The syllabus is presented in the form of core, elective, and optional areas of study. The development of geographical skills should permeate teaching and learning across all aspects of the syllabus, as appropriate.
Format
The syllabus for Ordinary level is presented in the form of core and elective units. For Higher level it is presented in the form of core, elective and optional units. Each unit is sub-divided into statements and topics for study. Each unit is presented in four columns:
- Unit number
- Content description
- National settings
- International settings
The content description column contains the main guiding statements for the unit and a detailed breakdown of study areas under topics for study.
Settings
At all times teachers should endeavour to explain geographical phenomena by using local examples, where available and appropriate, to illustrate the topics. In addition, national and international examples are also provided throughout the syllabus. These settings are not prescriptive and are for guidance only. Teachers are also given the freedom to choose their own settings and case studies to illustrate the topics for study. Teachers should link, where appropriate, each of the topics for study throughout the syllabus to Core Unit 2 - regional geography - and vice versa. This will allow regional geography to provide appropriate settings and to become a natural and cohesive part of the overall syllabus.
Geographical skills
The learning, use, and application of geographical skills is central to a student's experience of Leaving Certificate geography. Geographical skills are central to all parts of the syllabus. The core geographical skills are listed for study in Core Unit 3 and are to be studied by all students. A list of skills is also included in the introduction to each of the syllabus units. These listed skills should be integrated into the teaching of all the syllabus units as appropriate. These core geographical skills will also be used and applied in the preparation of the geographical investigation at both Higher and Ordinary levels. The student's competency in the application and use of geographical skills will be examined in the context of the terminal written examination and the geographical investigation.
The Geographical Investigation
The geographical investigation is a core area of study and as such is compulsory for all students. Field studies and investigations using primary and secondary sources are central to the geographical education and experience of all students. The investigation will allow the student to experience the practical application of the core geographical skills that are central to all units of the syllabus. The geographical investigation will allow the student to experience the key aims of the syllabus in the context of their own environment. The investigation also encourages students to develop positive attitudes by both experiencing and questioning relationships and issues in their own environment. The investigation represents the practical application of the core geographical skills listed in the syllabus. The students, having studied and practiced the geographical skills listed, will then apply the appropriate skills to the investigation topic. In the process of completing the geographical investigation students will be required to
- devise a strategy and identify aims, objectives, and hypotheses to allow for the effective investigation of the topic
- select methods of collection and gathering appropriate to the investigation topic
- use appropriate methods of gathering and collection of information
- prepare a report
- analyse and interpret results and draw valid conclusions.
Differentiation
The structure of the syllabus has a clear differentiation between Higher and Ordinary levels. The introduction to each of the syllabus units shows clear differentiation between the outcomes for Higher and Ordinary level. Only Higher level students must study an optional unit.
Units of study -- Ordinary level
Ordinary level students are required to study:
| Core Unit 1 | Patterns and processes in the physical environment |
| Core Unit 2 | Regional geography |
| Core Unit 3 | Geographical Investigation and Skills |
One of the following two electives:
| Elective Unit 4 | Patterns and processes in economic activities |
| Elective Unit 5 | Patterns and processes in the human environment |
Units of study -- Higher level
Higher level students are required to study:
| Core Unit 1 | Patterns and processes in the physical environment |
| Core Unit 2 | Regional geography |
| Core Unit 3 | Geographical Investigation and Skills |
One of the following two electives:
| Elective Unit 4 | Patterns and processes in economic activities |
| Elective Unit 5 | Patterns and processes in the human environment |
One of the following four optional areas of study:
| Optional Unit 6 | Global interdependence |
| Optional Unit 7 | Geoecology |
| Optional Unit 8 | Culture and identity |
| Optional Unit 9 | The atmosphere--ocean environment |
ASSESSMENT
Assessment will take the form of a terminal written examination and a report on the geographical investigation. There will be a separate written examination for Higher level and for Ordinary level students. The terminal written examination will have an assessment weighting of 80%. The report on the geographical investigation will have an assessment weighting of 20%. The two forms of assessment will reflect the syllabus content and the learning outcomes specified in each unit of the syllabus. The terminal written examination will consist of questions requiring short answers and multi-part questions requiring more developed answers. Longer essay-style discursive answers will be required only in the assessment of the optional units. All questions will contain stimulus material and a geographical skills element, where appropriate. The report on the geographical investigation will be assessed outside of the terminal written examination.