Producing Good Coursework

Some helpful hints, tips and suggestions

Understand the task and look at the mark scheme … use www.geogonline.org.uk resources in school and at home.

Read the Task sheet carefully and think about the issue for yourself … look at the resources on GeogOnline … visit the sites in Crickhowell … talk to other people about the issue. Research the issue of the rise of supermarkets.

The candidate is able to recall a wide range of specific detail relating tothe hypothesis and uses specialised geographical terms adeptly andwith confidence. Understanding is evident throughout as the candidateis able to draw detailed conclusions that are fully consistent with theevidence presented.

MARK SCHEME Knowledge

Level 4 Up to 12 marks

Details – describe and explain, use specialised geographical terms, detailed conclusions – answer the questions set at the start.

The candidate is able to apply their knowledge and understanding of the Enquiry to their wider geographical study in relation to geographical ideas, concepts and theories and to other locations. They are able to contextualise the findings of the Enquiry in relation to wider geographical questions

MARK SCHEMEApplication

Level 4 Up to 6 marks

Use some secondary sources – background research – what is a Tesco Express

Across all phases of the Enquiry, candidates are able to utilise a widerange of entirely appropriate techniques to collect, record, select,process, refine and present primary and secondary data. The workshows an entirely logical sequence throughout the research phase andthrough the analysis phase. Linkage between graphical and textualmaterial is immaculate. The candidate is able to show sophisticationwhen evaluating methods of primary and secondary data collection andwhen presenting and analysing the evidence. Moreover, they are ableto comment on the validity and limitations of conclusions.Communication skills are highly developed, the text is legible andmeaningful and the candidates can spell, punctuate and use the rulesof grammar with almost faultless accuracy.

MARK SCHEMESkills

Level 4 Up to 12 marks

Total

K12 + A 6 + S 12 = 30 (15% final grade)

Use the Preparation time sensibly to PLAN for the writing up stage

DURING PREPARATION PHASESave materials in your work area (ICT) or put paper copies in your folder

The teacher will put these materials from GeogOnline into a shared area for the CA – you can’t use GeogOnline or other internet sites once we start the Write-up phase.

Using Images

USING SKETCH MAPS It’s Geography – apply geographical skills that we have practised since Y7 …

Tesco Express stores are neighbourhood convenience shops, stocking mainly food with an emphasis on higher-margin products (due to small store size, and the necessity to maximise revenue per square foot) alongside everyday essentials. They are found in busy city centre districts, small shopping precincts in residential areas, small towns and on Esso petrol station forecourts. The 1000th Tesco Express site opened in July 2009. Tesco have now started building Tesco Express stores with no staff tills, only having 'Self-Service' tills in which the customer scans all their own shopping and packs it.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesco

USING SECONDARY DATA – images or text

Techniques – Flow Line?

Flow line map – can we use this technique? What for

The width of the arrow is proportional to the number of people.

The value depends on what you write …

Describe …

Explain …

Link text and image

By computer or by drawing.

(see teacher marks)

Graphs – Excel?

Technique divided bar (here) = appropriate

Data from Age Groups – how often they go to the cinema

Describe

Explain

Meaning

-- conclusion – how does it help answer the hypothesis?

--- link text and writing.

Bar chart, pie chart, line graph etc.

Fieldwork and scoring system

All depends on what use is made in describing how the scoring system works …. And what the overall result is … and how it helps us make a decision answering the initial hypothesis / question.

Reach a decision based on your evidence – CONCLUSIONS

Detailed split into sections

Can we de confident in our findings? What is realistic – what seems strange?

Does our local result match the national picture

Do different ‘groups’ of people have different opinions?

EVALUATION

Criticise methods

How to improve what we did?

If doing it again what would we change?