IB DP Geography Geographic Skills

Example

Definition

Isolines are lines drawn on maps connecting data points of the same value. Isolines should have equal intervals between them numerically, and if shaded in a choropleth manner, the map can be known as an isopleth map.

carto.com

Possible DP Geography application

• Contour lines
• Travel times to/from a location

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Specimen paper - Urban environments

Example

Definition

Choropleth Maps display divided geographical areas or regions that are coloured, shaded or patterned in relation to a data variable. This provides a way to visualise values over a geographical area, which can show variation or patterns across the displayed location.

The data variable uses colour progression to represent itself in each region of the map. Typically, this can be a blending from one colour to another, a single hue progression, transparent to opaque, light to dark or an entire colour spectrum.

datavizcatalogue.com

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 2.3.1 Risk and vulnerability
• geographyalltheway.com → 4.1.1 Global interactions

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Specimen paper - Unit 3
• N19 - Geophysical hazards, Food and health and Unit 3
• N20 - Food and health
• M21 - Unit 2
• M22 - Unit 1
• N22 - Freshwater
• M23 - Geophysical hazards
• N23 - Food and health

Example

The topologist’s world map

Definition

A topological map is a type of diagram that has been simplified so that only vital information remains and unnecessary detail has been removed.

Wikipedia

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 1.1.3 National Scale

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Not yet

Example

nbcnews.com - 500,000 lives lost [22 February 2021]

CNN - Race and ethnicity across the nation [12 August 2021]

Dot Map of South Africa

Office for National Statistics - Census maps

Definition

There are two types of Dot Map: one-to-one (one point represents a single count or object) and one-to-many (one point represents a particular unit, e.g. 1 point = 10 trees).

Dot Maps are ideal for seeing how things are distributed over a geographical region and can reveal patterns when the points cluster on the map. Dot Maps are easy to grasp and are better at giving an overview of the data, but are not great for retrieving exact values.

datavizcatalogue.com

Possible DP Geography application

• Population distibution
• The incidence of a disease case

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• N22 - Unit 2

Example

flowmap.blue - Relocations between Swiss cantons in 2016

Definition

A type of thematic map that uses linear symbols to represent movement.

Wikipedia

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 1.2.3 Migration - knowledge and understanding
• geographyalltheway.com - 3.2.3 Recycling and waste

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M22 - Oceans and coastal margins

Example

Definition

A type of map that portrays the geographic pattern of a particular subject matter (theme) in a geographic area.

Wikipedia

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 2.2.2 Climate change and the biosphere

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M19 - Oceans and coastal margins, Extreme environments and Unit 2
• N19 - Extreme environments and urban environments
• N20 - Freshwater and Food and health
• M21 - Oceans and coastal margins and Extreme environments
• N21 - Extreme environments and Geophysical hazards
• M22 - Extreme environments
• N23 - Oceans and coastal margins
• M24 - Freshwater, Oceans and coastal margins and Unit 2

Example

Definition

The distinctive characteristic of a topographic map is the use of elevation contour lines to show the shape of the Earth's surface.

USGS

Possible DP Geography application

• Landform identification
• Land use identification

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Specimen paper - Freshwater
• M19 - Urban environments
• N19 - Oceans and coastal margins
• N20 - Geophysical hazards
• M21 - Food and health
• M22 - Urban environments

Sources

Example

USGS - USGS Magnitude 2.5+ Earthquakes, Past Day

Definition

Proportional symbol maps scale the size of simple symbols (usually a circle or square) proportionally to the data value found at that location. They are a simple concept to grasp: The larger the symbol, the “more” of something exists at a location.

Axis Maps

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 4.1.2 Global superpowers

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Specimen paper - Unit 1
• N20 - Oceans and coastal margin
• M23 - Unit 3

Example

Definition

An aerial photograph, in broad terms, is any photograph taken from the air. Normally, air photos are taken vertically from an aircraft using a highly-accurate camera.

Concepts of Aerial Photography

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → ee.2.2 Periglacial landscapes

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Specimen paper - Oceans and coastal margins
• M22 - Leisure, tourism and sport

Example

Definition

Ground photography is taken from a vantage point somewhere at ground level. It can produce close up, detailed images or wider angle shots, but within a much more limited scope than aerial photographs.

JRR Aerial Imaging

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → ee.2.3 Hot and arid landscapes

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M23 - Oceans and coastal margins
• M24 - Extreme environments

Example

Definition

Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets captured by satellites.

IGI Global

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 1.1.1 Global population distribution

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M19 - Leisure, tourism and sport
• N21 - Freshwater
• M24 - Leisure, tourism and sport

Example

Definition

A scatter diagram (also known as scatter plot, scatter graph, and correlation chart) is a tool for analyzing relationships between two variables for determining how closely the two variables are related. One variable is plotted on the horizontal axis and the other is plotted on the vertical axis. The pattern of their intersecting points can graphically show relationship patterns.

online.visual-paradigm.com

Possible DP Geography application

• Frequency of events during time periods
• Amount spent (on food, for example) vs percentage of total income spent on food
• Number of deaths vs earthquake magnitude
• River velocity vs distance from the source

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M19 - Freshwater
• N21 - Unit 3
• M22 - Geophysical hazards
• N23 - Urban environments

Example

Definition

A line chart (aka line plot, line graph) uses points connected by line segments from left to right to demonstrate changes in value. The horizontal axis depicts a continuous progression, often that of time, while the vertical axis reports values for a metric of interest across that progression.

chartio

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 1.3.2 Ageing societies - Japan
• geographyalltheway.com → 3.1.2 Ecological footprints

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M19 - Unit 1
• N20 - Unit 1 and Unit 2
• N21 - Unit 3
• N22 - Oceans and coastal margins
• M23 - Leisure, tourism and sport
• N23 - Freshwater (as a hydrograph)
• M24 - Urban environmen

Example

Definition

A bar graph is a graphical representation of information. It uses bars that extend to different heights to depict value.

Bar graphs can be created with vertical bars, horizontal bars, grouped bars (multiple bars that compare values in a category), or stacked bars (bars containing multiple types of information).

Investopedia

Possible DP Geography application

• The percentage of a population living in informal settlements for a number of (non sequential) years
• The financial costs of hosting sports events at selected Summer and Winter Olympics

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Specimen paper - Leisure, tourism and sport
• M21 - Leisure, tourism and sport
• N21 - Urban environments
• M22 - Unit 3
• N23 - Freshwater (as a hydrograph) and Unit 3

Example

Definition

A compound bar-chart (also known as a stacked bar-chart) is similar to a clustered bar-chart, but instead of placing the bars next to each other, they are placed on top of each other.

peterstatistics.com

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 3.1.1 Poverty reduction
• geographyalltheway.com → 3.1.4 Energy

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• N19 - Unit 1
• M21 - Unit 3
• N21 - Food and health
• M22 - Freshwater
• N23 - Unit 1

Example

Definition

Triangular graphs are used to show the relationship between 3 sets of data, and are used when the 3 sets of data combined add up to 100%.

Piggraphy Alevel Skills

Possible DP Geography application

• Changes over time in the percentage of a population, from three different age groups, who play a sport

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• N20 - Leisure, tourism and sport
• N23 - Oceans and coastal margins

Support from the RGS

Example

Definition

On a logarithmic scale, numbers on the Y-axis don’t move up in equal increments but instead each interval increases by a set factor – it’s often 10 but could be a factor of 3 or 350 or 3,500, anything at all. It all depends on what is deemed to be the most effective way of interpreting the data in question. The Richter scale is logarithmic – an earthquake that measures 6 is 10- times more destructive than one that measures 5.

It “flattens out the rate of growth so it becomes easier to see,", he says. "On a logarithmic graph of COVID-19 infections, even though the overall numbers are still increasing, you can see the point at which the rate of growth starts to level off when that exponential growth has stopped."

World Economic Forum - What's a logarithmic graph and how does it help explain the spread of COVID-19? [3 April 2020]

Possible DP Geography application

• Geophysical hazards - Earthquake magnitude
• Freshwater - The Hjulström Curve

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M22 - Geophysical hazards
• N22 - Geophysical hazards
• M23 - Food and health

Example

Definition

Bipolar survey -

A survey where a chosen aspect is rated using
polar opposite ratings (e.g. from -5 to +5).

PMT - Edexcel Geography A-Level

Bipolar analysis -

One way of displaying the results of the bi-polar analysis is to draw a bar chart with the bi-polar score on the x-axis and labels on the y-axis.

Field Studies Council

Possible DP Geography application

• Probably more applicable to the Internal Assessment than the examination - but never say never!

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Not yet

Example

Definition

A pie chart is a graphical representation of data that is used to show the proportion of different categories within a whole. It is often used in geography to compare the relative sizes of different regions or land uses. The chart is circular in shape and each category is represented by a slice or wedge, the size of which is proportional to the amount of data it represents. This type of visualization allows for a quick and easy comparison of the different categories and their relative sizes.

ChatGPT

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 6.2.3 Carbon footprints for global flows

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• N21 - Oceans and coastal margins
• N22 - Paper 2 visual stimulus

Example

Definition

A flow chart is a type of diagram that represents a process or system, showing the steps and decisions involved. It uses symbols and shapes to connect the steps in a logical order, and is commonly used in geography to document and communicate processes such as land use change, population migration and other spatio-temporal processes.

ChatGPT - What is a flow chart → Please rewrite this for a geographer

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com - 2.1.1 The atmospheric system
• geographyalltheway.com - 3.3.2 The circular economy
• geographyalltheway.com - fw.1.1 The drainage basin as an open system
• geographyalltheway.com - fw.2.1 Flood risk within a drainage basin

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Specimen paper - Extreme environments
• M19 - Geophysical hazards
• N19 - Geophysical hazards
• M21 - Urban environments

Example

Definition

The population pyramid represents the breakdown of the population by gender and age at a given point in time. It consists of two histograms, one for each gender (by convention, men on the left and women on the right) where the numbers are shown horizontally and the ages vertically. The numbers by gender and by age depend on interactions between fertility, mortality and migrations. The shape of the pyramid and its variations over the years depend above all on the variations in fertility.

Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com →1.2.1 Population change

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• N22 - Paper 2 visual stimulus
• M23 - Unit 1

Example

Definition

Graphical Representation of the Gini Index (Lorenz curve)

The Gini index is often represented graphically through the Lorenz curve, which shows income (or wealth) distribution by plotting the population percentile by income on the horizontal axis and cumulative income on the vertical axis.

The further a Lorenz curve deviates from the perfectly equal straight line (which represents a Gini coefficient of 0), the higher the Gini coefficient and the less equal the society.

towardsdatascience.com - Clearly Explained: Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve [27 April 2020]

Possible DP Geography application

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• No

Example

Definition

A [topographical] cross section is a representation of the land surface of an area, showing the elevation and relief of the land in a vertical, or cross-sectional, view. It is typically created using data from topographical surveys. The cross section will typically show the relative elevations of different parts of the land, as well as features such as valleys, hills, rivers, and other physical features.

ChatGPT

Possible DP Geography application

• Extreme environments
  • Relief... characteristics that make environments extreme
  • How relief... presents challenges for human habitation and resource development
• Freshwater
  • River long profiles, channel cross-sections
• Oceans and coastal margins
  • Sand dune transects

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• N22 - Extreme environments

Example

windhistory.com

Definition

A type of chart used in geography to represent the distribution of data in terms of direction or orientation. It is similar to a bar chart, but instead of using bars to represent data, it uses wedges or sectors of a circle to represent the frequency or proportion of data in different directions. The data is usually grouped into a number of categories or bins, with each bin representing a specific range of angles or orientations. The size of each wedge corresponds to the frequency or proportion of data within that bin, while the angle or orientation represents the direction or azimuth of the data.

In geography, what is a rose diagram? - ChatGPT

Possible DP Geography application

• Extreme environments - cirque / glacial landform orientation
• geographyalltheway.com - ee.2.1 Glacial landscapes
• Urban environments - Street orientation

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• N20 - Extreme environments
• M21 - Extreme environments
• N23 - Paper 1 Section B

Example

Definition

A tool that visualises four different factors that are considered crucial for development or for an index. Commonly a development diamond shows how one country (or place) compares to a global average score.

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com → 1.3.3 Gender equality policies

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Not yet

Example

State the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted by China and India combined in billions of tonnes.

Definition

The result of adding.

Possible DP Geography application

• Remember that students can not bring a calculator to the DP Geography examinations.
• This skill would be linked to a table of data or a graph.

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M21 - Leisure, tourism and sport

Example

State the median number of visitors, in millions, for the ten major tourist destinations, for 2014.

Definition

Possible DP Geography application

• Remember that students can not bring a calculator to the DP Geography examinations.
• This skill would be linked to a table of data or a graph.

Used in a recent DP Geography exam?

• M21 - Freshwater [mode]
• N21 - Leisure, tourism and sport [median]

Example

Identify which country has the most buildings between 540m and 700m in height.

Definition

Possible DP Geography application

• Remember that students can not bring a calculator to the DP Geography examinations.
• This skill would be linked to a table of data or a graph.

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M21 - Freshwater

Example

State the range of the number of international visitors, in millions, for the ten major tourist destinations, for 2014.

Definition

Differences between maximum and minimum.

Possible DP Geography application

• Remember that students can not bring a calculator to the DP Geography examinations.
• This skill would be linked to a table of data or a graph.

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• M21 - Leisure, tourism and sport
• N21 - Leisure, tourism and sport
• N22 - Oceans and coastal margins

Example

Definition

Density is the number of things—which could be people, animals, plants, or objects—in a certain area.

National Geographic Resource Library

Possible DP Geography application

• Students need to understand densities and how they may be shown directly or indirectly on a map or in a data table.

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Not yet

Example

Definition

A number or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100. For example - India's literacy rate for 2018 was 74.37%, a 5.07% increase from 2011.

Possible DP Geography application

• Remember that students can not bring a calculator to the DP Geography examinations; therefore, it is unlikely that a question would require generating a percentage.

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Not yet

Example

Definition

The ratio is defined as the comparison of two quantities of the same units that indicates how much of one quantity is present in the other quantity.

cuemath.com

Possible DP Geography application

• Dependency ratio → geographyalltheway.com → 1.2.1 Population change
• Sex ratio → geographyalltheway.com → 1.3.1 Population trends
• The ratio between doctors and people → geographyalltheway.com → fh.1.3 Global patterns in health indicators

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Not yet

Example

Definition

A method for displaying hierarchical data using nested figures, usually rectangles.

Wikipedia

Possible DP Geography application

• geographyalltheway.com - 1.1.1 Global population distribution

Last seen in a DP Geography exam

• Not yet