Mapwork and the Exam

1
Mapwork and the Exam

• The answers are in front of you.
• If you seek the answers you will find them.
• The legend is the way to find the answers.
• But first you must know what the questions are
  and to do this you must read the question
• Carefully and more than once.

2
The Usual Questions

• The reasons why a town developed at a certain
  location.
• The identification of human activities.
• The identification of services.
• Explain settlement, woodland and drainage
  patterns.
• Explain how relief has affected communication in
  an area.
• Discuss the variety of modes of transport.
• Evidence of socio-economic activity over time.

3
Basic Common Sense

• Read the question and answer all parts of the
  question.
• Explain in detail treat the examiner as though
  he or she was a small child.
• Explain everything no matter how obvious.
• If you mention a feature like a castle or road
  you must always give six figure grid references
  or name the feature e.g. M50.
• A 30 mark question needs at least 15 points of
  facts.

4
Sketch Maps

• These are not usually included in the map section
  but if they are you must remember the following
• Only draw a sketch map if one is asked for.
• The sketch should be the same shape as the map
  and must not be bigger than ¾s of a page.
• You must label everything that you are asked to
  locate on the map.
• If you cannot find a feature label the sketch for
  one mark anyway.
• Always include the main town as a focal point.
• Do not colour in the map.

5
Why did a town develops at a particular location.

• As a bridging pointmention trade,focus of
  routes, nodal points, accessibility, fertile land
  for productive agriculture.
• As a defence settlementlook for castles, town
  wallsmention administration,taxes etc
• As a religious settlementlook for ancient
  churchesmention power centres, education.
• Other factors include tourism, ports, industrial
  estates, education, services.

6
The area offers a wide range of human activities.

• Settlement is the most obviousmention towns as
  nuclear settlements, also linear,and dispersed
  patterns.
• Transport is always present. Mention the
  different modes of transport like roads,rail.
• Industrial Activities mention industrial
  estates, power stations, reservoirs, etc.
• Education, Religious, Medical, and services like
  the Garda or Post Offices.
• Never mention rivers etc unless there is map
  evidence like water sports or viewpoint.

7
Settlement Patterns

• Nucleated any town or village on a map. Mention
  maximisation of services like education,
  churches, shops etc.
• Rural Nucleated these are known as clachans,
  small groups of houses at crossroads, road
  endings etc.
• Linear settlement along a road, access to
  services like water and electricity.
• Dispersedsettlement is spread about the
  countryside these are farmsteads.
• Absence On mountains or wet areas.

8
Drainage Patterns

• Radialrivers running down the sides of hilly or
  mountainous areas.
• Dendriticthe usual pattern for rivers, a tree
  like pattern of rivers and tributaries.
• Man-made or artificial rivers running in a
  straight linealtered in forests or farmland.
• Trellised The river changes direction abruptly
  due to changes in rock type.

9
Distribution of Woodland

• Coniferous Plantation planted on slopes or
  poorly drained areas. Mention most economic
  land-use, size of plantation etc.
• Mixed Woodland these are forests that have been
  landscaped look for castles, demesnes etc. Land
  used for hunting etc.
• Natural Woodland These are found on steep slopes
  or near castles. These can be found also in
  natural parks.

10
Modes of Transport

• CanalsThese were built 18th century and were
  used to carry heavy loads. Today they are used
  for tourism. They are usually named on the map.
• Railways 19th century, centred on Dublin, used
  to carry freight and passengers.
• Road Developed from town centres as medieval
  patterns, national roads mid-20th
  century,motorways late 20th century.
• Air 20th century, mention size of airport, is it
  local(airfield) or national(airport).

11
Services

• There are many services that are labeled on the
  map.
• Educationalschools, colleges, universities
• Medicalhospitals are found in the major towns.
• Religiouslook for a cross symbol
• Other services include post offices,garda
  stations,phones, parking spaces etc.

12
Ancient Monuments and Time

• Pre-Christian standing stones, dolmens, barrows,
  fulacht fia, megalithic tombs.
• Early Christianround towers, high crosses, cross
  inscribed stones, holy wells.
• Norman castles, abbeys, churches, mottes
• Plantationdemesne, star shaped fort, martello
  tower (these are Napoleonic)
• Modern industrial estates, airports etc.
• If the question mentions time always include a
  time period and example/grid reference.

13
Location

• Always select a greenfield site i.e. an area
  with no building on itmention costs etc.
• Accessmost new ventures like hotels need good
  roads but do not select motorways as the cost of
  a slip road would be too great.
• Near townmost ventures need a labour force that
  does need to travel too far and hotels etc. would
  have a possible market.
• Hotels etc. benefit from scenery like lakes.
• Industry needs to be on the outskirts of a town
  costs are cheaper, conjestion is avoided.

14
Tourist Attractions

• The larger towns offer a wide range of
  attractions. It is likely that these towns have
  pubs, restaurants, hotels, cafes and so on.
• Scenery like lakes, mountains, rivers, forests,
  coasts are all important.
• Ancient Monuments but mainly castles etc.
• Look for the symbols from the tourist box on the
  legend e.g. viewpoints, water sports, tourist
  information centres etc.

15
Differences between Map and Photograph

• Scale A map uses a larger scale (150,000) and
  can show a much larger area. A photograph shows a
  smaller detailed area.
• SymbolThe map uses symbols to identify
  features,on the photograph we must guess.
• Selectivity A map shows only those things that
  are thought to be important to the user of the
  map. The photograph shows everything in the
  viewfinder.
• In questions of this sort you must always
  refer to both the map and photograph.