Unit 1: Geographical Methods and Techniques

Geography

Unit 1: Geographical Methods and Techniques

[ADVANCED HIGHER]

Skill area: Statistical awareness

Introduction

3

Section 1: The graphical presentation of data

27

Section 2: Descriptive statistics

56

Section 3: Inferential statistics

90

Skill area: The production and interpretation of maps and diagrams

Section 4: The design and layout of maps and diagrams

153

Section 5: The interpretation of OS maps and related data

171

Section 6: Topographic analysis based on OS maps

185

Section 7:

Skill area: Fieldwork survey/measurement and recording

techniques

195

Appendices

203

Acknowledgement Learning and Teaching Scotland gratefully acknowledge the following for permission to reproduce copyright material: Bowen, A and Pallister, J, Tackling Geography Coursework, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1997; Cole, J P, Situations in Human Geography, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1975; Nagle, G, Skills and Techniques for Geography A-Level, Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes (Publishers) Ltd, 1998; Nagle, N and Spencer, K, Geographical Enquiries, Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes (Publishers) Ltd, 2000; Taylor, L, Geographical Techniques, Cambridge: Pearson Publishing, 1997; Speak, P and Carter, A H C, Map Reading and Interpretation, London: Longman, 1970; Worthington, B D R and Gant, Robert, Ordnance Survey Mapwork, Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1983; Statistics Guide, Milton Keynes: The Open University Press, 1985. Thanks are also due to Douglas McConnach for maps and diagrams.

TUTOR GUIDE

Introduction

Advanced Higher Geography contains three units. They are:

Unit 1: Geographical Methods and Techniques Unit 2: The Geographical Study Unit 3: Geographical Issues.

In Advanced Higher Geography, students must study and apply geographical methods and techniques to analyse information, identify relationships and present information. This part of the pack, Geographical Methods and Techniques, gives the student practice, advice and information in these areas.

It cannot be emphasised strongly enough that this unit gives the student practice using statistical, mapping and graphical skills and techniques that they can use in Unit 2 (The Geographical Study) and Unit 3 (Geographical Issues). Therefore, as students work their way through this unit they should put some thought into how they can apply these skills and techniques to subsequent work.

Further, competence in the statistics section of this unit is a key element for the core skills of Numeracy and Problem-solving being automatically certificated at Higher level.

The unit assessment requires candidates to provide evidence of the successful application of these methods and techniques.

Unit evidence (for internal assessment) requires the student to have evidence of:

1. Competence in one Physical Geography fieldwork method. 2. Competence in one Human Geography fieldwork method. 3. One piece of evidence to show that the student can produce a map and/or a diagram. 4. One piece of evidence to show that the student can extract and interpret information

from a 1:25000 OS map.

Where a candidate is undertaking the unit as part of a course, these skills will also be assessed through the externally set and assessed written paper of two hoursa duration.

It is assumed that the student has already passed Higher Geography and is competent in OS map reading and interpretation and the examination of geographical methods and techniques at Higher level.

GEOGRAPHICAL METHODS AND TECHNIQUES (GEOGRAPHY AH)

3

TUTOR GUIDE

This unit is divided into three parts that correspond to the three skill areas that make up Geographical Methods and Techniques. These are:

b statistical awareness b the production and interpretation of maps and diagrams b fieldwork survey/measurement and recording techniques.

Statistical awareness has been further divided into three sub-sections:

Section 1: The graphical presentation of data Section 2: Descriptive statistics Section 3: Inferential statistics.

The production and interpretation of maps and diagrams has likewise been divided into three sub-sections:

Section 4: The design and layout of maps Section 5: The interpretation of OS maps and related data Section 6: Topographic analysis based on OS maps.

Fieldwork survey/measurement and recording techniques only represents one section (Section 7).

The three units which make up Advanced Higher Geography and the contents of the three skill areas of Geographical Methods and Techniques are shown diagrammatically overleaf.

4

GEOGRAPHICAL METHODS AND TECHNIQUES (GEOGRAPHY AH)

ADVANCED HIGHER GEOGRAPHY

UNIT 1 GEOGRAPHICAL METHODS AND TECHNIQUES

UNIT 2

UNIT 3

THE GEOGRAPHICAL STUDY GEOGRAPHICAL ISSUES

TUTOR GUIDE

GEOGRAPHICAL METHODS AND TECHNIQUES (GEOGRAPHY AH)

SKILL AREA FIELDWORK METHODS

SKILL AREA STATISTICAL AWARENESS

SKILL AREA MAPS AND DIAGRAMS

PHYSICAL TOPICS Morphological mapping Vegetation sampling Slope analysis Stream analysis Meteorology in the local setting Soil profiles and characteristics Pebble analysis

HUMAN TOPICS Urban land use mapping Traffic, pedestrian and environmental

quality surveys Questionnaire design and implementation Use of secondary sources Reillyas law of retail gravitation Huffas probability law

DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS Types of data, nominal, ordinal, etc. Mean, mode, median Range, standard deviation, etc.

INFERENTIAL STATISTICS Sampling Studentas t-test Chi squared test Nearest neighbour analysis Correlation f Spearmanas

Pearsonas Linear regression

Lettering, linework, shading Dot maps Isoline maps Choropleth maps Proportional symbols Divided prop. symbols Flow maps Interpretation of OS maps Rural land use mapping River profiles Cross sections, transects

Unit evidence (for internal assessment) requires the student to have evidence of: 1. Competence in one Physical Geography fieldwork method. 2. Competence in one Human Geography fieldwork method. 3. One piece of evidence to show that the student can produce a map and/or a diagram. 4. One piece of evidence to show that the student can extract and interpret information

from a 1:25000 OS map.

5

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