GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

Name: __________________________________________________

GCSE Geography

Coursework
Enquiry Guide

This booklet contains instructions, guidelines and useful tips that will help
you to write a brilliant river study of Arkle Beck.

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 GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

All you need to know about Geography Coursework

• It’s worth 25% of your GCSE marks

• One piece of work only – there is no second chance!

• It is a study of Arkel Beck in Arkengarthdale

• Deadline is the end of year 10, the 13th July for everything BUT the

Evaluation. This must be completed over the summer holidays.

• The work will be written on A4 paper and bound in a file or connected

with treasury tags.

• Your work will be word-processed.

o Diagrams and pictures can be hand drawn but your coursework

must contain some sections produced with ICT.

• When it is finished your enquiry will have all these things in it:

Front Cover
Contents page (Do this last)
Section 1 Introduction Including the hypotheses and site location
Section 2 Geographical Theory What the text book says
Section 3 Methods How you did the fieldwork
Section 4 Data Results and What you found on the field trip – well presented,

Interpretation graphs, pictures, maps, diagrams, text etc. and an

explanation of what the results mean

Section 5 Evaluation How good your enquiry process was
Appendix List of websites used, bibliography, copy of data

sheets etc

(Use this as a checklist and cross off each section when it is complete)

How to achieve coursework marks and your target

grade

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale
Your coursework marks will be allocated in 5 different sections, each with a
maximum of 6 marks. (Total possible is 30 marks)

Marks awarded Where will you get these Max Notes:

for: marks? Marks
Geographical You can get 3 marks by 6 These marks can really be achieved
throughout your enquiry
Understanding writing a really good
section 2 (Geographical
Theory). However to get
higher marks you must
carefully apply the
Geographical Theory to
the interpretation of your
results (section 4).
Methodology Section 3 6* * You can only get 4 marks in this
section, as your coursework is teacher
led. You have to show ‘originality’ in your
methods to be eligible for full marks.
Data Section 4 6 To get level 3 here (5 or 6 marks) you
must use complex presentations of your
Presentation data.
Data Section 4 6
Interpretation
Evaluation Section 5 6

Each section in the mark scheme is level marked:

• Level 1 is worth 1 or 2 marks
• Level 2 is worth 3 or 4 marks
• Level 3 is worth 5 or 6 marks

Mark to grade (rough) conversion:

Grade: Marks: Level needed:

A* 27 Level 3 in every section – with full marks (except Methodology)
A 23 All level 3 (except Methodology)
B 19 Top level 2 in every section
C 15 Level 2 in every section some with top marks
D 13 Level 2 in every section
E 11 You must get level 2 in some sections and complete every section!

Know what your target is!

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

Section 1 – Introduction
• This is the shortest of the 6 sections you will be writing

• It is a general introduction to your enquiry. If someone picks up your

enquiry for the first time they should know what it contains by what
you write in the introduction

• You should write these things:

1. This enquiry is part of your GCSE Course in Geography.
2. You are doing a study of a River (Arkle Beck).
3. Write down the Hypotheses you will be testing. It is the most
important part of your Enquiry.

Between William Gill and Reeth, Arkle Beck

develops from the upper stage to the middle
stage of river development

4. You will gather Primary data on a field trip.

5. You will also use secondary data.
6. Location Maps of Arkengarthdale:
 Detailed local map showing the 3 sites
 Regional map showing Arkengarthdale in the North of
England including the Pennines and the North Sea
 Location map to show where in England the river is
 Add labels to the maps and link them together.
7. Background information about Arkengarthdale This is a
research task
 Find out and write about:
 The river “Arkle Beck”
 Arkengarthdale valley
 A little about the history / geology / settlement /
economy of the area.
8. Make a list of all your sources (websites, books etc) because
you will list them in a Bibliography at the end of your
coursework

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

Section 2 – Geographical Theory

(Remember this is now your second section, it needs a new heading, on a new piece of paper.
The STYLE should be the same as the one you used for the first section heading.)

• In this section you explain what the textbook says about rivers.
• Use the textbook and explain in your own words what a river is really
like (landforms) and what processes happen in the river.
• You must especially focus on the Landforms and processes in the
upper and middle stage of the River
• Use the textbook a lot for this section, but also mention Arkle Beck
with phrases like “I would expect to find a wider and deeper river
channel in the middle section of……….”
• There are the 2 books that you will find most helpful:
o “Understanding GCSE Geography” and
o Your Revision Guides
• Organise section 2 with these sub-headings:
HYPOTHESIS – Between William Gill and Reeth, Arkle Beck develops
from the upper stage to the middle stage of river development

• Theory would tell us to expect the following features to occur, change

and/or develop in a river as we move from its source, along its course
towards its mouth.

• This is what we would expect to find happening in Arkle Beck - if it

matches our theory:

Changes in the Load (ROUNDNESS)

As a river travels downstream the following changes will take place in
the load, it will become:
A) Less angular in shape (ROUNDED)
Explain how and why.

Changes in the Load (SIZE)

As a river travels downstream the following changes will take place in
the load, it will become:
B) Have a shorter long axis (BE SMALLER IN SIZE)
Explain how and why.

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale
Changes in the speed
As a river travel downstream the following changes will take place to the
velocity:
. The speed, or average velocity, of the river in the middle and lower
course will be at least equal to, if not greater than that in the upper
course due to the decrease in friction.
Explain how and why.

Changes in the width of the channel and volume of flow

As a river travels downstream the following changes will take place in the
width:
. Its width will increase
. As a result of changes in width the cross sectional area will increase
and so will the volume of flow as long as the same happens with the
depth.
Explain how and why.

Changes in the depth of the channel

As a river travels downstream the following changes will take place in the
depth:
. Its depth will increase
. As a result of changes in depth the cross sectional area will increase
and so will the volume of flow as long as the width increases.
Explain how and why.

Changes in the cross sectional area of the channel

Once both the depth and width are known you can find the CROSS
SECTIONAL AREA of the river to judge whether it has increased or
decreased downstream.

River in the UPPER STAGE

• The valley is narrow with a narrow, shallow river channel
• The valleys have steep sides
• The channel has a steep gradient with features such as pot holes,
rapids and waterfalls
• The water is mainly slow flowing as most of the rivers energy is
used to overcome the friction of the river bed & obstructions
• The load is mainly large, angular and rough

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

How do these characteristics change in the MIDDLE STAGE:

• The volume of the river increases. This increases its energy and thus
its power to erode, transport and deposit.
• The gradient is less steep
• Lateral erosion is dominant causing the valley to open out creating
features such as meanders and the evidence of a flood plain.
• Valley slopes are also eroded and become less steep and a line of
river cliffs are found at the edge of the flood plain called bluffs.
• The river carries a large load of alluvium

What determines a river channel flow?

• The amount of erosion, transportation and deposition that a river
achieves depends on the flow of water through its channel
• This flow is provided by several factors:
• The energy that makes the flow possible is provided by gravity.
• The amount of energy is related to:
o The gradient of the bed
o Its volume and the nature of the flow
o The shape of the channel

Helpful Resources

Here is a list of the 2 main books that you will find useful. Make a note of
any others that you use and any websites that you get information from so
that you can write a full list of all your sources in the bibliography at the
end of your enquiry.

- Understanding GCSE Geography – by Bowen and Pallister

- Letts Revision Guide for AQA Geography

Record of other resources used:

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

Section 3 – Methods
• In this section you will be writing about the methods that you will use to
test if your hypothesis is true or false.
1. Write the heading “Methods” and a brief introduction saying that you
are going to explain how you tested your hypothesis, (don’t forget to
write the hypothesis down again).
Introduce your Methods section by saying where and when you collected
the data:
When you collected the Data – times, dates, weather conditions
Where you collected the data – actual locations using OS grid
references, places located on a map, written description of the
sites
2. This is what you do for each Method:
a) Write the method down, (this is your sub-heading) e.g.:
Measuring changes in the speed of flow of the river
Measuring changes in the volume of flow of the river which is
broken into 2 parts:
1) measuring the changes in the width of the river channel
2) measuring the changes in the depth of the river channel
Measuring changes in the size of the bed load
Measuring changes in the roundness of the bed load
b) For each method write these things:
How you collected the data – a very detailed description of exactly
what you did step by step and the equipment you used. This needs
to be like a recipe in a cook book – so detailed that a stranger
could read your instructions and know exactly what to do, follow
them and use the equipment correctly and accurately & collect the
same data as you did. You should have drawings / pictures of
equipment used and blank copies of forms / tables used.
Why did you choose this particular method and equipment? What was
good about them? E.g. dog biscuits are biodegradable. Why did you
repeat the methods?
The Theory – How does each of these methods help you to prove
each theory? Describe this in some detail.

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale
METHODS MARK ALLOCATIONS
LEVEL 1:
1 mark – list methods
2 marks – describe 1 or 2 methods

LEVEL 2: (Must be well organised and presented)

3 marks – 3 methods described
4 marks – 4 methods described with some justification

In your methods it is important that you use field sketches and photographs
to help explain your methods. This is critical for level 2 and 3.

LEVEL 3: Must have originality. You will have to go on a separate day

incorporate different ways of measuring the same parameters.

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

Section 4 – Data Results and

Interpretation
• This will be quite a long section (it could account for half your marks
in this enquiry!)

Part 1 – Presenting your results

• On the field trip you and others in your group made many
measurements and observations.
• Think of different ways that this information can be shown on paper.
Here are some examples:
o Graphs (e.g. bar, scatter, line, radar etc)
o Maps (must be labelled)
o Photographs (must be annotated)
o Diagrams
o Table of data
o Written explanations
• Try to use as many different types of presentation as you can.
• If your target is A or A* then you must include complex presentations

How to do it
• For each set of data choose ONE way to present that data graphically
• Make sure you have as much variety as possible and that some of your
presentations are complex.
• Here are some suggestions:
Valley Shape
a. Draw an accurate cross-section from your clinometer readings
b. Get some cross section print-outs from “Memory Map”
2. Channel size and shape
a. Draw an accurate cross-section from your measurements
b. Paste these on a map (could be complex)
3. Speed of flow of the river
Speed of Flow
a. Bar graph for all 3 locations
b. Line graph for all 3 locations 1

c. Proportional bars pasted on 0.8

0.6
a map at correct locations 0.4

(complex) 0.2

4. Volume of flow of the river

0
WilliamGill Eskeleth Reeth

a. Bar graph for all 3 locations

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale
b. Line graph for all 3 locations
c. Proportional bars pasted on a map at correct locations
(complex)
d. (You should also show how you worked out the volume of flow)
5. Size of bedload
a. Bar graph to show changes in average size
b. Line graph to show changes in average size
c. Pictogram to show changes in average size
d. Pictogram / graphs pasted on a map at correct locations
6. Roundness of bedload
a. Bar graph to show changes R adar graph showingroundness of

in roundness
bedload

b. Line graph to show changes

3
2
6 2

in roundness
1
0
Frequency

c. Pictogram to show changes

5 3

in roundness
4

d. Radar graph to show

changes in roundness
e. Pictogram / graphs pasted on a map at correct locations
7. Roundness/size of bedload
a. Spearmans Rank correlation (complex)
8. Changes in valley shape/channel size/river features
a. Annotate some photos (make sure there is geographical
explanation of
the river
processes and
features)
(complex)

• Tips for success:

 Use as many different types of presentation as you can
 Use complex presentations where possible
 Link your presentations together

Part 2 – Interpreting your results

• So far you have got lots of graphs, pictures, diagrams and maybe even
a map or two. They are not much good unless you can explain what each
one means and how it is useful in testing your hypothesis.
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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale
• The best way to organise this section is to arrange each graph /
diagram etc with the interpretation you have written next to it, on the
same page.
• Look at each graph / diagram in turn and write down these 3 things:

1. What your results show

 This is the easy part. For example for your first method:
measuring the width and cross-section of Arkle Beck You
could write:
 “My cross section diagrams show that Arkle Beck
starts quite narrow (only 7 meters wide) but gets
wider until at Reeth it is nearly 10 meters wide. It
also gets deeper, from a maximum depth of 0.3
meters near the source it reaches a depth of 0.55
meters (almost twice as deep) at Reeth.”

2. What your results mean

 This is harder. You must use your geographical
understanding to get good marks in this section. Here is
an example:
• “The depth and width of the river increase
because the volume of water gets greater as
more tributaries join the main river.”
 To make it a top-level answer you must link different
pieces of data. For example:
• “I can see from my map of Arkle Beck that 2
tributaries join on the north east side and two
more join on the south west side. These must
cause the river to get deeper and wider as
more water is now flowing in the channel.”
Write lots of Detail - Write Geography

3. Link your interpretation to your original hypothesis

 At the end of each evaluation sat whether your results
support your hypothesis, or whether they do not. (You
may also say how strongly the results do, or do not,
support your hypothesis.)
 These are your conclusions

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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

Section 5 – Evaluation
This is a really important final section in which you must describe how the
enquiry process can be improved.
It must include the following 3 sections to gain full Level 3 marks:
o As you write each section make sure you answer each question in as
much detail as you can.

1. Reliability of Methods

• Have you collected enough data to test your hypothesis?

• Have you had any problems collecting data?
• Would your results have improved if you had collected more data,
different data, data at a different time or data with a different
method?
• Have you described the advantages of each technique?
• How might you improve your methods if you repeated the study?
• What needs to be done to increase the reliability of the methods used
and so improve the enquiry process

2. Accuracy of Results
Have you questioned the accuracy of your results?
• Have you linked any inaccuracy in results with a problem in methods?
• Have you identified which results support your hypothesis? Give
reasons for this
• Have you identified which results reject your hypothesis? Give
reasons for this
• What improvements could be made to the enquiry process to increase
the accuracy of the results?

3. Validity of Conclusions

• Have you related your conclusions to your original hypothesis?

• Have you explained why your conclusions might not be applied to other
similar examples?
• Have you explained why your conclusions might be invalid or wrong?
• Have you tried to link any weaknesses in your conclusions to the
results or methodology?
• What improvements could be made to the enquiry process to increase
the validity of the conclusions?
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GCSE Geography Coursework – A River Study in Arkengarthdale

Finishing off your Geography Enquiry

You will have spent so much time and energy on your enquiry that it is well
worth making sure that the finished product is well presented and worthy of
all your effort.

1. Produce a front cover that has your name on it and that describes
the work inside as a “River Study”
2. It is helpful to have divider sheets to start each of the 5 sections.
3. Number all the pages
4. Produce a list of contents which will go between the front cover
and the first section
5. Make sure that ALL the work in your enquiry is bound together (in
a file or with treasury tags) and in the right order.

Sta
Well Done – You’ve finished! r

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