2. The question
• It was asking you to DESCRIBE and EXPLAIN
the DIFFERENCES in RURAL and URBAN
populations in 2009
• Put simply……you identify some
differences…….describe them using
data……..then explain the difference you have
just described.
3. Common mistakes…
• Lots of you described. But used NO DATA.
• Lots of you used Resource 1 and not Resource
2!
• Some of you waffled and wrote too much.
• Many of you, your points and developments
got mixed up.
4. Follow this simple formula…
• IDEA –
– IDENTIFY the difference you want to describe (F had
to do 2 and higher probably 2 or 3)
– DESCRIBE the first difference using data from the
graph.
– EXPLAIN the difference (give reasons why it exists –
this is called developing your answer)
– ANALYSE by taking your explanation further using a
connective like ‘this means that’ or ‘therefore’.
• Then do it all over again for another difference.
5. Example
• The biggest difference is in the 16-29 year old
category where there are 20% living in urban
areas compared to 13% living in rural areas.
This is because there will be many students at
universities who need to be close to their
studies and many of them will find better job
opportunities in the urban areas, meaning
they will settle there in the long term.
6. Once you learn the formula..
• You can apply IDEA to any question.
– Suggest reasons for…..
– Describe and explain….
– Give reasons for….
– Explain why….
• Learn to be savvy….look out for how many marks
things are worth.
– 1,2 or 3 marks generally are point marked
– Anything longer, you MUST use this IDEA technique.
7. •These are level marked: the examiner reads your whole
answer and decides which level its fits into
•Examiners are looking for:
Clear meaning (stick to the question!)
A number of reasons/ explanations for your choice
(which are developed well using connectives)
All bullet points covered
Using evidence/data from resources
Legible writing
Good spelling, punctuation & grammar
Stating which sustainability you are talking about
8. •40 marks in 60 minutes
•Spend a mark a minute on the first 2
sections (A&B)
•Spend half an hour on the Section C
question (sustainable decision making)
9. On the next slides…
• Here you will find two sample answers for the
section C part of the exam.
• Look over them and annotate them with
descriptions, explanations, analysis and key
geographic vocabulary.
• Look at how many times I have used the
terms:
– Social, economic and environmental sustainability.
10. Option one will provide 15,000 new homes, which
includes 4500 starter homes. This is socially
sustainable because it not only helps to ease the
housing crisis, but it provides first time buyers with the
opportunity to own their own home. This means that
younger generations may be able to repopulate rural
areas instead of move to the urban areas, encouraging
more taxes to be paid in the area, which is
economically sustainable. Compared with option
2, which will build only 700 starter homes and option
3, which will not encourage young people into rural
areas, because they will only develop urban brownfield
sites, this option is more sustainable.
11. Option one will have to build on greenfield site and
therefore is environmentally unsustainable. By putting
down tarmac/concrete surfaces and installing new drainage
systems it will reduce infiltration and increase surface
runoff, so increasing the flood risk in the area. There is also
patches of woodland, for example at Crow Spinney at
666006, which may be removed. Reducing interception and
increasing the flood risk. Traffic in the area will also
increase, especially along the Gartree Road, despite the fact
there will be an integrated public transport system. This
again, is environmentally unsustainable because it increases
carbon emissions into the atmosphere and will increase
noise pollution, especially for exisiting residents of
Stoughton and Little Stretton. Social sustainability is
affected too, as commuters will have longer journey times
into Leicester, decreasing their leisure time.
