8215_9215_gce_geography_rep_20080807_ua020196

Examiners’ Report Summer 2008

GCE

GCE Geography B (8215/9215)

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Summer 2008

Publications Code UA020196

All the material in this publication is copyright © Edexcel Ltd 2008

Contents 1. Unit 1 Paper 1 5

2. Unit 2 Paper 1 13

3. Unit 3 Paper 1 (coursework) 17





8. Statistics 57

8215/ 9215 GCE Geography B Examiners’ Report Summer 2008 4


Unit 6471 Paper 1 Changing Landforms and their Management

General Comments This paper was quite straightforward but the mean performance was relatively low. Sections a and b were completed with considerably more success than the short essays in the c sections where responses were disappointing overall. Questions varied in terms of popularity with 1, 3 and 4 being the most popular and question 2 the least popular. There were signs of improvements in knowledge and understanding of some areas of the syllabus, particularly wetlands, river regimes, causes of long-term sea level changes and management issues relating to coastal protection, wetlands and flooding. However, there were also some worrying errors in basic knowledge of terminology such as ‘sediment’ which was frequently confused with discharge, and ‘sustainable management’, which was often understood as being hard engineering “because it lasts a long time”. There were also very weak responses to the questions on wave refraction and river/valley profiles indicating fundamental errors in understanding and lack of knowledge of traditional physical geography. Areas for centres to work on in order to improve candidate performance:

• Interpretation of resources such as photographs, cartoons and diagrams: at the moment interpretation is inconsistent and whilst candidates may understand the general gist of the resource, they frequently lack the ability to interpret the resource thoroughly or to explain their ideas on paper, thus missing out on maximum marks. Figure 4b was misinterpreted by many candidates despite the fact that the bay and the headlands were labelled and the land was shaded to aid interpretation.

• Additionally it was quite clear that many candidates did not have a mental

image of the place they were describing; performance can be enhanced by using photographs and maps as frequently as possible when teaching case studies.

• Keep working on terminology - sediment, discharge, permeable, impermeable,

long profile, cross profile, refraction…just some of the words that were used incorrectly, costing valuable marks.

• Improve examination technique by using the marks and available space as a

guide as to how much to write. As a rule questions with 5 marks and over are level marked whereas questions with 4 marks are point marked and 2 or 3 of these marks may be gained by extending one point. Candidates who used extra sheets of paper to extend their answers do not often achieve more marks by doing so. Working with mark schemes and undertaking peer marking are often effective remedies to poor technique.


Question Specific Comments Question 1 (a)(ii) was quite well understood by candidates though a few insisted on writing about other factors as well as land use. The likely impact of afforestation/deforestation and urbanisation on the river was well understood by the majority although there was some confusion over runoff from urban areas – some thought that increased runoff from urban areas would increase sediment inputs. Knowledge of the likely impact of farming and irrigation was normally less accurate. There were problems when candidates restricted themselves to sediment in rather than reaching rivers. In part (iii), some candidates returned to land use e.g. deforestation or urbanisation, when geology, climate and dams were the real targets. Marks were therefore polarised. Part (iv) was done well with mostly 3s and 4s scored and candidates could clearly draw on their knowledge of sediment problems behind dams or navigational problems. However the question asked for an identification of problems and not the reasons for or solutions to them and some candidates wasted valuable time by doing more than the question asked. Figure 1(b) was understood by most. Again some candidates gave reasons for the differences without actually stating the differences themselves. A good range of ideas were put forward for (b)(ii), including rock type and permeability but only the better candidates developed their responses to include climate, vegetation and land use differences. Many candidates ignored or misunderstood the geology part of the question; a few did the opposite and only discussed the geology, hence limiting their mark to a maximum of 3. Part (c) should have been a relatively straightforward question about sustainable approaches to river management but there were mixed responses. Some candidates gave well-prepared case studies of the Jubilee River, River Cole or Kissimmee although the latter was not always related to restoration. Others however produced a hard engineering account and ignored sustainability almost entirely or explained in great detail why dams and channelisation were not sustainable without actually answering the question. Many candidates failed to acknowledge the significance of the word ‘sustainable’ in their responses. This is a particularly worrying issue given the amount of teaching and learning on sustainability which should be a key element of the geography curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4.


A high scoring response: “Managing a river sustainably involves methods which allow the river to continue on its natural course whilst protecting urbanised areas. The Jubilee River Scheme is an example of this type of management. It uses soft engineering methods to manage the river Thames and protect areas such as the M4 and Maidenhead. Methods include the nourishment of banks so that when water levels rise during high rainfall there is a larger bankfull capacity. Trees have been planted along the river in the riparian zone and wetland conditions recreated which enhances the natural appearance but also provides interception and stabilises the banks. Vegetation and specially designed banks encourages birds such as sand martins, terns and dabbling ducks to colonise the area. Local people were consulted before the scheme was implemented. Good sustainable management involves analysing the causes of flooding and treating them at source as well as managing the entire catchment and not just the part of the river with a problem. This has been done on the River Devon where the upper catchment has been managed to prevent flooding downstream. Floodplains can be restored or areas set aside to hold floodwater to protect more significant areas. Sustainable management therefore involves lots of different approaches. It involves management of both people and the environment to ensure that there are long term benefits for the river and the local economy.” Question 2(a)(i) was generally well answered and many candidates showed good recognition of channel and valley features, scoring 3 or 4 marks, though few described them in detail. In part (ii) many wrote about channel when the question was really targeted at an individual feature. Meanders and braids were popular and the processes were well known by most. A poor choice of feature such as a v-shaped valley or channel prevented some from getting full marks. In (iii) candidates’ technical vocabulary was often weak but the changes due to flood were described well. The ‘after’ effects were not well explained and inevitably oxbow lakes were mentioned as an outcome of a flood which given the condition of the meander in the photograph was extremely unlikely after a flood event. In 2(b) the cartoon triggered a range of ideas. Most answers focused on the results of an increased number of floods with some of the stronger candidates discussing how building on floodplains could increase the magnitude and frequency of flooding. Most answers seemed to focus on this as an MEDC issue – possibly as a result of the situation in the UK in 2007. Flood issues were clearly well rehearsed in the effects of building on floodplains. There were many well developed responses scoring 4 or 5 marks. Some candidates failed to go beyond the destruction of buildings and possessions and achieved 1 or 2 marks. Part (c) was very disappointing with profiles often misinterpreted as changing discharge, regimes, even sediment changes. River long profiles were better understood with geology and dams the common factors mentioned. Isostatic/eustatic change and rejuvenation patterns were rarely identified. Others had some idea but wrote about long and cross profiles, virtually halving their chance of success. The valley cross section option was taken to mean channel cross section. There was also a very poor understanding of the causes of changes in a river long profile, many weak candidates misread the question and solely discussed changes to discharge along the rivers length. Examples beyond a named river and waterfall were rare. A few excellent Tees and Afon Glaslyn were seen. The Mississippi and Nile were not well suited to the question. There are plenty of good resources available to assist with teaching this topic including a recent Geo Factsheet published by Curriculum Press.


This succinct answer identifies factors that affect cross profiles but only reached the middle of L2. How can it be improved to achieve 10? “An increase in river velocity can lead to more vertical erosion and a deeper valley. This is seen in the Colorado. The geology of a valley has a great effect on the shape. Granite or a similar hard rock will erode with a jagged and steep edge unlike one made from clay. This effect is seen in many rivers. Human activity such as terracing can affect the cross profile. This is seen in the Rhine valley. Vegetation cover influences how much erosion and mass movement takes place and this affects the valley shape.” Question 3 was the most successful question and yielded the best geography on the paper as well as the best use of the resources. (a)(i) enabled candidates to identify some natural changes, as well as those caused by human management of the rivers and the best answers included reference to the effects of dams, tributaries, wetlands and channelisation on discharge. There were some references to the Bradshaw model. In part (ii) the ‘international cooperation’ question drew some good ideas relating to the shared use of the river. Extraction and aridity were discussed in the strongest answers, although dams and barrages were frequently mentioned and candidates could transfer case study knowledge from rivers such as the Colorado and Nile and apply it to this region. A succinct answer scoring maximum marks: “The rivers flow through five countries and there will be conflict if one country uses more than its fair share of the rivers resources. Dredging the river or damming it in Turkey or Syria can result in decreased amounts of sediment downstream, causing more erosion and damage to fish stocks which in time may affect the economy. The region’s population depends on the river for improving quality of life so cooperation is vital.” Figure 3 (b) (i) and (ii) were tackled well on a ‘spot the difference’ basis with effective use being made of the key on Fig 3(b) and explanations for the changes were sensible if not fully focused. Most discussed population pressures and the resultant increased demand for land and water in their answers. Many raised the issue of climate change and less reliable rainfall. For part (iii) some centres had obviously prepared candidates well concerning the importance of wetlands and this brought sound answers with reference to flood management, breeding grounds, and pollution control. Part (c) related to the need to manage coastal ecosystems and was generally done well by candidates. The secret was of course a well-learned case study such as Studland Bay, Morfa Harlech, Ainsdale or Braunton Burrows. Others followed the ‘coral’ route with a variety of locations used including Ban Don Bay and the Maldives. The question required an examination of issues such as global warming, vegetation succession or fire but it was common to see the usual litter and trampling. Coral reefs were done better than dunes or marshes in general because students have been taught specific threats. Better answers focused on the ecosystem and were able to name specific plants, fish or animals that were affected. Weaker responses tended to examine ecosystems per se or focus on managing coastal erosion rather than a coastal ecosystem.


This answer achieves a good score but could be improved by a better structure and specific reference to species and specialist terminology: “The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest reef in the world with thousands of different species specific to the coral ecosystem. It generates a significant income for local people in terms of tourism and fishing and without it the local area would be severely affected since many jobs are created, both directly and indirectly. Without management of recreational activities the reef will be damaged and the coral will die. The coral reef is beautiful and useful in its own right so unless it is managed correctly we are going to lose this ecosystem with irreversible effects. Many different things threaten this ecosystem. Farming and poor fishing techniques wreck the coral. Pesticides destroy coral reefs by starving the water of oxygen so farmers need managing in order to make sure that the coral survives. Global warming is causing deeper water and this needs to be tackled so that the coral can get enough sunlight Tourism should be eco friendly and visitors should not be allowed to touch the reef since this kills the coral.” Question 4 was probably the least well answered overall. In part (a)(i) two straightforward marks were available for the recognition that the sea level fell and then rose again. In (a)(ii) the idea of melting and freezing affecting sea levels was broadly understood, though the relevant terminology was often missing or wrongly applied. The 3 mark answers had a good understanding of eustatic or isostatic change. However, many candidates blamed the ice sheet for pressing down on the sea. In (iii) most were able to explain present day processes, but only a few linked this to the chalk rocks in the diagram and weaker candidates tended to list the processes rather than give any detail. Part (iv) was clearly an unexpected question for candidates, with some wanting to write about effects on coastal flooding rather than erosion. Many candidates had a good range of ideas of how global warming may increase erosion rates in the future. There was some confusion between waves and tides (“global warming will cause stronger tides”). Storms, hurricanes and wave energy were common answers and some more able candidates discussed how current coastal defences may become obsolete/ineffective and thus causing an increased rate of erosion. Part (b) was a challenging topic but one that should have been understood. Whilst many worked out what ‘wave refraction’ was, in part (ii) its application to the diagram was not understood with some reversing the diagram so that the shaded area was the sea, headlands are formed from deposition after the bays are eroded etc. Many simply reverted to the idea of differential erosion of headlands and bays. Marks were generally low. There were ‘stabs in the dark’ about rising sea levels but little to convince examiners and the opportunity to annotate the diagram was wasted by most.


An answer that showed good understanding: “Waves with larger amplitude and smaller wave length will be destructive. They will converge and hit the headlands and erode them with full force before being bent around them towards the bays. The waves will now be slower with smaller amplitude and will be constructive so they carry the eroded material form the headlands and deposit it in the bay.” Part (c) was not really the question that some candidates wanted. They really wanted coastal erosion (e.g. Holderness) and so wrote about it anyway. For example, many started by saying that deposition behind a groyne somewhere led to coastal erosion elsewhere and then wrote an essay on erosion. The positive effects of deposition producing beaches and spits leading to tourism or negative impacts on navigation were much less common although there were some pleasing responses on the Barrier Islands and Chesil Beach. There were some very good answers on coastal flooding impacts where case studies such as Towyn, the Asian tsunami, the recent cyclone in Burma and the 1953 east coast floods were used well. Some able candidates did solid work on the flooding event itself but omitted the impact on people’s lives. A sizeable minority chose to examine riverine flooding (Boscastle, Lynmouth and Mississippi all scored zero) rather than coastal, and references to Bangladesh were only acceptable if flooding was clearly coastal in origin so Himalayan snowmelt did not gain credit unlike references to storm surge damage. Flooding was often muddled with severe erosion and properties falling into the sea. This answer demonstrates appropriate use of case studies but lacks examination of the impacts on people for L3: “Towyn experienced severe flooding in February 1990. It was caused by a depression over the Irish Sea leading to strong onshore winds and storm surge. The sea wall was breached and low lying coastal plain was flooded up to 4km inland. Thousands had to leave their homes and many were admitted to hospital because of injuries or shock. Many of the residents were elderly and houses were bungalows. The electric pump at the sewage works failed so the floodwaters became contaminated with sewage and the drainage pumps failed which slowed down the removal of floodwaters from the land. Many buildings were damaged and 40% of the residents did not have adequate flood insurance or home contents insurance. Communications were affected with the coastal road flooded and railway closed. Farmland was covered in salt water. It was estimated that £32 million would have to be spent on flood defences. Storm surges in Bangladesh affect the millions of people living on the delta. For example in 1998, 1000 people were killed and millions made homeless; additionally a lack of clean water and limited access to food led to disease.” Question 5 yielded some solid synoptic geography though the resource in (a) was not well used. The storm beach was not recognised by at least half of the candidates and it was commonly mistaken for a dune. Part (ii) should have been a straightforward question but candidates could not distinguish between the normal process of swash and backwash and the conditions under which storm beach is formed. Part (iii) was well understood though candidates’ use of terminology was often weak and their answers lacked focus with fewer able to correctly identify how the various elements would fit into this idea. Many identified a beach as an open system.


This answer scored full marks because the four elements of the beach system are clearly identified. “A beach is an open system with inputs, outputs and stores. Sediment is inputted from the erosion of the cliffs, the beach itself is a sink or store for this sediment. As the sediment is moved by wave action it is transported off the beach (output) and into another system, either the beach or the sea.” Figure 5(b) was well received and there were some excellent answers in (ii) as candidates linked land use to management strategies with the best candidates taking a holistic view of the coastline and recognising the cost benefit implications in different locations. In part (iii), simple responses discussed the longevity of some defences – “groynes might need replacing” whereas the stronger candidates introduced the need for an SMP in the future to consider impact downdrift, and also more defences for the areas currently undefended. Some candidates raised the issue of climate change and how that may affect future decisions. Part (c) was very accessible and was the highest scoring of the (c) sections on the paper. However even though the idea of a beach as a system had been introduced in 5(a)(iii), few candidates were able to incorporate those terms in this answer. Many scored a good mark by evaluating examples of coastal management schemes which had implied evidence of littoral cells, SMPs or longshore processes. Case studies tended to be British, though there were good examples used from the USA and West Africa. Many candidates turned the question on its head to cite examples of how not looking at the coast as a system had lead to failure. Descriptive accounts of coastal management were depressingly common. This answer shows understanding of the coastal system in a named location. Place names and place specific detail make the answer convincing. There is specific reference to systems terminology. “Start Bay in Devon is part of a sub sediment cell which is swash aligned due to the south west prevailing wind. The area is relatively rural and unpopulated but the variation in areas along the coast has led to a variety of strategies being adopted. In the late 1800s 650 000 tonnes of shingle was taken from the beach and the Skerries Bank at Hallsands for construction work at Plymouth dockyards. This was thought to have no detrimental effect but the reduced beach began to recede and Hallsands was washed away in 1917. The developers had no understanding of the sediment cell and did not understand that there were no natural inputs and outputs. In another area of Start Bay in front of the hydrosere at Slapton Ley is an important road that is the only access route along this coastline. After undermining and flooding in 2005 during a storm a management strategy was planned which includes beach nourishment. This uses the littoral cell concept to protect the road. Sediment in front of a low land value area up coast is taken and put in front of the road at Slapton. After a month when the longshore drift has moved the sediment back to its original location, it is picked up again and replaced in front of the road. This demonstrates understanding of the coastal system in Start Bay.”


Unit 6472 Paper 1 Managing Change in Human Environments General Comments Overall candidates performed well on the paper, but their performance was both uneven by question and across centres. Certain questions were particularly well done. These included the questions on Bilanga–Yanka 2(a) and 2(b), and also the questions on eco footprints and sustainable cities, as well as all (c) parts except 2(c) where candidates often wrote two sides of really well learnt material. Other questions were almost universally weak. These included 1(b) where candidates did not understand what physical and locational factors were and 2(c) in which candidates found difficulty in selecting appropriate examples in rural areas in LEDCs. Exam technique was also an issue. In addition to the usual rubric problems of rural/urban and MEDC/LEDC, and infrequent timing issues, many candidates lost marks by failing to always read the stem of the question. For example in question 4a(iii) many good candidates lost 2 marks by failing to include examples. Question 1 1(a)(i) Most candidates correctly identified key features. 1(a)(ii) Most candidates answered this question correctly. 1(a)(iii)(iv) The only problem with these two questions was that candidates failed to concentrate on agriculture and described all sorts of settlement features. Overall the photograph description was well done with many recognising key contrasts of farming type, intensity of use and organisation. 1(b) As many candidates failed to understand what exactly was requested the answer was marked ‘globally’ by factor as opposed to strictly physical or locational. Most candidates identified differences of relief, coastal (maritime climate) and accessibility so average marks of 5/6 were achieved by many. In depth photographic observation and interpretation is clearly a skill which needs development. 1(c) Whilst most of the answers showed very good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of rural living, a common fault was to select a larger area such as Cornwall or the Lake District and to write in very general terms. Good answers included specific facts. For example on Objective 1 funding, or named tourist developments in Cornwall or named locations of second home concentration such as Chapel Stile in the Lake District. Another issue was the failure to achieve a balance of advantages and disadvantages. Some of the best answers looked at the varied perspectives of the professional teleworker, young person, or retired person. Other good case studies included the Massif Central, various Scottish Islands, or Brittany. Some students opted for individual villages – with Ashwell, Urchfont and Clapham Austwick all being popular but in need of updating. Some of the best case studies were based on fieldwork for example in South Pembrokeshire or West Somerset.


Question 2 2(a)(i) Most candidates correctly identified three characteristics from the map which suggested an LEDC location. However some choices such as ‘a school only taking 110 children’ were not sufficiently diagnostic, and other answers were not sufficiently detailed – such as ‘no roads’ or ‘higgledy piggledy layout’. 2(a)(ii) Was again usually well done, with most candidates scoring 5, 6 or even 7. Common mistakes were low level statements such as do damage, or cost repeated in several boxes, or a failure to think of advantages/disadvantages for people and the environment. In 2(b) students who had been trained to develop data, rather than just lift off data, usually did very well; for example thinking about exactly what clean water and electricity could do to improve the lives of the people. 2(c) A number of problems occurred with this question. Many candidates selected rural areas in MEDCs such as Northern Portugal, or alternatively whole countries such as Kenya or China, or even wrote about urban areas such as Sao Paulo. Key issues to select included rural to urban migration, areas of economic expansion for tourism or cash cropping or resource extraction, and of course the impacts of HIV-AIDS or wars and natural disasters. It was also important that candidates wrote about structure and numbers changes. Sketch pyramids were very useful to help with explanation. Question 3 3(a)(i) Whilst most candidates answered 1 and 2 correctly only a tiny minority achieved a mark for 3, as this involved use of proportional graph to guestimate which continent had the highest proportion of slum dwellers for all urban dwellers. Both 3(a)(ii) and 3(a)(iii) were generally well understood as the urban transition model was well understood. Most candidates achieved a mark for 3(b)(i) and 3(b)(ii). Again a minority were careless and failed to read the stem before attempting the question, thus giving the answers Tokyo and Delhi. 3(b)(iii) Many candidates failed to achieve top band marks in this relatively straightforward question. There were three problems: (1) writing in generalities such as no jobs, no services, and then achieving a mirror image answer for urban pull such as lots of jobs, and lots of services at a general level with no examples. (2) A second group of students wrote out of context talking about Cornwall and then Plymouth as a mega city. (3) Yet another group of students became highly confused with rural push and mega city pull and got it the wrong way around. In 3(c) there were some excellent answers which looked at a balance between impacts on the countryside and urban areas, with some contrasting impact in MEDCs and LEDCs. Answers went wrong where students strayed off the focus of urban sprawl and wrote about general city problems. Good examples of greenbelt creep included the Newcastle Great Park area, areas on South Manchester and Harefield near Uxbridge, as well as Orange County Los Angeles or sprawling suburbs of Sao Paulo, or Barra (Rio).


Question 4 Whilst the pizza model was a new resource to many – developed by J Speake from Liverpool Hope University - almost all students got the hang of it as they worked through the question. 4(a)(i) was almost universally correct but 4(a)(ii) was often disappointing. For example, planning laws for the provision of greener spaces, or the historic use of canals as part of the Industrial Revolution were rarely cited. In 4(a)(iii) the knowledge was generally very sound but nearly 80% of candidates lost 2 marks by failing to use examples. In 4(b) factors influencing land use in city centres (see stem) were well understood, but so many failed to read the stem and merely wrote about general accessibility or costs (eg how motorway access was vital for the Trafford Centre) which was of course irrelevant. Question 4(c) was well known and well learnt territory with many extremely competent top level 2 answers. In order to achieve maximum marks candidates did need to consider both regeneration and reimaging well linked to the declining city centre. The other issue was that although the answers were usually extremely well learnt with a good knowledge, many were very descriptive. Often London’s Docklands was poorly done with no clear idea of the vision of the UDC. Question 5 5(a)(i) and 5(a)(ii) were usually correctly answered provided candidates read the resource correctly and understood the idea of a city system. In 5(a)(iii) and 5(a)(iv) there were many outstanding answers on unsustainable cities, and also reasons for varying city footprint size, showing excellent understanding of this topical area of the specification. In 5(b) the Chinese eco city Dongtan resource was very well understood. The outstanding answers interpreted the map, rather than merely lifting off information. On the whole environmental sustainability was better understood than socio-economic. Centres may like to develop this subject area by exploring the UK concept of eco towns of which 10 are planned. In 5(c) answers on the Brown Agenda (defined so that confusion with brownfield sites was avoided) had improved significantly from two years ago when it was last set. Many candidates saw it as an opportunity to write about Curitiba which they did very knowledgeably. For maximum marks a range of example was required well targeted towards the Brown Agenda as opposed to general improvement particularly of housing quality. In conclusion over the last 5 years there is no doubt that knowledge of the range across the specification has improved, and that many teachers are to be congratulated in keeping up-to-date and developing and updating changing rural and urban environments.


Unit 6473 Paper 1 Environmental Investigation

General Comments

This will be the last report for a full cohort since January and June 2009 will be available for resit candidates only. The Environmental Investigation has maintained the tradition of the Schools Council 16-19 enquiry approach although in modified form. It will be a pity to see coursework disappear from advanced specifications but change is not something that most geographers fear. The new specification has fieldwork as part of the examination and in the course of time maybe coursework will reappear. Comments from Moderators Mark creep is a continuing issue above 75 and too many centres now have averages of 71 to 75, a situation that has developed over the last six years in a slow but continuous fashion. Some teachers are awarding marks that candidates should achieve rather than what they have actually earned and could be part of the reason for the demise of coursework. A few centres do not use the correct GB2 forms, keep to deadlines or mark OPTEMS properly; they cause a lot of time to be wasted because moderators have to follow-up these issues. Moderators have reported major improvements in ICT skills and presented work is much improved since six years ago. Topic range has not widened; most centres choose investigations on rural villages, river models, coastlines, sand dunes or urban CBD or quality of life. Some field study centre work can be too teacher-led and can result in almost identical investigations with little imagination. Administrative Problems • Not using correct GB2 forms • Not signing the authentication by both teacher & candidate • Addition errors & discrepancies between Assessment Criteria sheets & OPTEMS • Numerous crossings-out and alterations of marks making it almost impossible to

read • No cover sheet or no treasury tag to secure work • Heavy weight files • Resit candidates fail to identify new work & often the increase in marks is hard to

justify by the work seen by the moderator. Most centres instruct candidates to follow the mark scheme and this leads to well organised work. Virtually all now use section header pages. Purpose of Investigation This is an area where the structured approach pays dividends and where staff can successfully improve candidate marks. Most perform this section well by meeting the assessment criteria mark scheme. There is a need for a clear focus with four or five key questions leading directly to the conclusion. Imaginative candidates use scanned photos and background detail to add to these mapped presentations which are particularly valuable for scene setting. It is a pity that some location maps are too dependent on Multimap/OS online maps and often hidden in the body of the report rather than at the start. Material other than the aim, key questions and location


maps needs to be evaluated – some contextual background is relevant but local history and legends are not required. Models can be introduced but must be relevant to the investigation. Some candidates complicate the introduction with three or four models which, although they might be relevant, often serve only to confuse and weaken their eventual conclusions. Some introductions are too brief for 8-10 marks and some centres need to take account of this in future marking. Some teachers do not match the level of work to the candidate’s ability or leave them with unfocussed topics that can go nowhere. The aim and key questions must fit together to avoid confusion. Methodology This section continues to be over-marked for quite poor work. Most now go beyond the obligatory table/matrix but there is still a tendency to describe what was done rather than how and why it was done. Appropriate techniques are important here and sampling strategies and maps of data collection sites are used in the better-prepared centres with some using pilot studies. Tables comparing sampling methods and evaluating their use and then explaining choice and location of fieldwork sites are to be encouraged. Many candidates are paying lip service to sampling rather than explaining how it was used in their enquiry. Some need to extend their data collection programme, in some river enquiries too few sites are used and in many urban investigations very limited data collection programmes are employed. Over-relying on questionnaire data is a major problem that some teachers fail to grasp as a fundamental weakness. Too much secondary data weakens rather than supports the resulting analysis. Representation of Data The better investigations show a range of well-chosen and well-executed techniques whilst the weaker investigations often consist of very disappointing bar & pie charts, poor photograph selection and questionnaire analysis. Mapping techniques are under used – isopleth, chloropleth, located graphs and distribution maps should be used more. Teacher over marking of this section is a major problem. Analysis There is still too much description with explanation and interpretation suffering as a result. This could be helped by annotation of presented data and a better focus on evidence. More integrated analysis could be encouraged with some still separating maps and diagrams from the explanatory text. Use of boxes, chart and annotations can give detail and look good on a page. High mark analysis means more than just explaining results; it involves argument and logical use of evidence. Centres tend to over-mark this section for merely descriptive narrative with little reference to geographical processes, models or theories. Techniques such as impact analysis, cost benefits, conflict matrices, statistics, scatter graphs can be used. Teachers seem locked into Spearman Rank and reward long-winded prose which results in the word count being exceeded. Conclusion and Evaluation Some improvements have been made here with better candidates doing more than just summarising their analysis or repeating their key questions. Candidates who have good key questions can use the final one to make the main findings for the conclusion. For example ‘How can management be improved?’ can be used both to


evaluate current management and then to suggest ways it can be improved which can be shown on an annotated map, giving the candidate a chance to use their imagination and knowledge of the situation. This gives the investigation a natural focus and sound ending. An extension activity can be to look to the future and further improvements that could be made to management. The more able see the wider picture of validity of conclusions and accuracy of the results. Centres also tend to over-mark this section – simple SWOT analysis does not make a good conclusion. Quality of Written Communication Over-long investigations are becoming fewer as are hand-written versions, but “word creep” is still an issue and teachers should penalise candidates who grossly exceed the word limit of 2500. Referencing and use of bibliography is improving slowly. There is improved use of ICT from the better candidates but some still lack basics such as title page, contents page, pagination, sections and bibliographies. Resit Candidates Resit candidates continue to cause concern for moderators. Previous marks are often not given and the candidates are not following instructions i.e. highlighting and listing new work. Centres should instruct resit candidates that work will not be marked unless they follow the above – this could end this problem and avoid taking up moderator’s time. Investigations with the following features attracted high scores • Highly defined aims and a small number of carefully targeted key questions • Focused annotated maps to identify the small area to be investigated • Careful selection and sufficient number of sites that give scope for varied analysis • Detailed and informative data collection tables incorporating choice of sampling

methods and how it was carried out • Innovative use of ICT and data representation techniques • Careful selection of suitable techniques including statistical analysis • Detailed and logical analysis, going much further than simply explaining results • Development of candidate management plans; solutions or future outcomes to

issues • Reference to relevant theory showing overall understanding of trends and

patterns • Detailed and balanced conclusions returning to key questions with evaluative

comments • Contents page with pagination, section headings and bibliography


Areas for improvement included • No clear purpose or clearly stated key questions • No clear detailed site maps • No discussion of sampling strategies, questionnaire questions or pilot surveys • Insufficient data collection programme or not all data used in analysis • Repetitive or inappropriate use of basic techniques and/or very descriptive

analysis • Inappropriate use of statistical techniques showing lack of understanding • Lack of variety and use of mapping techniques • Over use of boxed text which is not integrated into the account • Candidates who declare their investigation over-length should be automatically

penalised by the centre • Inappropriate presentation of the coursework folder in heavy A4 binders or not

securing the work together adequately or not using cover sheets with candidates name, number and centre details

Unit 6474 Paper 1 Global Challenge General Comments The nine questions of Unit 4 were all answered in good measure, with as usual, some more popular than others as shown below:

It was pleasing to see that many students attempted the migration question and that all cross unit questions in Section C were taken on by significant numbers of candidates. Overall performance was good, with many students producing excellent answers which showed good knowledge of recent geographical events and trends. It is always useful to draw in contemporary issues as this unit is taught and researched and this is particularly the case with the cross unit questions. Weaker candidates tend to have some, or all, of the following characteristics. These are areas centres may wish to focus on in terms of improving performance for 2009:

• Timing issues - most commonly in the form of missing out one section e.g. 8(b). As all parts of all questions carry significant marks, in the 12-15 range, this is bound to reduce the chances of a high grade.

• Lack of balance – this is often the case in a part (a) question where candidates need to use the resource provided. For instance only discussing depressions from Figure 1 (Jan’s situation), or focussing very heavily on the migration graph in Figure 4.

• Simplistic world view – seeing the world as very much North versus South, without recognising the existence of a development continuum. This can impact on Section C responses in particular.

• Key words – certain very commonly used words such as ‘processes’, ‘implications’ and ‘consequences’ are still poorly understood and this prevents some candidates unlocking the question.

This exam always demands that candidates assess and evaluate, and requires them to use examples and case studies to back up their assertions and arguments.


Comments on individual questions SECTION A Question 1 (a) In general there was good comprehension of the synoptic chart. A minority of candidates reversed the depression and anticyclone in their explanations which led to confused responses. Some candidates only described the conditions but these were a very small number. Most could explain John’s and Jan’s experience with reference to air masses, stability and instability and changing conditions (in Jan’s case). There was often less certainty about Mike’s situation, positioned between areas of high and low pressure. However many students made satisfactory reference to the possible influence of the occluded front, maritime air streams and high latitude temperatures. Very well balanced answers were rare, but sound coverage of all 3 ‘postcards’ was common. (b) This question demanded that students examine depressions. A few students chose to examine anticyclones, usually at great expense. Discussion of hurricanes was surprisingly common. Some credit was given to hurricanes and tropical cyclones but centres should be aware that whilst depressions and cyclones are both low pressure systems with some hazards in common, they are quite different weather systems in terms of formation processes. It is difficult to make a case for classifying the 1990 Burns Night Storm as a tropical cyclone and equally hard to classify the 1970 Bhola cyclone as a depression! As in the past many students used the 1987, 1990 and Boscastle events to good effect, and there was pleasing reference from many to the events of summer 2007. In many cases impacts were described with accuracy, but there was less focus on the management problems per se i.e. forecasting and warning difficulties, the challenge of widespread wind damage and flooding, plus disruption to the work of emergency services. Question 2 (a) This question produced some excellent responses which showed good understanding of climate change on a range of timescales. Weaker candidates tended to focus wholly on global warming and referred to ‘natural cycles’ rather than being able to pin down possible natural causes specifically (see table below). Candidates do need to remember to refer to the Figure provided in detail. This is especially the case with a graph such as Figure 2, and is equally true of Figure 4 and Figure 5 on this paper. Specifically to this question it is important to be aware of timescales especially in terms of possible global warming. Many candidates are unclear when industrialisation occurred both in the UK and globally and therefore when significant (measurable) anthropogenic influence on atmospheric composition began. There is also some confusion surrounding ozone depletion with some students referring to ‘carbon dioxide, which causes the ozone hole’. Equally a number of students felt that increased volcanic activity causes an enhanced greenhouse effect. Whilst the science is not easy, it is important to get it right.


Natural and Human causes of climate change

Timescale explained Evidence Possible mechanisms of climate change

Long term

• Geological timescales, measured on scales of 10000 – 100,000 years.

• The glacial and interglacial cycles of the Quaternary

From ice cores in Greenland and Antarctica, and ocean sediment cores.

Natural Milankovitch cycles, resulting from variations in the earths orbit around the sun (orbital eccentricity, axial tilt and axial wobble)

Medium term

• Historical timescales measured in 100s of years.

• The Medieval Climate Optimum and Little Ice Age.

Historical ‘proxy’ records and some early direct observations and measurements.

Natural variations in sun spot activity, such as the Maunder Minimum. Natural volcanic activity may play a role (cooling if it increases)

Short term

• Modern climate change, especially in the last 30-40 years when a continual warming trend has been measured.

Modern measuring and recording systems, including satellites and ocean sensors.

The human enhanced greenhouse effect, causing global warming. Anthropogenic pollution is the most likely cause. Variations occur due to ENSO and AMO cycles and other natural phenomenon such as the 11 year sun spot cycle.

(b) In general candidates were able to identify both national and local strategies. There was often some sound understanding of Kyoto and what it might mean for the UK. Good candidates were able to link this to renewable energy targets, the ETS and variable VED amongst other schemes. Those who used local knowledge carefully, such as transport initiative and recycling schemes, generally scored highly. There is a danger with this type of question that students provide extended lists, rather than linking their chosen examples to the question of ‘lessening the impact of future climate change’. Mitigation strategies were used as examples more commonly than adaptation strategies (see below). Good candidates provided ongoing evaluation even though the question did not specifically ask for this. This style of writing always scores highly on this paper. Question 3 (a) Figure 3 provided students with a structure for their answer although in many cases the Figure was overused and slavishly copied out with only a few additional comments. Whilst many answers were sound, processes were often not explained and many answers were couched in very general terms, focussing on a range of general development threats. Interestingly there was often very good understanding of the processes in polar regions – such as loss of Arctic sea ice reducing the range of polar bears. Examples, where they were used, tended to be those from the resources (and were therefore more ‘named places’) rather than those from the candidates own arsenal. The language of ecosystems was perhaps a little disappointing with terms such as fragility and endemism rarely used.


(b) Most candidates were able to discuss several named organisation, and popular choices were Greenpeace, WWF and groups directly involved in the management of nature reserves and marine parks. In some cases, the focus was on an area (e.g. St Lucia or Korup) rather than named organisations. In these cases the mention of named groups was somewhat more hit and miss, and role tended to be interpreted as ‘management methods’. Many of this type of response scored L2 but not L3. Overall, students did seem to have a good idea of how different groups operated and the question was in general answered well. There is perhaps an issue that some centres focus their ecosystems work wholly on their choice of biome(s), whereas it is clear from the specification that an overview of global biomes is also required, in addition to specifics about named chosen biomes. SECTION B Question 4 (a) Figure 4 is effectively a population system diagram (see below) in graph form. It proved successful as a resource in that it differentiated relatively well:

• Most candidates were able to explain some of the trends and projections, often with variable depth.

• Some candidates could link these to total population projections. • The best did address specifically the issues of ‘gradual but uncertain’ • A very small minority saw Figure 4 as a system

There was good understanding of the role of migration, and of its uncertainty in relation to the ‘pull’ of the UK and issues of policy. In general birth rate, death rate and fertility were understood well. The best candidates began to refer to the 10 year gap between censuses as an issue, and the potential inaccuracy of a census. There was a marked divide between those candidates who discussed each variable in isolation and those who attempted to provide an overview linked to total population.

On balance UK population is set to rise as a result of immigration (as net migration is positive, even though it may be lower than in the recent past) and slightly rising fertility. Good candidates recognised that immigration actually has a positive impact on fertility and birth rates so both total numbers and growth rates rise.


(b) Many candidates took time to define optimum population, usually quite well. This is good practice as it does help focus students on the question in front of them (had they done this for ‘global shift’ in 6(b), many answers would have been improved significantly). The majority of answers focussed in anti- and pro-natal policies although a resources approach was occasionally seen. The role of migration also featured. The usual suspects of China, France, Kerala, Singapore and Mauritius were used very regularly. These case studies work well, but only if they are linked to the question and students are aware that the question ‘describe everything you know about the one child policy’ rarely crops up on this paper! A good number did assess i.e. weighed up the chances, sometimes with reference to Malthus and Boserup. These latter two theories are useful, but candidates easily get mired in torturous descriptions of each. Question 5 (a) As in 4(b), many students took the trouble to define economic migrant and refugee and this provided a focus for the rest of their response. There was much to discuss from the two graphs, and in fact no need to address every part of both graphs. Most realised this and focussed on a range of salient contrasts and trends. Explanations were generally good with many students able to contrast the likely long distance economic migration with the short hops of refugees. Examples of recent migrations were often used and in general contemporary knowledge and understanding were much in evidence. (b) This question was answered well. Centres are to be congratulated for the work they have done on migration, which has gradually improved performance on this important topic. We are now seeing:

• More up to date case studies, such as the A8 migration from Eastern Europe. Data was often quotes as being from ‘2007’ which is excellent

• Less reliance on internal migration case studies, which often do not fit the questions set

• Very few sensationalist responses • A greater range of examples and case studies, form all parts of the world.

This improvement really only comes from better teaching and teachers taking the opportunity to update resources. The concept of ‘value’, which has the potential to lead to a diatribe about immigration, was in the main treated very sensibly. Centres which have focussed on the Poles and other eastern European migrants should continue to do so, as this particular migration is likely to continue to evolve in interesting ways.


Question 6 (a) TNCs and NGOs were the most common choices here, although many had a good deal to say about Government, and there were some excellent responses on IGOs linked to the WTO and IMPF/WB (and their role in SAPs/HIPC). Often the role of the selected group was outlined in detail, although there was a less clear link to economic prosperity, such that answers tended to be descriptive. In general examples were used and there was some good commentary from some, on the possible positive and negative aspects of TNCs especially. (b) Of all the question on this paper, 6(b) was the one which caused the most problems for candidates. The question itself is not complicated, and there were some very good responses to it. However many candidates made a poor choice in terms of example and this will had an impact of their mark. Candidates were asked to choose a ‘named manufacturing or service industry’. There are many others of course but acceptable examples would include:

• the car industry, or steel industry. • banking, call centres or IT and software.

Choosing to write about:

• A named TNC • A named country or region • A named NIC

...led to all manner of difficulties and in general the response did not fit the question. Very few actually defined the global shift, and then related this to a named industry. The specification does ask students to study a named NIC, industry and TNC. These are not interchangeable. In addition many students persist in believing that global shift, outsourcing and offshoring takes places towards LEDCs. This is not the case, the movement is to NICs and RICs in the main, with little FDI occurring in LEDCs for reasons of lack of infrastructure, skills, supporting industries etc. There are some notable exceptions such as Bangladesh, Kenya and Vietnam. However the numbers are small e.g. around $4 billion of FDI into Bangladesh (population = 150 million) in 2006 compared to $75 billion to Malaysia (population = 27 million). For instance, of Nike’s 700 supplier factories in 2008, only 14 are in Africa (Egypt and Morocco 3 each, RSA and Tunisia 4 each) (http://www.nikebiz.com/responsibility/cr_governance.html). There also seem to be confusion over the global shift i.e. the movement of industries to new production bases abroad, and the sectoral shift in one country, as outlined in the Clark-Fisher model. These two shifts, although related, are not the same. It was also a little disappointing to see that the word impacts was generally not used to structure responses, as shown in the outline table below: It might help students to view the global shift of industry and its impacts in a similar way to migration and its impacts. There were many ‘stories’ of the shift without detailed reference to impacts.

Social impacts

Economic impacts

Environmental impacts

Source (old location) +/- +/- +/-

Host (new location) +/- +/- +/-

A significant tightening of question interpretation and case study choice is needed to ensure students gain the marks they are aiming for.


SECTION C Question 7 (a) It is possible that the map, Figure 7 (see www.worldmapper.org for more examples) tended to put off some candidates. However those that tackled it generally did well and were able to outline a range of implications. Most might have had a little more balance between economic and environmental. The other issue is the very ‘North versus South’ nature of some answers. The map partly supports this view, however it is very clear that many NICs have grown in wealth terms and so a more complex pattern emerges. b) Most responses to this question were sound, with the majority able to choose two examples which in most cases were contrasting. In some cases there was a lack of focus on the world’s poorest countries although the examples chosen were broadly acceptable. One issue which has emerged, perhaps surprisingly, is that many candidates are confused over what actually constitutes free trade and fair trade. Many use the terms interchangeably and are not fully aware of the key differences between these two approaches to trade (see table below). That said there is a small number of candidates whose detailed knowledge of trading regimes would shame some at the IMF and WB! Many candidates used detailed examples of aid, often specifying the type of aid (bilateral, tied, NGO), and many wrote in a comparative, evaluative way and came to clear conclusions.

FREE TRADE The unrestricted flow of goods and services, where price is governed

by supply and demand.

Free Trade versus Fair

Trade

FAIR TRADE A socio-economic movement

promoting poverty reduction and sustainability, where prices are

set at a ‘fair’ level. Businesses and TNCs which buy and

sell goods and services, international markets which determine prices, the

World Trade Organisation (WTO) which attempts to remove subsidies,

quotas and trade taxes to make trade as ‘free’ as possible.

PLAYERS

NGOs and not-for profit organisations such as Oxfam, the Fairtrade Foundation, small scale

producers in the developing world, and ethical consumers.

Increasingly MEDC TNCs and supermarkets are ‘jumping on the

bandwagon’ All conceivable types of goods and

services. WHAT IS TRADED

Mainly handicrafts and agricultural produce.

The price is set by the demand for a product versus its supply; if demand

increases, or supply drops, prices will rise.

HOW IT WORKS

Developing world producers are paid a ‘fair’, stable price for their

produce which is above the ‘market’ price.

In theory, the consumer, as goods and services would be produced in

the most efficient (cheapest) location bringing prices down, but

still profiting businesses.

WHO BENEFITS

Local communities in the developing world. The extra income is usually invested in community schemes, such as

education and health. Most of the worlds $ 11,800 billion in

trade in goods is to some extent ‘free’.

GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE

$3.6 billion in 2007

Free trade is not ‘free’ because governments ‘rig’ the market using subsidies, quotas and trade taxes.

TNCs ‘fix’ prices. CRITICISMS

Depends on consumers being prepared to pay a higher price for

goods. It benefits only a few communities.

Could be seen as simply another type of western charity.


Question 8 (a) Many candidates seemed to enjoy this question, with a large number ‘having a go’ at the suggested order of priorities. Many candidates realised that the problems were linked, and that this made re-ordering challenging – this was often explained and illustrated. Points relating to the views of economists versus environmentalists were common, and some key issues such as climate change and Aids/ HIV were examined in depth. Some responses did simply agree with the order, and these tended to be less well argued. It was good to see so many candidates prepared to argue difficult positions, such as removing Aids/HIV from the top of the list, or elevating climate change. (b) Most candidates chose Climate change, with Aids/HIV also popular. It was disappointing that few chose farm technology although they may well not have linked this to GM / GR crops. Free trade threw up some of the issues covered in 7(b) above. A very small number of candidates did refer to two boxes, rather than two concerns, although the mark scheme allowed for this without penalty. Some candidates described solutions, but most were then able to go further and talk about the difficulties. There were well supported answers, with recent facts and figures. Many presented Global Warming as a theory with both sides of the argument. One issue with Global Warming is the difficult nature of the choices that might need to be made, these are generally categorised as either mitigation or adaptation: GLOBAL WARMING: MITIGATION versus ADAPTATION Mitigation and adaptation are different, but complimentary, strategies for coping with global warming. Mitigation means reducing the output of greenhouse gases, and/or increasing the size of greenhouse gas sinks. This directly reduces the threat, as levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere fall, or at least the rate of increase slows. Examples of mitigation include: • Setting targets to reduce CO2 emissions (Kyoto Protocol) • Switching to renewable energy sources, such as wind power • ‘Capturing’ carbon emissions from power stations and storing these, for instance

in spent oil wells. Adaptation means changing our lifestyles to cope with a new climate. This option accepts climate change, and adapts to it. Examples of adaptation include: • Managed retreat of coastlines vulnerable to sea level rise • Developing drought resistant crops • Enlarging existing conservation zones to take account of shifting habitat zones. Some scientists argue that climate change will occur even if humans stopped polluting the atmosphere now, so 100% mitigation would still require some adaptation.


Question 9 (a) In general there was clear understanding of the implications of resource consumption. Most candidates were able to link increased consumption to environmental problems. In some cases the resource was heavily used with less support in relation to the question but many candidates were able to present some examples and supporting evidence. This was particularly the case with:

• Fish consumption – often linked to the North Sea or named coral reefs • Oil consumption – frequently related to global warming and named areas

feeling the early impacts • Wood consumption – often linked to named areas of forest, and detailed

‘destruction’ examples. Less convincing were:

• Meat consumption – this causes confusion, with many feeling that cows etc. were wild and ‘would become extinct’. Methane, of course, was often the central theme!

• Water consumption – this was often linked in vague terms to drought without any real consideration of what over-consumption might result in.

(b) Many answers to this question were satisfactory but fewer were very good. There was perhaps less reference to sustainability than in the past and use of models was rare. Strategies were identified although these tended to have some details, but not real depth. Range was often lacking, with perhaps two strategies being examined but no more. There was also a lack of evaluation from many, save for a very brief concluding paragraph.


Unit 6475 Paper 1 Researching Global Futures General Comments Choice of Question/restriction in content • The titles within each option are designed to test different aspects of the syllabus,

although obviously there will be an overlap given that it’s the same generalisation. Getting clues from the ‘other’ essay title may be a dangerous strategy, since focus on the question in hand is the priority. There was evidence of candidates not really making up their minds which question to answer.

• Some questions restricted research content to just energy, or just tectonic/ climatic hazard or point/diffuse pollution, for example.

• Although it was pleasing to see increased ‘global warming salience’, often very generalised knowledge about this global challenge led a significant number of students to unsuccessfully attempt Q1 on the energy crisis. This question was really about energy supply and demand ratios rather than just global warming.

Essay structure - study skills and style • The importance of good planning should be prioritised with students, since those

who produced plans and a clear framework usually produced good essays. However, a few did do 2 or even 3 sides of detailed planning, which meant unfinished essays.

• Introductions this year were weaker than in previous series, with few candidates gaining marks in the top band for this section. This is something that centres could address – as students can be trained to discuss the title, define their key terms, and justify their choice of case studies rather not just listing them. See past online PE Reports for guidance, especially Jan 08 and June 07.

• Maps and diagrams must be used for a purpose - simple sketches of location are unnecessary.

• Candidates need practice in breaking out of the case study by case study approach, and tackle systematically themes/concepts with examples and longer case studies interwoven.


Q Conceptual framework possibilities 1. MEDC capitalist-consumerist culture and dependency on fossil fuels

LEDC fuelwood crisis 2. Think global, act local framework 3. A range of developmental aspects – for example, lack of political

development (illustrated by Burma) or economic/social inequality (arguably illustrated by New Orleans, Californian Bush fires, even Kobe and wider ‘classquake’ concepts which suggest that it is not overall economic status that matters when understanding the impacts of hazards, but the inequalities within a society.)

4. Local factors (population density, local economic disparities, lack of planning restrictions/ building controls, geological features) versus wider scale factors (eg overall economic development, position on plate boundary/cyclone track)

5. Diffuse: successful (eg water quality UK - and less successful managed pollution (eg global warming) Point: successful (eg Prestige oil spill) versus unsuccessful (Bhopal)

6. Strategy based, eg interventionist precautionary principle (global warming, CFCs) or end of pipe polluter pays (oil spills, even plastic bags)

7. Reasons for conflicts - eg tourism versus mining or areas where management is successful versus areas where it is less successful

8. By managers: global eg UN Biosphere Reserves or Antarctic Treaty, or local eg within Korup or Kakadu or type of conflicting demand or areas where there are difficulties (eg Wolong) and those where there are less (eg Antarctica) or pressure groups (global-local).

Rubric and whites • Far fewer candidates attempted two questions than in past examinations • There was a record low number of exception scripts ie papers that were

unscannable on ePEN because candidates were using a separate planning page. The longer booklet helped, and many candidates used the first or last page to write a plan. Future exam booklets may even have a page marked for planning, both to dissuade extra paper being used and to encourage planning to aid overall success in this essay exam. Centres’ statistical feedback from Results Plus depends on ePEN so exception scripts resulting from extra planning pages are to be discouraged.

Content

• Selection of case studies and examples were not always relevant. If students have a bank of examples and mini case studies they may be able to choose more appropriate examples for the title that they have chosen in the exam.

• Some candidates are still determined to write a pre practiced essay so empowering students with the confidence to have a flexible approach is essential.

• There was good use of recent/topical case studies in China and Burma as well as extensive use of more classic hazard case studies such as Kobe and Mt St Helens.

• There were many inaccurate facts about a large range of case studies - dates, locations, types - rote learning of ‘factfiles’ pre exam is essential.

• More reference to the future is appearing in the Conclusion, which is to be encouraged.


Q ePEN

Rubric 32 The vast majority did not mark which question they had answered, so ended up in this category

1 74 2 25 3 3638 4 1470 5 201 6 98 7 424 8 110

Over 40% of candidates in Question 1 were ‘refugees’ from pollution or wilderness, or even hazards.

Values and attitudes Subsumed in the Understanding part of the mark scheme is reference to the values and attitudes of the varying gatekeepers and stake holders involved in any option chosen. There was some evidence this series of some rather narrow anglo-centric viewpoints e.g. failing to see LEDC populations as capable of responsibility or of making cogent and effective choices. This was shown in Q1, 3 and 4. In wilderness questions, although the wish of aboriginal populations to retain their culture was generally understood and supported, there was a failure to see that conservation can be considered as neo-imperialism, and that some populations would rather ‘eat today’ than enjoy their environment tomorrow. In some cases, there were forays into 'we are all guilty' global warming issues, especially in relation to Antarctica. This occurred particularly in Q1, 7 and 8.


Environments and Resources

Question 1 ‘The current use of energy resources may be seen as a global crisis.’ Assess this statement. Only a small proportion of the total number of candidates seemingly had actually prepared for this option, and they stood out for their more accurate and wider interpretation of the question. The majority of candidates focused on the crises associated with the pollution effects of global warming which, although expected as part of the question, is not the true interpretation of the energy crisis. The topical tanker driver strike in the UK and rocketing fuel prices was a popular tangent for many as well. It is obvious to see why such answers would not fair well for Research or Understanding, although often Conclusions were evaluative related to information given, and middle band of QWC was achieved by many. Only those who had studied the option were familiar with technical terminology such as finite and stock resources, although many introduced recyclable resources, as exemplified by waste and recyclable energy sources (eg nuclear energy) and renewable energy resources. Few discussed the 4Rs (Recycle, Repair, Re-use and product Redesign). Many candidates made use of the increasing demands of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, China, India) on resources and several used sustainability quadrant, carrying capacity and adapted Kuznet models effectively. Many spent too long on often misquoted Malthusian and Boserupian theories, although the concept of MEDCs with a greater command of technology may mean adaptation to the energy crisis may occur (e.g. UK back to nuclear, USA on biofuels). The better introductions set up clearly what the crisis is and then how different authorities/ areas are tackling it. If the crisis was stated as having an environmental context then credit was given. A few were very confused over the distinction between global warming and ozone depletion.

Question 2 To what extent can sustainable resource management at a local level help reduce global demands for resources? This question required a broader coverage of the option: energy and mineral resource references, related to the generalisation of management and sustainability. Most candidates attempting this question had studied the role of the Earth Summit and Local Agenda 21. Many answers simply agreed that local efforts were enough, but highly rewarded answers took a more sophisticated view, and debated the role of governments in helping reduce resource demands as well as local recycling and conservation strategies. Examples ranged from Canberra to Sheffield, China to Curitiba. The waste hierarchy was effectively used by some, plus the Club of Rome theories. However, a significant minority thought deforestation without the link to an energy source, agriculture and even whales were relevant here. Weaker answers were very general, e.g. reference to unnamed wind farms in the UK, drifting to carbon footprints and even population control.


Living with hazardous environments

Question 3 ‘Economic status is overemphasised as the main reason for variations in the severity of natural hazard impacts.’ What evidence is there to support this view? D Better candidates used a plan and went on to fulfil most criteria – discussion of the question meant inevitably their argument throughout the essay was more focused and cogent. A significant number still failed to use a distinct introduction and given the emphasis of the question on ‘economic status’ it was surprising to note how few candidates actually discussed this complex idea, with most just making passing reference to the MEDC/LEDC divide in their introductions. Some interpreted the question as economic cost of a hazard rather than the economic status of where the event occurred. Many, whilst listing case studies that would be used, failed to justify why they were selected. R There was evidence of some very sound research, although not always applied to the question set. Candidates need more help with selecting those elements of their case studies which will help answer a specific question. It was impressive to note the number of candidates referring to very recent examples of not simply China and Burma but cyclone Nargis and Sichuan, and the political attitudes of the Burmese and Chinese governments was commented on. Many candidates wrote about paired case studies – same disaster type but one in a MEDC and one in a LEDC, or a comparison of the varying impacts and factors in the different countries affected by the 2004 Tsunami; this proved very effective. There were two main ways of approaching the question – cases study by case study or factor by factor with economic status being one of the factors. Both approaches could work equally well but the former approach sometimes meant that the report became simplistic. Some of the more sophisticated responses made the important distinction between human and economic costs and used models such as Parks’ to highlight response and recovery times. U Most candidates looked at different factors involved in the impacts, although the links between factors and impacts were not always clearly expressed. For the majority – it was a basic LEDC/MEDC basic dichotomy. Too many saw Bangladesh as an LEDC with no cyclone readiness in spite of the disaster shelters, early warning systems and evacuations of Cyclone Sidr. Some successfully argued that secondary hazards (fire, disease) were important. It was good to note the use of Parks’ model in many essays although it wasn’t always used to best effect. There was also some misuse of case studies, particularly Mt St Helens and Kobe. Candidates usually did not fully assess ‘overemphasised’ which led to some descriptive responses. Few also differentiated between absolute and relative costs, ie although the absolute or calculated economic impact of a hazard in a LEDC may be lower, relatively this may be much more significant with reduced scope for reinstatement and recovery than in a MEDC/NIC. Only the more sophisticated answers understood that physical controls and magnitude lead to high impacts (in the short term anyway) irrespective of economic status. C Timing did not seem so much of a problem this series with most candidates managing to finish, though they did tend to be weaker in summarising in a coherent and concise manner and rarely returned to their specific case studies. On-going evaluation was a feature however, and helped many score 6 or even 7 out of 10 even with a weaker conclusion. Q As always, there was a mixture of quality of written communication. There could be better use of geographical terminology, with terms like intra plate, salience or Mercalli scale featuring infrequently in this exam series.


Question 4: How far is it true to say that the impact of either climatic or tectonic hazards is determined by local factors? The need to restrict response to either climatic or tectonic hazards would appear to be the main reason for the lack of popularity here with the majority of candidates opting for the latter. D Many had difficulty pinning down a clear definition of local. Most produced a range of the factors from the mark scheme with a slight bias towards physical. More able candidates used a plan, and incorporated models. A significant minority are still missing the opportunity to access the mark scheme because they are not completing a proper introduction. Planning where students identified local and other factors helped, as in the example below for tectonic hazards .

possible categories local factor other factors

Economic i.e. poor areas of a city , concept of classquakes- e.g. Kobe, San Francisco

Overall economic status of country-MEDC/NIC/LDC … dictating perception, mitigation, prediction, management, funding , technology. Aid from abroad e.g. tsunami 2004

Social e.g. politics of local mayor e.g. Montserrat, US base at Pinatubo planning restrictions/ building controls

larger scale politics e.g. Chinese army mobilisation in Sichuan

Physical e.g. liquefaction, low lying coastlines-tsunami damage

plate boundaries, intraplate magnitute, frequency

R A significant number tried to include both climatic and tectonic case studies, a rubric offence. The range of case studies was limited in some instances to two earthquakes, for example. However, there was some evidence of good research with good use of recent case studies. Some candidates forgot their original choice of hazard and wrote on both tectonic and climatic. It was very comforting to see that a majority of candidates referred to the recent case studies of the earthquake in Szechuan and Hurricane Nargis and used these to very good effect, having taken on board the local factors such as isolation, combination of hazards and political situations. Centres are working well to alert their candidates to such events. U The main problem here was what constituted ‘local’, with weaker candidates taking it to mean the general level of economic development. Too few candidates took this question beyond the basic discussion and failed to see the complexity of response to natural hazards. More able candidates realised that it was not a straightforward LEDC/MEDC question and elaborated on local responses such as those seen during Cyclone Sidr. C This was varied in quality. Most candidates did not refer specifically to local as opposed to national/international factors. In a significant number of cases the term ‘local’ did not feature at all. Many came to the conclusion that the economic status of the country was the main factor accounting for variation in impacts. Often economic status was interpreted to be a local factor. Q The more able candidates showed a good essay structure and referred to the question on a regular basis, demonstrating understanding throughout.


The Pollution of natural environments

The foundation part of the syllabus is designed to be covered whatever generalisation is set in the final examination. Here there is clear reference to point, diffuse, source and sink - and such terminology should underlie all pollution work. However, many students were confused by the terms. They were also less aware of the focus in this generalisation on management of the ranges possible - by scale (temporal and spatial) and effectiveness Question 5: The management of point source pollution has had much more success than that of diffuse pollution. What evidence is there to support this view? This question invited varying responses from candidates. Many did not properly define point and diffuse pollution, which often meant they did not distinguish adequately between the two. Weaker responses wrote in general about pollution incidents without indicating whether they were point or diffuse. Stronger responses used a good range of case studies; both ‘classic’ examples like Chernobyl and Bhopal, and more contemporary incidents like Buncefield. Candidates referred to all types of pollution; water, air, noise, and terrestrial. There were some references to international protocols, Kyoto, Montreal and the Bali road map and even a reference or two to the forthcoming (to the exam) G8 Hokkaido summit focus on climate change. Some good local case studies were used by some centres (e.g. Nottingham carbon management, Hampshire waste disposal, Sheffield congestion management). The more able candidates, however, used an evaluative approach to discuss the various management issues on hand and earned good marks. The less able candidates resorted to writing about pollution in general terms without using concrete case studies or mini examples. Best answers centred around plans involving a continuum:

type very successful, ---------------------------------- unsuccessful, still problems especially long term

diffuse ozone depletion, water quality UK CO2 , Mediterranean Sea, plastic in South Pacific, ‘tragedy of the commons’…

point refuse, recycling, local area Chernobyl, Bhopal


Question 6: What factors influence the choice of strategies used to manage pollution at both source and sink? This question proved to be more challenging than Q5, with many answers not assessing sink or source. Stronger candidates not only selected relevant case studies but also identified the factors that influenced the choice of strategies pertaining to a particular pollution incident, noting its strengths and weaknesses. Weaker candidates simply provided descriptive accounts of pollution incidents without making an effort to really answer the question as required. Strategies ranging from ‘business as usual’ to the precautionary principle were identified by some candidates as well as a range of factors (cost-benefit/ timescale/ magnitude/ scale/ location/ economic status/ motives/ politics etc). Some good candidates were able to apply sink/source to case studies and show how pollution incidents changed over time and how strategies were implemented at sink then source. Conclusions were strong where candidates were able to summarise factors influencing choice of strategy. An example of a plan for the case studies to be chosen, which allowed a successful answer was based on a spider diagram of all the factors (split into social, including role pressure groups/ political/ economic/ technological/ environmental importance) and a simple table which dissects the question title:

type of strategy where pollution managed

Business as usual – i.e. do little! Or Polluter Pays – traditional

Precautionary principle, intervention at source – increasing in 21st Century

source

LAND/AIR/WATER – Chernobyl, EU funding, sarcophagus…

AIR= --- localised - diffuse: MEDC London fog + clean air acts, new park and rides, congestion charges NIC Mexico City photochemical smogs --- scale of problem so big international action needed: Kyoto, Bali, Montreal protocol CFCs 1987 WATER = diffuse - North Sea – Conferences, latest = 2008 March

sink

WATER: Oil spill – Amoco Cadiz 1979 + Nigeria 2008 Acid rain liming Sweden

Phase out single hulls deadline by 2015


Wilderness Environments Question 7 How and why does economic development continue to conflict with protection in wilderness areas? D Candidates in both Wilderness essays often failed to discuss the title and make it clear in which direction their argument was to go. This resulted in many largely unfocused essays. Writing well, with excellent case study material, but without a focus on the question asked, will not get the highest marks. Introductions usually had some valid definitions of wilderness, and good attempts to explain conflicts and economic development. A number of students introduced the wilderness continuum, but with no explanation of its relevance or the concept itself. R More able candidates also supplied a good range of examples with an explanation of their relevance to the question. There were some very marginal, and even odd, examples of Wilderness such as candidates’ gardens, the Dorset Coast, the South Downs, Essex Marshes, various UK National Parks, all of the Pacific islands, the island of Fiji, none of which are truly considered Wilderness today. Some did not really consider their relevance to this question e.g. using South Pacific and nuclear testing with no explanation as to how this was linked to economic development. Probably the least rewarding examples used were in relation to Amazonia. This case study often lacked any specific detailed knowledge and instead had vague references to logging and ranching in an area which is, after all, almost the size of the USA. There was, however, some very good knowledge about Alaska and the ANWR and Kakadu. Antarctica was well used, but many were unaware that despite growing numbers of visitors, the treaties are quite effective here. U Some candidates wrote very simplistic essays stating that all economic development was bad and that humans should be kept out of the way completely – totally ignoring the indigenous peoples of those areas, and not seeing the complexity of the question. Only the more able candidates really discussed the possibilities of management of these conflicts without harm to the environment overall. Not many included management strategies of of core and buffer conservation. The most able candidates discussed futurity and how situations might change in the next 100 years - indeed the question says ‘continue to conflict’, so a historical view is pertinent. C More able candidates consistently referred their case studies back to the question, and weaker students tended to give descriptive accounts of what they had learned about the case studies and failed to relate specific case studies back to the title.


Question 8 ‘Managers find it difficult to reconcile the conflicting demands made on wilderness areas’ Assess this statement. The focus here were the managers and decision makers involved in wilderness areas. Many answers showed a good understanding of the concept of managing wilderness areas, why it is needed and the types of threats that exist. Some also showed a good appreciation of the threats to indigenous populations as well as environmental concerns, whilst keeping the focus on the generalisation: managing conflict. Most students had knowledge of a wide and relevant range of case studies, including Antarctica, Kakadu and Alaska. However, although basic case study knowledge was good, many had a poor understanding of who the managers were and what management might mean in terms of type and action. Mention was made of the Antarctic Treaties but other than that there was little detail on management overall. Some discussed the recent oil crisis and the pressures that were being increased on Alaska’s ANWR, but there was a general lack of detail on management, and candidates seemed unsure as to what would come under that heading. While understanding the threats to wilderness areas and the management strategies used in response, students were often not clear on the effectiveness of those strategies, often having no particular criteria to judge them by. Where clear evidence did not exist to assess reconciliation (i.e. effectiveness), it would have been useful to see students voice their own opinions. Given the rise of the new superpower NICs of India and China, who potentially could learn from the experiences of older established protected wildernesses, it would have been gratifying to have seen some more topical research into, for example, Wolong or the Sunderbanns


Web References Guardian short videos on huge range of geographical topics, including China’s earthquake 2008

Note that Youtube has many too e.g. on strip mining and energy issues

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/china http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=62_vUAaa-wA

RESOURCES

Earth Policy Institute 2005 Report on resouce consumption Western versus Chinese model

http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2005/Update46.htm

HAZARDS

Professor Chris Park Lancaster University overview natural hazards

http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/gyaccp/hazards/default.htm

Benfield research UCL powerpoint on volcanoes for independent learning COPY AND PUT ADDRESS INTO VIEWER FOR POWERPOINT TO OPEN

http://www.benfieldhrc.org/resources/C471_lectures/2006/GEOL3026.3.ppt#382,47,Lakagigar (Iceland) 1783

UN: APELL (Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level) creating public awareness of hazards and to ensure that communities and emergency services are adequately trained and prepared to respond.

http://www.uneptie.org/pc/apell/disasters/lists/nat_disaster.htm

NOAA on weather events, eg hurricanes http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/nclim.html

Processes causing earthquakes – good, interactive images from National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/interactive/index.html?section=e

Comparison of Burma and China disasters from the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7399004.stm

US GS summary of China earthquake on a poster pdf http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqarchives/poster/2008/20080512_image.php

POLLUTION

2008 oil spill Nigeria from IRIN http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=76635

Phasing out of single hulled ships from WWF 2002 http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/crisis/spain_oil_spill/single_hull_tankers/index.cfm

Topical - China’s pollution in 2008 http://chinadigitaltimes.net/cat/focus/environmental-crisis//

Rise in HKONG pressure group to reduce air pollution FROM THE BBC 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6172826.stm

2006 China investment in cutting pollution and helping environmental protection FROM THE BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5192376.stm

Rise in cyber activism on pollution in China FROM ABC NEWS

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4018827&page=1

Acid rain Sweden NGO, good overviews on air pollution, time line…

http://www.acidrain.org/pages/publications/acidnews/2007/AN4-07sp.asp

MDGS, GEF and pollution – chemical Pollution in marine areas by UNDP

http://www.undp.org/chemicals/IWchemicalpollution.htm


WILDERNESS

Wilderness Conservation International's Wilderness: Earth's Last Wild Places LOVELY MAP

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/9686397698.html

Private wilderness areas in India http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_protected_areas_of_India

Tourism marketing wilderness areas in India http://www.wildlife-tour-india.com/wildlife-tours-india/wilderness-in-india.html

Summary of many protected wildernesses including Sunderbanns India, Cabo Blanco Costa Rica , Bolshoi Arkticheskiy (Great Arctic) of Russia

http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/categories/eng/ex-i.pdf

The Karahnukar Power Plant affecting 3% of Iceland and wilderness conflicts project. Iceland nature conservation association

http://www.inca.is/articlesiv2.asp?ID=9

Coalition of 112 environmental organisations against Karahnukar Power Plant

http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/news/index.cfm?uNewsID=6481

The Wilderness Foundation UK 2007 on BBC radio programme

http://wildernessfoundationuk.blogspot.com/2007/05/wfuk-on-bbc-radio-4-programme-excess.html

Northeast Greenland National Park is the largest NP globally. Greenland wilderness becoming oil superpower 2008 Times online and Wikipedia

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article3882868.ece http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_Greenland_National_Park

Arctic institute of N America 1994 http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/HistoryCulture/wilderness.html


Student section: Feedback and Tips (from the Principal Examiner)

⇒ Choosing a Question: think Option then Question- only answer ONE. Answer the option you have studied at school/college – don’t be tempted by other questions you may know about from a another subject or general knowledge – you are setting yourself up to fail the exam. Some questions may ask you to restrict yourself to research on for example one type of resource, hazard, pollution type or wilderness area, so be careful you stay focused on this and not get sidetracked into other case studies and examples just because you know them well! Basically think before you leap. ⇒ Structure of essay: think Plan – Introduction – Discussion - Conclusion Plan your answer for a few minutes inside the exam booklet. Max 1 page for plan! Be brave - instead of plodding through case study after case study, are there themes/ concepts you could take which pick and dip from the fact files you created on your case studies? For example: social-economic-environmental or local-regional national-international-global or effective - not effective. In your introduction, which should be a page or so of writing, think of DDJ: • Discuss—tear apart the title, show you have interpreted it and understand it.

Perhaps you need to set up some criteria/ways of measuring the topic under consideration, e.g. strategy, impact, conflict, and then test your case studies/examples by these in the main part of the essay.

• Define: the key terms like resource, hazard, pollution, wilderness • Justify: don’t just list your case studies, say why you have chosen them Remember, don’t conclude in the introduction - keep an open mind and then bring to a conclusion at the end. Also remember you get marks for evaluating throughout the essay, so after each main section have a link back to the title. You may find drawing a diagram will help plan your answer - not just a spider but something like this: A table with cross references/comparisons lots of different options to enter into it ….

A spectrum/continuum diagram lots of different options to enter into it ….

yes

large successful supports argument

no small unsuccessful shows complexity of argument /anomalies

MEDC eg eg NIC/RIC eg eg LEDC/LDC eg eg

yes ----------------------------------- no large scale ---------------- small scale successful --------------- unsuccessful

eg eg eg

eg eg eg

⇒


⇒ Content: • Think flexibly: examples and case studies should be related to the title - not all you know about them! Do you really need a model? Do you really need a map showing where Alaska is? Or a diagram showing the formation of a volcano in a title on management? • Real life geography: watch you do not repeat information, or use too similar examples. Are the comparisons between case studies wise, e.g. can you really compare an oil spill with global warming in terms of effects? Or Hurricane Katrina with Boscastle flooding? • Be topical if you can but well researched older case studies are fine so long as they are brought up to date - for example what is happening now in Denali? Antarctica? Kobe? Bam? Chernobyl? Bhopal? The Ruhr? • If relevant to your question, try to show the complex range of economic development which now exists globally - the simplistic North versus South split/ Brandt line is effectively outdated and should be used with great care. See the World Bank website for resources on upper/middle/lower income countries - it does more justice to the rising superpowers of India, China and older NICs like Brazil and Malaysia. • Try to use specialist Geographical vocabulary, especially when spelt correctly.

Resources stock, flow, finite, recycling…

Hazards salience, vulnerability, techno-centric, intra-plate, Mercalli scale…

Pollution trans- boundary, diffuse, point, sink, precautionary principle, ‘tragedy of the commons’…

Wilderness wilderness continuum, core-buffer zoning, Biosphere reserve, resilience, carrying capacity…

⇒ Values and Attitudes You need to show that you are aware of the differing values and attitudes of people involved whichever option you have studied - remember your viewpoint may not reflect that of somewhere in Asia or Africa. Do not over simplify complex situations. ⇒ Style, Quality of Written Expression • Use proper paragraphs • Try to use A-Level vocabulary and style • Facts - create factfiles on each of your case studies - dates, locations, types – the accurate learning of factfiles pre exam is as essential as essay writing practice • Conclusion - after referring back to the title and your specific case studies (try not to introduce new ones here), you might want to make reference to the future, the module is called ‘global futures’ after all


Unit 6475 Paper 2 Researching Global Futures

The standards achieved were similar to those in January. There was a wide range in terms of quality with excellent work submitted by some candidates. Most centres continue to offer very effective guidance and support during the report writing process. There are still some cases though where monitoring and intervention at an early stage would prevent misunderstanding and the misinterpretation of titles. Many issues that have been mentioned in previous reports are still current, although their relative importance changes. Methodology sections are still numerous but self evaluation sections seem to be on the decline. There is no credit for either of them in the mark scheme. A persistent problem, and one that varies by centre rather than by candidate, is the production of reports that are far longer than the declared number of words. This sometimes results in candidates receiving a lower grade than they otherwise would. Whole pages of writing in a text box are not regarded as ‘figures’ and should be included in the word count. Research and quality of written communication are the criteria that are affected when reports are too long. Here is some advice that may be helpful to candidates.

Choose the title with care – brainstorm the titles and make sure you understand what they mean.

Candidates who know the mark scheme write better reports.

Read the Examiner’s Reports for each of the summer sessions. They have some useful advice and the indicative content sections in the mark schemes can be helpful too.

Keep a note of all your sources and include them in a bibliography.

Having an abstract encourages a clear statement of the issues at the start.

A map locating and justifying your choice of case studies is a good idea.

Consider a range of values in your report – don’t be biased.

Maps and diagrams save on the word count. Words in boxes don’t.

Self assessment isn’t credited in the mark scheme, but ongoing evaluation of arguments is.

There is a check list to help candidates in the production of their reports in the June 2005 Examiner’s Report and a diagram in the January 2007 report. Guidance on setting out a bibliography is given in the June 2005 report. The June 2008 report contains a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’.


Administration If candidates who entered in January wish to resit 6475 they will of course have to sit the timed essay (6475 01) again. However, they can arrange for the marks for their research reports to be transferred. The entry code for this is 6475/02T. Reports that have not been changed or improved should not be submitted for marking again in June because the mark was already awarded in January. The 6475/02T option is more cost effective. In the case of resit candidates it is only reports that have been improved that should be submitted for marking in June. It is in the best interests of centres and candidates to use the current version of form GB3, available on the Edexcel website. This version of the form has space for examiners to write their comments. In the event of an enquiry about results a copy of the GB3 is returned and centres can then see the examiners comments. This is not the case with earlier versions of the GB3. Some centres are using plastic wallets for each sheet and others sending work as loose sheets that are not fixed together in any way. The specification describes the way in which work is to be presented. Having to take every sheet out of a plastic wallet so that it can be marked is very time consuming and should be avoided. A staple is enough to keep all the pages together. If it won’t penetrate the report the work could well be over the word limit.


Comments Specific to the Titles The comments below give an overview of responses for each of the titles. Indicative content is available as part of the mark scheme, which is published separately.

Development And Disparity

1 ‘The size of the development gap depends on the criteria used to measure it.’ Evaluate this statement at the global scale.

Many reports began with a definition of the development gap. The most frequently chosen measures of development were GNP and HDI. In the best reports case studies were well chosen to show that some countries had high GNP but poor HDI. Cuba was often well used as a case study. These reports were generally well researched.

2 To what extent is variation in the physical environment responsible for global

disparities? Most candidates began with a description of the pattern of disparity. Better ones

included maps. There was good use of Worldmapper in many reports. A certain amount of physical determinism was evident in the less convincing reports, but better ones argued a case well and included the significance of human factors whilst maintaining physical as the core material.

3 Examine the environmental consequences arising from disparity at the

regional or small scale. This was not a particularly common choice. It tended to cause problems for some

candidates who wanted to write about environmental causes of disparity. These reports had the wrong focus.

4 ‘Structural adjustment plans have been a disaster for poor nations.’ Evaluate

this statement. These reports sometimes lacked diagrams and maps but there was some well

balanced evaluation of SAPs in poor countries. A lack of balance was the main problem in more modest reports which tended to agree with the title.

5 To what extent can global strategies decrease poverty? Not all candidates chose global strategies. Simply because the same types of

project happen in different countries does not necessarily mean they are part of a global strategy.


Feeding The World’s People

6 ‘More food and yet more hunger.’ Examine this statement with reference to

contrasting countries. This was popular. Most reports referred to world population growth and rising

affluence in China. Better ones knew that more land is being devoted to the production of bio fuels (recent issues covered in the press, especially the Guardian) and said that perhaps there is not more food at the moment. Descriptions of obesity in the USA were often not made relevant to the title, which was about hunger.

7 ‘An effort to improve agricultural productivity must go hand in hand with

measures that address food security.’ Discuss. Not a very popular title but it did produce some examples of good work.

8 Are GM developments living up to expectations? There was a wide range of research that included animals as well as crop plants.

The main pitfall was that some candidates wrote about advantages and disadvantages of GM crops rather than stating the expectations placed upon them and then commenting on how far they had progressed in meeting these expectations.

9 ‘Intensive farming is damaging to fragile environments.’ Assess the success of

strategies adopted to minimise this damage. There was sometimes a misinterpretation of intensive farming with some

extensive farming appearing in several reports. Fragile environments were sometimes not defined and in the more modest reports there was a lack of strategies. This title produced a wide range in quality.

10 To what extent can the oceans play an increasingly important part in feeding

the world’s people? A popular title that resulted in some excellent research. Average reports often

neglected a consideration of the extent to which the oceans could play an increasingly important part and did a rather ‘black and white’ review of whether or not the world can live on fish.


Health And Welfare

11 ‘Just as we conquer one disease, a new one rises up to cause problems for

societies.’ DISCUSS. There was no shortage of ‘new’ diseases with HIV/AIDS figuring prominently.

Sometimes the ‘conquered’ diseases were less well covered and occasionally ignored.

12 Why are some illnesses and infections best managed at a global scale?

TB and malaria case studies featured widely as did HIV/AIDS, SARS and some animal diseases including foot and mouth and avian flu as one affecting bird and human populations. There were several successful reports.

13 With reference to ONE named disease, explain the impacts it has on

society and the economy in countries at different states of development. By far the most popular title. Diseases that have no real effect in MEDC

countries were not the best ones to choose. If the disease had little or no impact in more developed countries it limited the candidate’s ability to demonstrate good research because there was nothing for them to find. HIV/AIDS was again the most frequently selected. There were some excellent reports that explained a wide range of impact and made first class use of illustrative material.

14 With reference to a range of countries, evaluate alternative ways of

providing efficient health care OR welfare provision. The healthcare option was the one that was almost always selected. Cuba was

often used to contrast with the USA and the UK with other countries chosen including China France and Thailand. Many of the reports were genuinely evaluative with well selected details.

15 ‘Effectively tackling HIV/AIDS is the world’s most urgent public health

challenge.’ Assess the evidence for this statement. A popular title, which resulted in some very good reports. A difficulty with

some reports was that there was too little focus on HIV/AIDS in desire to prove that others were more of a challenge. Many reports did not state what was meant by ‘public health challenge’.


Geography of Sport and Leisure

16 Explain the geographical distribution of sport and leisure facilities in a large

named urban area. This title was about the distributions, rather than selected locations of chosen

facilities. The best reports covered the distribution of sport and leisure facilities and explained them very well. At the other end of the quality range some reports were based on the locations of a few football clubs. A medium size UK city was about the right size. London was too big for the distribution to be successfully shown in a report of this scale. Some urban areas were too large so that candidates had to pick the locations of a few facilities rather than covering the distribution of sports and leisure facilities.

17 Some sports activities enjoy far greater popularity in some countries than in

others.’ Discuss. A wide range of quality here. There were some descriptive reports but also

some that were genuinely comparative. Popularity was hard to research and a wide range of surrogate measures was offered and accepted.

18 ‘Golf courses are costing the Earth and playing around with nature.’ Explain

why this has become a global issue. Many well chosen global case studies and sound arguments. This was a fairly

popular title that appeared to have caught the imagination of both golfers and environmentalists.

19 Examine the effects of long-term international flows of people and

investment in the sport and leisure industry. There were very few of these. It would be difficult to make any meaningful

general comments.

20 How might an increasingly ageing population in MEDCs affect both the provision of and participation in sport and leisure?

Again, not many chose this title but it did produce some high quality reports with wide ranging research. Good reports considered variations within the ageing population.


Unit 6476 Paper 1 Synoptic Unit

General Comments Overall candidates found this an accessible paper and the topic of western Cumbria obviously engaged them. There were few really weak answers this year and it was evident that many centres had encouraged their candidates to thoroughly familiarise themselves with the Advanced Information. This showed in the range of resource information used as evidence to support answers with many candidates able to write about a wide range of pertinent issues both at a local and regional level. There was a sense that most candidates had an understanding of impacts, management and energy futures. Consequently few scripts scored lower than mid 30s. However, synopticity was variable, with the best use in question 3. Examples included comparisons to the Eden Project and Cornwall, South Wales and (less relevant) Birmingham. References to global patterns of economic development, the Clarke-Fisher model, sustainability and ‘multiplier effects’ were also included. A considerable minority still seemed to flag up particular resources (e.g. Figure 3) but then did not say what the evidence was. Almost all candidates completed answers to the three questions in the time allocated, and usually in order, although a significant minority obviously completed question 3 following on from question 1, and then returned to question 2. Generally there was an accurate interpretation of command words. A small minority of candidates let techniques dominate at the expense of considered written answers, but this problem is significantly less than several years ago. Sections were generally evenly matched, with most candidates scoring similar marks in each section. The major shortcomings in answers being in grasp of scale and failure to appreciate the nature of the human and physical geography of the region. Question Specific Comments Question 1 Most candidates were able to produce a range of ideas for this question. Many candidates also included good detail from the resources to support their answers, especially from Figures 2(b), 3, 4 and 7. However, there was a lack of balance in some answers, focusing mainly on the ‘for’ arguments. Some answers also lacked structure and listed points without attributing them to either ‘for’ or ‘against’ the designation. Top level answers looked at a full range of issues and often showed some evidence of synopticity with typical references to the Scottish Borders or Cornwall. Inevitably, the weaker candidates simply repeated the resource with little development or analysis. Many dwelt on the problems of West Cumbria without really applying it to why it should or should not be a Special Economic Development Area (SEDA). Under half realised that the question was really on how much of Cumbria should be a SEDA and therefore failed to put the case against effectively. The main issue facing the area, that of poor transport links leading to isolation, was not well picked up and there was a tendancy to overemphasise distance from a primary school as an indicator either of poor educational standards or of rural deprivation. There was also some misapprehension that the main west coast railway line passed through West Cumbria, rather than the six trains a day Cumbria Coast Line.


Overall, the differentiation in answers seemed to show in a range of aspects. Firstly, there was the difference between candidates who looked at what a SEDA could do for the area rather than what the area was like at the current time. Secondly whether candidates used the evidence either at all or effectively, and finally, the very good candidates also argued well about ‘why not’. The following provides an example of a detailed answer to this question: “Western Cumbria is a remote peripheral region on the north west coast of England. The mountains of the Lake District act as a physical barrier increasing the isolation of the region by increasing journey times and reducing accessibility. Unlike the districts of Carlisle, Eden and South Lakeland which are accessed by the M6 motorway, and the west coast mainline railway, the access to western Cumbria is limited to A road and small country roads (as shown in fig 9b). This lack of infrastructure reduces the attractiveness of the area to large businesses that need good access for transportation of goods. The whole of Cumbria is highlighted by the EU as a country of economic decline due to the reduction in primary and secondary industries such as agriculture and manufacturing which is occurring across the whole country. However, the situation in western Cumbria is even worse and is in absolute decline due to deindustrialisation and disparity. Loss of jobs due to global shifts of industry, such as when the packaging company Alcan of Canada relocated two plants from Workington to France, is adding to a cycle of poverty evident in the area. The loss of jobs results in a loss of income which results in housing and the area becoming degenerated, all of which provides little incentive to new businesses to relocate to the area. Thus the economy is affected and decline continues. This deindustrialisation is evident in Barrow where a strong maritime and shipbuilding industry has lost out to cheaper competition in the Phillipines. In Copeland, the nuclear industry is undergoing decommissioning and in Allerdale globalisation has lead to the shift of steel, manufacturing and mining to more economical viable areas such as China. Consequently, Allerdale, Barrow and Copeland have higher unemployment rates than the rest of Cumbria due to deindustrialisation. Copeland and Barrow have the lowest number of self employed due to the domination of large businesses (BNFL at Sellafield and BAE Systems at Barrow) as they provide strong competition to new business start ups (shown in fig 5b). The populations of the three districts has fluctuated too. The whole of the UK and many developed countries are experiencing population decline and the strains of an aging population. However, Barrow, Allerdale and Copeland have seen greater negative growth than the rest of Cumbria. Poor perceptions of opportunities, due to the loss of industry, has seen an outmigration of young people (fig 4). This has also lead to the low skills base of the area, with Allerdale having a higher percentage of people aged 17-74 with no qualifications than the rest of Cumbrian and England and Wales. A low skills base does not encourage investment and, as it requires economic input to train the workforce, acts as a disincentive for investment. Western Cumbria is only 10km west of the Lake District at its furthest and even contains parts of the national park in the southern regions of Copeland, as shown in fig 1a. However, it has not benefited from an injection of wealthy retired that areas of Eden and Lakeland have. Due to a lack of marketing and the decline and disparity of the area, western Cumbria is bypassed for the popular honeypots of Windermere and Grasmere in the central Lake District. This difference and the poor condition of much of the housing are reflected in the affordability of housing, with prices in Kendal and Keswick increasing by more than double from 2000 to 2006, whereas although western Cumbria has seen an increase in house prices it is still far behind the national average.


All of the above act as constraints to economic growth in western Cumbria as they reduce attractiveness and prevent investment. Without improvement the economy will continue to decline as the cycle of deprivation continues causing a de-multiplier effect. The deindustrialisation of western Cumbria is similar to that of South Wales where globalisation and shift saw a decline in mining and a depression in the economy resulting in disparity and deprivation. Allocation of a special economic development area allowed regeneration of the area funded by the government and the EU Structural Fund. This regeneration is needed in western Cumbria to break the cycle of deprivation and encourage investment, and so should be designated as a special economic area. However, western Cumbria does not include the district of Carlisle which has seen an equal period of deindustrialisation and loss of manufacturing resulting in high unemployment rates. With no parishes in the Lake District it gains no direct income from tourism and has few opportunities for development. The pattern of rural inequality is also not clear cut. Some may also argue that Barrow and Copeland have the opportunity to build on their existing industry and close proximity to the Lake District without further funding. The west Lakes Science Park in Copeland is already a catalyst for investment and plans to increase the reprocessing site at Sellafield and a new contract for nuclear, plus submarines at Barrow provide a base for economic growth in their own right. Therefore, to address the issue of economic decline perhaps the area has to be reviewed as a whole in order to bring about major changes.” Question 2 Candidates perhaps found this somewhat more challenging than question 1, though preparation appeared to be good on the less familiar, but topical, energy theme. Many candidates obtained a fair grasp of the changing UK picture of energy supply and demand. Resources were well used and many candidates were able to write about a wide range of relevant issues, across a variety of positive and negative impacts. The changes in the nuclear industry (decommissioning and/or as a potential area for new developments), the reprocessing expansion at Drigg, and the possible developments of gas imports (at Barrow) were popular inclusions. In terms of renewable energy developments wind was by far the most mentioned, highlighting the potential of the large stretch of “energy” coastline, ideal for the use of alternative energy. A few candidates mentioned that the coastline is also suited to advances in tidal and wave power if needed, and that there was less likely to be opposition from locals given the legacy of Sellafield. Problems with the development of wind energy were given as cost and the possible impact on migrating birds and on the aesthetics of the area which could damage tourism in the area and in the Lake District National Park. Nuclear and wind were generally well done, although disappointingly few ventured far beyond the resources provided. Many candidates also managed a reasonable balance between the national energy picture and the local picture, as required by the question. Some candidates used grids and tables and this was quite acceptable and could score highly provided that they were accompanied by analysis. There was some synopticity included with references to wind farms in other locations, the Stern Review and more recent news items on nuclear power in the UK. Some ideas, such as ploughing up the Lake District National Park for biofuels were a little farfetched.


Question 3 This question was approached in one of two ways. Probably the majority ploughed faithfully through the schemes one at a time with a brief, generally positive evaluation of each. A smaller number looked at the schemes as a whole with possibly only brief references to three or four of them. Responses generally showed an understanding of the notion and nature of development schemes (often referring to other examples for the UK and beyond) but often focused on the positive alone rather than the negative and wider implications of impacts on the National Park, Cumbria as a whole or the AONB were generally missing. However, the best answers were able to place the improvement plans in a wider context. The higher level responses showed a mature appreciation of the management challenges and advocated a range of perceptive, relevant and concisely argued practices. Common issues highlighted were cost, sustainability and social equity with concerns of housing, seasonal employment etc. Only a minority picked up the fact that these schemes failed to address the problems of isolation or the massive potential redundancies at Sellafield. There was good use of synopticity here, especially with the example of the Eden project being used to regenerate a former mining area through tourism. Many compared other issues in Cumbria to similar ones in Cornwall. References to Birmingham Bull Ring and Meadowhall were less relevant to regenerating Workington and some candidates had some curious ideas about Workington and its attractions for cruise ship passengers. An example follows of an effective answer highlighting the positives and negatives of the proposed improvement plan: “Any development of western Cumbria and primarily Allerdale needs to be sustainable in order to counteract the changes due to deindustrialisation for future generations. The opportunity of the area to attract tourism is high due to its close proximity to the national park. The Market Towns Initiative operating in North Allerdale, Cockermouth and Keswick provides vital regeneration of the towns and diversification of the economy. By diversifying the economy there is less vulnerability to changes in the global markets, providing less chance of sudden unemployment and severe decline seen from previous periods of deindustrialization. The £70 million redevelopment scheme in Workington town centre opens up new retail offers and increases the quality of life by increasing the access to services in the area. This redevelopment is similar to the development of West Quay Shopping Centre in Southampton which rebranded the area as one of the south coast’s major retail areas and provided a catalyst for further investment in the area, which was subject to decline due to deindustrialisation of the port. The provision of leisure facilities on brownfield land provides regeneration of the area increasing attractiveness to new people and business and provides an incentive for investment. Invest Cumbria indicates that increased inward investment is the key aspect for regeneration of the area. Use of brownfield sites reduces the impact of development on the environment and economic development is a determining factor of sustainability. Support and networking is a background factor of many of the schemes, increasing the assistance to business through the use of development agencies such as West Lakes Renaissance and the North West Development Agency. These provide a bottom-up approach as well as providing an incentive for new business start ups, the percentage of which is currently low in Allerdale compared to Carlisle, Eden and South Lakeland. The use of, and regeneration of, the old steel works at Workington will help improve the aesthetic appeal of the area attracting tourism and business. This regeneration


of brownfield sites has occurred successfully in the London Docklands which is now a key business core. All the plans act as an incentive for investment which provides a multiplier effect for the region; continued investment provides for improvements to infrastructure and access which are currently poor. The plans, however, improve key urban areas of Allerdale and although regeneration of the towns is much needed marginal rural areas and other aspects of decline are not addressed. Access is still a major issue and the provision of healthcare and other basic services are still poor. Although Maryport’s town and harbour have seen economic and environmental improvements, the housing stock is still poor with most residents unable to fund improvements. Reliance on tourism is key to the success of plans such as the Solway Coast Discovery Centre. However, tourism is seasonal employment as seen in the Lake District in areas such as Windermere. Also, without sufficient marketing the areas will not benefit as many people will head to high profile attractions such as Lake Windermere (1.3 million visitors a year) instead. The plans do not address the problems of a low skills base either. In some areas this may increase it due to the perception that the tourist industry does not require skills. The plans also rely strongly on aid from the government and EU which is not substantial. Even with these problems the plan does alleviate the cycle of deprivation by improving and rebranding areas of decline.” Quality of Written Communication (QWC) Candidates had relatively few timing and rubric problems. Most responses had a reasonable grasp of expression; some wrote quite detailed and well-structured reports. Marks for Quality of Written Communication were often 7-9. However, syntax was still a weakness in a significant minority of scripts. The use of geographical terminology and technical vocabulary was poor in a sizable minority of candidates. There was also weak place-specific knowledge in some cases and poor grasp of scale.


Statistics

Mark Ranges and Award of Grades Unit 6471 – Changing Landforms and their Management Max. Mark A B C D E Raw boundary mark 90 60 54 48 42 37 Uniform boundary mark 100 80 70 60 50 40 Unit 6472 – Managing Change in Human Environments Max. Mark A B C D E Raw boundary mark 90 63 58 53 49 45 Uniform boundary mark 100 80 70 60 50 40 Unit 6473 – Environmental Investigation Max. Mark A B C D E Raw boundary mark 100 78 71 64 57 50 Uniform boundary mark 100 80 70 60 50 40 Unit 6474 – Global Challenge Max. Mark A B C D E Raw boundary mark 80 54 50 46 42 39 Uniform boundary mark 90 72 63 54 45 36 Unit 6475 – Researching Global Futures Max. Mark A B C D E Raw boundary mark 120 94 87 80 73 66 Uniform boundary mark 90 72 63 54 45 36 Unit 6476 – Synoptic Unit Max. Mark A B C D E Raw boundary mark 70 55 51 48 45 42 Uniform boundary mark 120 96 84 72 60 48 Notes Maximum Mark (Raw): the mark corresponding to the sum total of the marks shown on the mark scheme. Boundary mark: the minimum mark required by a candidate to qualify for a given grade.

Further copies of this publication are available from Edexcel Publications, Adamsway, Mansfield, Notts, NG18 4FN Telephone 01623 467467 Fax 01623 450481 Email [email protected] Order Code UA020196 Summer 2008 For more information on Edexcel qualifications, please visit www.edexcel.org.uk/qualifications Edexcel Limited. Registered in England and Wales no.4496750 Registered Office: One90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BH

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