GEOGRAPHY TIPS NO 1 INTERPRETING THE NEW 3.1

GEOGRAPHY TIPS NO 1

INTERPRETING THE NEW 3.1 STANDARD

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHANGES?

1. As with the old standard this is concerned primarily with natural processes so covers what geographers consider as physical geography. However, there has been a slight shift in emphasis to put equal weight on the modification of an environment or in other terms the outcomes of those processes and how they are linked

2. The standard looks different in that there is no longer a safe list of bullet points telling you what to cover. Instead you are to take the title of the standard as your starting point.

Such an approach does mean that interpretations becomes a hit and miss game which is part of the reason for this help sheet.

3. Some of the old ‘criteria’ appear to be missing such as distribution and formation of features and any mention of human modification of processes. The reality is that these are still here but hidden by the more liberal interpretation.

4. Spatial and Temporal variations now relate to the environment (new) as well as to the processes (old). In many ways this is easier. Why does the headland jut out here and there is a beach over there?

CHOOSING A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

There are several factors that need to be considered when choosing the most appropriate environment for your school.

1.

It must be an environment where natural processes dominate and operate in their natural state. Studying a central city environment may not be appropriate if the processes have been too modified for students to understand them or many resulting features have been removed.

2.

It must be an environment in New Zealand (as stated in the title).

3.

It needs to be large enough to allow for several interacting natural processes to be studied within it. This would not be fulfilled if you only studied a part of a river or one small beach.

4.

It needs to be small enough to allow for an in-depth study of the processes operating there. If you have too many processes students run the risk of being able to only gloss over each process rather than providing the depth of answer needed to fulfill level 3 requirements. A study of all the Southern Alps or Northland Coastlines for instance would cause problems. The most appropriate environments cover a river basin or a stretch of coastline in which both headlands and beaches are present.

5.

The environment should be meaningful to the students. In most cases it is best if students are able to visit the environment to familiarize them with it and allow for field work to back up evidence. It is possible to combine this with the 3.5 internal so that such field work can be justified.

Te Tapuae o Rehua Consortium partners | Ngāi Tahu | Education Support Services, University of Otago, 157 Union Street, Dunedin 9016|

UC Education Plus, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140 www.tetapuae.co.nz/projects/mau-ki-te-ako | www.otago.ac.nz/education/ess | www.edplus.canterbury.ac.nz

SUGGESTED APPROACH

There are several different ways you can approach the teaching of this standard and as such there is no ‘correct way’. The following approach acts as a template if you who need a starting point. This is based on The Tongariro Volcanic Centre (TVC).

Each bullet point is a study outcome. Some of them will be very quick while others may take a week or more to cover.

 Emphasise the meaning of analyse – keep asking why and show the ability to categorise

 Go over definition of environment – region with common characteristics. In this case the mountains defines its extent and gives it the main characteristics. .

 How to break down environments into Inputs (Elements), Processes (Actions) and

Outputs (Landform features and patterns) - (see examples below)

Meaning

INPUTS

The elements needed that give an environment its characteristics

PROCESSES

The actions that occur in the environment which transfer energy

OUTPUTS

What results from the processes in terms of physical landforms or patterns or change.

Mountain examples

(note only a few given)

Rock

Soil

Shrubs

Trees

Wind

Sediment

Water

River Action

Wind Action

Weathering

Vegetation Growth

Mountains

Valleys

Foothills

Rivers

Glaciers

Desert

Forest

Altitudinal

Zonation

 What the specific environment is like. What main features are there eg the mountains, valleys, desert, rivers, glaciers, forests? What do they look like? Draw a map of the environment showing where these are. Identify the features and their characteristics from photos or in the field. Draw cross sections of parts of the environment to show these such as the shape of the mountains and valleys.

 Identify the main elements that occur in this environment that make it unique and describe them. Then categorise them according to land, air and water.

 Identify the spatial variation or how these elements vary in different parts of the environment. For example where is it steepest? Where is it windiest? Where do the rivers run fastest/ are largest? Where is the vegetation most dense? Where is the soil deepest/ most fertile? Draw annotated maps and cross sections to show this such as one showing altitudinal zonation on both sides of Ruapehu



Identify the main processes that occur in this environment. Such processes should be agent based so that the way energy is transferred is easy to see and can be broken down into stages. Then categorise these processes by scale (See example below).

Select at least 4 to study in depth that are important in this environment.

LARGE SCALE MEDIUM SCALE SMALL SCALE SUB-

PROCESSES

Geomorphological Tectonic Action Volcanism

Faulting

Folding

Long shore drift

Hydraulic

Hydrological

Climatological

River Action

(fluvial)

Glacial Action

River transport

River Erosion

River Deposition

Glacial

Transport

Glacial Erosion

Glacial

Deposition

Wind transport

Action

Beach Sorting

Suspension

Saltation

Wind Action

Weathering

Wind Erosion

Wind Deposition

Freeze thaw

Action

Chemical

Weathering

Biogeographical Vegetation Action Vegetation

Growth

Vegetation succession

Soil formation Pedological

Processes

 For each process identify how it works or operates as a series of related steps or actions and their outcomes. First this happens, then this and then that.

 How does each process affect another process? How do they interact? How does river action depend on tectonic action and climate processes? How does Vegetation Growth depend on tectonic processes, climate processes and soil processes?



 How do the processes interact to produce specific features? What is the role of each process and how important is it in the formation of this? How does river action lead to the formation of v shaped valleys? How does volcanism lead to the formation of volcanoes?

 What role do these processes play in causing the spatial variations in the environment? Link how the processes act differently in different parts of the environment to the variations in the elements. Why are some features here and not over there? Why are the volcanoes different in different parts of the environment? Why does altitudinal zonation occur? Why is vegetation different on the west to the east side of the TVC?

 How has the environment shown temporal variations (changes over time). This may be over millions of years (geologic time such as the ice age and glaciation), hundreds of year (recent time such as effects of volcanic activity) now (present time such as river action and seasonal change) or the future (effects of climate change). Which parts are showing changes in erosion and deposition? Can look at plant succession and where it is most advanced.

 Link these changes to changes in the processes. Why have these changed over time?

What is modifying the environment at the present time? Are these changes related to human actions? Could people’s actions cause changes in the future? What have been effects of use of water in the area? Introduction of new species of plants and animals?

SKILLS THAT NEED TO BE COVERED

As well as the content there are several geographic skills required that could be examined.

These should form part of your teaching.

 Drawing a geographic map of an environment using mapping techniques such as the use of a frame, arrow, appropriate colour, key, scale (may need to be an estimate but must be provided) and title (where it is and what showing). These can be easily abbreviated – many use the term FACKTS.

 Drawing a cross section of part of the environment or a feature using standard techniques such as frame, direction, scale, colour, labels and title.

 Being able to annotate maps or diagrams. This means to put simple notes by the appropriate spot that allow analysis or explanation to occur. It is more than being able to label.

 Being able to write essays. While they are not marked on their structure it is a good habit to provide a simple introduction (what you intend to cover), body and conclusion.

Use of a plan helps an answer to flow which gets better marks.

 If an essay asks to include maps or diagrams then you draw them where appropriate to your answer and refer to them in an answer. These can be very simple and do not have to have all the mapping/diagram techniques.



 Know the requirements to analyse. You must say WHY or HOW something happens not just describe it. Not ‘Trees mainly occur in the West of the region” but ‘Trees mainly occur in the West of the region because the soils and climate are more favourable to their growth here.’

 Know the different requirements for ‘achievement’, ‘merit’ and ‘excellence’. This relates to the amount of technical detail given as well as the linkage between the processes and the environment shown.

 Appreciate the importance of referring to the specific environment all the time. The title is about a SPECIFIC environment so this must be the focus. If you do not name the environment in each answer you will not pass the standard. Learn a few statistics you can quote to back up answers.

WHAT THE ASSESSMENT MAY LOOK LIKE

The assessment specifications for 2013 are available. This makes it very clear that this standard will be assessed by:

 Students are given 2 questions and they are to answer only ONE of them.

 Each question has an annotated map or diagram for (a) and an essay for (b)

 Both parts of the question will contribute towards the 8 marks available for the paper. This does mean that students will have to complete both parts to get maximum marks.

Because it is only one question students will have to write about several processes in the answer and show how they interact. Answers will be longer than the essays required in the past few years which have had an emphasis on only one process. It is therefore important to develop the skill of writing geographic essays.

Jane Evans

Northland/Auckland/Central North Geography facilitator

Margaret Leamy

Lower North Island/South Island Geography facilitator



GEOGRAPHY TIPS NO 1 INTERPRETING THE NEW 3.1

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