The document provides information about the key skills required for a geography exam, including interpreting data, presenting and analyzing information, considering additional sources of data, and relating information to geographical knowledge. It outlines evaluation skills such as defining issues, considering different perspectives, establishing evaluation criteria, assessing options, and recommending and justifying solutions. Sample exam questions assess skills like hypothesis testing, statistical analysis, drawing conclusions, comparing areas, and justifying decisions. Suggested fieldwork techniques involve surveying housing conditions and ensuring accurate data collection. Links to useful websites on urban regeneration in Northern Ireland are also provided.

1. Unit 4B GEO4B Geographical
Issue
November 2010
Downend School

2. What are the key geographical
skills?
Unit 4B is an issue evaluation exercise and, as such, demands the
development of the range of geographical skills:
• interpret a range of data and resources provided for them in the
Advance Information Booklet (AIB)
• use techniques to present and analyse data from the AIB
• recognise shortcomings of the data and consider other possible
sources through which those shortcomings could be remedied
• consider how additional information could be collected using
fieldwork, internet research and other methods

3. What knowledge and
understanding?
To enable candidates to address issues evaluation
they must:
relate the data to the body of geographical
knowledge and understanding developed through
their AS and A2 studies.

4. What evaluation skills are needed?
• be able to recognise and define an issue
• consider evidence from different points of view
• establish criteria for evaluation of the issue or for
decision-making
• evaluate a range of options concerning the management
of an issue or of a decision
• identify and analyse potential areas of conflict
• consider ways of resolving or reducing conflict
• recommend a way of managing the issue or making a
decision – and justify their recommendation
• suggest the possible impact of action that could result
from their recommendation
• review the process of issue evaluation.

5. What are the key geographical skills? ( Use of
exam board trial paper)
a) Use Figure 1 to state a hypothesis based on
the correlation between closeness to the city
centre and percentage of population in black or
black-British ethnic groups.
(2 marks)
1. Hypothesis testing
TASK: Is there a figure in the January 2011 paper that could see an application
of an hypothesis? See item and item 5.

6. What are the key geographical skills? ( Use of
exam board trial paper)
2. Statistical techniques
Use the data from the table to calculate
the Spearman’s rank correlation
coefficient between closeness to the city
centre and percentage of population in
black or black-British ethnic groups. Use
the formula ( 6)
What kinds of statistical analysis could be carried with the dataWhat kinds of statistical analysis could be carried with the data
in item 4 and item 5?in item 4 and item 5?

7. Trial paper
Study Figure 2, critical values of rs for Spearman’s rank correlation
coefficient.
For the relationship to be significant, the value of rs for any given value
of N must be
equal or larger than that shown, where N is the number of pairs of
variables.
Interpret the significance of your calculated value using Figure (2
marks)

8. With reference to your hypothesis, what
conclusions can be drawn from this result?
(3 marks)

9. What knowledge and understanding?
Option 4: World Cities
The global pattern: millionaire cities, mega cities and
world cities.
Economic development and change related to urbanisation.
Contemporary urbanisation processes
Urbanisation: characteristics, causes and effects.
Suburbanisation: characteristics, causes and effects.
Counter-urbanisation: characteristics, causes and effects.
Re-urbanisation: characteristics, causes and effects.
Planning and management issues.
Contrasting case studies within countries at different levels of economic
development to demonstrate the
above.
Urban decline and regeneration within urban areas
Characteristics and causes of urban decline.
Urban regeneration: gentrification, property-led regeneration schemes,
partnership schemes between local and national governments and the
private sector.

10. 2 (a) Suggest what factors might have made the leader of
Bolton Council feel that Bolton might benefit from the
resettlement of this group. (5 marks)
Mark scheme
Level 1 The answer makes at least one basic point about away that
Bolton can benefit from the presence of the refugees, but any such
points are probably lifted fairly directly from the AIB, with little comment
or development of the candidate’s own ideas.
(1-3 marks)
Level 2 The answer makes at least one clear point, by taking points from
the AIB, relating to the benefits that Bolton might gain from acting as a
destination for the refugees, and then elaborating on this to explain why
that factor is important. As more points are developed, the answer moves
up through the level.
At the top of the level, by linking different aspects of geography and
material from different sources, the answer shows synthesising skills and
synopticity.
(4-5 marks)

11. See Item 3 and item 5
Explain what evidence could be used from
item 5 to develop the interlinking
objectives for the urban regeneration
schemes for Belfast.

12. Trial paper
(b) Evaluate the factors that might have
made Bolton a suitable place within the
UK to resettle this group of people. (8
marks)

13. Using the Ordnance Survey map extracts
(Item 8) and the census data (Items 6
and 7) compare Bradshaw ward with
Derby ward. (10 marks)
Using items 5 an 6 compare Duncairn ward
with the rest of inner city Belfast and the
rest of Belfast.

14. What about local fieldwork opportunities in
Bristol?
You have been asked to carry out a fieldwork survey into housing
conditions in Bolton. You have an afternoon to survey housing
conditions in Bradshaw ward and Derby ward.
With reference to your own fieldwork experience, outline one
technique that you would use to collect data on housing conditions.
Explain how you would ensure that your data was as accurate as
possible. (9 marks)
Item 7 makes a strong hint that there will be a question about
fieldwork techniques used for evaluating the quality
of environments

15. What decision making skills?
Q5. Suggest which of the following would have been the
most suitable strategy for the resettlement of people on
the Gateway Protection Programme:
• to settle all the people in Bradshaw ward
• to settle them all in Derby ward
• to spread them throughout Bolton.
Justify your suggestion. (15 marks)

16. Level 1 The answer makes at least one relevant point, selecting relevant
data from the AIB or map extract. However, this is not developed to show the
candidate’s knowledge or understanding.
Map evidence is generalised, lacking precision. Census data is lifted, but not
manipulated, compared, ranked or used in any other way.
(1-3 marks)
Level 2 The answer selects data from the AIB and/or map extract. This is then
used clearly to make relevant points about the area being considered. Must
compare to reach L2. Elements in the answer that might raise it to this level
include: (4-7 marks)
• precise, and relevant, grid references, used to support a point
• interpretation of evidence taken from the map
• ranking of wards for some aspects of the data
• working out percentage figures for an aspect of the data
• recognition of evidence of change
• clear spatial differentiation
Level 3 The answer develops ideas in depth and detail. It shows clear
understanding of the spatial variations within the town of Bolton.
Aspects of the geography, observed from the map or data tables are used in a
synoptic way to build up a clear picture of the town and clear comparison of
the two areas under specific consideration.
(8-10 marks)

17. Useful websites
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/urcdg-urban_rege
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/urcdg-urban_reg
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/urcdg-
urban_regeneration/laganside.htm
http://www.laganside.com/
http://www.thebestofbelfast.com/

18. • http://www.geographyteachingtoday.org.u
k/fieldwork/resource/fieldwo...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/nort
hern_ireland/understand...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/trouble
s/the_troubles_article_0...