LEVEL 1 clarifications
91009 - Demonstrate geographic understanding of the sustainable use of an environment
People/environment interaction is the explicit objective of this standard. The focus is on sustainability and it is crucial that this concept is understood.
Key aspects of this standard are:
· how and why people use the selected environment
· consequences of the use of the selected environment on people and the environment
· sustainability, or otherwise, of the selected environment with continued use.
Students need to describe how and why people use the selected environment. The term ‘environment’ refers to the region in which the activity occurs. The size of the selected environment needs to be carefully considered and it could be influenced by the use/s that are to be studied e.g. Waihi and mining, marine farming and tourism in Marlborough Sounds or uses of the Clutha River for HEP, tourism and farming. Evidence indicates that when a single orchard or vineyard is selected as the environment, this has hindered students providing a comprehensive understanding.
How, refers to how the environment is used, not a detailed account of the processes involved in the selected use, e.g. milking is not directly using the environment, but sowing grass or planting shelter belts is. Why, needs to describe why the selected environment is particularly suited to this use, including both natural and cultural reasons.
The consequences of this use on the selected environment and on people, can consider positive and negative, short and long term consequences. Consequences must relate to people within the selected environment, it should include people directly involved in the ‘use’ and those indirectly affected e.g. support services, employment opportunities, locals adversely affected by traffic congestion or noise etc. Likewise the consequences for the environment can discuss the immediate location and the wider area, but must remain within the selected environment.
The third aspect involved in this standard directly focuses on sustainability and this may be sustainability of the environment or the sustainability of the use. In many instances they may both be interdependent e.g. tourism/Fiordland. If the use is related to a non-renewable resource e.g. mining, the use is not sustainable consequently the focus will be sustainability of the environment. When students are responding to this aspect they need to clearly demonstrate understanding of sustainability and should not follow the ‘problems/solutions’ approach used with the expired standard 90204. They can describe/fully explain methods taken to improve the sustainability, but ultimately they must demonstrate the sustainability or otherwise of either the use or the environment.
It is important to note the aspects of the understanding that step up through the grades and how the quality is determined. The chart below unpacks the Achievement Criteria, and the geographic understanding must involve all aspects identified below, but the final judgement is based on a holistic examination of the evidence.
The arrow indicates that there is no step-up in quality required. Evidence from the selected environment must be used throughout the response.
Specific examples of geographic concepts that could be used are contained in the Teaching and Learning Guides for Geography, pages 6-8.
91011 - Conduct geographic research, with direction
This achievement standard develops geographic research skills. Direction refers to assistance with the selection of a topic and aim, and appropriate field work procedures for collecting, recording and presenting data.
The geographic research:
· must have a spatial component [can it be mapped?]
· allow for collection of primary data from the field
· consider aspects of a natural or cultural environment and/or people-environment interaction.
Aims for the research must be clearly identified and stated by the student at the beginning of the research report. The collection of primary data from the field and subsequent presentation and conclusions must relate directly to the aim(s). It is imperative that a range of different geographical skills are used to collect and present the data. Data may be collected in groups, but the remainder of the research process must be completed individually.
Presentation of data should follow geographic conventions. The step-up in quality is determined by both how it shows an understanding of the context and spatial nature of the research, and accuracy following all appropriate conventions at Excellence. A map, along with other methods (two or more) and the application of geographic conventions are expected.
Findings and conclusions must be dealt with separately. The relevance of a geographic concept must be incorporated into the description of the findings. One way to do this is to instruct students to describe the findings of each instance of presented data. For example, fully describe, incorporating a geographic concept, findings of the graphs you have drawn. The findings progress through to Excellence, where they must demonstrate use of geographic terminology and show insight.
From these findings, students draw a detailed conclusion which is related back to the aim(s) of the research. The conclusion(s) relates directly to the aim of the research and is not required in greater complexity than detail/Merit.
The evaluation must focus on aspects of the research process and should include detailed description of the strengths and/or weaknesses of the research process and for Excellence the impacts these have had on the validity of the research findings must be discussed. There is no requirement for students to suggest how the research could be improved.
Inclusion of evidence from the primary data and the spatial environment is expected throughout the research report.
It is important to note the aspects of the research that step up through the grades and how the quality is determined. The chart below unpacks the Achievement Criteria, and the geographic research must involve all aspects identified below. The final judgement is based on a holistic examination of the evidence.
The arrow indicates that there is no step-up in quality required e.g. a more detailed conclusion is not required for Excellence. However, it has become apparent that where the collection of data is more thorough and varied, it supports a more comprehensive analysis in the Excellence level research reports.
Specific examples of geographic concepts that could be used are contained in the Teaching and Learning Guides for Geography, pages 6-8.
AS91012 - Describe aspects of a contemporary New Zealand geographic issue
This achievement standard must focus on an issue in New Zealand that is of relevance now or will be in the near future (a proposal for future action). The issue must include a spatial dimension and can be a local, regional or national context. The conditions of assessment state that the issue, viewpoints and the three courses of action should be supplied by the teacher. Resources may be provided by the teacher, but it is recommended that students have the opportunity to supplement these resources through their own research.
This Achievement Standard involves four aspects:
· the nature of the issue
· viewpoints relating to the issue
· describe and assess courses of action to resolve the issue
· recommend a course of action.
The nature of the issue must contain a description of the natural and/or cultural features/characteristics that relate to the New Zealand issue and describe how the spatial dimension (location) is significant to the issue. A map can be used to establish the spatial dimension. The map can be annotated to provide evidence of the natural and/or cultural features relevant to the issue. An annotation is more than just a label; it must describe how the feature is relevant and finally, describe the effect of this issue on people and the environment.
A range of different viewpoints should be selected by the teacher and given to students, 2 or 3 would be sufficient. The selection must enable students to fully describe the viewpoints incorporating beliefs, values and/or perspectives, and using geographic terminology and concepts. This relies on comprehensive resources or information being made available to students.
Strengths and weaknesses of three courses of action must be described and assessed, but there is no longer a requirement that two strengths and weaknesses are considered for each course of action. The step up is from a description to an assessment at Merit.
Describing the strength(s) and weakness(s) at the achievement level is not the same as assessing the strength(s) and weakness(s) required to achieve at the Merit level. When ‘assessing’, students need to make a judgement on the merits of each strength and weakness. ‘Assessing’ is not a more detailed description. It is most successful where a separate task indicates this requirement to students.
For example, “A strength of this proposal is that it will only cost each ratepayer approximately $875. This is a significant advantage of this option because the cost of each proposal is a major consideration as the more expensive options are not likely to be favoured. A weakness of this proposal that a lot of people won’t like is that it will still result in damage to the environment. However, the damage is slight compared to the other options and therefore this weakness should not be taken too seriously”.
Students must provide a recommendation with detailed supporting reasons and to achieve with Excellence they need to demonstrate why their recommendation is better than the other options.
It is important to note the aspects of the issue that step up through the grades and how the quality is determined. The chart below unpacks the Achievement Criteria. The final judgement is based on a holistic examination of the evidence.
The arrow indicates that there is no step-up in quality required e.g. more detailed assessment of the strengths and weaknesses is not required for Excellence.
Specific examples of geographic concepts that could be used are contained in the Teaching and Learning Guides for Geography, pages 6-8.
91013 - Describe aspects of a geographic topic at a global scale
This achievement standard focuses on a geographic topic which must have a clear global spatial dimension; to meet this requirement it must occur in different continents, regions and hemispheres. The global topic should be provided by the teacher, with some of the resources, but students should be encouraged to provide additional material.
The choice of geographic topic at a global scale must enable the student to:
· describe the spatial pattern
· describe factors and/or processes that have caused or contributed to the pattern
· describe the significance of the global topic to people’s lives.
Global evidence must be used when responding to each aspect and use of geographic terminology and concepts is expected of an Excellence response. It is crucial that students can identify a global spatial pattern related to this topic.
The spatial pattern
The student does not have to map the global pattern. A map showing the pattern can be supplied to students and this will encourage the focus to be on the description of the global pattern. An issue arises when students draw their own maps to illustrate a spatial pattern and no discernible pattern can be identified; this can impact on the next stage of the task.
The description of the global pattern goes through to Excellence where it must be fully described. It should be identified using appropriate geographic terms (clustered, nucleated, dispersed etc.) and concepts (change, location) and cover regions or nations across different continents or hemispheres. Patterns should not be confused with location. “The main countries and continents that produce high amounts of coffee are in small clusters around the world. Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia are all large producers of coffee”. In this example a recognised term to describe the pattern, clusters, has been used. In contrast, in the following example, no pattern has been identified and location has been given. “Coffee is produced between the latitudes 25° north and 25° south of the Equator. The largest producers are Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia”. Students could annotate a map of the spatial pattern describing or identifying relevant features/characteristics e.g. continents, nations, longitude/latitude, climate zones etc., prior to writing a detailed description.
Factors/process that contribute to the pattern
Students must describe two factors, or two processes, or one factor and one process. They need to link each factor or process back to the global pattern to explicitly show the relationship between the factor/process and how it has caused or contributed to the global pattern. Problems with this aspect occur when the student has not understood the concept of pattern. A list of appropriate factors/processes can be provided for students.
Significance of the topic to people’s lives
This must be established by describing the impact of the topic on the lives of people and can include describing why the topic is of concern for people. This aspect differs from the previous standard in that the focus is directly on people’s lives. The answer must provide global evidence of the effect on people’s lives. Stating the number of people killed in an earthquake is insufficient, or how much damage was caused is only relevant if linked to people’s lives.
It is important to note the aspects of the global geographic topic that step up through the grades and how the quality is determined. The chart below unpacks the Achievement Criteria, and the descriptive aspects of the global geographic topic. The final judgement is based on a holistic examination of the evidence.
Achievement / Achievement with Merit / Achievement with ExcellenceDescribe aspects of a geographic topic at a global scale.
Describe the pattern
Describe factors and/or processes that caused or contributed to the pattern.
Describe the significance of the global topic to people’s lives. / Describe, in depth, aspects of a geographic topic at a global scale.
Describing in detail the pattern
Describing in detail the factors and/or processes that caused or contributed to the pattern
· specific information
Describing in detail the significance of the global topic to people’s lives
· specific information / Comprehensively describe aspects of a geographic topic at a global scale.
Fully describing the pattern
Fully describing the factors and/or processes that caused or contributed to the pattern
· specific information
· geographic terminology
· geographic concepts
· insight
Fully describing the significance of the global topic to people’s lives
· specific information
· geographic terminology
· geographic concepts
· insight
Specific examples of geographic concepts that could be used are contained in the Teaching and Learning Guides for Geography, pages 6-8.