Geography GCE G3B - Suggested topic titles linked to the 2013 topics and themes Feedback from the CPD meetings, autumn 2011

These titles have been put forward by teachers at recent CPD meetings to suit the 2013 topics for G3B. These have not however been checked through the normal WJEC question paper processes and are not officially approved titles. As such they are useful suggestions but some may need work to refine them.

Theme 1: Crime in rural areas

o How does the level and type of crime vary between a rural and urban area? o How does the level and type of crime vary between different sizes of rural settlement? o How does the level and type of crime vary within rural settlements with different distances from an urban area? o How does crime vary within and outside a National Park? o Do some rural areas experience higher levels of crime than others? o Is the level of crime associated with the social, economic and environmental characteristics of a rural area? o Has crime in rural area X increased in the last five years? o To what extent does crime exist in rural areas?

Theme 2: Spatial and/or temporal changes in deprivation

o Has deprivation in area X decreased since regeneration? o How does access to open spaces vary between urban and rural areas? o To what extent is deprivation reflected in a decline of services? o How do spatial patterns of deprivation compare with theoretical land-use models? o Does deprivation change from inner-urban areas to the suburbs? o How do patterns of deprivation vary between two districts of one MEDC urban area?

Theme 3: Spatial variations in disease

o Is there a link between the increasing prevalence of TB and the location of migrant population? o Is there a relationship between the spatial distribution of flu and weather extremes? o Is degenerative disease linked to the ageing population? o Are areas with a higher proportion of homeless people more likely to experience TB? o Is there a positive relationship between ethnicity and disease? o Are some diseases more prevalent in LEDCs than MEDCs? o Are STDs are more prevalent in studentified districts of urban areas? o How does disease X vary between rural and urban areas? o How does disease X vary within an urban area? o Does the occurrence of malaria show the effect of physical factors such as proximity to water bodies? o How has the distribution and amount of AIDS/HIV cases changed between 1980 and the present day? o How does the management of disease X influence its distribution? Theme 4: Impact of the environment on behaviour

o What is the impact of the environment on behaviour? o Is there evidence that the length of stay on a beach is related to the distance travelled? o How does vandalism and graffiti vary with distance from a sporting venue? o Does access to open space affect behaviour? o Do the physical characteristics of residential areas affect the behaviour of the people who live there? o Does human behaviour change as building density decreases? o To what extent do different environments impact upon human behaviour?

Theme 5: Rural/urban contrasts in leisure and recreation

o Do patterns of movement for leisure and recreation vary between rural and urban areas? o Does the level of satisfaction with the provision of leisure and recreation facilities vary between urban and rural areas? o Does the impact of leisure facilities vary between urban and rural areas? o How do the types of leisure/recreation vary between urban and rural areas? o Do leisure activities in rural areas result in more pressure and misuse than in urban areas? o Are there differences in visitor characteristics between recreation/leisure facilities in urban and rural areas? o How do the social benefits of a leisure facility vary between urban and rural areas?

Theme 6: Upland microclimates

o How does temperature, wind speed and humidity in an upland microclimate link to changes in vegetation? o To what extent does human influence alter upland microclimate in areas X and Y? o How does the microclimate of area X change throughout the seasons? o What impact does aspect have upon upland microclimates? o How do climatic variables vary with altitude? o How does the climate of an upland area vary with aspect?

Theme 7: Pollution of the marine environment

o How does land use and human activity influence water quality at different times of year? o How do weather patterns influence water quality? o How does commercial activity influence/impact on the water quality of a marine environment? o For a specific oil event X, how is a marine environment affected? o How do variations in water quality impact on water sports activities? o Does water quality improve with increasing distance from an outfall point? o How does marine pollution vary between points A and B? o How do peoples’ perceptions of water quality vary between an urban and rural coastline? o How does people’s perception of water quality vary from reality? o Does long shore drift affect the marine pollution in area A? o What were the short term impacts of incident X on water quality? o Is there a relationship between levels of marine pollution and factor X? o How does water quality vary spatially and temporally at beach X? o To what extent are bio-indicators in rock pools an indication of marine pollution? o How does land use affect the pollution of the beach environment?

Theme 8: Out-of-town shopping

o What are the reasons for locations of out-of-town shopping centres? o Has out-of-town retail had an impact on local town centres? o There is a difference in types of shops between in-town and out-of- town. o There is a difference in the types of shoppers between in town and out of town. o Is out of town shopping centre X sustainable? o What is the impact of the closure of out-of-town shopping centres on the centre of town X? o Where would be the best location for a new shopping centre? o Would a new out-of- town shopping centre at X be positive for the local area? o How extensive is the sphere of influence of an out-of-town shopping centre?

Theme 9: Landforms in river valleys

o How does the index of sinuosity vary along the long profile of river X? o How does the river channel width/depth vary along the course of river X? o How does the river change downstream in terms of riffle spacing, characteristics of point bars and floodplain slopes? o How has human activity affected the channel landforms in plan and cross section? o How has the channel pattern of river X varied over time? o How do channel characteristics change as stream order increases? o How do different river variables (channel cross-section, gradient and velocity) link with the river landforms found at different sites? o How do different river variables (channel cross-section, gradient and velocity) link with the profile of a channel cross-section (river cliff and slip-off slope)? o Are there significant differences between landforms along rivers X and Y? o Does meander wavelength differ along the course of river X? o Have landforms impacted on the land use along river X?

Theme 10: Hydroseres and/or haloseres o How do the characteristics of a grazed and ungrazed salt marsh differ? o How do the characteristics of a managed and unmanaged salt marsh differ? o How does the amount and type of vegetation change with distance from the LWM? o To what extent do certain variables (plant height, vegetation cover, pH, organic content, temperature, wind speed, and light) vary with distance from the LWM? o How does the amount and type of vegetation vary with the topography of the salt marsh? o What are the changes in vegetation associated with changes in soil pH, organic matter and moisture content in a halosere/hydrosere?

SJ/HJ/W3(12)