Geography and Environmental Sciences Foundation Year

You will develop a broad appreciation of a range of complex environmental problems and with experience of hands-on fieldwork coupled with teaching from staff members involved in cutting-edge research in geography. Selected topics will be further developed through the application of a range of quantitative and qualitative methods as part of fieldwork activities to put theoretical learning into practice. The module provides you with a basic introduction to the scientific and social processes underpinning both local, as well as global environmental problems. On completion of the module, your ability to link theory and application, with an informed concern about sustainable development in an urban context will serve to enhance your future employment prospects.

Over the last four decades, the North East of England has experienced a series of profound changes across its economic, social, cultural and political landscapes. This module examines some of the key elements of this reinvention of the North East in the context of an increasingly global economy. Key themes include: uneven geographies of deindustrialisation and crisis; urban-rural contrasts; the North East’s new service economy; gender and class shifts in employment and unemployment; migrant labour; place-based competition; creative and cultural industries and new forms of urban regeneration. These various dimensions of North East’s contemporary reinvention will be discussed in the wider context of changing philosophies and instruments of government policy intervention. The module will be delivered through a mix of lectures, seminars and field teaching.

Through KE3004 Transition Skills and Fieldwork in Geography and Environmental Sciences, we aim to support you to develop a range of skills which will be critical to your progression from your foundation degree onto your subsequent undergraduate programme. As part of this shift in academic culture, you will be encouraged to take increasing responsibility for your own learning, and through the development of reflective practice and feedback, you will develop ways of monitoring your own academic performance and progress.

You will learn and develop the key intellectual skills and personal attributes required for effective study in geography or environmental sciences and future graduate employment. Specifically, the module will cover: managing the transition to university life; key skills, such as time-management, academic literature search, essay writing, referencing, communication and presentation skills, field-observation and team-work; and how geographical and environmental perspectives inform our understanding of contemporary real-world issues.

You will develop a deep scientific understanding of five current environmental issues and learn how to communicate these to a primary/middle school audience. The module starts with introductory lectures and guided reading to engage you with a variety of environmental issues. You will then move onto small group seminars designed to give you the skillset to tackle the module assessment: to communicate one of these environmental issues to a primary/middle school audience. As you explore the scientific background to the environmental issues, a staff member will support you as you develop your leaflet to communicate the environmental issue. The module culminates when your leaflet is sent out to a local primary/middle school and you receive the feedback from the schoolteacher as to whether your hard work has helped the children to learn about the environmental issue. No pressure!

Environmental issues that could be covered:
Glacier retreat
Sea-level
Earthquakes
Biodiversity
Pollution
Water resources
Pollinator decline
Climate change
Natural hazards

The exact five environmental issues covered will depend on which research-active staff members are teaching on the module each year.

Sustainability and sustainable development are ideas which have become increasingly important for the disciplines of Geography and Environmental Science. National and international targets for sustainability are core to urban and rural land management. Sustainability is not just about technology, energy efficiency, minimising waste and resource use; although these are important parts of sustainability. Sustainable development also needs to protect nature (biodiversity) and benefit local communities. There is an increasing demand for professionals who understand and can apply sustainability to the work environment. This means understanding aspects of geography, risk, environmental issues, and social factors, such as population demographics, quality of life, transport and congestion.

In this module you will:
• Explore the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development and how they apply in practice
• Be introduced to a range of topics and concepts within the field of sustainable development in local and global settings
• Work as part of a team, to apply your understanding of these topics and concepts to complete a series of tasks
• Work individually to produce an online app using ArcGIS software
• Explore issues of sustainable development within the Newcastle-Gateshead conurbation

In this module you will learn about a variety of concepts and debates that have shaped current thinking and research in the Geosciences. Following an exploration of the subject of geology and physical geography, approaches to investigation, and relationships with other relevant subjects, you will focus on a range of more specific topics, including:
• Earth structure and origin.
• Evolution of continents and oceans - plate tectonics.
• Volcanoes: characteristics, behaviour and hazard mitigation.
• Earthquakes and impact mitigation.
• Earth history and geological deep time.

In addition, you will develop your practical skills and abilities in sediment and rock identification, geological map interpretation, and sedimentological analysis. You will also develop a deeper appreciation of the interaction between physical and human aspects of the environment, thereby demonstrating informed concern about the Earth and its people. Since this is a Foundation Year – focussed module, we offer practical training in the use of datasheet software, GIS, as well as visualization and reporting of results. These skills are highly sought after during later studies and are a demanded by potential employers.

On completion of the module, your improved ability to link theory, practice and application will serve to enhance your future employment prospects.