Generic Decision-making Exercise Tasks
For award in 2017
The Controlled Assessment Decision-making Exercise tasks are for 2017 award
only. Centres must choose from these 8 tasks and not those for 2016.
Centres should complete the Submission of Controlled Assessment form once they
have decided on their task and read the accompanying supporting notes.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W.1(13)
The following DME tasks are available for those candidates who receive their award in 2017
Theme
2
Generic tasks for the Decision Making
Exercise / Problem solver
The tasks are linked to the
following enquiry questions
from the specification
Page in
specification
A report analysing how successful
changes in people’s lifestyles can be in
reducing the impact of climate change
which includes the candidate's
reasoned and justified decision.
A report analysing how successful
hazard reduction strategies may be in
earthquake zones which includes the
candidate's reasoned and justified
decision.
2.2 How can technology be used
and people’s lifestyles changed to
reduce the impact of climate
change?
15
2.2 How might the effects of
volcanic eruptions and
earthquakes be reduced in
countries at different levels of
development?
15
4
A report analysing how successful
strategies may be that attempt to
reduce the effects of migration from
rural regions of Europe, which
includes the candidate's reasoned and
justified decision.
1.2 What are the push / pull
factors that produce rural –
urban migration and urban-rural
migration?
16
7
A report analysing how successful
different coastal management
strategies may be, which includes the
candidate's reasoned and justified
decision.
2.1 What are the advantages and
disadvantages of hard and soft
engineering strategies used to
manage our coasts?
18
8
A report analysing the best ways to
prepare for a tropical storm which
includes the candidate's reasoned and
justified decision.
3.1 How can technology be used
to (i) forecast extreme weather
and (ii) to reduce the impact of its
effects?
19
9
A report analysing the best ways to
manage tropical rainforests
sustainably which includes the
candidate's reasoned and justified
decision.
2.2 How can ecosystems be
managed sustainably?
19
10
A report analysing to what extent mass
tourism is the most effective strategy
for the future which includes the
candidate's reasoned and justified
decision.
3.1 How may tourism be
developed in a sustainable way?
20
12
A report analysing conflicting opinions
about the use of wind energy in a
given locality, which includes the
candidate's reasoned and justified
decision.
3.2 What future changes may
take place in energy sources and
in demand?
3.3 What conflicts of opinion are
these changes to supply likely to
introduce?
21
3
1
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Developing a DME on climate change (Theme 2)
The WJEC set task for 2017
Theme Generic task for the Decisionmaking Exercise / problem
solver
2
A report analysing how
successful changes in people's
lifestyles can be in reducing the
impact of climate change which
includes the candidate's
reasoned and justified decision.
The tasks are linked to the
following enquiry questions
from the specification
2.2 How can technology be used
and people’s lifestyles changed
to reduce the impact of climate
change?
Page in
specification
15
Contextualising the task
The 2017 DME task focuses on ways in which people’s lifestyles might change in order to
combat climate change. As with all DMEs, candidates must be given the opportunity to
demonstrate their decision making skills and should be discouraged from writing a
descriptive essay. I would suggest that there are two distinctly different ways to go about
contextualising this task:
1.
To ask candidates to decide on the best route for a new transport link through their
community or to their school from three or more potential routes.
For example:
 Which is the best route for a new cycle path to our school?
 Which is the best route for a new tramway through Nottingham?
2.
To ask candidates to decide which, of three options, would be the best or most
acceptable way for the local community (or specific groups of people within the local
community) to reduce its carbon footprint.
For example:
 What is the best way for families in our local community to reduce their carbon
footprint?
Whatever context is chosen, it is important that candidates are faced with viable alternative
options. They will then have to carefully assess the possible advantages and disadvantages
of each option before coming up with their recommendation and justifying their choice.
Suggestions for a DME on locating a cycle route to your school
A DME does not require fieldwork or primary data collection but this particular DME would
work best if your students were able to spend part of a day collecting primary data in the
vicinity of the school.
You could select three potential routes for the students to investigate. It is best if the decision
is not too obvious: avoid choosing one route that has all the advantages whilst the other
routes are clearly unsuitable. Select routes that have a mixture of both advantages and
disadvantages for the consideration of your students.
2
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Students could visit selected points along each route and collect data/make observations
about traffic flows, number of pedestrians, safety of the route etc. They could record data on
traffic flows (bicycles, cars and heavy vehicles in both directions), and also take and
annotate photographs / conduct bi-polar surveys at regular intervals to determine the safety
and suitability of the route.
Once back in the classroom, your students could:
 Use a variety of maps at different scales to plot the location of residential areas in
relation to the proposed routes in order to decide how many students might benefit from
each route.
 Plot existing bus routes to decide whether the proposed cycle routes provide a viable
alternative.
 Conduct a simple survey of students to investigate how they currently get to school, and
how many would be prepared to cycle in the future if they had a safe route.
Suggestions for a DME which considers people’s attitudes to lifestyle change
A DME does not require fieldwork or primary data collection but, like the option above, this
particular DME would work well if your students were able to conduct primary data collection
in the form of a perception survey (a questionnaire) of other students, family members or
local residents.
It would be sensible for your students to consider a wide variety of ways in which individuals
in the local community could change their lifestyles. Students could rank the various possible
changes in lifestyle using a diamond ranking technique. Students could suggest a
permutation of favoured options rather than one single preferred option.
It would be a good idea to design a simple survey that is used by all students. However, to
encourage independence, you could also ask students to add a small number of questions
of their own to the survey. The questions could focus on the willingness of the respondent to
change various aspects of their lifestyle in order to reduce their carbon footprint, for
example, are people willing to:
 Car share.
 Turn down the thermostat on their heating.
 Take less flights / foreign holidays.
If your students categorise the respondents by age or gender, then they could analyse the
results of the survey by different groups of people ie are some groups of people more willing
to change than others?
The other sensible thing to do would be to ask local stakeholders to present their viewpoints
to your students. There may well be a number of local groups who have an opinion about
carbon footprints or carbon reduction strategy that they wish to explain whether it be on
insulation, car sharing or supporting local food producers.
Application AO2
Candidates investigating the topic of people’s lifestyles and climate could apply their
knowledge of places or understanding of any number of ‘big ideas’ (processes, concepts or
models) to their specific context that include:
 A knowledge of other carbon neutral building developments and sustainable
communities (such as BedZed.)
 An understanding of concepts such as carbon footprint.
 An understanding of appropriate, low carbon technologies.
3
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Websites for developing a DME on climate change
www.sustrans.org.uk is the website of Sustrans, a non-government organisation that
promotes sustainable transport, particularly cycling, in the UK.
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx provides a simple carbon footprint calculator
so your students can see how much carbon they could save by changing their lifestyles.
http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgsl/501-550/546_cycling_and_walking_to_sch.aspx All
councils have a policy to encourage safe walking and cycling to their schools. This is the
Tower Hamlets site. Search to see your own council's policy.
http://www.whatyoucando.co.uk/travel_low_emission This UK company promotes products
that reduce carbon emission – including advice on low carbon emission flights.
4
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Developing a DME on the strategies for hazard reduction in earthquake
zones (Theme 3)
WJEC set task for 2017
Theme Generic task for the
Decision-making Exercise /
Problem solver
3
A report analysing how
successful hazard reduction
strategies may be in
earthquake zones, which
includes the candidates
reasoned and justified
decision.
The task is linked to the
following enquiry question
from the specification
2.2 How might the effects of
volcanic eruptions and
earthquakes be reduced in
countries at different levels
of development?
Page in
specification
15
Contextualising the task
The focus of the 2017 DME task is hazard reduction strategies in earthquake zones. As
with all DMEs, candidates must be given the opportunity to demonstrate their decision
making skills and should be discouraged from writing a descriptive essay. There is more
than one way to go about contextualising the task. Below are two suggestions:
1.
To ask candidates to make a yes / no decision based on the evidence presented by
three or more stakeholder groups. So ask candidates to decide if the hazard
reduction strategies used during a particular earthquake were successful or not,
using evidence from different stakeholders.
For example:
 Were the hazard reduction strategies used during the 2011 earthquake in
Christchurch, New Zealand successful?
2.
To ask candidates to decide which, of three options, would be the best hazard
reduction strategy for a certain area.
For example:
 What is the best strategy(ies) for earthquake hazard reduction in Japan?
It is important that candidates are faced with viable alternative options. They will then have
to carefully assess the possible advantages and disadvantages of each option before
coming up with their recommendation and justifying their choice.
5
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Suggestions for a DME on deciding if the hazard reduction strategies used during the
2011 earthquake in New Zealand were successful.
New Zealand is a developed country, known to have earthquake hazards. The example of
New Zealand could be applied to any country of any development. There is an enormous
amount of information relating to the 2010 and 2011 quakes in Canterbury.
The first aspect to consider might be the development of the country: GDP, life expectancy,
people living in poverty etc. to build a picture for students of the content of the hazard
reduction strategies.
Students need to analyse the perceived advantages and disadvantages of specific hazard
reduction strategies used, the primary and secondary effects, together with the short and
long term responses would need to be provided.
Students would need to consider different stakeholder view on the hazard reduction
strategies such as local councils, residents, international community, businesses, tourists,
international aid, Canterbury Emergency Management Group.
Students could come up with a score table to help them make a decision – perhaps with a
description of the hazard reduction strategies used along the top (some students may be able
to further classify these into longer term and shorter term strategies), and different
stakeholders down the side. Students could collect information from stakeholder statements
which would allow them to rank what groups of stakeholder thought about different strategies.
A simple example is shown below:
1 = could do better, 2 =
OK,
3 = exceeded
expectations
Businesses
Quake
resistant
buildings
Training for
people
Quake
resistant
roads &
bridges
Predication
and warning
systems
3
2
3
1
Tourists
Residents
Local councils
International Aid agencies
Useful websites:
Basic Case Study Information: http://handygeography.wordpress.com/gcse/the-restlessearth-revision-materials/earthquake-case-study-new-zealand-rich/
GA website resources:
http://www.geography.org.uk/download/GA_RECanterburyEarthquakes.pdf
Site established by the Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury to provide
information to residents: http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/
GeoNet site – links to news articles
http://info.geonet.org.nz/display/home/Canterbury+Quakes
Example article from research at the University of Canterbury on survivors' long terms views.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/7832189/Quakes-gavepeople-chance-to-rethink-lives
6
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Suggestions for a DME on choosing the best strategy(ies) for earthquake hazard
reduction in Japan
Japan experiences nearly 20% of the world earthquakes and as such is a leader in providing
and exploring strategies to reduce earthquake hazards. It started the world’s first early
warning system. It is also a country of contrasting rural and urban areas; students may use
this differentiation to help them make a decision. Strategies will also have different effects
e.g. economic, environmental, and social effects that could help to differentiate between
strategies.
Students could group the strategies and impacts and then assess the strategies in a costbenefit analysis, comparing the economic cost of a strategy with the estimated value of the
benefits that it will provide. Students could also include information on the groups of
stakeholders or community involved.
For example: Students could use a grid similar to the example below, to make notes from
their research as to how each strategy reduces the impact. They will also need information
provided in their research files on the different strategies, their cost, the impacts over the last
few earthquakes and any particular stakeholder views.
Human casualties
Primary loss of
buildings /
infrastructure /
capital
Longer term loss of
business
opportunities /
lifestyle
opportunities
Predication &
information
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Quakeproof
buildings /
infrastructure
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Emergency
responses &
rehabilitation
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
They could then look at the notes and score each strategy against the impact, for example
on a score from 1 to 10:
Score 10:
The cost of the strategy produces significant widespread benefits across all
areas in Japan affected by earthquakes.
Score 1:
The cost of the strategy produces limited localised benefits to specific
locations in Japan
Score 0:
There are no benefits.
7
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Human
casualties
Primary loss of
buildings /
infrastructure /
capital
Longer term loss of
business
opportunities /
lifestyle
opportunities
Predication &
planning &
emergency training /
kits
8
0
2
Quakeproof
buildings /
infrastructure
4
8
5
Emergency
responses &
rehabilitation of
business
3
0
10
By adding the scores for each of the three strategies this may assist students to make a
decision between them: Predication & Planning, Quakeproof building / infrastructure and
Emergency responses / rehabilitation
Useful websites:
Early warning systems in Japan http://spectrum.ieee.org/techtalk/computing/networks/japans-earthquake-earlywarning-system-worked
Earthquake disaster management in Japan OECD report: gives information on National
context, preparedness system, lessons learned and consequences for risk management
policy. http://www.oecd.org/japan/37377837.pdf
Earthquake disaster mitigation policy in Japan
http://www.pwri.go.jp/eng/ujnr/joint/39/paper/42ikeuchi.pdf
2012 report by The Heritage Foundation on lessons learned in the recent earthquakes
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/04/one-year-later-lessons-from-recoveryafter-the-great-eastern-japan-earthquake
Application AO2
Candidates investigating the topic of hazard reduction could apply any number of ‘big ideas’
about hazards to their specific context that include:
 Simplified Parks (1992) hazard response model (disaster-response curve) – see an
example here applied to flooding for A’level.
http://www.geography.org.uk/download/GA_ShopTSFloodP3335.pdf
 Hazard perception & economic development: e.g. earthquake areas may have well-paid
jobs, pleasant climates etc.
 Human responses to earthquake hazards: do these reflect the frequency and magnitude
of the events?
8
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Developing a DME on managing rural migration (Theme 4)
WJEC set task for 2017
Theme Generic task for the Decisionmaking Exercise / Problem solver
4
A report analysing how successful
strategies may be that attempt to
reduce the effects of migration from
rural regions of Europe, which
includes the candidate’s reasoned and
justified decision.
The task is linked to
the following enquiry
question from the
specification
1.2 What are the push /
pull factors that produce
rural – urban migration
and urban-rural
migration?
Page in
specification
16
Contextualising the task
The focus of the 2017 DME task is rural to urban migration / rural depopulation in a
European context. It should identify problems caused by rural depopulation and evaluate
the ways in which rural areas may be managed in order to reduce rural depopulation and its
adverse effects. In remote rural communities of Europe depopulation can lead to the closure
of rural services including shops, health care centres and village schools. Closure of these
services can prompt further rural depopulation. Strategies such as diversification of the rural
economy, rural tourism projects, teleworking and provision of high speed broadband have
been used to try to address the problem.
As with all DMEs, candidates must be given the opportunity to demonstrate their decision
making skills and should be discouraged from writing a descriptive essay. Candidates
should, therefore, be asked to decide which options for improving rural quality of life are
most likely to be sustainable. Centres should choose one rural location as the context for
their DME, for example:
How successful are attempts to diversify job and social opportunities for people living
in rural Gwynedd?
How can Arctic communities be made viable and sustainable?
It is important that candidates are faced with a decision that involves choosing between
viable alternative options. They will then have to carefully assess the possible advantages
and disadvantages of each option before coming up with their recommendation and
justifying their choice. Students could analyse the strategies used by national and local
government, NGOs and local community groups to try to manage the effects of rural
depopulation in a rural region of your choice.
9
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Remember that the focus of the DME in this cycle is the best way to reduce depopulation or
manage the negative impacts of migration in rural communities. A DME that focuses on
international migration patterns (e.g. from eastern Europe into the UK) is not appropriate in
this cycle.
Suggestions for a DME that focuses on rural depopulation in Europe
A DME does not require fieldwork or primary data collection but for this DME it may be
practical for your students to visit a rural location that is experiencing depopulation and the
closure of rural shops and services. In this case the DME could include simple fieldwork
techniques such as questionnaires (to gather the views of local people) and bi-polar surveys
or participatory surveys (to gather student views on what it would be like to live in the rural
area being studied). This primary data could be supplemented by secondary data such as
old photographs or the use of old trade directories so that the closure of shops, pubs, banks,
libraries, schools etc can be plotted on a base map of the village.
Your students would, of course, need to research the strategies being used in the
community to tackle these issues. A variety of strategies are used to attempt to make rural
communities more viable and it would be desirable for candidates to assess the advantages
and disadvantages of a number of these strategies before making a decision. They could
evaluate strategies such as: mobile libraries; mobile youth groups; community or cooperative shops/pubs; rural broadband initiatives; diversification of local farms into leisure
and tourism; local farm shops or farmer’s markets. WJEC recommends that students are
asked to decide which of three or more of these strategies has been/could be the most
successful and why. The advantages and disadvantages of such strategies must be
considered and stakeholder views sought and analysed.
If a fieldtrip is not convenient, then an equally valid DME could be contextualised for any
rural area of the UK that is suffering depopulation or you could focus on any remote rural
location in Europe such as Iceland, Northern Norway or the Azores (Portugal). In this case,
your students will need to use secondary sources to research three or more different
strategies that have been/could be used and then decide which of these is the most
effective.
It is important that your students consider different stakeholder views. Since many rural
development projects are funded by national and/or local governments, international aid
organisations and local self-help community groups it should be possible to analyse the
views of two or more of these stakeholders. It may also be possible for your more able
candidates to compare the effectiveness of local self-help projects with the top-down
development approach of national governments.
Application AO2
Candidates investigating the topic of rural to urban migration and its impacts on the rural
area could apply any number of ‘big ideas’ about rural management to their specific context.
For example, they could:


Apply their wider understanding of the factors that may cause rural to urban migration
in similar situations to the context studied by the students;
Apply their understanding of concepts such as quality of life, self-help, community
development projects, co-operative societies, micro-credit or top-down development
strategies;
10
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)

Apply their knowledge of a case study of another rural area that is suffering
depopulation by making comparative statements about management in their chosen
study area compared to a case study seen in a text book or DVD.
Useful websites (rural management in Europe)
The Welsh Government has published the Rural Development Plan (2014-2020) which is
available from this page of their website:
http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/environmentandcountryside/rdp-2014-2020-next-stepsconsultation/?lang=en
The Campaign for Rural England has run a number of campaigns. This webpage includes a
link to a 28 page report ‘Affordable Housing Keeps Villages Alive’
http://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/housing-and-planning
The Joseph Rowntree Trust The following is a summary of their report into homes for rural
communities. It includes several options for creating more rural homes:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/home-for-rural-communities-summary.pdf
And the following report (also available in Welsh) describes the need for homes in rural
Wales:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2242.pdf (English)
http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2242w.pdf (Welsh)
The Plunkett Foundation provides support and advice for rural communities who want to set
up community shops, co-operative pubs and community food enterprises:
http://www.plunkett.co.uk/
Newspaper articles can be used to explore stakeholder views on community shops. Here is
an example from the Guardian newspaper:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/26/communities-blockley-village-shop
The Department for Food, Farming and Rural Affairs website provides statistical information
for rural England at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/economy/
The Wales Rural Observatory website provides statistical information for rural Wales at:
http://www.walesruralobservatory.org.uk/
Your students can use this website to search for local farmers markets. They could use this
secondary data to plot and annotate their own map:
http://www.localfoods.org.uk/
You don’t get much more rurally remote than rural Iceland. Thankfully, the Icelandic
government has an excellent statistical website which includes data and reports on tourism.
The home page may be found at:
http://www.statice.is/
11
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Developing a DME on coastal management strategies (Theme 7)
WJEC set task for 2017
Theme Generic task for the
Decision-making Exercise /
Problem solver
7
A report analysing how
successful different coastal
management strategies may
be, which includes the
candidate’s reasoned and
justified decision.
The task is linked to the
following enquiry question
from the specification
2.1 What are the advantages
and disadvantages of hard
and soft engineering
strategies used to manage
our coasts?
Page in
specification
18
Contextualising the task
The focus of the 2017 DME task is the effectiveness of coastal management using hard
and/or soft engineering techniques. As with all DMEs, candidates must be given the
opportunity to demonstrate their decision making skills and should be discouraged from
writing a descriptive essay. I would suggest that candidates should focus on a particular
location where coastal management strategies are already in operation.
For example:
 How successful are the different coastal management strategies along the coastline of
Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire?
or
 The coastal management strategies used at Happisburgh, Norfolk, have been
unsuccessful.
The Holderness Coast and Norfolk coastlines provide appropriate contexts, but you may
select any coastline (in the UK or abroad) where different coastal management strategies
are used to prevent or slow the rate of erosion.
It is important that candidates are fully aware of the different types of management strategies
available. They need to carefully assess the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy
and then make reasoned decisions on what they feel are the best strategies to use in the
area. The choices they make could be linked to the importance of the area or its value in
terms of the local economy, environmental issues, housing, infrastructure, communications
etc. Candidates must also consider the views of local stakeholders in order to access the
highest levels of AO3.
It is NOT acceptable for candidates to simply describe the coastal management strategies
and for the assessor to then credit them with having made a decision.
12
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Research
A DME does not require fieldwork or primary data collection but in this instance it would be
beneficial for candidates to visit the coastal location to survey the area. They would then be
able to examine the extent of the coastal erosion problem, the types of land use at risk, and
the success/failure of existing strategies.
The types of primary data that could be collected are:
 Environmental analysis / bi-polar scores for the area.
 Photographs that could be annotated to show existing strategies, current land uses the
area.
 Questionnaires or longer interviews with local residents, business people, councillors.
If it is not possible to visit the area then a great deal of information can be gained from
secondary data.
This could include:
 O.S. maps / historical maps / aerial photographs that could be annotated to show rates
of recession / land uses at risk.
 Websites such as Flickr or Geograph that provide photo evidence of coastal erosion /
existing coastal management strategies.
 Shoreline Management Plans.
 Websites or local newspapers to gain the opinions of stakeholders (such as local
residents, farmers, businesses, local councils).
 Websites that describe success / failure of current strategies.
Presentation of findings
There are a wide range of techniques that could be used that would aid the decision making
process.
These are:
 Cost-benefit analysis of each type of management option.
 Table to show why the different land uses in the area should be protected.
 Table to show the social, economic and environmental impacts of coastal erosion in the
area.
 Table to show the advantages and disadvantages of each type of management option.
 Table to show the differing opinions of the locals / other groups on the coastal
management of the area.
 A shaded or annotated map to show the land uses / stakeholders in the area that are
threatened by coastal erosion.
 Annotated photographs of management strategies.
 Annotated map showing the location of each of the different coastal management
techniques.
13
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Application AO2
Candidates investigating the coastal management could apply their knowledge of places or
understanding of any number of ‘big ideas’ (processes, concepts or models) to the specific
coastal location they are considering.
Candidates could:
 Apply their knowledge of other named coastlines to how suitable/unsuitable certain
strategies have been in other locations.
 Apply their understanding of the processes of erosion and cliff recession to the place
they have studied.
 Apply their wider knowledge of Shoreline Management Plans.
 Apply their understanding of the complex relationships that exist between people and the
environment, for example, the way in which management of the coastline in one place
can adversely affect processes elsewhere.
When making their decisions, candidates will have to assess the most sustainable
approach in order for it to contribute to a sustainable future for the area. Candidates will
need to be aware that the economic, demographic, social and environmental costs of coastal
erosion are considerable.
Useful websites for developing a DME on coastal management strategies
http://www.geograph.org.uk/ A public photographic project which aims to provide
photographic evidence for every OS grid square in Britain. Use the site for a virtual fieldtrip
of your chosen coastal site.
www.old-maps.co.uk This company provide historic maps of many parts of the UK which
may be browsed on-line for free.
http://www.northnorfolk.org/coastal/189.asp Use this page of the North Norfolk Council to
follow links to information on coastal management. The Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)
is available at: http://www.northnorfolk.org/coastal/810.asp
http://www.happisburgh.org.uk/ The website of Coastal Concern Action Group provides
excellent secondary evidence (including aerial and historic photos) of coastal erosion at
Happisburgh, Norfolk.
http://geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/holdernesscoast.html This website,
designed for secondary geography students, includes photos and descriptions of coastal
erosion and management along the Holderness Coast. Go to the following webpage for a
description of different management techniques:
http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/coastal_management.html
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ Is the home page for Natural England. Their website
should be searched by region, and you should be able to access Shoreline Management
Plans (SMPs). The SMP for Holderness is available
at:http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/yorkshire_and_the_humber/ourwork/shorelinem
anagement.aspx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/coasts/coastal_management_rev1.sht
ml The GCSE bite size revision pages on coastal management
http://cgz.e2bn.net/e2bn/leas/c99/schools/cgz/accounts/staff/rchambers/GeoBytes%20GCS
E%20Blog%20Resources/Data%20Files/Coasts/Coastal%20Management%20Techniques.p
df This web page has diagrams and descriptions of methods of coastal management.
14
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Developing a DME on preparing for a Tropical Storm (Theme 8)
WJEC set task for 2017
Theme Generic task for the
Decision-making Exercise /
problem solver
8
A report analysing the best
ways to prepare for a tropical
storm, which includes the
candidate’s reasoned and
justified decision.
The task is linked to the
following enquiry question
from the specification
3.1 How can technology be
used to (i) forecast
extreme weather and (ii)
reduce the impact of its
effects?
Page in
specification
19
Contextualising the task
The focus of the 2017 DME task is on the preparation for tropical storms and its consequent
hazard reduction. As with all DMEs, candidates must be given the opportunity to
demonstrate their decision making skills and should be discouraged from writing a
descriptive essay. There is more than one way to go about contextualising the task. Below
are two suggestions:
1.
Candidates could be asked to research a variety of hazard mitigation strategies used
in one country or location. They could compare high tech technologies such as
satellite tracking with strategies such as coastal land use zoning or the creation of
natural buffers and decide which strategies are most effective.
For example:
 How can New Orleans best prepare itself for the next big storm?
2.
Candidates could research the effectiveness of hazard mitigation in one region (e.g.
in the Caribbean) which includes countries at different levels of development.
Candidates could evaluate the different strategies used in these countries to see
whether level of development is an important factor in reducing the impact of tropical
storms.
 Are wealthier countries in the Caribbean more able to reduce the impact of
tropical storms?
Whatever context is chosen, it is important that candidates are asked to weigh up (rather
than simply describe) different hazard mitigation strategies. They will then have to carefully
assess the evidence before making a decision and justifying why they made that decision.
Remember that the context of the 2017 is preparation to reduce the effects of a tropical
storm. A DME based on another weather hazard, such as drought, would not be appropriate.
We urge centres to consider recent storm event(s) / hazard preparation strategies. This
should not become a historical research project. We would suggest that events/strategies
that have taken place since 2000 would be appropriate.
15
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Suggestions for a DME on the success of different technologies used by one country
Candidates must consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different responses
taken by one country that is prone to tropical storms. Bangladesh, the Philippines, USA, or
Japan are all suitable examples. These responses might include forecasting and planning
(such as emergency service preparation and education programmes), hazard mitigation
(such as storm proof buildings, flood embankments, use of natural buffers or building storm
shelters) and emergency responses (such as evacuation procedures and planning relief aid
for victims of the hazard).
This DME could be couched in terms of a yes/no decision. For example:
Was the government of the Philippines prepared for typhoon Bopha in 2012?
If you decide to use this model for your DME then candidates could be asked to consider the
effectiveness of forecasting, hazard mitigation and government response to this typhoon.
They should also be asked to consider the views of three different stakeholders, for
example, the views of the National Disaster Reduction and Management Council of the
Philippines could be contrasted with those of local residents or rescue services who were
affected by the typhoon.
Students could assess risk reduction strategies in a cost-benefit analysis, comparing the
economic cost of a strategy with the estimated value of the benefits that it will provide.
Students could also include information on the groups of stakeholders or community
involved. For example, students could use a grid similar to the example below; to make
notes from their research as to how each strategy reduces the impact. They will also need
information provided in their research files on the different strategies, their cost, the impacts
in a recent storm event and any particular stakeholder views.
Human
casualties
Primary loss of
buildings /
infrastructure /
capital
Longer term loss
of business
opportunities /
lifestyle
opportunities
Forecasting, planning &
education
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Storm proof buildings /
infrastructure
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Emergency responses &
rehabilitation
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
Assessment of
impact:
Stakeholder views:
Urban / Rural:
They could then score each strategy against the impact, for example on a score from 1 to 10:
Score 10:
The cost of the strategy produces significant widespread benefits across all
areas in Philippines affected by typhoons.
Score 1:
The cost of the strategy produces limited localised benefits to specific
locations in the Philippines.
Score 0:
There are no benefits.
16
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Human
casualties
Primary loss of
buildings /
infrastructure /
capital
Longer term loss of
business
opportunities /
lifestyle
opportunities
Forecasting, planning
& education
8
0
2
Storm proof buildings /
infrastructure
4
8
5
Emergency responses
& rehabilitation of
business
3
0
10
By adding the scores for each of the three strategies this may assist students to make a
decision between them: Forecasting & Planning, Storm proof building / infrastructure and
Emergency responses / rehabilitation.
Suggestions for a DME on the correlation between hazard mitigation and level of
development
Candidates need to be aware that the effects of a weather hazard may vary depending on
the magnitude of the storm as well as the level of development of the country.
You could ask candidates to focus on three or four countries in a region that is prone to
tropical storms, ensuring that they are at different levels of economic development. For
example candidates could evaluate the response of countries such as Haiti, St Lucia, Mexico
and USA in the Caribbean / Gulf of Mexico. Alternatively, they could evaluate the response
of countries such as Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand and Japan in Asia.
Candidates could be directed towards looking at the impacts of similar sized storms that
have affected these countries in recent years. They must also consider the advantages and
disadvantages of the different responses taken by each country. These responses might
include forecasting, emergency service preparation, education programmes, hazard
mitigation (such as flood embankments, use of natural buffers or building storm shelters),
evacuation procedures and relief aid for victims of the hazard.
For greater independence, candidates could perhaps research one of the countries
individually, and be given information for the others. By looking at countries at different levels
of development, candidates will be able to decide why different technologies are used and
also whether or not they are effective. This should help candidates to think about why
technologies are used in some countries and not others.
Application AO2
Candidates investigating the topic of tropical storms could apply any number of ‘big ideas’
about weather and climate to their specific context.
For example, candidates should be able to apply their:
 Understanding of weather hazards associated with tropical storms.
 Understanding of how weather hazards affect people and the environment.
 Knowledge of examples studied in class to the examples analysed in the DME.
17
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)

Understanding of sustainability when considering the suitability and success of various
strategies.
Useful websites
www.tropicalstormrisk.com This site tracks tropical storms worldwide.
www.wunderground.com/tropical A site that tracks and provides satellite images of current
tropical storms. The archive lists storms by year and by region. Total deaths and damage for
each year are listed.
www.nhc.noaa.gov The website of the National Hurricane Centre.
http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/tropstorm.html An education site
suitable for GCSE students. This page provides links to other pages on causes, impacts and
reduction strategies.
http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph/ The National Disaster Reduction and Management Council of the
Philippines.
http://www.jm.undp.org/content/disaster-risk-reduction A United Nations development
Project in Jamaica to reduce the risk of disaster from tropical storms.
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/drr/ The World Meteorological Organisation disaster
reduction programme.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0712/07120401 An analysis of the success of storm
tracking and the use of cyclone shelters during Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh in 2007.
http://www.sdnbd.org/moef.pdf A rather long report on hazard mitigation in Bangladesh.
Electronic pages 27 – 28 and 34 – 35 are useful as they report on the use of storm shelters.
www.jma.go.jp Japan's Meteorological Agency.
18
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Developing a DME on managing tropical rainforests (Theme 9)
Set WJEC tasks for 2017
Theme Generic task for the Decisionmaking Exercise / problem
solver
9
A report analysing the best ways
to manage tropical rainforests
sustainably, which includes the
candidate’s reasoned and
justified decision.
The task is linked to the
following enquiry question
from the specification
2.2 How can ecosystems be
managed sustainably?
Page in
specification
19
Contextualising the task
The 2017 DME task focuses on ways in which tropical rainforests might be managed to
ensure a sustainable future. As with all DMEs, candidates must be given the opportunity to
demonstrate their decision making skills and should be discouraged from writing a
descriptive essay. I would suggest that there are three distinctly different ways to go about
contextualising this task:
1.
In the context where exploitation of the rainforest is set to continue, candidates are
asked to decide on which strategy they would adopt, in order to allow for exploitation
of the natural resource, but to minimise the negative impacts within a specific locality.
For example:
What is the best strategy to adopt when exploiting the rainforest? Should it be
sustainable agro-forestry, sustainable agriculture or sustainable tourism?
2.
To ask candidates to decide which, of three different conservation / reclamation
projects they would recommend, if their school was looking to support a specific
initiative. For example:
Would they recommend support for a conservation project within the Indonesian
Rainforest (Asia), the Brazilian Rainforest (South America), or in the rainforest of
Rwanda (Africa)?
3.
A third possible way to contextualise the task is to ask candidates to make a yes/no
decision about a proposed development in a specific tropical rainforest. If this route is
chosen, candidates must be faced with a range of views from a variety of
stakeholders in order to make and then justify their decision. For example:
Should the proposed Belo Monte Dam in the Brazilian rainforest be built?
Whatever idea is chosen, it is important that candidates are faced with viable alternative
options. They will then have to carefully assess the possible advantages and disadvantages
of each option before coming up with their recommendation and justifying their choice.
Remember the context is to explore strategies to promote a sustainable future for the
rainforest, so centres must design a task that requires a decision on a range of options. All
options must have merit. The centre will decide if the focus of the task is to be on continued,
but managed exploitation, active conservation / reclamation or a specific proposed
development. A task based on international strategies / international agreements would not
be appropriate in this cycle. Whatever decision is made, it is recommended that students
explore strategies that have both costs and benefits, as this is likely to facilitate more
sophisticated analysis when weighing up the options.
19
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
In centres which have good access to IT facilities during lessons, use of the internet can be
an integral part of the research phase. Alternatively, the centre could devise a resource pack
for each alternative strategy. Where internet use is incorporated into the research phase,
centres are encouraged to focus the work of students by providing them with specific URL
addresses as opposed to just search words / phrases. This topic has a plethora of materials
available and research could be unnecessarily prolonged if the students can’t see the wood
for the trees!
Application AO2
Candidates investigating the topic of sustainable futures for the rainforest could apply their
knowledge of places or understanding of any number of ‘big ideas’ (processes, concepts or
models) to their specific context.
For example, they could:
 Apply an understanding of the physical processes connecting living and non-living
elements in the rainforest;
 Apply their understanding of how the rainforest ecosystem benefits people;
 Apply their understanding of how human activity affects the processes within the
rainforest;
 Apply what is meant by sustainable futures – by considering the social, economic and
environmental impacts of their choice;
 Apply their knowledge of a case study by making comparative statements about
management in their chosen study area compared to a case study seen in a text book or
DVD.
Suggestions for a DME on selecting a sustainable strategy for rainforest exploitation.
You could ask the students to explore two or three strategies which allow continued
exploitation of the rainforest. In each case, the strategy must have been designed to allow for
exploitation, but to minimise impact for a sustainable future.
The students should be directed towards specific named and located options such as a
specific forestry project which might be compared to a specific agricultural project (perhaps
coffee, sisal, soya or cocoa), and in turn compared to a specific sustainable tourist initiative. In
order to allow some independence, candidates could be challenged to research and assess a
fourth option.
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/work/forestry is the website of the Rainforest Alliance
http://www.cargill.com/corporate-responsibility/pov/soy-production/responsible-soy-productionamazon/index.jsp is a website that looks at responsible soy production in the Amazon
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1004.htm allows students to explore effective ecotourism
through the Mongabay website
Suggestions for a DME on selecting one rainforest conservation / reclamation project
for the school to actively support
Students could be asked to explore three or more alternative conservation projects which aim
to protect / preserve or possibly reclaim the forest for future generations. As with the
exploitation strategies listed above, the investigation and decision should be based on
projects which are currently active. They should be projects that are actively seeking support.
The students will be asked to recommend one such project which could be adopted by the
school. They should explain and justify their choice from the worthy options open to them.
20
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
There is a rich range of conservation projects across the world. Some are tightly focused,
such as projects aimed at conserving specific flora and / or fauna in an area (e.g. Kagwene
Gorilla Sanctuary – Cameroon). Others are wider conservation / reclamation projects such
as that seen in the Harapan forest in Sumatra. As an alternative, an even wider perspective
to explore might be the creation of large protected reserves for indigenous people such as
the Huimeki Communal Reserve in Peru.
http://amazoncharitabletrust.org/en/index.asp the Amazon Charitable trust explores the
positives of creating forest reserves in Brazil.
See also
http://www.rainforestconcern.org/projects/brazil/ where Rainforest Concern promote the
ideals of the Xixuau-Xiparina Reserve in Brazil
http://harapanrainforest.org/ is an Indonesian charity promoting the need to reclaim and
preserve a unique habitat.
See also
http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/rainforests/indonesia.aspx to see how the
European based RSPB charity supports this venture.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/green/110805/rwandan-rainforest-forestchimpanzee-gishwati-conservation a news article to see how chimps and humans might live
in harmony in Rwanda.
See also
http://www.greatapetrust.org/forest-of-hope/ where an American scientific foundation (the
Great Ape Trust) works to support the initiative.
Suggestions for a DME on the Belo Monte Dam
The Belo Monte Dam is just one proposed use of existing rainforest that could be explored in
a yes/no decision. It is a particularly well resourced issue – here are just a few useful
websites:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/16/belo-monte-dam-construction-suspended One
of several recent news articles.
http://amazonwatch.org/work/belo-monte-dam A website dedicated to supporting the rights
of indigenous people in the Amazon region.
http://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/belo-monte-dam A website which campaigns
for sustainable use of water. It contains useful links to other interactive sites, maps, reports
and videos.
http://www.survivalinternational.org/about/belo-monte-dam This charity supports the rights of
indigenous peoples. Like the site above, it contains links to a variety of other interesting sites
on this issue.
21
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Developing a DME on mass tourism (Theme 10)
WJEC set task for 2017
Theme Generic task for the
Decision-making Exercise /
problem solver
10
A report analysing to what
extent mass tourism is the
most effective strategy for the
future, which includes the
candidate’s reasoned and
justified decision.
The task is linked to the
following fieldwork enquiry
question from the
specification
3.1 How may tourism be
developed in a sustainable way?
Page in
specification
20
Contextualising the title
The focus of the 2017 DME task is mass tourism. As with all DMEs, candidates must be
given the opportunity to demonstrate their decision making skills and should be discouraged
from writing a descriptive essay. I would suggest that there are two distinctly different ways
to go about contextualising this task:
1.
To ask candidates to decide on a location for a new tourist attraction / facility from
three or more potential locations.
For example:
Which is the best location for an urban beach in Cardiff?
Which is the best location for a new runway in SE England?
2.
To ask candidates to decide which, of three options, would be the best future
development for an existing mass tourist destination.
For example:
What is the best way for the Costa del Sol, Spain, to develop mass tourism in the
future?
Should local planners focus on options x, y or z?
Whatever context is chosen, it is important that candidates are faced with viable alternative
options. They will then have to carefully assess the possible advantages and disadvantages
of each option before coming up with their recommendation and justifying their choice.
Remember that the context of the 2017 DME is mass tourism. Centres must, therefore,
design tasks that require a decision about mass tourism, i.e. tourism that involves large
numbers of tourists. A task that focuses on eco-tourism or some other niche or small
scale tourist development would not be appropriate in this cycle.
22
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Suggestions for a DME on locating an urban beach
A DME does not require fieldwork or primary data collection but this particular DME would
work best if candidates were able to visit a city such as Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester,
Newcastle, Bristol or London (or Paris or Barcelona if you are able to take a foreign trip).
They could then survey each of the possible sites and collect primary data such as:
 Traffic / pedestrian/ public transport surveys so that the accessibility of each location can
be determined.
 Land use surveys – location and classification of other tourist facilities close to each
potential site.
 Environmental scores / bi-polar analysis of the urban environment at each site.
 Questionnaires of tourists or local residents to determine existing trends / future demand.

It is best if the decision is not too obvious, with one location having all the advantages whilst
the other sites are clearly unsuitable. Select sites for the consideration of the candidates that
have both advantages and disadvantages.
Suggestions for a DME on a new runway
During the summer of 2015 the UK government was put under pressure to make a final
decision about whether or not a new runway should be built at Heathrow. Some economists
fear that, without an additional runway in the south east, the UK will lose out to competition
from other European airports. Some opponents of the proposal suggest that other options
should be considered, such as new airport in the Thames estuary, or extensions to other
existing airports in the south east of the UK.
The arguments are outlined in Hodder’s Options text for WJEC GCSE Geography A and this
would be a good place to begin to resource this DME. Websites with further information are
suggested below.
Suggestions for a DME on the future development of mass tourism in the Caribbean
Mass tourism makes a very important contribution to the GDP of most Caribbean nations.
However, candidates should also be aware of some of the problems associated with this
such as the environmental impact of mass tourism on the marine environment, especially on
fragile tropical reefs. Tourism data for Caribbean islands is easy to download from the
internet, and most websites are in English so research should be straightforward.
For example, within the context of the Caribbean island of St Lucia, which of the following
would be the most appropriate development?
1.
The development of a resort and golf course on the (less developed) east coast of
the island at Praslin Bay.
2.
Financial incentives to encourage more luxury cruise ships to visit the island.
3.
The development of new retail, hotel and marina facilities in the existing large resort
of Rodney Bay in the north west of the island.
23
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Whatever context is chosen, it is important that candidates are faced with viable alternative
options. They will then have to carefully assess the possible advantages and disadvantages
of each option before coming up with their recommendation and justifying their choice. In the
case of St Lucia the issues are:
 Cruise ships – already a major source of tourist revenue – but the tourists are largely
separate from the local economy. Could more tourists be encouraged to come ashore?
 Diving – clearly diving is a major attraction for most tourists to St Lucia, but tropical reefs
are very fragile and the ecosystem is easily damaged by pollution from hotels, boat
anchors, over fishing, etc.
 Golf course development eg Praslin Bay, in the drier eastern coastal area, where the use
of water on the golf course could lead to water shortages and is a major concern for local
residents.
Application AO2
Candidates investigating the topic of mass tourism could apply any number of ‘big ideas’
about tourism to their specific context that include:
 Butler’s Model: assessing which stage the tourist resort in question has reached.
 Enclave tourism: weighing up the economic benefits (many of which benefit MNCs)
compared to the social and economic problems caused by a low wage / low skill sector
of the economy.
 Carrying capacity: the social and environmental impacts of mass tourist development.
Websites for developing a DME on St Lucia or the Caribbean
http://www.stats.gov.lc/main4.htm provides tourism statistics for St Lucia
http://www.onecaribbean.org/statistics/tourismstats/ is the official tourism website of the
Caribbean Tourism Orgainsation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W78upw7mOvg&feature=related A local news feature on
the development of the golf course and resort in Praslin Bay.
Websites for developing a DME on a new runway/airport
http://notrag.org/ is the website for the anti-third runway at Heathrow protest group.
http://services.defra.gov.uk/wps/portal/noise is a GIS run by Defra. You can use it to
investigate noise levels around existing airports in England.
http://thamesestuaryairport.com/ is the official website for the proposal to build a brand new
airport in the Thames estuary.
24
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Developing a DME on the use of wind energy (Theme 12)
WJEC set task for 2017
Theme Generic task for the
Decision-making Exercise /
problem solver
12
A report analysing conflicting
opinions about the use of
wind energy, which includes
the candidate’s reasoned and
justified decision.
The task is linked to the
following enquiry question
from the specification
3.2 What future changes may
take place in energy
sources and in demand?
Page in
specification
21
3.3 What conflicts of opinion are
these changes to supply
likely to introduce?
Contextualising the task
The focus of the 2017 DME task is the use of wind energy. The context for this task may be
anywhere in Wales or elsewhere in the UK. As with all DMEs, candidates must be given
the opportunity to demonstrate their decision making skills and should be discouraged from
writing a descriptive essay. There is more than one way to go about contextualising the task.
Below are two suggestions:
1.
To ask candidates to decide whether or not a new wind farm should be constructed
in a given locality. The viewpoints of at least three different stakeholders must be
considered and evaluated before a decision is made and then justified, for example:
Is Mynydd y Gwair a suitable location for the development of a wind farm?
2.
To ask candidates to decide which, of three options, would be the best location for a
wind farm in a certain area. It is important that candidates are faced with viable
alternative options. They will then have to carefully assess the possible advantages
and disadvantages of each option before coming up with their recommendation and
justifying their choice. For example: What is the best location for a wind farm on the
Lleyn Peninsula? Should local planners select option x, y or z?
Remember that the context of the 2017 DME is use of wind energy. Centres must, therefore,
design tasks that require a decision about wind energy in a given locality. A task that focuses
on the future of, for example, tidal energy or solar energy would not be appropriate in this
cycle.
25
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
Suggestions for a DME on deciding whether a wind farm should be constructed in a
given locality
Some arguments for and against wind farms are outlined in Hodder's Options text for WJEC
Geography A. Students should be aware of the wider issues after studying this theme would
be aware of some of the issues, and therefore this is a good resource to begin with.
There has been a lot of discussion in Wales recently about the development of wind farms
and how viable they are as a contributor to 'green energy' supply in the country. As well as
the Welsh Government, local councils have also contributed to the debate. Some councils
have expressed a favourable view towards future development, and this could be a good
starting point for this work, having already covered theme 12 in the classroom.
A DME does not require fieldwork or primary data collection but this particular DME would
work well if candidates were able to go out of school with questionnaires to gauge opinion.
Students could survey the proposed site and collect primary data such as:
 Land use surveys – in and around the site.
 Environmental analysis - visibility and distance.
 Questionnaires of local residents and/or tourists.
If a site visit is not possible, then stakeholders such as local pressure groups, local
councillors or the M.P. / A.M could be invited into school to speak to students. Whatever the
approach taken, it is vital that candidates are faced with conflicting opinions. These may be
presented to them as secondary evidence from a newspaper or website source. The
students will then have to carefully assess the merits of the different opinions as well as the
suitability of the wind farm site. Their report should reflect their analysis and show clear
decision making.
A degree of independence could be encouraged by asking students to consider related
issues such as:
 Tourism: do people think that it will have an adverse effect?
 Farming: any extra income from development? Other land uses?
 Pressure group opinions.
Suggestions for a DME on choosing the best location for a wind farm from three or
more options.
Similar types of fieldwork could be carried out, as suggested above, although it must be
stressed again, that fieldwork is not compulsory in the DME task. If fieldwork is not possible,
then students can use evidence from newspapers, websites and OS maps.
Different approaches could be taken, depending on the locations and the area under
consideration:
1.
Students could be given three locations within an area to consider.
2.
Students could be asked to suggest possible sites within an area using certain
criteria.
3.
Suitable sites for micro-generation (ie siting a single turbine on a farm) could be
considered as an alternative to the location of a larger wind farm.
One useful technique that will promote decision making is sieving using an OS map. Wind
farms work best under certain criteria which include height, aspect, and distance from
trees/woodlands. Since local people may object to wind farms due to perceived noise
nuisance, so distance from settlements is another criterion that should be considered. Ask
students to block out those areas that are unsuitable for a wind farm (because the altitude is
too low, or the site is on a leeward slope or too close to a forested area or settlement) on an
overlay on the OS map. This process should be repeated for each criterion until only those
areas that are suitable remain.
26
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)
A simple sketch of a sieve map is shown below:
Sieve map: used to identify those areas that are unsuitable for wind farm development
Application AO2
Candidates investigating the topic of wind farms could apply any number of ‘big ideas’ about
energy to their specific context that include:
 Developing energy in a sustainable way, carbon footprints or carbon off-setting.
 The planning process, the role of pressure groups and NIMBY opposition.
 Carrying capacity: the social and environmental impacts of wind farm development.
Some Websites, and other resources for developing a DME on opinions on Wind Farms.
Newspaper articles from Welsh papers (or their websites) such as the Daily Post and The
Western Mail or from British newspapers such as the Times, Guardian, and Telegraph or
local newspapers e.g. Cambrian News.
http://www.cse.org.uk/ An independent national charity that provides information to
communities about sustainable energy
http://windpower-wales.com/ A pro wind power site representing the wind energy industry in
Wales.
http://www.yes2wind.com/index.php A UK site that supports the development of wind farms.
The site includes a useful FAQ section called windypedia. It also includes an interactive map
of the UK showing the sites of existing and proposed wind farms.
http://www.renewableuk.com/ The renewable energy industry's website.
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/pubs_cat_entries/wind_power_your_questions.pdf Friends of
the Earth leaflet which explains wind power.
27
© WJEC CBAC Ltd
SJ/JF-W1(13)