ADVANCED HIGHER GEOGRAPHY

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Course content-
MAP READING AND INTERPRETATION
STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES
CRITICAL ISSUES ANALYTICAL ESSAY
FIELDWORK STUDY AND REPORT
HUMAN AND PHYSICAL TECHNIQUES
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You will need to produce a folio of work to
exemplify your skills-
Two worked map questions- human and physical.
Planning sheets to show your fieldwork
outline. Completed fieldwork report.
Draft of your Critical Essay. Completed essay.
A Critical Essay assessment. (NAB)
A statistics assessment- or several!
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ASSESSMENT
External-
Internal-

• Three exam questions-
• one mapping question
• one statistics question
• one techniques question

Folio of work
Prelim exam
Critical issues essay
Mixed internal and external assessment
Fieldwork study report
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ALLOCATION OF MARKS
Examination- total 60 mapping 30
statistics 20 techniques 10
Folio - total 140 field study
80 issues analysis 60
Your grade is based on the total course score.
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ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPWORK
This is not much different from the standard of
mapping expected at Higher. You will, however,
be expected to interpret the maps in a more
sophisticated and sensitive way, drawing on all
the geographical evidence on the map and your
skills to interpret the question. You will need
to be able to describe and explain very well,
using a high standard of English.
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There are two types of question set at AH
level- Physical type questions ask you to
describe landforms and their consequence for
human and environmental activities. An example
might be to describe the features of a river
valley and how these have influenced settlement
patterns on the map.
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Human type questions give you a scenario to work
through and make a decision about something. An
example might be to decide which site would be
best for the building of a new ASDA store, given
a choice of four sites.
Supplementary sheets are often part of the
question, like overlays or transects to be drawn
and completed.
In the exam, you will be given a choice of one
from two questions. You have 1 hour for this.
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STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES
Sampling- random, systematic, stratified.
Handling different data types-
nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio.
Graphical presentation- systems diagrams,
logarithmic, kite, scattergraphs, polar,
triangular, dispersion diagrams, bipolar
analysis.
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Descriptive statistics- measures of central
tendency, mean, median, mode, measures of
dispersion, standard deviation.
Introductory statistical testing- nearest
neighbour, chi-squared, Spearmans rank
correlation coefficient, Pearsons product
moment correlation coefficient, linear
regression.
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CRITICAL ISSUES ANALYTICAL ESSAY
A piece of work that involves analysing three
different sources who have written opinions about
a topical geographical issue. You need to
evaluate the way the sources have put forward
their viewpoints using quotes and data in each
source.
A trial critique is done in class time under test
conditions as a NAB.
At least one draft of your final topic is made
for your folio.
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FIELDWORK STUDY
To give us evidence that some techniques have
been learned, we will be going out on a field
trip within the local area.
It will be practicing physical techniques,
You will be judged by the staff on your ability
to demonstrate at least three techniques in the
field.
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The trip will gather much data which can be used
for your own individual study.
You may prefer to apply the techniques to a
similar study in another area for your final
study.
You may prefer to make up your own study on a
different topic altogether.
Each study must use several techniques from the
list, as well as incorporating at least one
statistical technique in your analysis/ report.
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HUMAN TECHNIQUES

• Rural landuse mapping
• Urban landuse mapping
• Traffic, pedestrian, environmental surveys
• Questionnaire design and implementation
• Reillys gravity law
• Nearest neighbour analysis

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PHYSICAL TECHNIQUES

• Morphological mapping
• Vegetation sampling
• Slope analysis
• Stream analysis
• Soil profiles and characteristics
• Pebble analysis- size, shape, rock type

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Field trips using human and physical techniques
practice reports written.
Statistical techniques begun. Mapwork and
interpretation skills begun.
Before summer
Topic for Study decided and fieldwork
done. Reports completed and final versions
in. Finished statistics skills. Finished map
skills.
Before Christmas
Critical analysis taught and assessed. Own
sources gathered for essay. Essay completed,
report written up and both reports sent away.
Before May
June
Final examination.
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You will get at least two different teachers who
will take you through different sections of the
course.
You will be responsible for turning up to every
timetabled class and bringing the correct
resources for that topic.
You are also expected to be able to meet all
deadlines set without fail and without nagging.
The often- made excuse of technical failure
being responsible for late work is not tolerated
in this course.
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This course treads a fine line between teaching
you to work independently yet not abandoning you,
as your self- discipline skills might not be
mature enough yet.
A large part of the course will depend on you
taking responsibility for your own learning you
will be expected to do things without being told.
Some of your scheduled time will be for self-
study and research. However you will be censored
if it is discovered you are not spending this
time wisely!
end