Geographical Skills

Geographical skills definition

Geographical skills are defined by the way we examine our surrounding world, interpret data, and present data. These skills can be broken down into different categories, such as cartographic, graphical, numerical, and statistical.

Application of geographical skills

This part of the course is going to test your ability to use your knowledge from everything that you've learned in the human and physical sections. This is where you will have to apply your geographical skills and knowledge. This section is split into two; an exam for one part (Evaluation of Issues), and fieldwork experience for the other.

Evaluation of issues

Now, we won't go into so much detail here, as there is a whole separate explanation on this. Simply, 12 weeks before your exam, you will be given a 'pre-release' resource booklet on a particular geographical issue, that will be something you've learned about already in the course. You can study this booklet before, and when it comes to the exam, a blank resource booklet will be given to you, and you have to answer some questions!

Fieldwork

As a part of your GCSE geography course, you will be required to undertake 2 pieces of fieldwork. This means you're going to have to go out and collect some primary data, but make sure it is linked to either the Living with the Physical Environment or Challenges in the Human Environment topics. But what exactly is fieldwork?

Fieldwork is super important in geography, and learning these skills early on will help you in your geographical future. You'll be taught properly how to undertake fieldwork in your school or college. Don't forget to bring your wellies on your field trip day!

Fig. 1 - don't forget your wellies for your fieldwork day!

Geographical skills and techniques

This is the second part of this topic of skills and application. Geographical skills and techniques go hand in hand. They help us to interpret geographical data. You may be required to deal with geographical data in any of the three exams you will be taking.

Cartographic skills

Cartographic skills allow you to create, and also interpret, maps. There are several basic concepts that you need to understand when working with maps.

You need to be able to interpret two different types of maps; atlas maps (bigger areas) and ordinance survey maps (more detailed, smaller areas). You may be asked to look at the physical and human patterns they may show. But how do you interpret these maps? Well, you need to understand a few key concepts that these maps may show:

Table 1

Coordinates

Coordinates are identifiers for a point on a map in an "XY" format. Ordnance Survey (OS) maps are often split up into numerous squares, like a grid. The OS grid (National Grid), is a reference grid that shows a location, based on which grid square a particular point falls. The grid is first divided into 100 km squares and assigned two letters to identify it. That lettered square is then broken down into 10 km squares.

Fig. 2 - the national grid for Ordnance Survey

In the smaller 10km square, the horizontal lines are called eastings and are numbered from 0 to 9. The vertical lines are called northings and are also numbered from 0 to 9.

Let's briefly look at an example, as it's often easier to understand something by visualising it.

To identify where the star is in grid square SK, count the columns first. You would be in column 6. This is the easting. Now go up to the row where the star is. This would be the northing, which is 7. So, the label for the star would be SK67.

We can break the SK67 square down into another 100 squares, which are 1km each. This will give us a more accurate location. Remember your last easting and northing, and put a space after each; so, 6_7_. In these spaces, you will identify the easting column first and then the northing row. The star in the figure below would be labelled as SK60 72.

This is a four-figure reference.

Now, we will break the SK6072 square down into another 100 squares, which are 100m each. Again, you will remember your eastings and northings from the four-figure reference, and put one more space after them like this, 60_ 72_. Now just add the easting and northing based on the location of the star below. You will get a reference of SK608 725. This is a six-figure Reference.

Photos

You might also have to interpret photos, by looking at what the photo is showing, and what impacts the photo could have (based on the human and physical topics you've studied). Take a look at the photo below. What is it showing? How could the photo affect people or the environment? How could issues be solved?

Fig. 6 - what could this volcanic eruption mean for the people living here?