Geographical Skills: Key Terms
Geographical Skills: Key Terms
Geographical Skills: Key Terms
Cartographic skills
Grid references & direction
4-figure grid reference – Locates a specific square on a map using two eastings and two northings.
6-figure grid reference – Pinpoints an exact location within a grid square using three eastings and three northings.
Compass bearing – A direction measured in degrees from north (0° to 360°).
Measuring & scale
Area – The space a feature takes up, measured in square units using map scale.
Curved route – A winding line measured by segmenting and adding distances.
Scale – The ratio of distance on a map to the real world (e.g., 1:25,000).
Relief & topography
Contour line – A line on a map joining points of equal height.
Cross-section – A side view or slice through the landscape using contour data.
Spot height – A point on the map marked with an exact height.
Topography – The shape and features of the land surface.
Map types & interpretation
Choropleth map – A map shaded to show data ranges like population or rainfall.
Isoline map – A map using lines to show places of equal value (e.g. temperature, height).
OS map – Ordnance Survey map with detailed topographic data.
Thematic map – A map focused on a specific topic or theme.
Graphs
Bar chart – A graph with rectangular bars showing discrete data.
Climate graph – Shows average monthly temperature (line) and rainfall (bars) over a year.
Dispersion graph – A graph that shows the spread of data around a central value.
Doughnut graph – A pie chart with the centre removed, used to show proportions.
Kite diagram – A graph showing the distribution and abundance of species along a transect.
Line graph – A graph showing continuous data using points joined by lines.
Radial graph – A graph using spokes radiating from a central point to show direction and frequency.
Scatter graph – A graph showing relationships between two variables.
Triangular graph – A graph used for three-part data that adds up to 100%.
Charts & diagrams
Compound bar chart – A bar divided into segments showing multiple categories.
Histogram – A bar graph for continuous data, with no gaps between bars.
Pie chart – A circular chart showing proportions of a whole using segments.
Population pyramid – A graph showing age and gender structure of a population.
Rose diagram – A circular graph showing directional data, such as wind patterns.
Visual tools
Flow diagram – Shows movement, such as traffic or people, using arrows.
Pictogram – Uses pictures or symbols to represent data.
Proportional symbol map – A map where the size of a symbol shows the quantity of a variable.
Venn diagram – Overlapping circles used to compare and contrast sets of data.
Fieldwork skills
Aims, hypotheses & planning
Aim – A clear statement describing what the fieldwork investigation is trying to find out.
Hypothesis – A testable statement predicting a relationship or pattern that the fieldwork will investigate.
Health & safety
Risk assessment – Identifying potential hazards during fieldwork and planning how to avoid them.
Data types
Primary data – Information collected first-hand by students during fieldwork, such as questionnaires or river measurements.
Secondary data – Existing data collected by others, such as census data or old photographs.
Quantitative data – Numerical data that can be measured and counted.
Qualitative data – Descriptive data based on opinions or observations.
Fieldwork methods
Closed question – A question with a fixed set of possible answers.
Environmental quality survey (EQS) – A method of judging environmental quality using a scoring system or scale.
Interview – An in-depth discussion used to gather detailed views.
Open question – A question allowing any response, used to gather more detailed data.
Questionnaire – A set of questions used to collect data from people.
Data analysis & conclusion
Analysis – The process of identifying patterns, relationships or trends in data.
Conclusion – A summary of findings which states whether the hypothesis is supported.
Evaluation – Judging how reliable and valid the methods, data, and conclusions are.
Limitations – Weaknesses in the data or methods used that may affect the results.