Practicing exam questions

 

Have a look at this question, noting the command word DESCRIBE. Come up with some ideas and how you would DEVELOP that point... Try 'this means that' to expand the point.

 

 

Making the grade - top tips from Miss Snell

Making the grade – Tips from Miss Snell - READ ALL OF THESE POINTS!!!!

1.       Grade boundaries are very close. Answer EVERY question in the exam. NEVER leave a blank answer. Why? Because the easiest marks to get are the ones you would write first.

Example: Explain the reasons why people move to cities [4].

Candidate A Answer: Jobs = 1 mark     Candidate B Answer: More hospitals and schools = 2 marks             Candidate C:  Sorry I ran out of time     = 0 marks

To get the other 2 marks you need to explain these further and they are nearly always the hardest to get because the examiner is looking for reasons not to give you full marks…but you have already scored half marks from writing just a few words….so better than nothing if you have no time left.

2.       Your answer length depends on number of marks. It doesn’t matter if you know the most about river erosion than anything else in the whole syllabus….if the question asks you to name two types of erosion…give TWO words only, then move on.  Similarly, writing a page for a 4 mark question is a waste of time. Have the discipline to MOVE ON.

3.       Don’t tell the examiner interesting stuff…only answer the question. E.g. If a case study asks you for CAUSES and EFFECTS don’t write about SOLUTIONS. They are not impressed at all by you adding in ‘nice to know’ information, it just annoys them as they have to sift through your waffle. ‘Need to know’ only please.

4.       Timing – Really essential. Get used to what 2 minutes feels like for 2 marks. Get used to 4 minutes for 4 marks and stick to them. Time yourself at home with a practice paper. Get someone to time you – start and stop for a question they have picked/you haven’t seen before.

5.       Bullet points are better than nothing if they are good points! Don’t do this if you can on the longer answers (6 marks or more) as there are marks for SPaG.

6.       It is OK to underline some words and capitalise them if you are running out of time and want to get a point across/some knowledge. E.g. Question: Describe the social and economic effects of flooding [4].

 

Answer:
·         SOCIAL- Damage to housing & schools, reduced quality of life.
·         ECONOMIC – Damage to businesses, costs of repairs, insurance claims.

It’s written in bullets and brief but it answers the question and it’s really easy to mark for the examiner! Full marks.

7.       Do NOT repeat the question in the answer. E.g. Explain the reasons why people move to cities [4]. Answer: Some people move to cities because…..    This is a waste of time and while you may find it helps you, it is annoying for the examiner. You can start straight away by saying ‘because they can get a better paid job’ or ‘They move for better job opportunities’.

8.       If a question says ‘using Fig.1 and your own knowledge…’ USE IT! If you have to describe a chart/picture – just say what you see! Really obvious stuff like the shape or a key term or read off a figure from a table. If you have to explain, you need to analyse further by saying how/why etc.

9.       Address both adjectives separately if there are two e.g. don’t say ‘There are many social and economic impacts like damage to housing and businesses…..’ as this shows that you don’t know the difference between the two. Structure it – social impacts include….. economic impacts include…….

10.   You don’t get marks for saying in an answer ‘the population has changed’ or ‘the environment has been affected’…you need to say HOW/WHY e.g. ‘The population has increased from __to __.’ Or ‘The oil spill has damaged marine ecosystems’.

11.   Include numbers in your case studies (at least 2)….e.g. Nike employs 350,000 people. It shows you have knowledge.

12.   Case study – don’t need a huge intro – just a bit of place specific detail/general info (2 sentences) then answer the question.

This week: Mastering place specic detail in case studies

Place specific detail for case studies – Geography working group

Use the resources to find place specific detail (3 pieces minimum) for each case study. Place specific detail is a piece of information that could only be applied to that particular case study – i.e. it is unique to that place/example.

POPULATION

China’s One Child policy

 Poland to UK international migration

 UK internal migration

 
RIVERS

River Tees - A* EXAMPLE: Source - Cross Fell in the Pennines 893m above sea level where rainfall over 2000mm a year. High Force waterfall in upper course. 21m - amongst the largest in England. Whinstone, an igneous rock over limestone. Pastoral farming (sheep) in upper course, arable in middle/lower. Cow Green reservoir stores water for towns and industry and helps prevent flooding  of lower course. Yarm - market town and old inland port prone to flooding a bridge in a meander. Meander straightened in 1810 to improve navigation (Mandale Loop near Stockton).

 Boscastle flood

Bangladesh flood

 COASTS

The Dorset Coastline

 Coastal management Pevensey Bay

 DEVELOPMENT

Wateraid Mali

 Location of industry – Southeast Brazil (LEDC)

 Location of industry UK –Cambridge Science Park (MEDC)

 MNC – Nike / Coca cola

 

 

 

Session 3 - Geography map skills

Geography map skills for A/A*’s

Grid references: Be accurate.  The 3^rd and 6^th number of a 6 figure grid reference can be 1 number out each way. Practice using this summer’s resource booklet.

Map symbols: These will be provided in a key but make sure you know the more familiar ones to save time in the exam. Have a look at p9.

Scale and direction: The scale will be written on the map.  1:50 000 means 2cm= 1km, so each cm is 500m. 1: 25 000 means 4cm = 1km, so each cm is 250m. Always quote units- you will get no marks without them.

Relief: the height and shape of the land: There are several things to look for: Spot heights, Triangulation pillars, Contour lines, Slopes- the closer the contour lines, the steeper the slope. Remember- the contour lines help us to identify landforms.

Can you spot a contour on the map extract?

See worksheet: Contour Patterns & drawing a contour.

 

Describing rivers:

1.      Direction of flow (source to mouth) Hints: Water always flows downhill so look at the contours. Tributaries also point in the direction of downhill.

2.      Speed of flow – look at contours, as steep ground and straight channel = fast flow, flat land and meanders = slow flow.

3.      Width (estimate) Hints: A thin blue line indicates a narrow channel.

4.      Course - State whether the river is in the upper, middle or lower course? Hints:

Upper course: contours close together, presence of waterfalls, thin river.

Middle course: Meandering river, quite wide channel.

Lower course: Sometimes the mouth of the river is present, wide channel, flat valley floor.

5.      Number and size of tributaries

6.      Physical features - Tributaries, a confluence point, waterfalls, meanders, ox-bow lakes, delta.

7.      Human features- In a lowland area, channels may be straightened artificially to prevent flooding. There may be a reservoir on the river to collect water. Bridges, artificial embankments.

 

Describing settlement patterns:

Dispersed – a scattering of houses over a large area – in rural / hilly areas /plains.

Linear – Houses along a line e.g. a river/road/railway/coast.

Nucleated – Grouping of houses around a centre (nucleus) at road intersections/confluences/focal points.

 

Past question: Describe the location of the science park [3]

Session 2 - SPaG and command words

This week we worked on spelling, punctuation and grammar.

How did you do on the spelling test?! Practice them at home.

We also looked at command words in an exam paper. Spend some time getting to know them...

GCSE Geography - Command Words

UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION

When completing your GCSE Geography exam you must read the question carefully and answer it in the right way to make sure that you get as many marks as possible. Always use geographical terms in your answers e.g. compass directions, use the scale of the map, give grid references.

Here are some of the command words that you may be given:

Annotate - add notes or labels to a map or diagram to explain what it shows.

Compare - look for ways in which features or places are similar or different. e.g. a city in an LEDC compared to a MEDC

Complete - add to a map or graph to finish it off.

Contrast - look for the differences between features or places. Often the question will ask you to compare and contrast.

Define - explain what something means e.g. freeze-thaw.

Describe - give details about what a map or diagram shows.

Discuss - usually wants a long answer, describing and giving reasons for or explaining arguments for and against.

Draw - a sketch map or diagram with labels to explain something.

Explain or account for - give reasons for the location or appearance of something.

Factors - reasons for the location of something such as a factory.

Give your ( or somebody else’s) views- say what you or a particular group think about something , for example should limestone quarries be allowed in the Peak District.

Identify - name, locate, recognise or select a particular feature or features, usually from a map, photo or diagram.

Mark - put onto a map or diagram.

Name, state, list - give accurate details or features.

Study - look carefully at a map, photo, table, diagram etc. and say what it shows.

With reference to /refer to examples you have studied - give specific details about your case studies.

With the help of/using the information provided - make sure you include examples from the information, including grid references if it is a map.

Session 1 - Developing a point

Can you identify where this pupil scored marks? Remember, 4 marks is two points developed or 4 points.
If a question asks to describe and explain for 4 marks you must describe WHAT it is for 2 marks and say WHY it is (give reasons) for the other 2 marks......

PLC stands for Place specific detail - this is something that could not be applied to anywhere else i.e. it is specific to Wateraid in Mali. DEV means developed point - where you have moved on from describing to explaining SAYING WHAT SOMETHING MEANS (reasons) usually!

 

Have a go at these questions... remember to USE THE TABLE TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE as well as your own knowledge!

 

 

See you in Lab 18 at lunch on Wednesday!