Grade 12 Geography

Consolidation of Grade 11 global air circulation. Mid-latitude cyclones: characteristics, areas of formation, conditions for formation, stages of development, cross-section, associated weather with cold, warm and occluded fronts, impacts on people and environment, and management strategies. Identification on synoptic weather maps and satellite images, including stages and the role of the South Indian and South Atlantic highs. Mapwork/GIS: alphanumeric and grid reference, map coordinates, fixing position.

Characteristics, areas of formation and terminology, factors for formation, stages of development, weather patterns, cross-section, impacts and management strategies. Identification on synoptic weather maps and satellite images and interpretation of weather symbols. Case study of ONE recent tropical cyclone affecting southern Africa. Mapwork/GIS: contour lines, contour interval and height, conventional signs, compass direction, true bearing, satellite images and remote sensing, interpretation of synoptic weather maps.

Location and identification of the South Atlantic, South Indian and Kalahari high-pressure cells; characteristics and influence on South Africa's weather and climate (integration with plateau, inversion layer, ocean currents and ridging). Interpret synoptic weather maps and anticyclonic circulation. Mapwork/GIS: magnetic declination and magnetic bearing, map scale and comparing scales of topographic and orthophoto maps.

Moisture front and line thunderstorms, coastal low pressure and SA berg wind; resultant weather and impact and strategies to reduce impact. Identification and interpretation on synoptic weather maps and satellite images. Mapwork/GIS: topographic map work for valley settlements, straight-line distance, area of regular features, and identifying mountain winds.

Valley climates: slope aspect, anabatic and katabatic winds, inversions, thermal belt, frost pockets, radiation fog, and impacts on settlement and farming. Urban climates: urban heat island and pollution dome (definitions, causes, effects and strategies). Mapwork/GIS: average gradient calculation and interpretation; GIS concepts, data layering and buffering.

Drainage basin concepts, types of rivers, drainage patterns and factors influencing drainage density. Map skills for drainage basins, rivers and patterns; cross-sections, intervisibility and vertical exaggeration. Stream order, discharge, laminar and turbulent flow. River profiles and stages of a river. Fluvial landforms (meanders, undercut and slip-off slope, oxbow lakes, braided streams, floodplain, natural levee, waterfall, rapids, delta). GIS concepts: remote sensing, resolution, pixels. River grading and base level of erosion. Mapwork includes orthophoto/topographic comparison and photo interpretation.

Revision and application of Term 1 content and skills.

River rejuvenation (definition, reasons, features such as knickpoint, terraces, incised/entrenched meanders, and significance). River capture/stream piracy: concepts, features (captor stream, captured stream, misfit stream, elbow of capture, wind gap), impacts, and implications for people and ecosystems. Map skills include identification on topographic maps and gradient calculation.

Superimposed and antecedent drainage patterns; river management definition and causes of poor management; importance of managing drainage basins/catchments; human impacts (pollution, overgrazing, deforestation, settlement); management strategies; case study of a South African catchment management strategy. Mapwork/GIS: data standardisation, data sharing and data security, and developing a paper GIS using layers and data sources.

Settlement, site and situation; rural and urban settlements; classification by size, pattern and function. Rural settlements: site and situation, patterns and shapes (round, linear, T-shaped, crossroad), land use, and identification of land use (farming, forestry, conservation). Mapwork/GIS: buffering, vector/raster/spatial/attribute data; identify settlement patterns and site/function on topographic maps.

Rural-urban migration, push and pull factors, rural depopulation (causes, consequences, strategies, case study). Social justice issues, access to resources, and land reform (tenure, redistribution, restitution). Mapwork/GIS: data layering, data manipulation, and area/distance calculations.

Origin and development of urban settlements; urbanisation and related concepts (urban growth, expansion, sprawl, rate and level of urbanisation, counter-urbanisation); site and situation; classification by function; central places; trade and transport towns; specialised towns and cities. Mapwork/GIS: data integration, buffering, querying and statistical analysis.

Urban hierarchy concepts (threshold population, sphere of influence, range of goods, lower/higher order centres and services). Internal structure and land use zones, CBD/OBD and commercial decentralisation, residential, industrial, transition zone, rural-urban fringe. Urban profile, street patterns, and models of urban structure (multiple-nuclei, modern American-western city, third world city, South African city). Mapwork/GIS: identify land use zones and features on topographic and orthophoto maps; spatial resolution and data concepts.

Recent urbanisation patterns in South Africa, issues linked to rapid urbanisation (pollution, urban blight, traffic congestion, lack of planning, urban sprawl, overcrowding, housing shortage, service provision, social challenges). Informal settlements: definition, growth, issues and strategies. Case studies from South Africa and the world; injustice issues (environmental, social and economic). Mapwork/GIS: vector/raster data, data integration, buffering, querying and statistical analysis; map skills and interpretation.

Assessment and consolidation of Term 2 content and skills.

Economic sectors (primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary). Contribution to the South African economy (GNP/GDP and employment). Interpretation of statistical and graphical information.

Contribution of agriculture; small-scale and large-scale farming; products for home and export markets. Case study of maize: location, factors, and contribution. Food security: definition, importance, factors, strategies and case studies.

Contribution of mining and its significance. Case study of platinum: location, factors, and contribution. Mapwork includes identifying mining activities and map symbols.

Contribution of secondary sector; types of industries (heavy/light, raw material/market oriented, footloose/ubiquitous, bridge industries). Factors influencing and hindering industrial development in South Africa.

Core industrial regions: Gauteng (PWV), Durban-Pinetown, Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage, South-Western Cape. Prescribed regions: Gauteng (PWV) and Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage with location, factors, activities, impacts and case studies.

Apartheid and post-apartheid strategies (Good Hope Plan, RDP, GEAR), IDZs and SDIs, case studies of Coega (IDZ) and Wild Coast (SDI), and industrial centralisation/decentralisation.

Tertiary sector contribution, trade and transport in development, and interpretation of graphs and tables. Informal sector employment: concepts, characteristics, reasons, challenges and strategies with South African case studies.

Mapwork skills, topographic maps, GIS, atlas use, and revision/application of content and skills.

Paper 1: Climate and weather (60), geomorphology (60), mapwork (30). Paper 2: Rural and urban settlements (60), economic geography of South Africa (60), mapwork (30). Each paper 150 marks, 3 hours. Cognitive levels: 25% lower order, 50% middle order, 25% higher order.

Revision of climate and weather, geomorphology, settlement geography, economic geography of South Africa, and mapwork skills and techniques.

Paper 1: Climate and weather (60), geomorphology (60), mapwork (30). Paper 2: Rural and urban settlements (60), economic geography of South Africa (60), mapwork (30). Each paper 150 marks, 3 hours. Cognitive levels: 25% lower order, 50% middle order, 25% higher order.