakes, how study of plate tectonics helps us to understand where and why each feature occurs in the world.  Ensure you can draw or identify each feature in diagram form or photograph.
  
  River studies: 
  Five processes of erosion, five methods of transportation, three stages of a river, a main feature of erosion and deposition, examples of all features and natural disasters.  Revise humans and rivers: how we try to control, change, alter or use the force of rivers and the consequences.  (Case studies like the Mississippi flooding and the Yangste River in China especially).  Ensure you can draw or identify each feature in diagram form or photograph.
  
  Glaciation:     
  Causes of an ice age and glaciar formation, main processes of erosion, features of erosion and deposition, human use/benefits/advantages of glaciation.  Ensure you can draw or identify each feature in diagram form or photograph.
  
  Coastal studies:
  Five processes of erosion and three factors (longshore drift, wave refraction, constructive and destructive waves).  One main feature of erosion and deposition.  Human control/use/abuse/benefit/etc in coastal locations.  Examples of features and case studies.  Ensure you can draw or identify each feature in diagram form or photograph.
  
  
  Rocks: 
  Names and formations of each rock groups, examples of rock landscapes in Ireland, how do rocks change in the rock
  cycle. Human interaction with the rock cycle: common question asked is to discuss mining or quarrying or geothermal power or oil/gas exploration (revise!).  You should also revise weathering and erosion of the main rocks with an extra focus on Limestone.  Look over the main types of mass movement too as it is a common short question.  Can you identify different rocks in photos?
  
  Regional Geography:
  Revise the types and definitions of different regions. Also remember an example of each type of region.  Practice drawing and labelling sketch maps of all the regions we covered (including physical features: rivers, lakes and mountains, urban centres: towns or cities and neighbours and seas.  Frame, key and title, colour if you have time).
  You must (!) revise Primary, Secondary and Tertiary activities in each of our five studied regions:
  
  Primary activities include: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Mining.
  Secondary activities include: Industry and manufacturing
  Tertiary activities include: Tourism and transport.
  
  (Recent questions tend to ask you to discuss the development of activities in a region you studied.  That is activities (plural).
  
  Regions we studied: Ireland (core: The Greater Dublin area, peripheral: The West).  Europe: core: The Paris Basin, peripheral: The Mezzogiorno, Italy).  Subcontinental: India in South Asia.
  
  Revise the sample answer on the expansion of the EU and the impact on a member state (Ireland) – it is being asked too many times to ignore.
  
  Revise the role of culture in a region (read over Northern Ireland, Belgium and the main answer we practiced which was culture in India.  The question may define where they want discussed so do not limit your revision to just India.)
  
  Human Environment –Elective 5
  The causes and effects of migration, types of migration and host and donor countries.  Definitions to be revised.
  Population density and distribution and the effects on areas that are overpopulated.  Land use models (revise all three and focus on one. Learn the city it applies to, how it  shows how the city developed and be able to draw and label the model.
  Urban planning and policies.  Revise examples of how different cities around the world try to deal with urban problems like traffic congestion, urban sprawl and pollution in particular.  Case studies and examples are important.  You must also have a good revision of four important Irish plans (NDP, NSS, Transport 21 and Decentralisation).
  
  Ordnance Survey Maps and Photographs – generally asked in this section BUT ‘A’ part questions in other sections could be a sketch map or grid references or land uses etc. (Sketch map?  Happy days....please do it quickly and correctly). Practice basic map and photo skills.
  Longer questions tend to be on the development of a town at its location, evidence of settlement in the map, land use in the photo etc. Settlement and drainage patterns.  Development of  road/transport network.  Route focus.
  
  Optional Unit –Geoecology (Honours only)
  This area involves three key areas:
  
• _The formation of soil, examples in detail and the characteristics of soil.
  A detailed study of a biome (The Tropical Rainforest: study the climate, soils, plants and animals).
  Human interaction: with soils or interaction with the biome.
  
• Six essays need to be revised; minimum four to ensure you get one definite choice
    but ideally revise all.  Remember
  this is an essay style question so no A, B or C
  part.