Explore UCD

UCD Home >

GEOG10160

Academic Year 2026/2027

Our Living World (GEOG10160)

Subject:
Geography
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Geography
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Shane Mc Guinness
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module introduces the importance of a geographical approach to the natural world, the spatial variability of this across the planet, the place of human existence and culture in defining and altering this, the consequences to non-human life and perspectives on our options as a race to remediate this.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Following this module, students will:
1. Understand how life has spread and diversified across the planet
2. Recognise the fundamentally geographical nature of human’s role in shaping this
3. Acknowledge the importance of varied skillsets and disciplines in remediating damage
4. Gain exposure to successful geography graduates working in sustainability-related roles

Indicative Module Content:

Week 1. The Meaning of Life
- What is nature and naturalness
- The evolution of life in space and time
- Humans in the web of life

Week 2. Geography as the Great Descriptor
- Everything happens somewhere and with someone/something
- Geography’s role in describing, dictating and protecting life

Week 3. Biogeography
- Guns, Germs and Steel; Gaia hypothesis
- A note of caution (environmental determinism)
- What lies beneath: culture, history, mapping, imagination, spirituality

Week 4. Anthropocentrism vs. Ecocentrism
- Valuing nature
- More-than-human geography

Week 5. Culture and Nature
- Cultural evolution: horizontal transfer - / language / writing / art
- Connection to history, culture, etc.
- Spirituality and religion in conservation
- Gender, race, sexuality, human diversity as defined in nature/world etc.
- Environmental justice

Week 6. Political Ecology
- Background, prescience, modern adoption
- Rwanda work – case study
- Event Ecology
- Manahatta project – peeling back the layers

Week 7. Real-world Biogeography (field trip)
- National Botanic Gardens field trip
- Group report

Week 8. READING WEEK

Week 9. The Anthropocene
- Definition
- When did it begin, where and how
- Implications for geographical thought

Week 10. The Limits to Growth
- The limits to mass/energy
- Thermodynamics and entropy
- Gaia and Spaceship Earth

Week 11. The Future of Life
- Options for survival
- Our purpose and responsibility

Week 12. In-class MCQ

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Competent

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Not addressed

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Not addressed

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Novice

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

End poverty in all its forms everywhere 2

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 3

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 3

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 2

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 4

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 3

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 1

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 3

Reduce inequality within and among countries 3

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 3

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 3

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 5

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 5

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss 5

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 3

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development 4
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

35
Field Trip/External Visits

5
Autonomous Student Learning

60
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This modules is designed to offer an inspiring introduction to the purpose and necessity of biogeography as an an essential interdisciplinary subject, which is uniquely positioned to address the most pressing challenges faced by humanity. As such, learning will be centred on the delivery of engaging in-person lectures, to which ATTENDANANCE IS REGARDED AS MANDATORY, notwithstanding extenuating considerations. Students will be tasked with critically reflecting upon basic biogeographical concepts via individual written submissions, along with field-led group work along culminating in submission of a task-led group assignment. This latter submission may also involve a group presentation of findings, depending on capacities and scheduling.

Use of Artificial Intelligence: This module operates under the RED LIGHT approach for use of AI, meaning that AI tools are prohibited for generating paragraphs of text submitted as the student's own, producing citations, uploading identifiable or restricted data to any AI system, or generating substantive concepts, designs or assignment structures.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Review of selected peer-reviewed paper, focussing on precision of language, integrity and academic instruments Week 4 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No
Group Work Assignment: Group assignment in response to botanic gardens field trip Week 9 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No
Exam (In-person): MCQ in-class Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
50
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 1 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Direct feedback will be provided, within 20 working days, to all students on individual projects. For group submissions, feedback will be collated per group and offered in-person. Further, feedback to the class collectively will be provided once all marks have been Published.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 10:00 - 10:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.