Essential exam technique for GCSE Geography

exams

You have 1 hour 15 minutes for this paper.

That is about 12 minutes per question.

Answer questions 1-4Restless Earth, Changing

Climate, Battle for the Biosphere and Water

World

Answer question 6 – River Processes and

Pressures. NOT question 5.

Answer question 7 – Oceans on the Edge. NOT

question 8

There are marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Make sure you write in full sentences and check these

things.

You have 1 hour 15 minutes for this paper.

That is about 12 minutes per question.

Answer questions 1-4Population Dynamics, Consuming Resources,

Globalisation and Development Dilemmas

Answer question 5 – The Changing Economy of the UK. NOT question

6.

Answer question 7 – The Challenges of an Urban World.

NOT question 8

There are marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Make sure you write in full sentences and check these

things.

You have 1 hour 30 minutes for this paper.

-Spend about 30 minutes reading the resource booklet before you start.-You then have 1 hour to answer the questions. It is about 1 mark per minute. (Therefore if a question is worth 1 mark spend about 1 minute on it, if it is worth 8 marks spend about 8 minutes on it.)

Answer ALL questions.

There are marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Make sure you write in full sentences and check these

things.

The resource booklet will provide you with the

information you need to answer the questions BUT do

not forget to use your knowledge from all

aspects of the course to help explain ideas.

Describe: To say what something shows. E.g. The global demand for

copper increases from 1950 (where it was about 2.8 million tonnes) to 2009 (where it was about 6.5 million tonnes). There was however a small decrease in demandbetween 1970-9 and 1980-9.The amount demanded by Chinahas also become increasinglyimportant compared to the restof the world. Top tip: Use data to

help describe trends

Explain: To say why something shows what it does. E.g. Countries like

the UK have ‘ageing populations’. This is because they have very good healthcare, hospitals, access to doctors and medicines. People also are provided with pensions which means they are able to afford healthy diets and comfortable, heated homes. These factorscontribute to the increasingproportion of elderly peoplein the UK, as well asincreased life expectancy.

Population pyramids for Developed Country: Straight sides because of low death rate

Population pyramids for Less Developed Country: steep sides because of high death rate. Wide base because of high birth rate

Cause: Something that makes

something else happen

E.g. Increased Carbon emissions (due to increased

car ownership) are a cause of global warming.

Effect (Impact): Something that

happens because of something elseE.g. Melting ice caps and rising sea levels are an effect of global warming. This can

result in the increasing cost of coastal flood defences in countries like the UK.

Positive (Impact): Something that is

good. An advantage.

E.g. A positive of large scale water management schemes like the Aswan Dam (Egypt) is that it provides Hydro-

electric power (HEP). This provides electricity for Egypt’s growing industries. It is also renewable so will not run out or

increase Carbon emissions.

Negative (Impact):

Something that is bad. A

disadvantage.E.g. A negative of large scale water

management schemes like the Aswan Dam (Egypt) is that it has submerged many villages

and the Nubian people who lived there for generations have lost their homes. It was also

very expensive and has reduced the fish stocks in the Mediterranean as less nutrients are

washed out from the River Nile.

Primary Effect (Impact): The

direct impacts of an event, usually

occurring instantly.

E.g. The primary impacts of a volcanic eruption are lava flows damaging property, or pyroclastic flows leading to deaths.

Secondary Effect (Impact): The indirect

impacts of an event, usually occurring hours, weeks or

even months / years after the event.

E.g. A secondary impact of a volcanic eruption (or an earthquake) is that when infrastructure is destroyed it is difficult for rescue workers to access areas, as well as being hard for people to go to

work or school.

Impact (Effect): Something that

happens because of something elseE.g. The impacts of improving education and literacy in rural Uganda would be a

reduction in HIV/Aids as people would be more aware of the disease and how to

prevent it.

Immediate response:

Something that is done straight away to help.

E.g. An immediate response to the Haiti earthquake (2010) was that countries like the

UK and USA sent emergency aid, such as rescue workers and equipment. They also sent clean water, food and tents for the homeless.

Long term response

Planning to help prevent future

disasters.E.g. Japan has very strict building regulations to

help prevent them falling down in an earthquake. This includes modern design such as strong steel frames to increase buildings’

flexibility as well as deep foundations to provide additional support.

ConservationLooking after

somewhere and preventing damage.

E.g. The Amazon rainforest is conserved to stop deforestation and development. This is done with the establishment of National Parks. Eco Tourism is also

used to provide environmentally friendly jobs for local people as an alternative to logging. As Eco tourism is

often small scale it does no harm to the rainforest.

Degradation Damaging something

E.g. Marine ecosystems (coral reefs) are degraded by dynamite and over fishing. Ban Don Bay,

Thailand has also been degraded by tourists breaking the coral

reef by standing or dropping boat anchors on it.

ManagementDealing with or

controlling something

E.g. Rivers can be managed with hard or soft engineering. The River Skerne, Darlington has had

afforestation on it’s flood plain to prevent flooding (it increases interception and provides habitats for

animals). This is soft engineering. The River Sheaf, Sheffield has been straightened to speed up the flow of

the river and flood waters. This is hard engineering.

Justify: Give reasons for … …

E.g. I think conserving the rainforest is important because it one of the

most bio-diverse ecosystems on the earth and home to a large number of plants and animals. It also helps to maintain the Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide balance on Earth which is

vital for life and also acts against the greenhouse effect.

Evaluate: Give a balanced argument with reasons for and against. E.g. Many people believe natural resources like coal and oil will run out soon as population, and consumption keeps

rising (Malthus). However it is argued that with the invention of new technology we will be able

to find new resources and use them more efficiently. Therefore conserving them

(Boserup).

Economic: Factors to do with money, businesses or jobs.E.g. An economic effect of a TNC (Trans National Company) is that jobs will be created in NIC’s (Newly Industrialised Countries). These countries will also

increase their exports and benefit from improvements in infrastructure.

Social: Factors to do with people.E.g. A social effect of global

warming in Egypt (a developing country) is that many people will

lose their homes due to rising sea levels and flooding in the

Nile delta.

Environmental: Factors to do with the environment, nature

and eco-systems.E.g. An environmental effect of long term

climate change (such as during the ‘Little Ice Age’) is that animals became extinct because

they could not adapt to the changing temperatures. The plants would also die which

would reduce food supplies for the animals.

ConsumptionUsing up a resource

E.g. Oil: Developed countries consume more oil than developing countries. This is because they

are more wealthy so have greater car ownership, more consumer goods and more expensive lifestyles. Countries like China are

consuming an increasing amount of oil as they develop and their wealth and industries grow.

ProductionMaking

somethingE.g. Oil: Most oil is produced in the Middle East. There is some uncertainty over how much oil is left and when ‘peak oil’ will be

reached. This is because it is uncertain how much oil remains to be discovered but also whether new technology will

increase efficiency and mean people use less.