1 ENV-4010Y: GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVES 2017-18
FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT – SPRING SEMESTER
Your summative assessment (due Wednesday 15th May, Week 14) is a review essay in which you should write up to 1,000 words on three of seven topics (i.e. up to 3,000 words in total). The seven topics listed below are in three groups and you should select one topic from each group.
Group A
EITHER – What are the benefits and challenges of a closer integration between human and physical geography?
OR – How can geographical concepts of space and place inform an understanding of the causes and consequences of Brexit?
Group B
EITHER – What are the arguments for and against fracking for natural gas in the UK?
OR – To what extent should monetary valuation of the natural environment be an important feature of government policy?
OR – How sufficient is scientific knowledge to address the risks of climate change?
Group C
EITHER – With reference to an example of your choice, discuss the key characteristics of a landscape and the challenges of managing it.
OR – Does geography need to become more relevant? If yes, how? If not, why not?
To assist you with this task we will use seminar sessions in the coming semester (Weeks 4, 7 and 9) to debate the three questions in Group B. The class will be divided into four groups for the seminars (see details on the reverse side of this handout). The table below shows the locations and times of the different seminar sessions.
Group
Week 4
Week 7
Week 9
1
Queens 2.22 2:10 to 3:20
Queens 2.22 2:10 to 3:20
MED 2.02 2:10 to 3:20
2
Queens 2.22 3:30 to 4:50
Queens 2.22 3:30 to 4:50
MED 2.02 3:30 to 4:50
3
Blackdale 0.14 2:10 to 3:20
Blackdale 0.14 2:10 to 3:20
Blackdale 0.14 2:10 to 3:20
4
Blackdale 0.14 3:30 to 4:50
Blackdale 0.14 3:30 to 4:50
Blackdale 0.14 3:30 to 4:50
Each week groups of 2 or 3 students will be asked to present the case for or against one of the following questions:
Should fracking for natural gas be carried out in the UK? (Week 4)
Should monetary valuation of the natural environment be an important feature of government policy? (Week 7)
Is scientific knowledge sufficient to address the risks of climate change? (Week 9)
For each topic there will be several recommended readings available on Blackboard to help you to prepare your case. In presenting your argument for or against the question you should also identify the way in which geography can contribute to an understanding of the issues involved. Please arrange to meet your other group members to decide how you will approach the task (email addresses are given in the seminar allocation table) and structure your presentation so that it consists of no more than 10 slides and takes 10 minutes to deliver. A suggested presentation structure is as follows:
2
Slide 1 – Title and presenter names
Slide 2 – Introduction to the issue
Slide 3 – Why geography matters to the issue
Slides 4 to 6 – Three points or examples making the case for or against the question
Slide 7 – Conclusions summarizing your case
In each seminar the two sets of students will deliver their presentations and then the seminar leader will facilitate a wider discussion of the issues raised. The lecturer leading the seminar will provide each set of students with written feedback on the quality of their presentation within five working days (see feedback form on separate handout). We will also collate a set of notes covering the main points raised in the sessions that will be made available on Blackboard.
FURTHER GUIDANCE ON THE ESSAY
The assignment is due for submission on Wednesday 15th May (Week 14) and should be submitted electronically (via e:Vision) to the LTS Hub by 3 pm that day. Your essay will be returned by Wednesday 29th May and marked in accordance with the ENV criteria for essay-type answers (details available on Blackboard), giving particular attention to: i) clarity of structure, ii) thoroughness of content, iii) written expression, iv) use of examples and v) referencing of sources. Feedback will be provided via both comments on the essay and a structured summary form.
Advice
The questions in Group A relate to material covered in the Autumn semester and those in Group C are linked to classes in Weeks 10-13. This structure is intended to allow you to plan and spread the work involved because you should be able to write answers to the questions at different times during the coming semester. Several of the topics are deliberately broad and do not have a simple correct answer. A good answer will require integration of material from across lectures and seminars, as well as providing evidence of wider reading. Sources of relevant material include:
Castree, N., Rogers, A. and Sherman, D. (eds.) (2005) Questioning Geography, Blackwell, Oxford.
Clifford, N.J., Holloway, S.L., Rice, S.P. and Valentine, G. (eds.) (2009) Key Concepts in Geography, Sage, London.
Cloke, P., Crang, P. and Goodwin, N. (eds.) (2014) Introducing Human Geographies, Third Edition, Routledge, London.
Dorling, D. and Lee, C. (2016) Geography, Profile Books, London.
Matthews, J.A. and Herbert, D.T. (2008) Geography: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Diagrams or other illustrations can be included as part of your answers and it is essential that there should be a properly cited bibliography of the literature you have drawn upon. This should follow the guidance on referencing given in ENV-4001A (Global Environmental Challenges). Tt is suggested that you prepare a plan before starting the detailed drafting of your answers. Some useful guidance on essay planning and writing is available on the Learning Enhancement Team website at:
https://portal.uea.ac.uk/dos/learning-enhancement/study-resources/academic-writing-study-skills
Other good advice is given in:
Kneale, P. (2011) Study Skills for Geography, Earth & Environmental Science Students, Third Edition, Hodder, London, particularly Chapters 16 and 17.
Andrew Lovett, Nem Vaughan, Amii Harwood, Jason Chilvers, Martin Mahony, Katy Appleton
January 2019
