Secondary 2 Geography Fieldwork Quiz

Secondary 2 Geography Quiz - Fieldwork

Answer Key

Section A: Understanding Fieldwork (Questions 1–5)

1. Fieldwork [1]
Note: Accept "field study" or "field investigation." The key idea is systematic data collection outside the classroom.

2. Any one suitable reason, e.g.:

• To gather first-hand information about a place or environment
• To observe geographical features or processes in real life
• To test a hypothesis or answer a geographical question
• To develop practical geographical skills [1]
  Marking note: Accept any valid reason related to direct observation, data collection, or investigation.

3. Primary data is information collected first-hand by the person carrying out the investigation [1]
Note: Key phrase is "first-hand" or "collected directly by the researcher." Do not accept "data from books or the internet" — that is secondary data.

4. Any one example, e.g.:

• Questionnaire / survey
• Interview
• Tally count (e.g., traffic count)
• Taking photographs
• Measuring temperature with a thermometer
• Observing and recording land use [1]
  Marking note: Must be a primary data collection method. Do not accept "researching online" or "reading a textbook."

5. Qualitative data is descriptive information that cannot be measured in numbers (e.g., opinions, colours, textures) [0.5], while quantitative data is numerical information that can be measured or counted (e.g., temperature in °C, number of vehicles) [0.5].
Note: Students must clearly distinguish between the two types. Award 0.5 for each correct definition. Examples are not required but help confirm understanding.

Section B: Planning and Methods (Questions 6–10)

6.
(a) Any suitable aim, e.g.: "To investigate how land use changes from the city centre to the outskirts" or "To identify the types of land use along a transect from the city centre to the suburbs." [1]
Marking note: The aim should be specific and related to land use change along a route.

(b) Any two types of land use, e.g.:

• Residential
• Commercial / shops
• Industrial
• Recreational / park
• Agricultural
• Transport / roads [2]
  Award 1 mark per correct land use type. Accept any valid examples.

7. A risk assessment is important because it helps identify potential dangers (e.g., traffic, uneven terrain, weather) before the trip, allowing the group to take precautions and plan how to stay safe [1]. It also ensures that the fieldwork can be carried out without accidents or injuries, protecting both students and teachers [1].
Marking note: Award 1 mark for identifying the purpose (identifying dangers) and 1 mark for explaining the benefit (ensuring safety / preventing accidents).

8.
(a) Near MRT Station [1]
Note: 320 is the highest value in the 8:00–9:00 AM column.

(b) The number of pedestrians is highest in the morning (8:00–9:00 AM) and evening (5:00–6:00 PM) because many people use the MRT station to commute to and from work [1]. The number is lower at midday (12:00–1:00 PM) because most commuters are already at their workplaces or schools [1].
Marking note: Award 1 mark for linking the pattern to commuting and 1 mark for explaining the midday dip.

9. A tally chart is used by drawing a vertical line for each vehicle counted [1]. Every fifth vehicle is recorded as a diagonal line crossing the previous four, making groups of five [1]. The student should record the type of vehicle (e.g., car, bus, motorcycle) in rows and tally the count for each type [1]. At the end, the tallies are counted to find the total for each vehicle type [1].
Marking note: Award marks for describing the tally system (vertical lines, diagonal for groups of five), recording vehicle types, and totaling. Maximum 3 marks.

10.
(a) Any one advantage, e.g.:

• It allows many people to be surveyed quickly
• The data is easy to analyse because questions are standardised
• Respondents can answer honestly as they may remain anonymous [1]

(b) Any one disadvantage, e.g.:

• People may not return the questionnaire
• Questions may be misunderstood without an interviewer present
• The response rate may be low [1]

(c) Any suitable question, e.g.: "How often do you visit the new park?" or "On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with the new park?" [1]
Marking note: The question should be relevant to opinions about the new park and be a closed or rating-scale question suitable for a questionnaire.

Section C: Data Presentation and Analysis (Questions 11–15)

11.
(a) Plastic bottles [1]
Note: 45 is the highest value.

(b) Total = 45 + 30 + 25 + 10 + 15 = 125 items [2]
*Award 1 mark for correct working and 1 mark for the correct answer. Accept

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# Secondary 2 Geography Quiz - Fieldwork  
## Answer Key

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### Section A: Understanding Fieldwork (Questions 1–5)

**1.** Fieldwork [1]  
*Note: Accept "field study" or "field investigation." The key idea is systematic data collection outside the classroom.*

**2.** Any one suitable reason, e.g.:  
- To gather first-hand information about a place or environment  
- To observe geographical features or processes in real life  
- To test a hypothesis or answer a geographical question  
- To develop practical geographical skills [1]  
*Marking note: Accept any valid reason related to direct observation, data collection, or investigation.*

**3.** Primary data is information collected first-hand by the person carrying out the investigation [1]  
*Note: Key phrase is "first-hand" or "collected directly by the researcher." Do not accept "data from books or the internet" — that is secondary data.*

**4.** Any one example, e.g.:  
- Questionnaire / survey  
- Interview  
- Tally count (e.g., traffic count)  
- Taking photographs  
- Measuring temperature with a thermometer  
- Observing and recording land use [1]  
*Marking note: Must be a primary data collection method. Do not accept "researching online" or "reading a textbook."*

**5.** Qualitative data is descriptive information that cannot be measured in numbers (e.g., opinions, colours, textures) [0.5], while quantitative data is numerical information that can be measured or counted (e.g., temperature in °C, number of vehicles) [0.5].  
*Note: Students must clearly distinguish between the two types. Award 0.5 for each correct definition. Examples are not required but help confirm understanding.*

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### Section B: Planning and Methods (Questions 6–10)

**6.**  
(a) Any suitable aim, e.g.: "To investigate how land use changes from the city centre to the outskirts" or "To identify the types of land use along a transect from the city centre to the suburbs." [1]  
*Marking note: The aim should be specific and related to land use change along a route.*

(b) Any two types of land use, e.g.:  
- Residential  
- Commercial / shops  
- Industrial  
- Recreational / park  
- Agricultural  
- Transport / roads [2]  
*Award 1 mark per correct land use type. Accept any valid examples.*

**7.** A risk assessment is important because it helps identify potential dangers (e.g., traffic, uneven terrain, weather) before the trip, allowing the group to take precautions and plan how to stay safe [1]. It also ensures that the fieldwork can be carried out without accidents or injuries, protecting both students and teachers [1].  
*Marking note: Award 1 mark for identifying the purpose (identifying dangers) and 1 mark for explaining the benefit (ensuring safety / preventing accidents).*

**8.**  
(a) Near MRT Station [1]  
*Note: 320 is the highest value in the 8:00–9:00 AM column.*

(b) The number of pedestrians is highest in the morning (8:00–9:00 AM) and evening (5:00–6:00 PM) because many people use the MRT station to commute to and from work [1]. The number is lower at midday (12:00–1:00 PM) because most commuters are already at their workplaces or schools [1].  
*Marking note: Award 1 mark for linking the pattern to commuting and 1 mark for explaining the midday dip.*

**9.** A tally chart is used by drawing a vertical line for each vehicle counted [1]. Every fifth vehicle is recorded as a diagonal line crossing the previous four, making groups of five [1]. The student should record the type of vehicle (e.g., car, bus, motorcycle) in rows and tally the count for each type [1]. At the end, the tallies are counted to find the total for each vehicle type [1].  
*Marking note: Award marks for describing the tally system (vertical lines, diagonal for groups of five), recording vehicle types, and totaling. Maximum 3 marks.*

**10.**  
(a) Any one advantage, e.g.:  
- It allows many people to be surveyed quickly  
- The data is easy to analyse because questions are standardised  
- Respondents can answer honestly as they may remain anonymous [1]  

(b) Any one disadvantage, e.g.:  
- People may not return the questionnaire  
- Questions may be misunderstood without an interviewer present  
- The response rate may be low [1]  

(c) Any suitable question, e.g.: "How often do you visit the new park?" or "On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with the new park?" [1]  
*Marking note: The question should be relevant to opinions about the new park and be a closed or rating-scale question suitable for a questionnaire.*

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### Section C: Data Presentation and Analysis (Questions 11–15)

**11.**  
(a) Plastic bottles [1]  
*Note: 45 is the highest value.*

(b) Total = 45 + 30 + 25 + 10 + 15 = 125 items [2]  
*Award 1 mark for correct working and 1 mark for the correct answer.*

(c) Any suitable conclusion, e.g.: "Plastic bottles were the most common type of waste found on the beach, suggesting that plastic pollution is a major problem" or "Most of the waste collected was made of plastic, which is harmful to marine life." [1]  
*Marking note: The conclusion should be directly supported by the data.*

**12.** A pie chart is suitable because it shows the proportion of each type of waste as part of the whole [1]. Each category (plastic bottles, food wrappers, etc.) can be represented as a slice of the circle, making it easy to compare the relative amounts visually [1].  
*Marking note: Award 1 mark for mentioning proportions/parts of a whole and 1 mark for explaining the visual comparison benefit.*

**13.**  
(a) Mean = (28 + 34 + 30 + 36 + 31) ÷ 5 = 159 ÷ 5 = 31.8 °C [2]  
*Award 1 mark for correct working and 1 mark for the correct answer.*

(b) Any suitable reason, e.g.: "Concrete absorbs and retains heat more than natural surfaces like grass or water" or "The concrete path has no shade and is a dark colour, so it absorbs more solar radiation, making it hotter" [2].  
*Marking note: Award 1 mark for mentioning heat absorption/retention by concrete and 1 mark for further explanation (e.g., lack of shade, dark colour, material properties).*

**14.** A student could use a GIS map to plot their fieldwork data on a digital map of the study area [1]. They could show the locations where data was collected as points, with different colours or symbols representing different values (e.g., temperature ranges, land use types, pollution levels) [1]. Layers of information could be added, such as photographs, graphs, or notes linked to each location, making it easy to identify spatial patterns [1].  
*Marking note: Award marks for mentioning digital mapping, plotting data points with symbols/colours, and adding layers of information. Maximum 3 marks.*

**15.**  
(a) Mean for Park = (4 + 5 + 4 + 4 + 3) ÷ 5 = 20 ÷ 5 = 4.0 [1]  

(b) Market: (2 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 2) ÷ 5 = 10 ÷ 5 = 2.0  
Housing estate: (3 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 3) ÷ 5 = 16 ÷ 5 = 3.2  
The Market had the lowest mean cleanliness rating of 2.0 [2].  
*Award 1 mark for correct working and 1 mark for identifying the Market.*

(c) Any suitable improvement, e.g.: "The town council could increase the number of rubbish bins and cleaning schedules in the market area" or "The council could organise community clean-up events at the market." [1]  
*Marking note: The suggestion should be practical and related to improving cleanliness in the lowest-rated area.*

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### Section D: Conclusions and Evaluation (Questions 16–20)

**16.** Any two suitable pieces of evidence, e.g.:  
Evidence 1: A high number of cars were counted dropping off children during school hours [1]  
Evidence 2: Traffic congestion was worst during school drop-off and pick-up times [1]  
*Other acceptable evidence: photographs of cars queuing, survey responses from parents, pedestrian counts showing fewer people walking, etc.*

**17.** Evaluating the methods is important because it helps identify any weaknesses or limitations in how the data was collected [1]. This allows the student to judge how reliable and accurate the results are [1]. It also helps suggest improvements that could be made if the investigation were repeated in the future [1].  
*Marking note: Award 1 mark each for identifying weaknesses, judging reliability, and suggesting improvements. Maximum 3 marks.*

**18.**  
(a) Any suitable hypothesis, e.g.: "Soil under the tree canopy will be moister than soil in the open field" or "Vegetation type affects soil moisture content." [1]  
*Marking note: The hypothesis should be testable and related to vegetation and soil moisture.*

(b) Any one suitable improvement, e.g.:  
- Take multiple soil samples from under the tree canopy and from the open field and calculate the mean, rather than taking just one sample from each location [2]  
- Ensure that all soil samples are taken at the same depth and at the same time of day to make the comparison fair [2]  
*Marking note: Award 2 marks for a clear explanation of how reliability could be improved (e.g., repeated sampling, controlling variables).*

**19.** This does not mean the fieldwork was a failure because the investigation still produced valid data and results [1]. The student can analyse why the hypothesis was not supported, which helps develop their understanding of the topic [1]. Unexpected results can lead to new questions and further investigation, which is a valuable part of the scientific process [1].  
*Marking note: Award 1 mark each for valid data still collected, learning from unexpected results, and generating new questions. Maximum 3 marks.*

**20.**  
(a) Any suitable aim, e.g.: "To investigate the impact of tourism on the environment and local community in [coastal area name]" [1]  

(b) Any two suitable methods with explanations, e.g.:  
Method 1: Questionnaire / survey of local residents — suitable because it allows the collection of opinions and experiences from a large number of people about how tourism has affected their area [2].  
Method 2: Environmental quality survey (e.g., litter count, water quality test) — suitable because it provides quantitative data about the physical impact of tourism on the coastal environment [2].  
*Marking note: Award 1 mark for each method and 1 mark for each explanation of suitability. Maximum 4 marks.*

(c) Any one suitable limitation and solution, e.g.:  
Limitation: The fieldwork was only carried out on one day, so the results may not represent conditions at other times [1].  
Solution: Carry out the fieldwork on multiple days or at different times to get a more representative set of data [1].  
*Marking note: Award 1 mark for a valid limitation and 1 mark for a practical solution. Maximum 2 marks.*

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**End of Answer Key**