GCSE Geography Fieldwork 2019 Welcome to your Geography fieldwork Geographers like to conduct geographical fieldwork. This allows geographers to see how well the theory in the textbook links to the real world. Fieldwork is the bit geographers enjoy the most! Today we are going to conduct a piece of fieldwork on the changes in cross profile and long profile of a river (study of the physical environment). ‘What variables can be measured in a river?’ Task: Describe the location of Carding Mill Valley on a national scale. Carding Mill Valley is located… Cound Brook is a tributary of the River Severn in Shropshire, England, running to south of the county town Shrewsbury. The Cound Brook rises in the Stretton Hills and discharges into the River Severn at Eyton on Severn after winding its way for 25 miles (40 km) across the southern Shropshire-Severn plains. The flow of the Cound Brook can vary from sluggish in a dry summer to a raging torrent in winter or spring. The river is crossed by several bridges along its route including two historic and unusual iron bridges. Several other roads cross the river as fords. The river has breached its banks on the lower flood plain several times in the past and is now monitored by the local rivers authority. Locating the study area Create a sketch map of Carding Mill Valley Annotate the sketch map to show the human and natural features of the area Extension: for each feature, explain your understanding. E.g. Explain how the feature was formed Explain how the feature affects the velocity of the river Explain how the feature manages the river landscape Explain what you know about the feature (e.g. how the features affects the river discharge/flood risk? Or how the feature manages the river (hard/soft engineering)?) Identify human or physical feature Field Sketch How do I structure my geographical investigation... STEP 1 Create a question or hypothesis for investigation. Choose two or three ways to collect your data that STEP 2 will help you answer the question. Select two or three ways to present your data, using STEP 3 graphs, maps and images. STEP 4 Analyse and summarise your main findings What questions can be investigated…. EXAMPLE –How does the depth change downstream? Geographical Question Grid…. Is? Did? Can? Would? Will? Might? What? Where? When? Who? Why? How? Choose a Hypothesis to investigate (H1) The cross profile (width and depth) of Cound Brook increases downstream from the source OR The size of the sediment in Cound Brook decreases downstream from the source OR The velocity of Cound Brook increases downstream from the source Types of data collection This data is numerical in form, or Primary Data can be placed into categories for counting. This data includes people’s Secondary Data opinions, perspectives, thoughts and feelings. This is data you collect yourself, Quantitative or as part of a group. - first hand information. This is data collected by someone Qualitative else for a different purpose. This can include books, newspapers and OS maps. The Bradshaw Model The Bradshaw model is a theoretical model that helps describe the changes we would expect as a river travels from its source regions in its upper course, downstream, through the middle course and into the lower course towards its mouth. It is shown below as a series of triangles. If the triangle gets wider towards the downstream section it means that on average that variable increases with increasing distance downstream from the source. If the triangle decreases in size it means that on average the variable decreases with increasing distance towards the mouth. However, due to the nature of rivers and the ever-changing environment in which we live not all rivers fit the model perfectly; therefore the model is usually used in order to compare natural rivers to concepts laid down by the model. We can compare what we find during out fieldwork to the Bradshaw Model below. Secondary Data Examples of secondary data: • Environmental Agency Flood Risk Map • Gauge Map Sampling Types Sampling Description How would you carry type out this type of sampling? Random Data is collected by Sampling chance. Systematic Data is collected at Sampling equal intervals. Stratified Deliberately choosing Sampling where to sample. Students have selected the following locations to survey a river. 1) What type of sampling have the students used to determine the locations? 2) Why have students selected that type of sampling? 3) Why might other types of sampling be less effective? Assessing the risks One of the most important things to think about when planning a piece of fieldwork is to make sure it will be safe. It is essential to do a risk assessment. What is the risk Risk Level (1 -unlikely to 5 - How can you reduce the risk? Probable) Uneven surfaces, trips, slips and falls. Drowning Weils disease Meeting members of the public Weather conditions Choosing our data collection sites You will need to visit contrasting sites with your teacher. At each site you need to conduct the following types of primary data collection. Fieldwork Checklist (Must complete) 1. Width and depth of the channel 2. Sediment size (5 pieces of sediment) 3. Velocity 4. Annotated photograph 5. Environmental noise survey (iPad app) - Sound Meter app. Optional - Draw a field sketch or take photographs to support your investigation Fieldwork Safety Message Your safety is our priority! 1. Exemplary behaviour when walking around the local community (Courteous, polite and respectful) 2. Give way to members of the public 3. Listen carefully to your teacher's instructions 4. Stay with your group at all times. 5. Walk on the pavements and pay particular attention when crossing roads. 6. Inform your teacher immediately of any problems. Any concerns regarding the safety of a student will lead to removal from the fieldwork section Methodology Purpose of Sampling Description of Location/ Problems I How did I method Type method- how did Sites experienced whilst overcome these you collect the collecting the data problems? data? Measuring the depth of the river Measuring the width of the river Measuring the velocity of the river Measuring the sediment size Presenting your fieldwork data Geographers present their results using maps, tables and graphs. This makes it easier to read and identify trends in the data. Present the data that best helps to answer your hypothesis. Bar graph Pictogram The data you can present is…. 1. Width and depth of the Pie Chart channel Use a range 2. Sediment size of methods Proportional symbols 3. Velocity (Circles) 4. Annotated photograph 5. Environmental noise survey Radar graph for (iPad app) - Sound Meter environmental quality survey app. All graphs must have a title, be drawn with a ruler and have axes labelled! How do the river valley and channel characteristics vary along Carding Mill Valley? THE WRITE UP. Data presentation…write up. This is basically what you will need to make sure you have from the trip… Velocity calculations Discharge calculations Annotated photographs and/or field sketches River channel profiles Secondary Data GIS Map First you’ll nee to complete this part of your results… Have you completed your field sketches Copy these with annotations? bits Long profile sketch? You work out these parts Graphs… Velocity Discharge Site Site You are basically comparing your data to a variety of models… Increases or decreases? 1. The gradient of the river channel… DECREASES 2. Width and depth of the river channel… INCREASES 3. Vertical erosion… DECREASES 4. Lateral erosion… INCREASES 5. Friction… DECREASES 6. Sediment size… DECREASES 7. Velocity… INCREASES 8. Discharge… INCREASES 9. What happens to the shape of the sediment? MORE ROUNDED Secondary Data http://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map/Summary/1149/1252 Analysis Describe the general trends from your data – for example, ‘the width of the river increases travelling downstream‘ …try to use as many elements of the ‘Bradshaw model’ and ‘Long Profile’ Make comparisons using data – for example, ‘the width of the river increased by 3.5m between sites 1 and 4 Explain the patterns of your data with links to geographical process– for example, ‘the width of the river has increased because of lateral erosion…’ ...what processes created your results? Colour code your work to highlight: figures and data --- terminology and theory --- explanations Conclusion What did your investigation find out? Summarise your findings and link each to the evidence Point out any anomalies in your data – the results that are different from what you expected How closely does the Carding Mill Valley River follow the Bradshaw Model and Long Profile? Secondary data evidence? Does it match yours? Evaluation How successful and useful were your methods for sampling and collecting data? How could they be improved? How accurate were your results? Did your data collection methods affect the results? Did missing or inaccurate data make the study unreliable or affect the results? Did missing or inaccurate data make the study unreliable or affect your conclusions? How could the investigation be extended? Simple Statistics Mean The mean is the average for the data set. This is found by adding up all the numbers and dividing the result by the number of values present. Median The median is the middle value in a set of numbers. It is found by arranging the numbers in order, and identifying the number in the middle. If there are two middle values you need to add them together and divide by 2. Mode The mode is the most common value in a group of numbers. Look for the number that appears the most, this is the mode number. What did we find out from our research? Analysis - what do the graphs and maps show? H Highs - what are your highest results.