Geographical methods

G3 Elective Geography: Climate - syllabus K335, 2027

Plan a fair investigation, collect useful evidence, read maps and data, and reach a conclusion you can justify.

• Planning a geographical inquiry

  A good inquiry says exactly what will be measured, where, when and for whom, before any data are collected.

• Fieldwork risks and safety measures

  For each risk, say who could be harmed and how, then give one measure that makes the harm less likely or less serious.

• Fieldwork in other places

  Let the question choose the method: measure heat with instruments, count crowds at set times, and use maps and interviews for sense of place.

• Sampling methods

  How you choose your sample decides whose experiences your results can represent.

• Writing a questionnaire

  Clear, neutral questions with answer options that do not overlap make responses easy to compare.

• Mental maps and interviews

  A mental map shows how someone sees a place, and an interview helps explain what they drew or left out.

• Mean, median, mode and percentages

  Pick the statistic that fits your data, state its unit and total, and check whether unusual values change the picture.

• Drawing bar and line graphs

  Use bars to compare categories, lines to show change over time, and pies for parts of one total.

• Pie charts and percentages

  A bigger percentage does not always mean more people, so always check the total behind each percentage.

• Scatter graphs and correlation

  A scatter graph shows whether two measurements tend to change together, but it cannot prove why.

• Map direction, coordinates and scale

  Use the map's north arrow and scale, and measure the actual route when a question asks how far someone travels.

• Thematic maps

  A map symbol might show a count, a percentage, a movement or an equal value, so always read the key first.

• Wind roses

  A wind rose shows how often wind came from each direction; wind speed needs a separate key.

• Photographs and sketches

  Say what you can actually see, keep guesses separate, and check the image's place, date and scale.

• Texts, cartoons and viewpoints

  Find the message, show how the text or image gets it across, and check what evidence backs it up.

• Conclusions and fieldwork evaluation

  A good conclusion answers the question with evidence, admits its limits and suggests a fix for a real weakness.