2015 Notes from the Marking Centre – Geography
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Geography course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2015 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the Geography Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2015 Higher School Certificate Geography examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Geography in Stage 6.
Section II
Question 21
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding the formula for calculating the average gradient (part a)
- stating the formula for calculating the vertical exaggeration (part b)
- labelling the key (part c).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the concept of vertical exaggeration (part b)
- expressing the answer in the correct format (parts a and b)
- not confusing gradient calculation with local relief calculation (part a)
- using the key to label the transect (part c)
- using correct measurements on the transect (part c).
Question 22
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying a linkage (part a)
- recognising the external or internal nature of the linkage (part a)
- identifying the flow of goods, services, ideas and people (part a)
- identifying two ecological dimensions (part b)
- identifying two global changes in the economic activity (part c).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the connection between ‘linkage’ and ‘impact’ (part a)
- clearly outlining the impact (part a)
- understanding ecological dimensions which connect people and the environment (part b)
- providing comparable emphasis on the two global changes (part c)
- clearly showing the link between the global changes and the impacts on the enterprise (part c)
- understanding the difference between global and national changes (part c).
Question 23
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding social advantage and disadvantage in a city (part a)
- identifying two urban dynamics of change (part b)
- demonstrating some understanding of how urban dynamics affect the culture of place of a large city (part c).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- identifying a ‘large city’ of the developed world rather than a ‘mega city’ of the developing world (part a)
- understanding how advantage and disadvantage is distributed spatially within a ‘large city’ rather than focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of the city in general (part a)
- avoiding opinion and general statements that are based on stereotypes (part a)
- not confusing the requirements of the keyword ‘contrast’ with those of ‘compare’ (part b)
- identifying urban dynamics that contrast, such as: urban renewal and urban decline, suburbanisation and urban consolidation (part b)
- not confusing ‘culture of place’ with ‘cultural authority’ or multiculturalism (part c)
- making meaningful links between an urban dynamic and the culture of place rather than simply referring to events or festivals (part c).
Question 24a
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying the four spheres and their elements (part a)
- demonstrating an understanding of a natural stress (part b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- explaining how biophysical factors influence where an ecosystem at risk is located (part a)
- understanding the responses of an ecosystem at risk to natural stress (part b)
- not confusing a natural stress with a human stress (part b).
Section III
Question 25
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding the requirements of the key word ‘contrast’
- understanding the role of world cities and mega cities within the urban hierarchy
- communicating using appropriate geographical terms and concepts
- including relevant maps, diagrams and statistics to illustrate key points.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- clearly differentiating between world cities and mega cities
- providing a balanced response for both world cities and mega cities.
Question 26
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying traditional and/or contemporary management strategies
- referring to relevant case studies
- understanding the spatial patterns and dimensions relevant to the ecosystems at risk.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- addressing the requirements of the key word ‘discuss’ rather than providing a descriptive response
- understanding how management strategies could affect the functioning of ecosystems.
Question 27
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying an economic activity and a range of environmental and social impacts associated with the economic activity.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the requirements of the key word ‘analyse’
- differentiating between an economic enterprise and an economic activity
- not confusing the impacts of an economic activity with the factors that influence the economic activity
- drawing out the implications of the impacts
- referring to relevant case studies and illustrative examples
- communicating using appropriate geographic terminology.
NSW Government