1. New GCSE Geology starting from
September 2017

2. AGENDA 1.00 – 1.10 Introduction 1.10 – 2.30 The new GCSE Geology
2.30 – Coffee / Opportunity for discussion with subject officer & principal examiner
3.00 – Resources
3.40 – Opportunity for discussion with subject officer & principal examiner

3. Contact details Subject Officer: Dave Evans david.evans@eduqas.co.uk
Subject Support Officer: Sarah Price

4. INTRODUCING EDUQAS
In light of the diverging qualifications between England and Wales, WJEC has developed a new brand: Eduqas.
Eduqas will be the brand that provides schools with WJEC’s newly reformed Ofqual regulated GCSEs, AS and A levels.
Eduqas enables teachers to clearly distinguish between legacy qualifications in Wales and reformed qualifications in England.
Eduqas qualifications will primarily be available in England but also in Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands at any schools offering Ofqual regulated qualifications.

5. Summary of Assessment -
GCSE

6. Summary of assessment – GCSE
Component 1: Geological Principles
On-screen examination: 1 hour 15 minutes
50% of qualification
An on-screen assessment consisting of data and stimulus response questions
This assessment requires multiple-choice, short, structured and extended writing answers relating to all the GCSE Geology subject content outlined in this specification
A data sheet is used in this assessment

7. Multiple Choice questions: GCSE
Example of a multiple choice question:
 (i) Describe the mode of life of the fossil coral in Photograph 2f. Tick (✓) only one box. [1]
lived as a colony fixed to the sea bed
swam in fresh water
not mobile and lived on land
crawled around the sea bed
floated in the surface waters of the oceans

8. Structured writing question: GCSE
Example of a structured extended writing question:
(ii) Explain why the size of the crystals in the igneous intrusion in Figure 3a becomes coarser along the line from X to Y [2]

9. Extended writing questions: GCSE
Example of 6 mark extended writing questions:
Refer to Figures 2c and 2d, and Photographs 2e and 2f. Interpret and evaluate the evidence for changes in the latitude of the British area over geological time. [6 QER]
Refer to Photographs 5a and 5b and the principle of uniformitarianism. Analyse and interpret the evidence that enabled scientists to conclude that the rocks at Gale Crater were deposited by water flowing towards the East. [6 QER]

10. Summary of assessment – GCSE
Component 2: Investigative Geology
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes
50% of qualification
A written assessment consisting of data and stimulus response questions
Has short, structured and extended writing answers to investigate the geology of an area shown on a simplified geological map
It is wholly based on the area covered by the geological map
A data sheet is used in this assessment

11. Summary of assessment – GCSE

12. Example of a question related to the map
(d) Figure 1b is a photomicrograph of a sample taken from the igneous body at Locality 1 on Map 1.
(i) Describe the texture of the rock shown in Figure 1b.[3]

13. Specification - GCSE

14. Structure of the specification – GCSE
The specification is structured into four key ideas.
Key Idea 1: Rock exposures contain evidence of how rocks were formed and subsequently deformed.
This key idea enables candidates to analyse and interpret rock exposures from primary and secondary evidence. It is divided into 5 topics:
Minerals
Igneous rocks and processes
Sedimentary rocks and their fossil content
Metamorphic rocks and processes
Deformational structures.

15. Structure of the specification – GCSE
Key Idea 2: Major concepts and techniques underpin our current understanding of the Earth and its history.
This key idea enables candidates to demonstrate an understanding of the “big ideas” in geology. It is divided into five topics:
The rock cycle
Plate tectonics
Geochronological principles
Global climate and sea level change
The origin and development of life on Earth.

16. Structure of the specification – GCSE
Key Idea 3: Comparisons of the Earth with other planetary bodies within the Solar System provide evidence for the origin and evolution of both.
This key idea enables candidates to appreciate the links between natural processes on Earth and those on other planetary bodies within the Solar System.
= Planetary Geology

17. Structure of the specification – GCSE
Key Idea 4: Human interaction with the Earth can increase or reduce risk.
This key idea enables candidates to appreciate the cause and effect of human interactions with the natural environment. Key Idea 4 has been divided into two topics:
Earth hazards and their mitigation
Earth resources and engineering.

18. Components and specification content
GCSE
The context in which the content is assessed across the two components differs.
In Component 1, the whole of the content of the specification is assessed in a theoretical way.
In Component 2, a more practical approach, with the assessment structured to investigate the geology of an area shown on an accompanying simplified geological map. This assessment is wholly based on the area covered by the geological map.

19. SUMMARY – Main changes to assessment GCSE
Loss of coursework.
Preparing learners for 2 written components (2 hours 45 minutes).
Decrease in the proportion of marks from multiple choice questions.
Increase in number of marks and length of responses from extended writing. e.g Three 6 mark questions compared with two 4 mark questions currently.

20. SUMMARY – Main changes to assessment GCSE
There will be a minimum 15% of the marks for the qualification awarded for assessment of geological skills and techniques, listed in Appendix B of the specification.
There will be a minimum of 10% of the marks for the qualification awarded for Maths skills at a level of demand not lower than that which is expected of learners at key stage 3.The required Maths skills are listed in Appendix A of the specification.

21. SUMMARY – Main changes to assessment GCSE
Examples of mathematical questions in the Sample Papers:
In Cheshire in the UK there are evaporite deposits which are 200 metres thick.
On average a 5 centimetre thickness of evaporite is
produced by the evaporation of 3 metres depth of sea water
Calculate the depth of sea water that must have evaporated to produce a 200 metre thick layer of evaporite. Show your working. [3]
Depth of sea water =……………………..m

22. SUMMARY – Main changes to assessment GCSE
Calculate the relative density of haematite using the data in Table 5 and the formula below.
Show your working. Give your answer using an appropriate number of significant figures. [3]

23. SUMMARY – Main changes to assessment GCSE
Figure 2c

24. SUMMARY – Main changes to content
GCSE
There should be a familiar feel to a significant portion of the content but there are some new topics in the specification
e.g. Planetary geology
The development of the concept of deep time
The restoration of contaminated ground
Borehole correlation using microfossils
Modern laboratory techniques in the study of mineral
samples e.g. the scanning electron microscope electron microprobe

25. Fieldwork and practical skills
- GCSE

26. Fieldwork in GCSE Geology
Learners are required to undertake a minimum of two days of work in the field in order to develop their field observation and practical skills.
To develop learners' problem solving skills, it is expected that during at least one of these days they should have at least one opportunity to carry out a directed investigation to answer a geological problem
e.g. an investigation to determine the environments of deposition of a sequence of sedimentary rocks.
e.g. an investigation to determine the effects of tectonic stresses at a field location.
Centres should feel able to devise alternative examples of directed investigations relevant to the field locations used.

27. Fieldwork in GCSE Geology
Each centre must provide a fieldwork statement to WJEC that details the fieldwork carried out in each assessment cycle.
This can include local fieldwork outside the classroom but must also involve fieldwork on unfamiliar outcrop geology.
Fieldwork must give learners the opportunity to complete the required practical skills that are field based
(e.g. construction of graphic logs, location of geological features onto base maps, production of field sketches, measurement of dip and strike elements).

28. Practical skills in GCSE Geology
Practical work is an intrinsic part of the Eduqas GCSE specification in Geology.
At GCSE there is a requirement for learners to become competent in a number of practical skills and techniques. These are listed in the specification (Appendix B) and learners will be assessed on these in the written components.
These include:
field-based skills e.g. construction of a graphic log
lab-based skills e.g. the measurement of mass

29. Eduqas Resources to support the new
GCSE Geology

30. Eduqas Resources: GCSE Geology
These will include:
A detailed guidance for teaching document
Digital resources for teaching
Useful subject web pages
Easily contactable subject officer and support officer
Regular e mail bulletins