GEOGRAPHY Grade 12

What is Geography?

Geography is the study of human and physical environments. it is a subject that combines topics related to physical and human processes over space and time. With the use of Geography, we can better understand our complex world. There are many branches of study in Geography. For example, in Physical Geography, we examine natural processes and features, including the atmosphere, land forms and ecosystems. in human Geography, we investigate the activities and impact of people on Earth. The concept that unifies Geography is space. All geographical phenomena have a spatial dimension and operate in a continuously changing environment

Geography’s four Big ideas

Any topic in Geography can be explored by applying a conceptual framework that embraces Geography’s four Big ideas, namely:

• Place
• Spatial processes
• Spatial distribution patterns
• human and environment interaction

These Big ideas’ are organising concepts that are central to geographical knowledge. Some topics in the curriculum focus on one of the Big ideas. Other topics require more than one – or even all – of the Big ideas to be part of the enquiry. including one or more of the Big ideas in every enquiry ensures that the focus is essentially geographical.

Geographical skills

The Geography curriculum aims to develop the following subject-specific skills:
• using verbal, quantitative and symbolic data forms such as text, pictures, graphs tables, diagrams and maps;
• practicing field observation and mapping, interviewing people, interpreting sources and working with statistics;
• applying communication, thinking, practical and social skills;
• practicing the following specific skills:
– identifying questions and issues;
– collecting and structuring information;
– processing, interpreting and evaluating data;
– making decisions and judgements;
– deciding on a point of view;
– suggesting solutions to problems; and
– working cooperatively and independently.
Geographical education also contributes to the development of personal and social competence.

• Geographical skills and techniques: topographic maps, GiS, synoptic weather maps
  Climate and weather: cyclones, local climate
  Geo-morphology: drainage systems and fluvial processes
  Rural and urban settlement
  Economic geography of South Africa: