Map work and geographical investigations

Last time

Before we start: last time, in Food production and energy supply, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.

The geographer's skills

Paper 2 tests skills: reading a map extract, and planning a geographical investigation. These skills earn many marks, and they can be practised. This lesson covers grid references, scale, direction, relief, and the steps of fieldwork.

Grid references

A four-figure grid reference gives a square: read the easting along the bottom first, then the northing up the side. A six-figure reference gives a point: divide each square into tenths. Remember: along the corridor, then up the stairs.

Scale and distance

On a 1 to 50,000 map, 1 centimetre on the map is 50,000 centimetres, or half a kilometre, on the ground. So 2 centimetres is 1 kilometre. A straight-line distance of 4 centimetres is 4 times 50,000 centimetres: 200,000 centimetres, or 2 kilometres. For a winding road, use the edge of a paper or string to follow the curves, then measure against the scale line.

Direction

Use the eight compass points: north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west, west and north-west. North is at the top of the map unless shown otherwise. Bearings measure direction in degrees clockwise from north.

Relief

Contour lines join places of equal height. Close contours show steep slopes; widely spaced contours show gentle slopes. Spot heights and trigonometrical stations give exact heights. A cross-section shows the shape of the land along a line.

Describing features on a map

Identify features from the key: types of road, buildings, rivers, woodland. Describe a river's course: direction of flow, width, meanders, and the landforms around it. Describe settlement: where it is sited, its pattern, and the services shown.

Planning an investigation

Start with a hypothesis: a statement to test, such as pedestrian counts decrease with distance from the CBD. Choose methods and a sampling strategy: where, when and how often to collect data. Then collect, present, analyse, conclude and evaluate.

Fieldwork methods

Human geography: questionnaires, pedestrian counts, traffic counts, land-use surveys, and environmental quality surveys. Physical geography: measuring river width, depth and velocity, beach profiles, and weather readings. Make data fair: same time of day, same length of count, and the same equipment at each site.

Presenting and evaluating

Present data with suitable graphs: bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, or maps with proportional symbols. The conclusion says whether the hypothesis is true, false, or partly true, using the evidence. Evaluate: problems with the method, such as weather or small samples, and how to improve it.

Mistakes that lose marks

Mistake one: giving the northing before the easting in a grid reference. Mistake two: forgetting units, or the scale, when giving a distance. Mistake three: a conclusion that does not refer back to the hypothesis and the data. The fix: eastings first, units always, and evidence in conclusions.

The full-marks tip

The full-marks tip: give grid references eastings first, and distances with units. In fieldwork, always link the conclusion to the hypothesis with data.

On one card

So, on one card: map work and fieldwork. Keep it for revision.