Natural flood management: what solutions does it offer?
35–39 Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core)
Geographical ideas OpenStreetMap: a new way of mapping the world
40–41 Investigative Geography (A-level core)Geographical and Fieldwork Skills (AS core)
The big picture Blood Falls, Antarctica
42 Glaciated Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option)Power and Borders (A-level Global Governance option)
Forced migrants in the UKThis article is of direct relevance to the Global Connections option Global Migration, in particular the requirement to study current patterns of migration. It provides helpful clarity over the issues relating to the movements of forced migrants and asylum seekers. The second part of the piece regarding refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and the small case study of ‘City of Sanctuary’ in Sheffield may support some work in the Changing Spaces; Making Places topic of the course, especially the section on how places are shaped by shifting flows of people.
Geographical skills What is a geographical enquiry?Students embarking on OCR geography A-level this year will be aware that at the end of their course they have to submit a 3,000–4,000 word report on an independent investigation of their own choosing. This column is the first in a series providing advice and support for students undertaking fieldwork investigations. The piece explains what an independent investigation is, and explains the key features of the enquiry process. It is essential reading for all A-level geography students, and should be kept for future use.
Students following the OCR AS course will be expected to have completed physical and human geography fieldwork, which is assessed in the Landscape and Place paper.
This column in GEOGRAPHY REVIEW issue 2 looks at this work in more detail.
Geographical ideas Mitigation or adaptation?One of the key elements of the new A-level specifications is the need for students to appreciate that underlying geographical concepts permeate all aspects of the subject. The ALCAB report produced for the new specifications identified 13 such ‘specialised’ concepts. They may feature in the content of the specification, or in the examination questions based on the content, and there will be an expectation student answers to those questions should show an understanding of such concepts.
The concepts of mitigation and adaptation have particular relevance to Climate Change (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option) and Hazardous Earth (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option).
This column is the first in a series looking at these underlying concepts in detail. It seeks to explain the meaning of two concepts, how they interconnect and how they can be applied to a range of geographical contexts (though it does not cover all that are possible). It should be essential reading for all A-level and AS students.
Changing urban places: a case study of Wollongong.This article provides an interesting insight into a ‘contrasting’ place that could supplement the work of students on to the core topic of Changing Spaces; Making Places. Wollongong could be used to
illustrate key ideas such as identity, perception and representation. It has suffered similar problems to many towns and cities in the north of England, resulting from the closure of heavy industry which has traditionally been a major employer. The way in which it considers the various forms and strategies of reimaging that Wollongong has undergone in recent decades is particularly useful in support of the key idea relating to the placemaking process.
Climate change update Understanding the 2015 Paris agreementThis piece will be of interest to all students with views about climate change and what can be done to mitigate it or adapt to it (see earlier article on key concepts). One of the Geographical Debates options is Climate Change, and key ideas include human responses such as mitigation and adaptation.
Furthermore, one of the key ideas in the core physical systems section of the A-level specification, Earth’s Life Support Systems, is to examine how human factors can disturb and influence the carbon cycle.
It would be an interesting debate in class to consider whether the agreement will make much difference.
Centrepiece 30 years of GEOGRAPHY REVIEW
This particular Centrepiece demonstrates how relevant geography is to our lives and how many of the issues we face today (such as deforestation, climate change and globalisation) either have their parallels in the past or are ongoing. This is relevant to many OCR topics, including Climate Change and Earth’s Life Support Systems.
Question and answer Tectonic hazardsAlthough this excellent Question and Answer makes use of a sample set of questions for the new Edexcel AS this does not mean that OCR students should not read it. Advice on examination technique is generic, and the format of examination papers and their mark schemes are becoming increasingly similar between the examination boards. In addition, the context of the question is likely to be familiar to OCR AS and A-level students choosing the Hazardous Earth option in Geographical Debates. Students should take note of the advice on different question types, how to respond to them, and what needs to be done to address the variety of command words used. This is essential reading for all students.
Energy matters Cheap oil: is it a good thing?This short piece may be of some use to those students studying the Earth’s Life Support System topic at A-level. It is relevant to the key idea concerning how human factors can disturb and influence the carbon cycle. The price of oil is an unusual phenomenon in the global market as OPEC controls the supply, rather than the individual country producers or oil extracting companies. Despite the move towards using renewable energy sources, oil is still vital to the global economy, not least for transport.
Geographical ideas Understanding our place in the worldThis is a very useful column that supports the study of the core topic Changing Spaces; Making Places. The article examines what the word ‘place’ now means in geographical study and emphasises the role played by the late Doreen Massey in its conceptual development. It provides a useful context for students, including how the meaning of ‘place’ has changed over time. Students following the OCR specification will find the ideas relating to perception and placemaking particularly helpful.
Tornadoes in the British IslesThis article has no direct link to the OCR specification.
Natural flood management: what solutions does it offer?This article examines the management of storm events which impact severely on some parts of the UK. It looks at the ways in which such events, which create high levels of discharge and often involve large deposits of sediment, can be managed naturally using catchment-based flood management, often involving ‘soft engineering’ methods. This is an interesting article which relates to the Earth’s Life Support Systems topic, and the requirement to study the processes and pathways of the water cycle, although flooding and flood management are not explicitly required by the specification content.
Geographical ideas OpenStreetMap: a new way of mapping the worldAs with all specifications, the OCR specification requires the development of ICT skills which should include ‘innovative sources of data such as crowd sourcing and “big data”’. OpenStreetMap (OSM) is one example of crowd sourcing within a mapping framework. All sorts of geographical information can be referenced and shared — ‘making mapping cool’ being a central thrust. This article provides the story of the development of OSM and the ways in which its use has spread. A-level students may find this potentially useful when looking for tools to use in their independent investigation.
The big picture Blood Falls, AntarcticaThis photograph will be of interest to students of the Landscape Systems option Glaciated Landscapes as it shows an interesting aspect of outputs from a glacial system. It also illustrates a key reason why Antarctica should be protected as a global common — scientific research. Hence it is also relevant for the Global Governance option, Power and Borders.
2–6 Hazardous Earth (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option)
Glaciated Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option)
Ecclesfield: case study of a changing place
7–9 Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core)
Question and answer Changing spaces, making places
10–13 Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core)
Development update Ageing populations 14–15 Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A Level core)
Cooking fuel in developing countries: can it be sustainable?
16–19 Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core)
Centrepiece Ancient Crete: a catastrophic earthquake
20–21 Hazardous Earth (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option)
Who owns Antarctica? Case study of a global commons
22–26 Power and Borders (A-level Global Governance option)
Geographical skills Fieldwork at AS 27–29 Geographical and Fieldwork Skills (AS core)
Sediments in landscape systems: stores, landforms and impacts
30–33 Landscape Systems (AS and A-level core)
Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core)
Geographical ideas The concept of place: characteristics, change and connections
34–36 Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core)
Dynamic drylands: understanding the processes at work
37–41 Dryland Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option)
The big picture Rural vs urban 42 Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core)
Volcanoes and ice caps: case study of IcelandThe main emphasis of this article is on volcanic activity in Iceland so it will be of most use to the students of Hazardous Earth (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option). There is some background material on ice caps on the island, and so it will also be of some interest to students taking the Glaciated Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option)
The geological background to vulcanicity on Iceland is explained well, especially the link between the constructive plate margin and the volcanic plume (or hot spot). This is followed by an analysis of volcanic activity during the ice ages, and more recently. The article ends with a more detailed examination of the recent eruption of Bárðarbunga – the initial signs, the immediate responses, the impacts and the reasons why it did not affect the rest of the world as greatly as was feared. This is an interesting article with some excellent data resources that students may need to take time to examine. (Note that the key to the colours shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is provided on Figure 3).
Ecclesfield: case study of a changing placeThis excellent piece will be of great use to students and teachers alike in support of the Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A Level core) topic. A crucial element of both levels of the course is the study of two contrasting place profiles at a local scale, including their demographic, socioeconomic, cultural and political characteristics. This article covers all of these aspects.
However, another main benefit of this article is that is serves as an exemplar of how students can generate their own investigations in an area that is local to them. This could lead to a fieldwork investigation, using this case study content as a template to follow.
Question and answer Changing spaces, making placesThe theme of Changing Spaces; Making Places continues into this next piece. The sample question comes from the OCR specification; students are strongly advised to study the questions, the sample answers and the commentary.
Teachers and students should also take note of the varying nature of the examination questions, and recognise the different demands that they make. Question (a) assesses knowledge, whereas Question (b) (i) assesses a skill. Question (b) (ii) uses the word ‘appropriate’ and hence requires a degree of evaluation. Question (c) requires analysis of unfamiliar data, and application of those data. The final essay question (d) is much more complex, requiring the interplay of knowledge and understanding and evaluation, and as with all longer-response questions, a key element will be the degree to which the candidate can construct a logical argument. This is an exceptionally useful article for OCR students.
Development update Ageing populationsThis Development Update should be of general interest to all students, as it reflects some significant challenges that they will be faced with in the UK in future years. It is not directly relevant to the OCR specifications, although it does have potential links to the Global Migration topic, perhaps relating to the movement of retirees to places like southern Spain.
Cooking fuel in developing countries: can it be sustainable?Although it is not directly linked to any part of the OCR specification, aspects of this article will be of general interest to all students of Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core). This requires students to examine changes in the carbon cycle involving human activities such as deforestation. This article looks at the ever growing demand for fuelwood and charcoal for domestic cooking purposes. The reasons for the growth in the use of charcoal, and its impacts on forested areas and human health are examined, together with an overview of the strategies being employed to address the resultant issues in sub-Saharan countries. This may also be linked to the Disease Dilemmas topic (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option), which requires the study of a country experiencing air pollution.
Centrepiece Ancient Crete: a catastrophic earthquake
This Centrepiece will be of general interest to students of Hazardous Earth (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option). Although this region and the associated geological events involving plate movement, earthquakes and tsunamis are unlikely to feature as a case study in an examination context, it is interesting to note how all of these have combined and manifested themselves in a relatively small geographical area.
Who owns Antarctica? Case study of a global commonsThis article is useful for those studying Power and Borders (A-level Global Governance option). The OCR specification focuses mainly on sovereignty and territorial integrity. The potential challenges and conflicts over resources in locations such as Antarctica can be linked to the need for global governance, with the role of treaties being explicitly mentioned in the specification content.
Geographical skills Fieldwork at ASIt is not known just how many students will be taking the new AS qualification in geography, but what is known is that the assessment of the fieldwork element is different from that of previous specifications. In the OCR AS specification, there is a section in Landscape and Place paper with questions based on the fieldwork undertaken by the student during the compulsory 2 days in the field, and questions based on an unfamiliar context that will be generated by the examiners.
This excellent column summarises all of the various forms of the fieldwork assessment, and provides a useful table of the differences between the examination boards. It should be read carefully and understood fully, but OCR students should ensure they focus on the requirements for their own specification only.
Sediments in landscape systems: stores, landforms and impactsUnder the new generation of AS and A-level specifications, students will quickly become aware of the importance of systems theory. The general concept of storage is a key element within this framework. The article may form an ‘extension’ piece that students can read to enhance their understanding of these important areas of conceptual content. The OCR AS and A-level Landscape Systems topic has an explicit reference in its preamble to the “movements of materials” as underpinning (along with energy flows) this area of study.
This article focuses on the role of the storage of sediments, and especially those ‘stored’ as landforms. The author looks at glacial depositional landforms, hillslope landforms and processes, and introduces the concept of ‘residence time’ in the movement of sediments. The role of human activity is then examined, both at the larger scale (farming practices in the mid-west) and smaller scale (field boundaries and agricultural terraces). The movement of sediments between different temporary storage locations also results in impacts that can affect agricultural landscapes such as that of Flanders in Belgium. This in turn has generated enforced changes to the landscape to deal with the issues caused. The study of sediment stores and movements between stores can also help us to understand how pollutants and carbon (in the form of organic matter) move through a landscape. This could be linked to the carbon cycle, which is studied in Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core).
Geographical ideas The concept of place: characteristics, change and connectionsThis is the third article examining the concept of place in this issue, thereby reinforcing the importance of the ‘new’ concept within Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core). This piece examines the concept in a more theoretical manner, explaining the meaning of ‘characteristics, change and connections’. In the study of place students are encouraged to examine the actual (or
real) endogenous factors (physical, economic and demographic) and exogenous factors (connections with other places) as well as more subjective characteristics of that place such as perceptions and meanings. This Geographical Ideas column looks at the former.
What constitutes a place is examined in some detail, and a useful framework for study is provided. This is followed by a section on the factors that may cause change in a place. Again these can be from within (endogenous) and/or from beyond (exogenous). Some useful exemplars are used to illustrate the points made, together with another useful framework to apply to an individual student’s place studies. Finally, many of the changes that occur in a place are due to the ongoing development of connections with the wider world, both near and far. Over time therefore a place develops as a series of layers, or a palimpsest, which can be unravelled in order to develop a greater appreciation of that place.
Once again this is essential reading for all OCR AS and A-level students of this core area of study, and could be a useful introduction to the concepts involved before embarking upon the study of contrasting places.
Dynamic drylands: understanding the processes at workStudents of Dryland Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option) will find this piece a highly useful resumé of the processes operating in their landscape study. It examines key concepts such as the aridity index, sources of energy, sediments and major landforms (sand dunes, yardangs and smaller-scale features) resulting from deposition and erosion. The article also briefly addresses human–environment interactions — where the activity of humans has had a largely damaging impact on the natural landscape.
This is essential reading for students of this area of study as the OCR specification refers to most of these landforms explicitly, as well as requiring the study of the impact of human activity on this landscape system.
The big picture Rural vs urbanThis photograph will also be of interest to all OCR students in their work within the Changing Spaces; Making Places topic (AS and A-level core) As noted earlier, it is becoming clear that this aspect of geography presents challenges for teachers and students alike, taking them into unfamiliar areas of geographical understanding. The representation of places in and between diverse media is one such challenge, and it is discussion of material such as this that will help stimulate deeper understanding of the concepts involved, which is an explicit requirement of the OCR specification.
Glacial landsystems: modelling glacial processes and landforms
30–34 Glaciated Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option)
Climate change update The global warming pause
35–37 Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core)
Climate Change (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option)
Superpower without empire: how the USA achieved global dominance
37–41 Trade in the Contemporary World (A-level Global Connections option)
The big picture Desert landscapes in the Nile Valley
42 Dryland Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option)
Holistic coastal management: the SMP for the east Norfolk coastThis article will be of direct interest to students of the Coastal Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option), and specifically that section examining the intentional impact of human activity. The author introduces the concept of Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) in the UK before focusing on the example of SMP6 — the east Norfolk coast.
As with all SMPs, the management of this section of the British coastline is a complex task, and a single, hold-the-line approach has proved ineffective here. It is accepted that some areas will have to face managed realignment, which means some land will be lost. Strategies adopted will vary according to the circumstances of the place affected, and decided by means of a series of cost–benefit analyses.
This is a very useful article, with some excellent case-study information that can be used in an examination context. They key issues for OCR students are those relating to the impact of this management on sediment budgets. The use of beach replenishment and offshore reefs at Sea Palling are therefore especially useful illustrations.
Question and answer Understanding the Assessment ObjectivesThis piece is essential reading for all students of the new (first examined 2017) AS and A-level specifications. Assessment Objectives (AOs) are not new, but their significance has not been quite as important to students in the past as it is now. All questions in the AS/A-level examinations will be clearly structured around three AOs, and it is important that students recognise the types of questions that will assess specific AOs, and combinations of AOs. As the author points out, strong hints are provided by the command words used.
This excellent article provides a clear step-by-step approach to understanding what each AO means, what is needed to answer questions that combine the AOs — particularly those involving extended prose responses — what the command words mean and how they should be responded to.
Finally, all examination boards will make use of ‘to what extent’ type questions. It is crucial that students come to a view in their responses, based on the evidence they present. As elsewhere, clear advice on tackling these questions is offered in this Question and Answer.
Visual research on changing places: an example from HackneyThe Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core) theme continues to provide a background for GEOGRAPHY REVIEW articles. One of the emphases in Changing Spaces; Making Places is to make use of more qualitative evidence than has been done in the past. This article describes the use of visual material (photo and film) in examining the changing social and cultural characteristics within the London borough of Hackney. The concepts of relationship and meaning are also central to the piece.
As teachers and students come to terms with this ‘new’ area of study for A-level geography, this article provides some ideas, and possibly inspiration, for the type of work they could undertake both within and beyond the classroom. Indeed, some students may be tempted to try something like this for themselves for their individual piece of fieldwork.
Geographical skills Studying local placesThe themes of Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core) and fieldwork using qualitative data continue with this article. Many ideas for group activities and individual research are provided, which teachers and students will find equally useful. Some are more straightforward, whereas others demand an ‘alternative’ way of looking at fieldwork, for example, the notion of ‘psychogeography’ is introduced, which many may not be familiar with. Quantitative and qualitative fieldwork techniques can be used together and can often support each other.
Land grabbing in Laos and Cambodia: understanding why it happensThis article is directly linked to Future of Food (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option). It looks at the role played by foreign companies, and even governments, in changing the agricultural system in these two places. This relates to the key ideas concerning the influence of globalisation and issues of food security. The specification uses the term land grabbing (although not land rush), and these underlying concepts can provide a useful context within which to investigate a case study to meet the requirement for an illustration of how human and physical factors cause issues with food security.
Centrepiece Electricity from UK tidal energyThis Centrepiece will be of interest to students of Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core) and Climate Change (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option). It links to areas of the specification relating to the ways in which humans respond to climate and influence the carbon cycle. The most explicit link is to the Climate Change topic, where there are specific references to the development of low-carbon energy sources as part of mitigation strategies to cut emissions of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, some brief examples are provided which students could use to support their work and examination answers.
Fracking in North Dakota: a case study with lessons for the UKThis article will also be of interest to students of the Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core) Climate Change (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option). One key element of the specification which this article addresses is the requirement in the Climate Change topic to study the enhancement of the greenhouse effect during the anthropocene. In the Earth’s Life Support Systems topic, there is a need to study how human factors can disturb the natural processes and stores of the carbon cycle.
In addition, with fracking being such a controversial issue, one would hope that all students with an interest in economic and environmental geography would want to read this article to examine how some of the issues associated with fracking that have arisen in North Dakota might transfer across to the UK. There has been much in the news about exactly this very recently.
Geographical ideas FeedbackOne of the key elements of the new AS/A-level specifications is the need for students to appreciate that underlying key geographical concepts transcend all aspects of the subject. The ALCAB report produced for the new specifications identified 13 such ‘specialised’ concepts. They may feature in the content of the specification, or in the examination questions based on the content, and student answers to those questions should show an understanding of these concepts.
This article is the third in a series looking at these underlying key concepts in detail. It seeks to explain the meaning of feedback, both positive and negative, and how it can be applied to a range of geographical contexts (although not all that may be possible). This particular concept demonstrates well how there are commonalities between processes operating in the physical environment and in the human environment. It should be essential reading for all AS and A-level students.
Glacial landsystems: modelling glacial processes and landformsThis article will be of use to some AS and A-level students in their work on Glaciated Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option). At the outset the article emphasises that students should recognise the importance of the links between processes and a series of landforms, and seek to move away from studies of landforms in isolation. The outcome of such a series of connections is termed ‘landsystem’ in this article, although this is not a term used in the OCR specification.
The author illustrates the concept with reference to a number of glacial landsystem contexts: morainic, fluvioglacial and subglacial, in Iceland. It is clear that there are many forms of landsystem that can occur in a range of glacial environments, each dependent on the characteristics of the glacier or ice sheet, and the area within which it is located. Furthermore such analysis can be used to reconstruct previous glaciated landscapes, such as that in the Lake District. The use of aerial imagery (photographs or remote sensing such as Google Earth) can assist this process greatly. The Lake District is a case study used in the Hodder OCR A-level Geography textbook, endorsed by OCR, for this course and so students may be familiar with some of the locations mentioned.
This is a conceptually challenging piece which perhaps only the more able students will fully appreciate.
Climate change update The global warming pauseThis piece will be of interest to all students with views about climate change. Furthermore, one of the key elements of the Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core) of the OCR specification is to study the extent to which the water and carbon cycles are linked. The Climate Change topic (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option) also requires students to understand that the Earth’s climate is dynamic.
The article considers the apparent slowdown in global mean surface temperatures during the early part of this century. The author examines the reasons for this, as well as explaining why variability in global temperature increase is a normal phenomenon — the role of other planetary systems, such as El Niño and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation has to be considered too. Some of the graphical data provided are complicated but well worth close consideration. As with the previous article, more able students are likely to find it most useful.
Superpower without empire: how the USA achieved global dominanceThis article relates to the Trade in the Contemporary World (A-level Global Connections option) topic. It considers the way USA has a strong influence on the global trade system to its own advantage. The
USA is a case study of an AC used in the Hodder textbook, endorsed by OCR, for this topic. This article provides useful supporting material, as well as an economic and political context. The most useful section of the article is that referring to the role of TNCs, such as Cargill,
The article is written in a clear style and also contains some evaluative statements on the role of the USA in global geopolitics. These are, of course, the views of the author, and students may also want to consider the evidence and form their own views about ‘Americanisation’. Indeed, they should be encouraged to do so.
The big picture Desert landscapes in the Nile ValleyThis photograph will be of interest to students in their work for Dryland Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option). It is striking to see such a contrast in the landscape of two areas within a relatively short distance of each other, separated by the River Nile. It could be used to illustrate to students the need to examine landscapes holistically, and not as if they are made up of separate landforms.
Giant icebergs and the carbon cycle 37–41 Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core)
Glaciated Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option)
Climate Change (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option)
Exploring Oceans (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option)
The big picture Desalination and water security
42 Dryland Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option)
Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core)
Exploring Oceans (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option)
The global carbon budget: the carbon cycle and global warmingThis article will be of direct interest to students of Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core) and Climate Change (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option) topics. It starts with a clear summary of the current global position regarding carbon dioxide emissions and anthropomorphic climate change. The data from Mauna Loa are well known and widely used but provide a striking view of the current trend.
The role of sinks (long-term stores) is considered and there are useful references to mitigation strategies, including the use of BECCS. The specification explicitly refers to carbon sequestration and the reduction of emissions as influences of humans on the carbon cycle. In the Climate Change topic the specification refers to the role of the IPCC, which is covered here, and the geopolitics of international agreements, such as Paris 2015. The role of oceans as carbon sinks links to the Exploring Oceans (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option) topic.
This is a very useful article, with some excellent data that could be used in an examination context.
Question and answer Coastal systems and landscapesSome of the content of this question corresponds to the OCR specification, although this is an AQA question. The style of the assessment differs (OCR does not use multiple-choice questions, for instance) and the OCR specification does not require the study of coastal flooding or its management. However, there is a requirement for a case study of human activity intentionally causing change within coastal landscape systems, and the management of erosion could relate to that part of the topic.
The comments about question 1.6 are relevant to OCR essay questions, which will also have an evaluative command, such as ‘to what extent…’ as well as an equal split of marks between AO1 and AO2 (see Q&A in issue 3).
Is India a single place? Identity, development and culture
India may be used as a case study to illustrate various elements of the OCR specification and much of this article is useful background reading and context. The section on gender inequality has explicit links to the Human Rights topic (A-level Global Governance option) which has just such a case-study requirement. It is also relevant to the Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core) topic in which students need to study how and why people perceive places in different ways based on their identity (including age and gender).
Geographical ideas The concept of place: meaning, representation and conflictThis piece builds on the one in issue 2 that addressed ‘real’ characteristics of place by now addressing ‘imagined’ feelings about places. In the OCR specification Changing Spaces; Making Places (AS and A-level core) topic, this is covered in the key idea that people see, experience and understand place in different ways. The notion of a contested place is addressed in the key idea about rebranding in which there is a content statement that ‘some groups of people contest efforts to rebrand a place’. It is also worth noting that the OCR specification refers to ‘players’ rather than ‘stakeholders’. This article should help further develop students’ grasp of this new geographical idea.
Geographical skills Investigating landscapesThis latest column is designed to give students (and teachers) ideas for fieldwork that could be undertaken at AS, as well as applied to the individual investigation for A-level. Most of this piece is about glaciated landscapes, which are an AS and A-level option in the Landscape System topic. Doubtless many students will undertake fieldwork in Snowdonia, the Lake District or Scotland and there are plenty of appropriate practical suggestions here. The brief reference to coastal fieldwork adds a new dimension to the widely used techniques of beach-sediment analysis. Those following the dryland landscapes option may find it more difficult to undertake fieldwork in a genuine dryland, but the specification does allow for coastal fieldwork on matters such as sand movement and dune development.
Centrepiece The youngest glacier on Earth This Centrepiece will be of interest to students choosing the Glaciated Landscapes option within Landscape Systems (AS and A-level core). It links to the section of the topic on glacier mass balance, and provides interesting, and unusual, impacts of volcanic activity. Not only does the heat generated cause melting, but the glacier is being squeezed by the expanding cone, leading to increased rates of glacial movement.
Governing the global commons: Antarctica, the Arctic and outer space comparedThe issue of ownership of Antarctica is well known and well documented, and many students are aware of the Antarctic Treaty. The melting of Arctic sea ice and the potential for transport routes as well as extraction of sea-bed resources is now creating further, similar issues. This is especially relevant to those studying the Exploring Oceans topic (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option), in which global commons and UNCLOS are both explicitly mentioned. This article also provides useful context for those studying the Power and Borders topic (Global Governance A-level option). The comparison to outer space is a thought-provoking and clever idea.
Everybody’s talking about… Wicked problemsStudents may not be familiar with the term ‘wicked problems’, but they will come across many of these during the 2 years of their A-level course. Indeed, A-level specifications, as the article correctly states, require that students:
can recognise and be able to analyse the complexity of people–environment interactions at all geographical scales.
Wicked problems such as climate change (at a global scale) and the rebranding of a small town (at a local scale) could both feature in the OCR course that you follow.
Accessibility to health services: assessing population patterns This article links well with the study of social inequality in the Changing Spaces; Making Places topic (AS and A- Level core). Many of the factors influencing accessibility discussed in the article are mentioned in the specification content, including age, gender and ethnicity. The use of GIS is also a useful reminder of how such tools can present and analyse data, something which may be useful in fieldwork and investigations.
Development update Why do children miss out on school?The OCR specification does not refer to the Sustainable Development Goals, and there is not a topic explicitly on development. However, issues relating to the (unequal) provision of education are mentioned in the Human Rights topic (A-level Gobal Governance option) in relation to gender inequality and how conflict can be caused by the challenges of educational opportunity.
Everybody’s talking about… The circular economyThis piece pulls together a number of ideas relating to the the future of the global economy. The main links to the OCR specification lie in the references to the increase in use of renewable energy sources which will impact on both the carbon cycle in Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core) and Climate Change (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option). Some of the references to the reduction in food waste are relevant to the Future of Food topic (A-level Geographical Debates option).
Table 1 in the article is a useful reminder that students should consider a range of geographical scales when considering the impact of global issues such as these.
Giant icebergs and the carbon cycleIcebergs are a little-considered component of the global carbon cycle, helping move carbon, as carbon dioxide, between the atmosphere and ocean, although in the OCR specification there are explicit references to the cryosphere, of which icebergs are a part.
This excellent and interesting article is, therefore, highly relevant to the Earth’s Life Support Systems topic (A-level core). It also has some important links with other topics, such as Glaciated Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option), Climate Change (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option) and Exploring Oceans (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option). There is a useful comment regarding the fact that giant icebergs may have a negative feedback effect on global climate, providing a relevant example of the application of that important geographical concept.
The big picture Desalination and water securityThe use of sea water as a source of water supply has links to the OCR topics of Dryland Landscapes (AS and A-level Landscape Systems option), Earth’s Life Support Systems (A-level core) and Exploring Oceans (AS and A-level Geographical Debates option). Although desalination has been taking place for many years in a number of dryland areas, and even in the UK, this new plant indicates both the scale of the operation involved and the serious potential impacts it has on many aspects of the environment. Some of the newest plants, such as the one in Perth, Australia, are partly powered by renewable energy from a nearby wind farm, helping to reduce the environmental impact.
This resource is part of GEOGRAPHY REVIEW, a magazine written for A–level students by subject experts. To subscribe to the full magazine go to: http://www.hoddereducation.co.uk/geographyreview
