Video transcript
Kia ora and welcome. This webcast is intended to provide guidance and advice on the requirements for Geography 91933 ‘Explore an environment using data’.
Specifically, this webcast will explore the requirement for students to present data.
The standard requires a focus on the use of presented data to show understanding of an environment. As shown in Explanatory Note 3, data includes primary sources, secondary sources, and can be qualitative and quantitative.
The focus of this standard is on using data, and it allows for both primary and or secondary data to be used.
While the inclusion of primary data supports the learning of a research skill, a reliance on primary data alone reduces the opportunity for students to explain the findings when compared to students using both primary and secondary data.
The presented primary data shows ‘what’, but additional presented secondary data is often needed to explain ‘why’.
Explanatory Note 3 states presented data refers to visuals processed from data and generated by the student. This means the secondary data needs to be used by the student to produce a new image. This requires students to demonstrate skills of data selection, interpretation and application, all of which will provide a clearer understanding of what the data tells you about the environment.
Here, secondary data has been used in the form of an aerial photograph. It has been generated into a new image using appropriate techniques and geographic conventions.
Areas have been shaded, streams highlighted and labels added.
This evidence supports explanation of changes in water quality due to streams flowing through industrial areas, and also enables flood risk areas to be identified and assessed.
It is important that the selected environment is clearly identified. As we look at some examples, consider the use of geographic conventions, appropriate techniques, and how the use of both primary and secondary data can support each other.
In this example, primary data in the form of a sketch map was used to define the environment being explored.
In this example, secondary data in the form of a topographic map was used to identify the extent of the environment.
The student processed the image by adding annotations, noting key geographic features which will support explanation of stream flow.
This image has been generated by the student using correct geographic conventions.
Remember that this standard requires a focus on the use of presented data to show understanding of an environment.
Explanatory Note 3 defines what data can include. For the purposes of this Achievement Standard, presented data refers to visuals processed from data and generated by the student using appropriate techniques and methods.
For more explanation and examples of what is required for this aspect of the standard, see the exemplars on the NZQA website.
There are also annotated samples of student evidence on the Assessor Practice Tool for 91933. These clearly show the type of evidence required for the aspect discussed in this webcast.
Further assessor support for the internal achievement standards in Geography can be found on the Geography subject page on the NZQA website. Thank you.
Geography 91933: Presenting data (4:47 mins)
Helpful guidance on the requirement for students to use presented data to show understanding of an environment.
Video transcript
Kia ora and welcome. This webcast is intended to provide guidance and advice on the requirements for Geography 91933 ‘Explore an environment using data’.
Specifically, this webcast will explore the requirement relating to the findings based on the process data.
The first aspect directly assessed by the standard is the requirement to use the process data to provide findings or understandings about an environment. Simply describing what the process data shows, such as describing a graph or map, does not show evidence of the skill of interpreting the data to formulate findings.
Findings could be addressed by asking “What does the data tell me about this environment?”
The requirements for each level of achievement are outlined in Explanatory Note 1.
The range and quality of data available for students needs to enable the findings to be described, explained, and a valid conclusion formulated.
While primary data can be used, additional secondary data will likely need to be processed to enable the findings to be explained and a valid conclusion formulated.
The first step is to describe the findings. Consider these two pieces of processed primary data.
How could you describe what they tell you about the environments?
For the bar graph, a description could include “the Maraetotara river is warmest at Site 3, with a little difference in temperature at the other sites.”
For Merit, students need to go beyond description and explain findings about the environment.
Consider what data might be needed to explain the findings why Site 3 is warmer.
For the wind rose a description could include the predominant wind being a westerly, but winds recorded from the North East were strong.
The site is protected from southerly winds.
Consider what data would be needed for Merit to explain the findings of what is protecting the site from southerly winds, and why is it exposed to westerly winds.
In this example, data from the annotated aerial image could be used to explain findings from the temperature graph.
Note that annotations were two reasons are given for Site 2 being relatively cool.
Site 2 was relatively cool, showing little increase from Site 1. This is a result of the water sheltered by vegetation and the rocks were out of the sunlight and the river was fast flowing.
In this example, two secondary data sets were processed to explore an urban environment.
The processing involved adding annotations to the graph and map showing some interpretation of the data.
The graph would support description of the population change.
The map enables the reasons for growth in Kumeu to be explained. For example, the availability of housing and impacts of population growth on Kumeu.
In this example, both primary and secondary data have been processed. The graph supports a description of findings and the map allows for an explanation of the findings. For example, the Ecoli findings could be explained by the proximity of agricultural activities from the map.
For more explanation, and examples of what is required for this aspect of this standard, see the exemplars on the NZQA website.
There are also annotated samples of student evidence on the Assessor Practice Tool for 91933.
These clearly show the type of evidence required for the aspect discussed in this webcast.
Further assessor support for the internal achievement standards in Geography can be found on the Geography subject page on the NZQA website. Thank you.
Geography 91933: Findings - Describe, Explain (4:58 mins)
Guidance and advice on the requirements for Geography standard 91933, Explore an environment using data.