1.2 Geographical Research

4G1 Year 8 Geography

SyllabusKey geographical

questions apply key geographical

questions to a local environment

Fieldwork:the use of geographical

tools in investigating the physical and human environment

use geographical tools to measure and record elements of the local environment

present geographical information about the local environment using a range of written, oral and graphic forms

What's It All About? In order to understand the world it is

essential to experience environments firsthand.

Books and modern technology can provide useful information about people and places, but it is only through directly interacting with environments that we can appreciate their real scale and complexity.

Why Is This So?Key Geographical Questions

Key Geographical Questions

Geographers start by asking questions. What is it? Where is it? Why is it there?

When investigating issues they go on to ask questions, such as: What are the effects of it being there? How is it changing? Should it be like this?

Then they consider citizenship. What groups are involved? What do different groups think? What action is appropriate?

A Wonderful Kind Of Answer

What is it? Uluru

Where is it? Northern Territory, Australia

Why is it there? Geological answer: It has evolved over time

through a combination of erosion and other geographic factors

Indigenous peoples answer: came to being during the dreamtime

Issue Investigations What groups are involved?

Local Australian aboriginal peoples

State Government Local business Tourists

What do different groups think? Local Australian aboriginal

peoples as a sacred site State Government from a legal

control and tourism marketing perspective

Local businesses earn income from the tourists visiting the site

Tourists are interested in the cultural and historical significance of the site

What action is appropriate? Environmental

protection of the rock itself

Environmental protection for the area surrounding

Control of urban development impacts when considering the needs for tourists

Citizenship Issues What are the effects of it being there?

Creates a unique biome for flora & fauna in the area. Creates a destination for tourists within Australia Is a location of spiritual significance for the local Australian

aboriginal people How is it changing?

Wind and rain and people are further eroding the site The visual look of Uluru changes at sunrise and sunset

through the shifting of lift from the sun Should it be like this?

Respect for indigenous culture is growing in Australia and the request of all of the local peoples should always be considered when developing the site

Human impact should be minimized. People climbing have now been banned to reduce the

damage to a a sacred site

Exploring our environment

A good way to explore impacts to our environment is through the use of fieldwork.

Field work is the use of geographical tools in investigating the physical and human environment

Some geographical tools can include such things as: Maps

Observations

Surveys

Mathematical models

FIELDWORK Fieldwork guide: Step 1: Decide on the aim of your fieldwork.

To identify the main physical and human features of the environment. Step 2: Generate key questions that relate to the aim.

What are the main physical features of the environment? What are the main human features of the environment? Where are the features located?

Step 3: Decide what data you need to collect. Photographs of physical features. (Think about how many you need and

what type.) Photographs of human features. The location of each feature.

Step 4: Identify the techniques that you will use to collect your data. Photography and mapping.

FIELDWORK Fieldwork guide continued: Step 5: Go out and collect your data.

Draw your own map or use a base map of the school provided by your teacher.

Spend time observing all the features in the environment before you select the ones that you are going to photograph.

When you take each photograph record the location, feature, where you were standing and the direction you were facing.

Step 6: Process the data. Develop or download the photographs.

Step 7: Select a presentation method. You could use your workbook, a poster, PowerPoint or another

electronic format. Remember that maps should all have BOLTS, and photographs

should have titles and/or captions

FIELDWORK Observations One of the easiest ways to collect information

about an environment is to look at it carefully and keep a detailed record of observations

Field sketches are line drawings drawn from observation in the study environment

Samples and Surveys A survey is a collection of statistical data. These

include counting, polls that record people’s votes on an issue and questionnaires that provide a more detail set of data

Rain, rain ….come today

A good way to further understand the water cycle is to create a rain gauge and measure the water that is naturally introduced into our environment over a certain period of time.

This information will build on our previous classes where we discussed the water cycle

Measuring the weather Ever wondered what caused rain or breezy winds? Or why is it so

hot for a few months and relatively cold in the other months? Well, these all are a part of the weather.

Weather is a condition of air at a certain time or place. This condition is affected by a number of factors, thus keeps on

changing regularly. However, according to some researchers, human beings are also

responsible to some extent for causing changes in the weather. Meteorologists collect and analyse information about the

weather in order to make forecasts A traditional weather station contains instruments that measure

air pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and precipitation. These are read regularly and the observations recorded to build up an understanding of weather patterns

(a) Rain Gauge Activity You will be allocated a group of “Master

Geographers” to work with Each group should bring 2 empty plastic bottles

(approx 1lt plus in size) in which to collect water The tops will be cut off the bottles to allow better

water collection so don’t use a good water bottle your parents have bought you

Tape will be attached to the bottle to show how much water is in the bottle daily

A name will be written on each bottle to show which group owns which bottle

A wire will be attached to the bottle & it will be hung from a fence in the school grounds

What Will You Be Doing?

Each group will be required to: Download the Rain Gauge worksheet from

www.studyismybuddy.com Check the daily forecast at

http://www.willyweather.com.au/nsw/sydney/castle-hill.html

Update the actual versus forecast weather Measure the water in their gauges every day for 2

weeks (excluding weekends) Update the excel spreadsheet everyday for 2 weeks Create a sketch of the environment where we are

hanging the rain gauges and accurately label the picture.

What Will We Do With The Data?

At the end of this time we will be creating a variety of charts to graph: Daily amounts of water Daily temperatures Comparisons of previous years rainfall patterns Accuracy of forecast versus actual

temperatures