Geography 2018 HSC exam pack (archive)

Students should:

• address the key word of the question
• use relevant geographical terminology
• use case studies, examples and statistical data where appropriate
• engage with the stimulus material where possible
• use the number of lines as an indication of the expected length of the response for short answer questions
• write a plan for the longer responses so that their answer is structured logically
• revise using past examination papers and marking guidelines, writing plans for their responses
• keep up to date with relevant contemporary geographical issues in relation to topics studied.

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• follow the key word in each part of the question
• demonstrate a clear understanding of geographical terminology used in the question
• provide appropriate examples.

Areas for students to improve include:

• improving familiarity with the key words of the questions
• support answers with appropriate illustrative examples and statistics.

Question 23

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline a range of places where megacities are located in the developing world, for example, Asia, Africa, Latin America (a)
• include a number of specific examples of megacities in the developing world, for example, Mexico City, Lagos, Mumbai, Sao Paulo (a)
• clearly identify two challenges faced by megacities and clearly show how each challenge is responded to (b)
• use specific examples of megacities where the challenges or responses are taking place (b)
• provide a number of reasons for the nature of the relationship between world cities and other urban centres in terms of dominance and dependence (c)
• make use of a variety of clear examples to illustrate how world cities exert dominance over other urban centres, for example, the New York stock exchange, London as a world centre of banking and finance, Paris as a centre of fashion and the arts (c)
• provide reasons why other urban centres, such as Dubbo, rely on world cities, for example, the reliance on world cities for finance and technology (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• reading the question carefully. Many students wrote about the features of megacities or tried to discuss spatial features in one megacity (a)
• including specific and relevant examples (a)
• clearly identifying the challenges, and the responses taken, to deal with the challenges (b)
• understanding what world cities are and the roles they have (c)
• showing clear reasons of how world cities dominate other urban centres and how other urban centres rely on world cities (c)
• using specific examples to illustrate the relationships of dominance and dependence of world cities and other urban centres (c).

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• correctly identify an economic activity and then outline how ONE biophysical factor affects the spatial pattern of this activity (a)
• select a biophysical factor which clearly influences the spatial pattern of an economic activity (a)
• discuss how the positive and/or negative use of technology affects the nature or an economic activity (b)
• provide examples to support their response (b)
• provide a detailed explanation of how an individual economic enterprise improves its ecological sustainability (c)
• demonstrate a clear understanding of ecological sustainability (c)
• provide a range of relevant examples of practices and how they improved an enterprise’s ecological sustainability (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding what is meant by biophysical factors and providing a relevant example (a)
• understanding what is meant by spatial patterns of an economic activity (a)
• choosing an appropriate biophysical factor that clearly shows its effect on spatial patterns of an economic activity (a)
• understanding the requirements of the word ‘discuss’ and that they were being asked to consider positive and/or negative uses of technology (b)
• providing detailed and specific examples to support their response (b)
• demonstrating a deep understanding of the concept of ecological sustainability (c)
• providing details about the ecologically sustainable practices carried out by the enterprise (c)
• explaining the role of ecologically sustainable practices on minimising impact to the surrounding environment (c)
• providing a range of examples of ecologically sustainable practices (c).

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• accurately identify an economic enterprise
• accurately identify the geographic location of an economic enterprise
• explain how the location of the economic enterprise influences the character of the enterprise.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the difference between the location of the economic enterprise and the character of the economic enterprise
• differentiating between an economic enterprise and an economic activity.

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify a large city in the developed world and provide a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the effects of urban dynamics on the city
• demonstrate a deep knowledge and understanding of the effects of urban dynamics on the city
• define at least two urban dynamics and link each with an illustrative example
• present a logical and cohesive response using appropriate geographical information, ideas, concepts and statistical data.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing the requirements of the key word ‘discuss’ rather than providing a description of the urban dynamics
• showing how the effects of the urban dynamics relate back to the city rather than a suburb.

Question 27

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify a range of threats to at least one ecosystem at risk
• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the strategies used to manage the threats to at least one ecosystem at risk
• clearly determine the value of management strategies
• present a logical, sustained and cohesive response using appropriate geographical information, ideas, concepts and statistical data.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of management strategies
• understanding of the requirements of the key word “assess”
• directly addressing the specific question and supporting statements within their response with factual evidence.