Geography

Assessment outline

This assessment requires you to prepare and present a report on the effects of global warming/climate change on a place in the world.

Your teacher will allocate one of the following case studies for you to research and report on:

• Pacific Islands
• Greenland
• Chile
• Alaska
• Russia
• The Gulf Coast
• Darfur
• Kiribati

Once you have researched the case study, write a REPORT that covers the following:

• A description of the area including a location map with BOLTS.
• A description of the nature of climate change/global warming in the area.
• An evaluation of the current impacts and likely future impacts of climate change/global warming on the area.

NOTE:

1. There is a current display of books on climate change in the front entrance area of the library. Check this out as there may be books of interest for this task.
2. Classes have set aside books in a book box in the library - you may access these during lunchtime, before and after school, and during research lessons. Ask the library staff about accessing the book box.

Research tips

1. Do some initial background reading about the global environment you have selected. Encyclopedias and books with general information will be helpful in building your background knowledge. Note down any additional terms or topics of interest that you come across as you read. For instance, in reading about the Greenland and climate change you might also come across related terms such sea levels; ice sheets; oceanography; and thermal expansion. As you read and research you may refine your searching by adding additional search terms if necessary.
2. Note down all terms or topics of interest so that you can use these when searching the internet, eLibrary, and the databases.
3. Use filters as appropriate when searching the databases. For example, you can refine your results to include articles that have been published in the last 10 years.
4. Check your spelling. If words are not spelt correctly this can complicate your search results or return no results, so make sure that you spell all words correctly when searching.
5. The Google slides below provide steps to begin your research and show you how to access some of the resources available (including eLibrary, World Book encyclopedia, eResources, and Kidrex (a search engine suitable for student researchers).
6. If you are not sure how to access a resource or need help locating books or resources, please see the library staff for assistance. (If you are looking for a print resource, make sure you have recorded the Call Number and collection location of the resource you are looking for).

Maps

The World Book Encyclopedia contains maps of countries and places. This encyclopedia set is located in the middle of the library.

The library also has a range of atlases available for students to access (in the main library and in Class Sets - go to call number location 912 in either collection). If you use one of these resources for your assessment task, please ensure that you appropriately acknowledge which map you have used from a particular book or resource. For details about referencing an encyclopedia or book refer to your school diary or this page on referencing.

APA Referencing

For additional support in creating your Reference List for this task, you can visit the Sr Ann Marie Learning Centre's webpage on Referencing.