IB Geo Skills Overview

Identifying locations, maps, graphs, diagrams and photos

Describing Direction: Using compass points and or bearings to describe either the direction headed or the direction travelled from e.g. wind direction is given from source (direction travelled from)

Locating Places: Using Latitude and Longitude e.g. 41°24’12.2”N 2°10’26.5”E

Locating Places: Using Area References

Locating Places: Using Grid References

Isoline: Measured Values e.g. temperature

Isopleth: Calculated Values e.g. Density of H1N1 Deaths

Choropleth: Calculated values grouped to a predefined region e.g. state

Topological Map: Simplified to remove scale, distance and direction but general relationship between locations remains

Flow Map: Hybrid of Map and Flow Chart

Thematic Map: Shows Geographical Data by Theme

Topographic Map: Highly detailed and with accurate, quantitative representation of relief

Proportional Symbol Map: Use Size to Show Variation in Variable

Aerial Photos: Photos taken from air. Either vertical or oblique like this one

Ground Level Photograph

Satellite Image

Scatter Graph: Relationships between variables

Line Graph: Changes over time

Bar Graph: Comparisons between whole data sets

Compound Bar Graph: Comparable wholes with comparable sub criteria

Triangular Graph: Good for showing relationship between 3 variables that can be added up to 100%

Logarithmic Graphs: Each step on scale is to power of ten i.e. 10x increase e.g. Richter Scale

Bipolar Chart: Good for displaying two contradictory variables e.g. rural vs urban or cost vs benefit

Pie Chart: Shows the percentage breakdown of a whole in to sub variables

Population Pyramids: Best way to show population structure

Lorenz Curve: Great for showing distribution of a population e.g. GINI Coefficient for income distribution

Cross Section: Great for looking at anything from a side on view e.g. Topography of US

Rose Diagram: Great for showing anything with 360 degree variation e.g. wind direction for Manila as displayed on the rose below the stats

Development Diamond: Shows relationships between multiple development indicators