Fieldwork and skills, Year 7

An anemometer

提示It often has small cups that spin.

为什么The faster the wind blows, the faster the cups turn. A hand-held digital one gives a reading in metres per second or kilometres per hour.

A rain gauge

提示It is a funnel over a measuring container, read in millimetres.

为什么It is set in the open, away from trees and walls, and read at the same time each day so that the daily totals can be compared.

To make the result more reliable

提示One reading on its own might be a slip.

为什么A single reading can be thrown off by a slack tape or a misread number. Repeats show up odd results and the mean evens out small errors.

The time of day

提示Think about rush hour.

为什么A count at 8.30 a.m. and a count at 2 p.m. differ for reasons that have nothing to do with the roads themselves.

So that none are forgotten or mixed up

提示Think about an hour later, back in the classroom.

为什么A table prepared in advance, with headings and units, makes sure each reading is recorded once, against the right site, in the same way.

'Does the river get wider downstream?'

提示Pick the one you could answer with a tape measure.

为什么A good enquiry question names something that can be measured and has a possible answer. 'What is it like?' gives you nothing to test.

People passing, on a market day and on a normal day

提示'Busier' is a comparison, so one set of numbers is not enough.

为什么The question is a comparison, so data is needed for both situations, collected in the same place and in the same way.

An aerial photograph

提示The describing word covers anything to do with the air.

为什么Seen from above, the pattern of fields, roads and buildings is clear in a way it never is at street level.

Housing

提示Each small roof has a family under it.

为什么Land use is what an area is used for. Rows of small buildings with gardens are homes; a few very large roofs with car parks suggest shops or industry.

Labels

提示Without them, nobody knows what the lines are showing.

为什么A field sketch is a simple outline of a view with its key features named and explained. The notes carry the geography; the drawing only has to be clear.