1. GCSE Geography Revision
Don’t forget to use
REVISION BLOG: www.geogdebens.wordpress.com
ONEDRIVE RESOURCES: http://1drv.ms/1MMaJD0
READ the question:
Recognise - the pattern / feature / process
Explain – use connectives (so, because, therefore, etc.)
Analyse – give advantages and disadvantages, weigh up
Describe – use data from resources and own knowledge
For sustainability questions & case studies:
“Sustainable development is using resources today in a way that helps to protect them
for the future.” Sustainability must balance:
Social – families, communities, people
Economic – jobs and money
Environmental – natural and built environment
(PEEL) For explain / case study questions:
Point – state your opinion, make your point
Evidence – back up what you say with facts, detail, examples
Explain – give reasons for what you say
Link – link back to the original question, a concluding sentence
ALLresources, revision materials, case studies used can be found on the GCSE blog or
OneDrive link
Key Themes Topics:
Population & Settlement
Natural Hazards
Economic Development
SDME Topic:
Rivers & Coasts
NAME:
Exam Board =
OCR B
Geography
2012 spec.
Exam Board =
OCR B
Geography
2012 spec.
2. Exam command words
Command word: What it means
Compare Show similarities and differences. A balanced answer is
required.
Consider Describe and give your thoughts on the subject.
Contrast Point out only the differences between two items.
Define Explain the precise meaning of a concept / word.
Describe Say what something is like, how it works, use adjectives.
Discuss Explain an item or concept, give details about it using evidence/
examples / fact. Give both points of view & come to a
conclusion.
Examine Investigate in detail, offer evidence for and against.
Explain Offer a detailed and exact explanation of an idea or principle.
Identify / State Express the relevant points briefly and clearly.
Illustrate Provide examples to demonstrate or prove a subject.
Justify Give reasons to support your answer / argument, and the main
objections
Summarise / Outline Provide a short summary of all the info on a subject
It might be useful to underline command words in an exam question.
Answering the questions…..
[1mark] questions = can be answered with a single word or simple sentence, often using
data or fact. E.g. Name a climatic hazard = drought [1]
[2mark] questions = either needs two simple sentences, often using data OR needs one
point then explained. E.g. Explain why LEDCs have a higher death rate = poor healthcare
leading to diseases [P] and a lack of food [P] [2] OR LEDCs have a higher death rate
due to a lack of medicine [P] and healthcare which means they cannot treat illnesses
and disease so die more easily [E] [2]
[4mark] questions = requires you to explain, compare, consider evidence, use facts,
refer to examples. The answer should be detailed. You should probably describe and
explain using P.E.E.L. E.g. Using the sources, suggest how afforestation may affect river
flow= Afforestation is the planting of trees / vegetation [P], which can reduce river
volume and increase the lag time as seen on the hydrograph at Point A [Ev]. This is
because vegetation increases interception which reduces surface runoff [Ex] and
therefore the amount of water entering the river and how quickly it gets there will be
reduced [L]. [4]
3. Population & Settlement checklist (Key Themes paper)
Now I’ve reached the end of the Population &
Settlement unit:
Yes Think so No
I can explain the reasons for settlements locating in particular sites
I can name a local settlement and give reasons what location
advantages it has – e.g Portsmouth
I can explain the spheres of influence
I can describe and explain the land use models for MEDC’s cities of
Hoyt and Burgess
I can give reasons for the patterns of land use in cities
I can describe and draw a diagram to show the settlement hierarchy
for my local area (Hamlet, village, town, city)
I can describe the redevelopment of an area (e.g. London
Docklands, Olympic Site, or Gunwharf) and impacts of the
redevelopment.
I can name a sustainable settlement, identify its sustainable
features and explain how it is sustainable.
I can explain how land use is changing within cities using the
example of London (or Portsmouth or other)
I can explain why urbanization is happening in LEDC’s. I can give
push and pull factors. I can explain the impacts of urbanization
I can explain the features of shanty towns
I can explain what counter-urbanisation is, its causes and effects.
I can identify and give reasons for the types of goods and retail
services found in urban and rural settlements
I can explain the reasons for town centre decline & retail service
change (include e-tailing, ethical shopping, out-of-town shopping)
I can show how retail provision changes over time through my case
study (e.g. London Olympic Site or Gunwharf)
I can explain how population changes over time and explain the
Demographic Transition Model
I can explain population growth and the impact of it and of ageing
populations
I can explain migration, internal and international. The push and pull
factors of migration and impacts to host and country of origin
I can explain population management strategies both pro-natalist
AND anti-natalist through case studies (e.g. France or China)
I can explain what these terms mean:
clone town urbanization counter-urbanization shanty town push/ pull factor suburb
urban Sprawl settlement rural CBD Infrastructure convenience goods
retail change CBD inner city anti-natalist suburbs e-tailing
Natural Hazards checklist (Key Themes paper)
4. Now I’ve reached the end of the natural hazard unit:
Yes Think so No
I can describe the global distribution of volcanoes and earthquakes and give
reasons for this pattern of distribution.
I can draw and label the structure of the earth. I can explain how this is
important in explaining why earthquakes and volcanoes occur.
I can draw the different plate boundaries and label the features of them.
Constructive (divergent), destructive (convergent) and conservative (transform).
I can explain what happens at each type of boundary: divergent, convergent
and conservative
I can give examples of economic, environmental and social impacts of
earthquakes and volcanoes.
I can give examples of primary and secondary impacts of earthquakes
I can name an earthquake in an LEDC or MEDC and describe the impacts
and the responses. E.g. Haiti 2011, Japan 2011
I can name a volcanic eruption in an MEDC and describe the impacts and
responses. E.g. Iceland 2010
I can explain how the impact of natural hazards can be reduced e.g.
technology, building techniques, education, prediction, planning, aid, etc
I can describe and explain the global distribution of tropical storms and
droughts
I can explain why tropical cyclones occur and in what areas
I can give examples of the economic, environmental and social impacts of
tropical cyclones
I can name a MEDC & LEDC case study of a tropical storm and its causes,
impacts and responses e.g. Hurricane Katrina, 2005 & Typhoon Haiyan, 2014
I can give reasons for the differences in impacts between LEDC and MEDC
I can explain the physical (climatic) and human (overpopulation, overgrazing,
etc.) causes of droughts
I can explain the social, economic and environmental impacts of droughts
I can name a drought case study with causes, impacts and responses e.g.
Australia La Nina 2011, the Sahel Ethiopia 1985-onward
I can explain why economic development can influence the severity of the
impact of a hazard
I can explain why people choose to continue to live in hazardous areas
I can explain what these terms mean:
convection epicentre eye Infrastructure mantle tectonic plate magma
Mid Ocean Ridge tsunami levees drought storm surge subduction zone
convergent divergent transform overgrazing overpopulation desertification
Economic Development (Key Themes paper)
5. Now I’ve reached the end of the Economic
Development unit:
Yes Think so No
I can explain what is meant by ‘development’ and how
development indicators are used to measure it
I can explain what sustainability means and how to
achieve it
I can describe and explain types of poverty and attempts
to reduce poverty
I can suggest what the ‘development gap’ / North-South
divide is and why it exists
I can suggest how development can be affected by aid,
name different kinds of aid, and describe how
sustainable they are
I can describe & evaluate an aid project such as Water
Aid, Goat Aid or Computer Aid – including how
sustainable it is
I understand what employment structure means & can
explain primary, secondary, tertiary & quaternary
employment
I can explain how & why employment patterns change
over time – comparing LEDC, NIC and MEDC examples
I understand the social, economic & environmental
factors that influence where an industry locates and how
this changes
I can name, describe & explain the impacts of industries
in LEDCs and MEDCs and NICs
I have knowledge of my case studies (primary – Kaweh
Ijen sulphur mining, secondary – South Korea
manufacturing, tertiary – Portsmouth retail, quaternary –
Cambridge science parks)
I can describe and explain what a MNC is and the
impacts of it (positive and negative) on the host country
(e.g. Coca Cola, India)
I can explain how MNCs and globalisation effect
development including tourism
I can describe and explain the effects of economic
activity upon the environment (e.g. tourism, or Coca Cola
in India)
I can explain what these terms mean:
development indicator quality of life HDI sustainable development NIC
absolute poverty relative poverty North-South divide Brandt line bilateral aid
primary employment secondary employment tertiary employment quaternary industry
GDP per capita MNC outsourcing footloose industry globalisation
Rivers & Coasts checklist (SDME topic)
6. Now I’ve reached the end of the Rivers & Coasts unit:
Yes Think so No
I can understand and define the 4 types of erosion
I can explain how the geology of an area influences how
rapidly it is eroded
I can describe and explain longshore drift & its effects
I can name types of hard & soft coastal management
I can name types of hard & soft river management
I can evaluate how sustainable landform management is
I can name and describe a case study of coastal erosion
and the management used to protect it
I can name and describe a case study of river flooding
and the responses to flooding in an MEDC and LEDC
I can give examples of primary & secondary impacts of
floods
I can explain why river flooding occurs
I can describe, analyse and explain the river hydrograph
I can describe and explain how a river changes from the
upper to middle to lower course
I can describe and explain river landforms such as
waterfalls, v-shape valleys, gorges, meanders, estuaries,
floodplains…
I can describe and explain the causes of rotational cliff
slumping and formation of headlands, bays, caves,
arches, stacks and stumps
I can describe and explain the formation of beaches,
bars, spits and tombolos
I can describe how the coast is used & how this
influences coastal management policy
I can describe how a river transports its load and causes
erosion and deposition in different areas
I can explain what these terms mean:
attrition abrasion hydraulic action corrosion cliff rotational slumping cliff drainage
groynes longshore drift Beach replenishment Gabionsrock armour bays
spits caves, arches, stacks & stumps resistant rock less resistant rock headlands
GCSE Geography Case Study revision list
Each examination question has a case study at the end worth 9 marks. You will
need to apply relevant knowledge and understanding of real examples.
7. Population & Settlement
Case Study About Need to know
China (anti-natalist) Population management One Child Policy: incentives and
disincentives to reduce birth rate
France (pro-natalist) Population management Boosting population incentives and
disincentives
Gunwharf Quays redevelopment
Or
London Olympics – Stratford
redevelopment
A case study of urban change
to illustrate social, economic
and environmental planning
and its sustainability.
The social, economic and environmental
impacts of settlements.
How settlements can be redeveloped in a
sustainable way.
Portsmouth (or London dockland)
CBD / inner city / suburbs
Example of land use zones in a
city
How land use changes throughout a city;
CBD, inner city, industrial, inner suburbs,
outer suburbs
Gunwharf Quays or Stratford
(Olympic site) retail change
A case study to illustrate how
retail service provision
changes over time.
That the provision of goods and retail
services changes over time.
Why services change & how they impact.
Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil A favela / shanty town (also
rural urban migration)
Basic description of shanty town features
Causes of shanty town development
Mexico – USA (international
migration)
Causes and consequences
(positive and negative) of
migration on different scales
Why migration occurs (international, asylum
seeking, internal)
Impacts of migration
Possible social tensions
Natural Hazards
Case Study About Need to know:
Haiti earthquake 2010 One tectonic hazard
event in an LEDC. Causes, effects (primary / secondary) &
response to the hazard.
Be aware that the level of economic
development influences the severity of
the impact of a hazard, i.e. LEDCs more
likely to have greater death toll, MEDCs
likely to have more $ damages
Methods of hazard protection, prediction
& preparation.
Iceland eruption 2010
One tectonic hazard
event in an MEDC.
Typhoon Haiyan
Or
Sahel Ethiopia drought
One climatic hazard
event in an LEDC.
Hurricane Katrina, USA (tropical
storm)
One climatic hazard
event in an MEDC.
Economic Development
Case Study About Need to know
8. Goat Aid / Water Aid Case study of an aid
project in an LEDC
(Goat Aid is best)
Why aid is needed, types of aid
That some aid is more sustainable than
others & why.
LEDC: sulphur mining (primary)
Indonesia, Kawah Ijen volcano
NIC: manufacturing (secondary) in
South Korea
MEDC: retail / services (tertiary) in
Gunwharf Quays, UK And research &
development (quaternary)
Cambridge Science Parks
Factors that affect the
location of industry in
LEDCs and MEDCs
Just need basic detail
to suggest why
economic activities
locate where they do
(e.g. access to
resources, etc,.)
There are physical and human factors
that influence the location of different
types of industry.
Industry locations have to change over
time (due to competition, lack of
resources, environmental decline, lack of
workers, etc.)
Coca Cola (secondary
manufacturing), India
A case study of a MNC
investment in a specific
area in an international
context.
The effects MNCs have in the areas they
choose to locate in and in other places.
Positive & negative social, environmental
and economic impacts of MNCs.
Coca Cola, India (secondary)
Or
Tourism
A case study of how
economic
development can
affect the
environment
How industrial activity can have an
impact on the environment.
How these conflicts are managed
sustainably.
Remember case study questions are Level marked i.e.:
Level 1 (1-3 marks): basic description showing limited knowledge and understanding.
Meaning not communicated very clearly. Little specific fact. A generalised answer.
Level 2 (4-6 marks): Refers to named case study, some relevant knowledge
demonstrated and some place specific facts/evidence are included to support answer.
Meaning is communicated clearly. Answers are explained.
Level 3 (7-9 marks): Valid case study given and a full range of place-specific detail used
to effectively answer the question. Good knowledge and understanding shown through
facts / evidence. Meaning is communicated very clearly. Answer links to key terms and is
well explained.
You should write THREE well developed ideas in your answer! P.E.E.L.
Don’t forget SPaG = 3 marks per section, total 9 marks for paper
These examples are best to know in most detail as are more likely to be used and can also cross-over
between exam topic. e,g. can use Coca Cola for an MNC example AND for environmental impact, can use
Portsmouth or London for land use change AND retail AND redevelopment.