Unit 4a in January

[Chris Smitheram]

Is anyone else enterting their students for this paper in January? I have a lot of questions about it and am starting the prep after half term but in a bit of a quagmire?

[Victoria Ellis]

Mark, it was just the specimen paper from the AQA website http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-GEOG4A-W-SQP-07.PDF.

I'll have another look back at my notes, etc. from the course back in summer, but the questions I remember talking about were GEOG3 rather than 4.

Also went to order the skills book mentioned earlier in the thread, and this was in the "you might also like..." bit http://www.amazon.co.uk/AQA-Geography-Geographical-Including-Fieldw...

[Victoria Ellis]

Re synoptic charts - I know that they are on the skills checklist, but what is the situation if you're not doing the weather/climate unit?

[Nicola]

I seem to remember going to a meeting where they said that you only needed to do synoptic charts if you were doing the weather option, so was going to miss them out.

[Mark OLLIS]

I have taught Mann Whitney today, so similar to Spearmans Rank they got it quickly. Plan next week is Chi Squared - my own hand written notes [but can scan] - mainly as I can't get equation editor on the PCs I use. I have a MW worked example from BarkRedSkin, very similar to the book above. And then Geography in animation anticyclones and depressions followed by weather chart exercise from GAIA, its in all versions including the new. Contemplated scanning it but in all books so seems pointless. Last few days and between Christmas + exam past questions from Speciment, Smill, + brs.

Most have now finished evaluation, so conclusion due Mon + evaluation tues, I will then collate common ideas. They compared a plantation with coppiced area using Mann Whitney and there was a significant difference. I am also going to compare the four different layers of plants in the coppice using chi squared to see if the distribution is even or biased at shrub level [due to adaptation]. it has all come together in the end but they are far too reluctant.

[David Vincent]

I was at an INSET with John Smith and was explicitly told that this skill would not be included in 4a and was on the skills list only for those doing the weather unit option.

[Nicola]

Just starting to think about this now - a self evaluation table is attached, so pupils can assess how confident they feel with all the different skills

[Nicola]

Am starting the skills this week, so find attached some notes on Isoline maps and triangular graphs, also a list of textbook references/examples, plus when the different skills came up on the old Spec B Module 6 paper.

If anyone did the old AQA A and knows which the skills paper was, that would be great,then I can add in those too (and download the papers whilst they are still online!)

[Mark OLLIS]

Thank you, we have also been looking again at Synoptic maps - quick revision using Foundations! The attached most likely to and then exercise in GAIA.

[Victoria Ellis]

Thanks for these Nicola.

On old AQA A, GGA3 was the AS skills unit. GGA7 was the pre-released material alternative to coursework.

[Malc Kennedy]

We are also entering students for 4A in January (Tue 26th Jan am). I have used the specimin material. I did also notice that the students are familiar with their coursework but the wording of the question was difficult, for the middle/ lower ablily students, especially with so many marks for the questions. The command words are vital. The questions also often ask to include something and something.

[Victoria Ellis]

Yes, I agree about the wording of the questions. One of the reasons that I opted for AQA was that students still had the opportunity to complete their own individual investigations, but I am seriously considering a shift to 4B. Then again, some of the specimen questions for the AS units were a bit odd, and (rejuvenation excepted!!) the actual papers seemed more straightforward, so fingers crossed!