Synopticity links together different sections of A-Level Geography by highlighting connections between topics. This document discusses how to take a synoptic approach when examining Scandinavia's advanced development, technological fixes, and potential futures. It emphasizes considering backward links to AS topics, cross links between topics like biodiversity and energy, and major global themes including climate change, economic trends, and technological divergence. Models like the sustainability quadrant can also help evaluate different technological options synoptically.

1. Synopticity is what links every section
of A-level Geography together.
Synoptic exam preparation
L.O.
•To improve understanding of how to be
synoptic and achieve level 4 on markscheme
•To improve knowledge and understanding of
the issues raised by the resources

2. Starter : know your terms!
1. Development which meets the environmental,
economic and social needs of today’s
population without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.
2. An impact, either a cost or benefit, which is not
accounted for in the economic cost of a
product or process.
3. Burying captured carbon dioxide underground
in rocks, spent oil wells and aquifers.
4. Economic growth based on information and
data rather than products and services.
Knowledge becomes a saleable commodity.
5. An approach which quantifies the cost of
pollution and passes it back to the producer or
user, in the form of taxes or a fine.

3. 6) Forest which lies between the Arctic tundra and
more temperate areas.
7) Technology which is appropriate to the level of
skill, income and needs of the local population
8) Where technological advances in the
developed world continue but a lack of access
to technology in the developing world hampers
development here.

4. 1) Sustainable development
2) Externality
3) Geosequestration
4) Knowledge economy
5) Polluter pays principle
6) Taiga
7) Appropriate technology!
8) Technological divergence

5. Being synoptic means being able to
see
• What ‘Big Pictures’ underpin Geography?
• What is being contested in the contested planet?
Resources, different approaches to managing an issue,
goods, ….

6. The ‘big picture’ includes issues
such as…..
• Climate change
• Global economic downturn
• Whether to use the Technological fix or
attitudinal fix
• Sustainability
• Conservation of resources

7. And other
global themes
The Global Global Global Poverty
Resource Biodiversity
‘crisis’ Loss
Global Globalisation Global
Climate Demographic
Change trends
Sustainability

8. Before we look at the synoptic links,
lets remind ourselves what the issue
is….
Task 1- 5 features in 5 mins
Use your resources to identify 5 key
features of Scandinavia’s advanced level
of development.
e.g. 1) Scandinavia scores highly on almost
any measure of development.

9. Synoptic links include …
1) Backward links (to concepts from AS topics)
2) Cross links (between Biodiversity, Energy under
Threat, Development Gap, Water etc.)
3) P.A.F.
4) Major global themes
– Technological Fix
– Sustainable approaches
– Globalisation
– Climate Change
– Exploitation vs conservation
What major global themes link to the
technological fixes employed by
Scandinavia?

10. Big synoptic themes that link to the
technological fix options for
Scandinavia
1.The relationship between
technological development and
environmental degradation What is
the link?
In many cases, technology has been employed at the expense of the
environment and biodiversity. Excessive use of non-renewable
resources has caused resource depletion and degradation. On
the other hand, technology can be employed to reduce
environmental damage.
Does economic and technological development always have to mean
environmental destruction ?

11. Possible relationship between
ecosystem and economic
development
Can this model be adapted to show a possible relationship?

12. Other global themes linked to
Scandinavian technological fixes
2. Global warming
The decisions Scandinavia (and the rest of the
world) makes about its energy futures (using
domestic fossil fuels or renewables etc.) will
have implications for climate change. Will global
warming continue at current rates, accelerate or
will pace of climate change slow? How will the
newer technologies to mitigate or adapt to
climate change affect global warming?

13. 3. The Global economic downturn and the
Eurozone crisis
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/02/eurozone-recession-manufa
How has the financial crisis affected
Swe/Den/Nor?
In Sweden Saab filed for bankruptcy, IKEA
opening new stores in China, eastern
Europe

14. 4. A divergent or convergent world?
A divergent world has a ‘technologically
fixed’ core and peripheral ‘technology
impoverished’ periphery
A convergent world has ‘technology for all’
Will the technological advances driven by
Scandinavian innovation spread across the
world rapidly? Or will it lead to a divergent
world where the development gap is
widening?

15. ‘Out of the box’ thinking
• It is possible to be synoptic by turning an issue
on its head.
Maybe, instead of worrying about increasing our
technological fixes we should be concentrating
more on an attitudinal fix.
How could this be done? Is it realistic?
A focus on energy conservation and reducing
demand through behaviour and attitude change
rather than continuing to exploit energy sources
Can you think of any examples?

16. Using geographical models
One model you could use is the
sustainability quadrant
Use this (in a
future lesson or
at home) to
evaluate the
sustainability of
the different
technologies.

17. If you haven’t already done it……
• Create a summary synopticity web on A4/A3 explaining the links between
key ideas and concepts in these resources. Start by writing out all the topic
areas and then draw links between them, annotating the links ,e.g.
Technological
Biodiversity Fix
Development
Under Gap Technological improvements
Threat have led to possibility of
continuing to use fossil fuels in
a less environmentally
damaging way. But just
because the technology is
available does it mean it
Energy should be used?
Water security
Conflicts
? Superpowers

18. Players Actions Futures
Players
What are the 3 different generic futures?
• Business as usual (future will be similar to present- a world which continues to rely
on fossil fuels, to generate waste and pollution, to move further along the
globalisation path increasing wealth for some and poverty for others etc.)
• Sustainable futures (a move towards renewable energy resources, pollution
increasingly paid for, a global effort to reduce environmental damage etc.)
• Green growth (strategies which would go further than sustainable futures, as
advocated by green political parties, e.g. ethical consumerism including the
consumption of locally sourced, renewable, fairly traded products, a wholesale switch
to renewable energy and to low energy production systems such as organic farming,
widespread use of high green taxes etc.).
Which ‘future’ option will Scandinavia opt for?

19. Plenary
• Name one synoptic link between
technological fix options for Scandinavia
and another part of the AS/A2 course
• Name one parallel example you could use
to compare with carbon capture and
storage policy
• Name one model you could use with these
resources