Geographical Skills: Maps, Graphs and Statistics

The geographer toolkit

Every geography paper tests a set of skills, whatever the topic. Master them once and they earn marks again and again. This module works through the toolkit: - Map skills: grid references, scale and distance, contours and direction.\n- Graph skills: choosing the right graph and reading it well.\n- Statistics: the mean, the median, the mode and the range.\n- Interpreting data: turning numbers into a clear conclusion. The Component 3 fieldwork enquiry has its own module. Here the focus is the transferable skills of maps, graphs and statistics.

Words for geographical skills

Five terms you need before you use them. Learn what each one means.

Match each skill to what it tells you

A bar chart against a line graph

Choosing the right graph is half the skill. Two of the most common are the bar chart and the line graph, and each suits a different kind of data.

Which shows change over time best?

A geographer wants to show how a river discharge alters across a whole year. Which is the best choice?

• A line graph, because it reveals a trend from one point in time to the next
• A bar chart of unrelated categories
• A single grid reference
• A pie chart of one single value

Tap the two statistical measures

Tap the TWO things that are statistical measures of a data set.

• The mean of the data
• The range of the data
• A four-figure grid reference
• A contour line

Reading a map with confidence

A map packs a huge amount of information into a small space, and a few habits unlock all of it. For a grid reference, read along the bottom of the map first, then up the side. To find a distance, measure the route and turn it into real distance using the map scale. Read contour lines for height: where they crowd close together the slope is steep, and where they spread out it is gentle. Finally, use the compass points printed on the map to describe direction, so a route can be given as heading north, south, east or west, or somewhere in between.

Pick the true facts about geographical skills

Select the TWO statements that are true.

• Contour lines close together show steep land
• The mean is found by adding the values and dividing by how many there are
• A bar chart is the best way to show change over time
• The scale of a map tells you the colour of a feature

Order how to work out a distance on a map

Put the steps of measuring a real distance from a map in a sensible order.

• Find the two places on the map
• Measure the distance between them with a ruler
• Read the map scale
• Use the scale to convert the measurement to real distance
• State the distance in kilometres

Planning a walk from the map

Follow how a student used map skills to plan a hillwalk safely.\n\nFinding the start: she located the car park from its grid reference, reading along the bottom of the map first, then up the side. Measuring the route: she laid a piece of string along the path, straightened it against a ruler, then used the map scale to turn that length into a real distance of about eight kilometres. Reading the land: where the contour lines bunched close together she knew the slope was steep, so she planned short rests at those points. Checking the direction: using the compass points on the map, she saw the path ran roughly to the north-east, so the morning sun would be behind her. With the route measured and the climbs understood, she set off well prepared.

Complete the statistics facts

An average found by adding the values and dividing by how many there are is the _____. The middle value when the data is put in order is the _____. The value that appears most often is the _____. The difference between the largest and smallest value is the _____.

Work out the mean rainfall

Rainfall over five months was 15, 22, 28, 35 and 50 millimetres. Work out the mean monthly rainfall. Add the values, then divide the total by how many there are.

Build a geographical skills point

Choose the words that complete this statement about geographical skills.

Choose the right skill

Read each situation and choose the right geographical skill, then think about why.

• You need to pinpoint one exact spot on a map for a report. What do you use?
• You want to show how rainfall changes through the twelve months of a year. Which graph?
• You have a set of temperature readings and want one typical value to report. What do you calculate?

Explain how to use geographical skills

A classmate finds the skills questions hard. Explain how to use the main geographical skills using what this module has covered.

• Explain how to give a grid reference and use a map scale
• Explain what contour lines tell you about the land
• Explain when to use a bar chart and when to use a line graph
• Explain how to work out the mean and the range of a data set
• Finish by explaining why these skills matter across the whole of geography