GCSEPod - Education Anywhere

GCSEPod Geography author Vicki Hull gives us some tips on using case studies in geography exams.

A top tip for your exam answers is to use case studies effectively. The top Geographers will use case studies in their answers to show off their knowledge and real geographical understanding to the examiner.

So what are they and why do we use them? Case studies are real places/situations/events which are happening or have happened. We use real examples to show geographical ideas and theory in action. You need to use them so you can show you really ‘get’ the geography.

What do I need to know?

Firstly you need to know what your case study is an example of. The Kashmir earthquake was 7.6 on the Richter scale on 8^th October 2005 is an example of a large earthquake event at a collision plate margin in a poorer country. Note that the question may ask for a richer or poorer country example and you must think about how the consequences may be different depending on the location of the event.

What is the detail?

Facts and figures show you have learned the case study in depth. Over 79 000 people were killed and 100 000 injured in Kashmir – this is better than just saying ‘many people’.

What are the effects?

Effects are what happened as a result of the event.

Primary and secondary effects occur in the short term. Primary are caused directly by the earthquake: Buildings collapsed, infrastructure was damaged causing death and injury. Secondary effects could be: disease from contaminated water supplies, fires from broken gas pipes, in Kashmir people died from the cold winter as they were living in tents.

Longer term effects: these occur after the event and can continue for a long time. You can split them in to the following categories

-        social – eg. schools were damaged and so children could not go to school for months until rebuilding occurred

-        economic – eg. the overall cost of the damage was expected to be over $5 billion

-        environmental – eg. landslides caused damage to forested areas and roads and villages were cut off.

What are the responses?

Responses are how people reacted and coped with the situation. These too can be short and long term.

Short term responses include immediate actions. In Kashmir locals tried to rescue those who were trapped before the army and emergency services arrived. Rescue teams from abroad including the UK arrived to help the search and rescue operation. The India/Pakistan border was opened to allow supplies through.

In the longer term… schools were rebuilt and re-supplied, teachers were trained in counselling for traumatised children, the Red Cross re-established water supplies in Muzzafarabad.

The exam question may ask for short or long term effects or responses. Read carefully before selecting the appropriate information.

When you learn a case study, make sure you revise the theory too. The Kashmir earthquake is a good opportunity to revise the 4 plate margins.

By learning your case studies well you can really show you know your geography.

As we approach GCSE options time, MFL teacher and GCSEPod Spanish editor Hazel Chee highlights why studying languages is so important. Not only that, but it can be fun and practical as well…

Have you ever encountered a situation where you wanted to get your point across but didn’t because you weren’t sure what was said and you were afraid of making a fool of yourself? So you just nodded, smiled and walked away.

There are approximately three or four thousand languages spoken in the world today.  If we all had one universal language we’d be pretty boring.  Language diversity is key to us expanding our horizons and opening our cultural eyes.

Learning another language is practical – strangers can become friends, work opportunities are infinite and your cultural knowledge will know no end.

Did you know…

• David Beckham learnt Spanish so he could communicate with his colleagues when he was with Real Madrid.

• Gwyneth Paltrow learnt Spanish in school and more recently went on to film a cooking programme Spain… On the Road Again.

• Cesc Fàbregas can speak English, Spanish, Catalan and French.

• Sandra Bullock is fluent in German, as is Liverpool-born Kim Cattrall.

• Audrey Hepburn spoke Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish and English.

How amazing is that?  Check out the following mind-blowing BBC article on people who speak many languages: The Cult of the Hyperpolyglot. A few words in another language can also make the world of difference to your holiday experience.  It’s the polite thing to do (or at least to try) and you can have so much more fun.  Learning a language can be a challenge, yet entertaining.  What you do with that knowledge is up to you.

Image: TobiasMik@Flickr:cc 

Here at GCSEPod, we know that this can be a stressful time of year, so we’ve created some new podcasts to help you.

Our team of specialist teachers have been busy writing subject-specific podcasts, which include revision and exam advice. The best part is – they are FREE! Click here to take a closer look.

Some top tips include:

• “In order to be successful in your Religious Studies GCSE, you must learn key words and their definitions for each topic” – all of our podcasts contain images of keywords to help you with this skill.
• You could try discussing Chemistry topics or processes with friends, to help you make sure the information sinks in.
• “Maths revision needs to be approached in the same way as practising a sport or computer game. The more you do it, the better you get” – remember all of our Maths titles include a ‘Test Yourself’ chapter.
• “Eating regularly and healthily, taking breaks and sleeping well are all important to get you through the exam period successfully” – taken from ICT Revision and Exam Tips.

This is just a selection, download the whole range for many more useful tips!

Image: blah.adam@Flickr:cc

Art teacher Lisa Willis gives us her top tips on succeeding in your GCSE Art journey

To gain better art grades it is essential that you know what the moderator is looking for. Essentially they will be looking to see that you have taken a ‘journey’ through your work. This usually begins with showing that you can record the subject you have chosen to study (for example Still-life), and drawing is usually the first way most people choose to record. As well as drawing your subject in pencil you could also record using biro, pen and ink, collage, paint and even complete line ‘drawings’ using wire or string…the list goes on! If drawing is not your strong point however, then capture your subject using Photography. Set up your still life in an interesting way and photograph it from a variety of angles. This can then be manipulated to change the colours and styles and even cropped to change the composition using programmes such as Photoshop.

The next stage would be to analyse your subject. Analysis can be done in many ways. If your written English is good then you can write down all that you have discovered about the subject, your thoughts and feelings about your work and the work of other artists and how you now plan to develop your ideas further. If writing is not your strong point then the examiner can still see your analysis through brief notes or simply through your artwork. By trying out different compositions for your work, different media and different colours, you are showing you are analysing what works for that subject. Also a transcription of a relevant work of art or even recreating certain sections of it will show you have really considered what the artist was trying to do.

With your recording and analysis complete the moderator will then be looking for your design ideas. The previous part of your journey should have given you lots of ideas of where you want to go next. Producing a wide range of design ideas for a final piece in different media will gain you marks in this section. Refining them at each stage so that you get just the right composition or background will add to your grade. Remember not to let the ideas just remain in your head – get them all down on paper so the moderator can see how you got to the end result.

At the end of your ‘journey’ should be your final piece or pieces. This could take any form from a large scale pencil drawing or a collection of photographs to a 3D sculpture or a large painted canvas. The most important thing is that the moderator can see that it has come from your design ideas and also that it shows you have been influenced by a relevant artist. That is not to say that you have directly copied an artist’s work – just doing this will not gain you any marks – but instead working in the same way as an artist; using the same compositions, subject matter, materials, colours and shapes, etc will gain you far more marks. For example a still life of a vase and fruit bowl, collaged using lots of different spots and stripes would clearly show an influence of the artist Roy Lichtenstein.

Finally, always play to your strengths. It’s never a good idea to try something you’ve never done before as a final piece, or in the exam. So good luck and enjoy your journey!

Image: nimbu@Flick:cc

Tommy, an old hand at GCSEs, gives us some advice on these important years

I’ve finished my GCSEs and believe me, I know exactly what the entire process is like. There are ups and downs, but in the end it will be worth it. If you are reading this and you’re in year 10 or 11, then I will give you one piece of advice that will help you more than anything – don’t get lazy. This sole thing is the downfall of so many of my fellow students in their GCSEs.

If you don’t understand something in class, then ask your teacher! That’s their job! Don’t simply go, “ah well, it probably won’t even be in the exams, I won’t bother with it.” It is amazing how the littlest of things can change your final grade in the exam.

But don’t get nervous about your GCSEs. Stay confident and use a wide range of sources for information. Use textbooks, go over your class books and also use GCSEPod! I feel this website has genuinely increased my grades and I would recommend it to anyone. I always have my mp3 player on the go, whether I’m doing my paper round or chilling with my friends in the park. It doesn’t matter if you’re learning some Biology – your friends will never know! If you start working now, then when your exams come around in a few months, you’ll have no problems because you’ll be well prepared.

Image: cordey@Flickr:cc

Art teacher, Lisa Willis, gives us some tips on preparing for your Art GCSE

If you’re taking GCSE Art, there are a few things you can do in preparation. You can make it easier by ensuring you have the correct equipment. You could spend a lot of money on a long list of art materials but you only really need:

•    a range of drawing pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
•    a putty rubber
•    a sharpener
•    some good quality coloured pencils (or cheaper watercolour pencils will do)
•    a set of watercolour paints and a good quality brush.

You could also pay a lot of money for a good quality sketchbook and then spend hours preparing the backgrounds for each page. Instead, why not make your own? Collect a range of different papers in A4 or A3 size. The greater the variety the better – plain cartridge paper, tracing paper, newspaper, brown paper, wrapping paper, old maps, wallpaper, thin card, black paper, sugar paper and even tissue paper all make good surfaces for sketchbook work. Pile them up into whatever order you want them and then hole punch before binding with anything from ribbon or string, to wire or even a shoe lace. Think about the ‘look’ you want for your sketchbook. This might depend on the topic you are studying and choose your materials accordingly. For example, a Graffiti Art project might look good with a black, decorated cover and a wire bind.

Also collect things…anything interesting that will fit into your journal; tickets, leaflets, interesting pages from magazines, good photos from newspapers (some of the Sunday Broadsheets often have amazing portrait black and white photographs that are great to draw), some of the postcards given away free in cinemas are also worth collecting.

Visit galleries – go online first and plan the best things to look at so you get the most from your visit.
Always carry a notebook to jot down ideas when you think of them (or save them to your phone). Trust me, you will forget them later otherwise!

Finally…keep your eyes open! Start to take in your surroundings. Really look at posters, signage, graffiti, shop windows, etc. You’ll be surprised at what you notice when you really look and this will eventually improve your observational skills.

As you can see, GCSE Art is a commitment. It is very time consuming, but is also very flexible. For example, if drawing isn’t your strength then you can use photographs, collage, ICT etc. Just make sure you dedicate regular time to this subject throughout the year – it’s not something you can rush at the last minute. Be as creative as possible and above all, enjoy it!

Image: david.nikonvscanon@Flickr:cc

GCSE student Claudia gives us her thoughts on going into this all-important year

I’ve just started in year 11. Although in many ways I am excited to be going back to school, I am very aware it will be an extremely important year for me and my class. Our GCSE year is finally here, although it seemed like only yesterday that we were all year nines.  Year 10 for me was like a warm up, because we still had to work hard for our modules, which we did in Science and Geography and were each 25% of our actual GCSE. Doing the modules gave us a taste of what it is like to do our GCSEs, although of course in year 11 it will be a lot more difficult and intense.

I sometimes find revision very difficult. I like the method of just writing all the information down then getting someone to test me on what I’ve written; but this sometimes isn’t that good of a way to revise, because I think you need to be able to revise by yourself. Although I find answering the questions in the textbook and doing mind maps helpful too.

I think the information goes in faster when I am hearing or saying it, but everyone’s methods are different. GCSEPod is useful if you prefer to learn by hearing or seeing things. When I make notes, I try and make them neat and colourful, so they are easier to read. I also find it better if all the information is very simple and tidy.

At school my favourite subjects would have to be Graphic Design, Business and Geography. I enjoy Maths and English too, as well as Biology. For languages I do German, but I don’t think I am a natural born linguist. As for Chemistry and Physics, I don’t dislike them too much but I cannot say I enjoy them – and my final subject RS, I find very interesting, and I like the different topics we learn and discuss during it.

All my teachers are very good with helping us to find the best way to revise. At the beginning of the exams, when we have pretty much covered the whole syllabus, we have revision lessons where we try and go over the things we have done. Sometimes we have worksheets, and other times the teachers go over things on the board and ask us questions.

Image: djenan@Flickr:cc

English teacher Mark Coates offers up some advice on how to make the best use of your time in year 11

Read this carefully year 11. It’s crystal ball time. You don’t have one year until your GCSEs…you have just 84 hours. That’s right, 84 hours! You see there are 38 weeks in a school year, but the summer exam season starts in just 30. If your school is anything like mine, there are 2 weeks of mock exams in the winter. That leaves just 28 weeks of teaching.

As an English teacher, I’m fortunate enough to have 3 hours a week with my year 11 classes. So I have a precious 84 hours (28 x 3) in which to:

* Get all the coursework finished off/sent off
* Teach the rest of the syllabus
* Prepare students with some past papers, and finally (time permitting)…
* Run over the entire syllabus again!

Your teachers will tell you as soon as you walk through the doors in September: “This is a very busy year/This year will go in the blink of an eye/The clock is ticking/Time to knuckle down” and they’re right. So what can you do to make sure you swim and don’t sink? My advice is:

* Firstly, don’t just sit there and listen! Write notes in lessons (keep them in neat, ordered folders) and annotate handouts, worksheets or anthologies clearly (no waffle). If you don’t, then your final revision schedule will be spent rewriting and reorganising notes, not revising them – and you don’t have the time to do that!

* Secondly, use a little colour in your note-making whenever you can (the eye responds to colour and makes it more likely you will remember things). Colour code your notes where possible (e.g. notes on themes in Of Mice and Men might be underlined in red and context in green). Personally I like ‘Mind Maps’, but I know they’re not everybody’s cup of tea.

* Thirdly, use snowball revision (little and often) as well as block revision. Even half an hour a week on each subject (term time only) will give you an additional 14 hours per subject. And that’s not including holiday time (when you can get some good block revision in).

Taking all of this into consideration, 84 hours (plus revision) is actually enough time to climb (or drop) two, three or even four grades in a subject. So don’t you dare start the year by thinking you are destined to get a certain grade, whether it be an E, D, C, B, A or even an A*! As Peter O’Tool says in Laurence of Arabia, “nothing is written.” In other words, crystal balls are misty for a reason; the future isn’t written until you learn it, revise it and then write it yourself… in an exam. The result you get will depend entirely on how you and your peers use those 84 hours of teaching time in each subject. And half of those hours (14 weeks) will be gone by Christmas.

Good luck for Year 11!

Image: bitterjug@Flickr:cc

English teacher Nic Worgan discusses the options for those students who have finished their GCSEs

If you collected your results yesterday, congratulations – that’s your GCSEs done! What are your options from here on in? It is a good idea to have a chat with your tutor or teacher, someone other than your parents who will be able to offer you advice on your options. It is important that you are able to consider all of your options with someone who can help you.

You can also go to a careers advisor. Most schools and colleges will have these, where you can book an appointment for a chat in light of your results. If you don’t want to use the ones at your school or college there are national services you can get in touch with, just do an internet search for “careers services” to find the ones in your area.

One of your options is to study in a sixth form with a view to go on to higher education (such as a degree course) or a vocational course. If your school has a sixth form that offers the subjects you want, they will probably welcome you back in September. Although you will be returning to the familiar, remember that your day is likely to be very different and you will be treated as more of an adult. If your school doesn’t offer the subjects you want to take, there may be one in the surrounding area that does.

Another option is to continue study at a college. They may offer similar courses to your school, but it is likely to be a more relaxed atmosphere. Remember though, it will be up to you not to relax too much, you must have the self discipline to work hard as you will be left to work on your own to a greater extent than at school. If you can work hard independently in a college, it is great preparation for university as you will develop the necessary skills and self discipline.

The other option is the world of work. If you have had enough of school and exams and you are ready to start to earn your own money, this could be the option for you. Again, a careers advisor can provide a wealth of information for you if this is the path you decide upon.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are aware of all of your options and don’t be afraid to talk to the people who are there to help you.

Image:CJ Song@Flickr:cc

With results day tomorrow, English teacher Nic Worgan offers up some advice for those collecting their results

So, the day has finally come. All that work boils down to the envelope in your hand and the letters next to your subjects. Once the envelope is open, there are a few things that can happen. First and foremost, you must try not to panic. I know it is easier said than done but a panic at this stage really won’t help!

If your results are not as you expected there may still be some options available to you. If your GCSE is made up of units, you may be able to re-sit individual units, which could go a long way to getting you a grade you are more satisfied with. However, it is worth remembering that revising for these units will take time, so you must factor that time into your future plans. You may also have the option to re-sit the whole exam, most schools and colleges will offer a one year re-sit course for some subjects, so make sure you speak to someone in your school or college about this. If your grade is very different from the one you or your teachers expected it is possible to have your paper re-marked. The sooner this is organised the better, so again make sure you speak to your teachers about this as soon as possible. If you are disappointed with your grades, remember that it isn’t the end of the world, there are always solutions and, if you are determined to improve your grades and are willing to put in the work to do so, you will.

If you are pleased with your results, well done you! Now is the time to plan your next move. If you are going on to do AS levels, you should have at least a grade B in your chosen subjects. Even if this isn’t the policy of the school or college you are going to, you must be realistic about the standard of work that will be expected of you.

Good luck and don’t forget to let us know if GCSEPod helped you with your GCSE exams or coursework! Watch out for some more advice later in the week…

Image:comedy_nose@Flickr:cc