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Unit GG3 -

    Investigative geography

Unit GG3 is a separate assessment designed to test the application of knowledge and understanding and skills acquired in units GG1 and GG2 (including 'generic field skills'). WJEC emphasise candidates need to have experienced fieldwork to be able to answer the questions. The full details are in the specification available from WJEC's website: http://www.wjec.co.uk/geography.html

Note the specification for 2004 introduced a choice between GG3(a) and GG3(b). GG3(a) continues to be an externally marked examination paper, but there is the option of doing instead GG3(b) an internally assessed (externally moderated) "Fieldwork Report". More on GG3 (a) and GG3(b) below.

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Skills required for GG3

GG3 assumes candidates will have had experience of group fieldwork. A good example of group fieldwork is Coatham Sands on the Tees Estuary a Newton House Field Centre trip studying spatial patterns in the dunes. Although Chelmsford County High School tackle the personal enquiry for Paper 3 (Investigative Study) of the OCR 9050 syllabus, the enquiry sequence is similar to that expected by WJEC. This particular trip was also published in the Geography Review, March 2001, Vol. 14, Number 4, pp14-17. http://www.cchs.co.uk/subjects/geography/6thform/resources/sanddune/intro.htm

Most of the skills required will be familiar to you from fieldwork, such as examining issues, collecting data, following recording procedures and presenting an analysis. You must be able to describe methods of enquiry (ie how you did your data collection and why), know the limitations of the evidence and draw conclusions from it.

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Check you know about the following:

Check you know how to do the following skills:

Check you can use the following techniques:

Fieldwork - you should have experience of:

For useful tips on questionnaires: questionnaireassignment and/or http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/skills/fieldwork/stats/ques.html

 

Fieldwork - you should be able to:

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GG3 (a) 2004

GG3(a) continues to be exam set by WJEC. This route assesses the skills acquired in Units GG1 and GG2 through a 1 hour 30 minutes paper of structured examination questions that include data from fieldwork investigations of physical and human environments. The unit is externally assessed in early May and represents 30% of the AS specification.

GG3(a) Investigative Geography paper  
A Establish effective sequences of enquiry. Structured questions on how to establish an effective sequence to enquiry.
B Acquire appropriate evidence. Structured questions based on collection of appropriate evidence.
C Organise, record and present evidence in cartographic and diagramatic form making use of IT if appropriate. Structured questions based on organisation and presentation of evidence in cartographic and/or diagrammatic forms.
D Describe, analyse, evaluate and interpret evidence and draw conclusions. Structured questions based on the description, analysis, evaluation and interpretation of evidence presented and the conclusions that can then be drawn.
E Evaluate in relation to geographical knowledge and understanding. Structured questions based on evaluation in relation to geographical knowledge and understanding.

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GG3(b)

Introduced in 2004 is the option of doing a 'field report' instead of an exam paper. Candidates hand in a 2000 word report of a 'fieldwork investigation' that was part of their work for GG1 and GG2 (ie something organised by your teachers). The report, to be completed by early May, is marked internally by centres and moderated by the WJEC. It represents 30% of the AS award.

Note the way marks have been allocated. The fieldwork 'sequence' organised by teachers gets you no marks and because data collection and sampling will be teacher-directed, you get relatively few marks here (5 marks for describing them). The real marks are for the skills-based techniques (such as choosing the right graphs, charts and diagrams and presenting them accurately and neatly). Being able to use the data, saying what it means and saying what the limitations are gets most marks.

There's more detailed information in the specification and you should certainly take a look at the 'level descriptors' in the specification before writing the final draft of your field report. Get your 'pdf' copy from http://www.wjec.co.uk/geography.html

GG3(b) Fieldwork Report   marks
A Establish effective sequences of enquiry. Centre-directed sequence of enquiry. 0
B Acquire appropriate evidence. Description of methods of data collection including sampling. 5
C Organise, record and present evidence in cartographic and diagramatic form making use of IT if appropriate. Candidate organises and presents evidence in cartogarphic and/or diagrammatic forms. 15
D Describe, analyse, evaluate and interpret evidence and draw conclusions. Candidate describes, analyses, evaluates and interprets the evidence and then draws conclusions. (Includes statistical techniques.) 10
E Evaluate in relation to geographical knowledge and understanding. Candidate evaluates the methods and the sequence of the enquiry, the limitations of the evidence, and draws conclusions. 10
F General presentation. Includes: Form and style of writing, clarity of expression, the organisation of relevant information,use of appropriate specialist vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling,the ability to complete the report within the designated length. 10
 

Total marks

 50

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