How do geographers read maps and present data?
Cartographic skills using OS maps (grid references, scale, distance, direction, contours and relief) and thematic maps (choropleth, isoline, proportional symbols); and graphical skills for constructing and interpreting graphs.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE Geography B (J384) geographical skills, covering cartographic skills with OS maps (grid references, scale, contours) and thematic maps (choropleth, isoline), and the construction and interpretation of graphs.
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What this dot point is asking
This is OCR GCSE Geography B (J384) geographical skills, assessed across all three components and tested directly in Component 3, Geographical Exploration. OCR expects you to use cartographic skills with OS maps (grid references, scale and distance, direction, contours and relief) and thematic maps (choropleth, isoline and proportional-symbol maps), and graphical skills to construct and interpret a range of graphs. These skills appear in every paper, so they are worth mastering.
OS map skills
Ordnance Survey (OS) maps are the foundation of cartographic skills. Learn each technique.
Thematic maps
Thematic maps display data across an area, and OCR names several you must read and construct.
Graphical skills
Geographers present and interpret data using graphs. You should be able to choose the right graph and read it.
- Bar charts compare separate categories; line graphs show change over time (such as climate or population); pie charts show proportions of a whole; scatter graphs show the relationship between two variables.
- When describing a graph, give the overall trend or pattern, use figures from the axes, and point out any anomalies (values that do not fit the trend). A good description always quotes data, not just "it goes up".
Try this
Q1. On a 1:50 000 OS map, two points are 6 cm apart. How far apart are they in reality? [2 marks]
- Cue. 2 cm represents 1 km, so 6 cm represents 3 km.
Q2. Describe how you would recognise a steep slope on an OS map. [2 marks]
- Cue. The contour lines are close together (and the height values rise quickly over a short distance).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR 20192 marksUsing Fig. 1, give the four-figure grid reference of the church in the village. (Component 3)Show worked answer →
A 2-mark map-skill question assessing AO4 (skills). Markers reward the correct method and answer.
Method: a four-figure grid reference identifies a 1 km grid square. Read the eastings (the numbers along the bottom) first, going left to right, then the northings (up the side), going bottom to top, and combine them, for example 4317. Remember the rule "along the corridor, then up the stairs" (eastings before northings). A six-figure reference would add an estimated tenth within the square. Top answers give eastings before northings in the correct order; reversing them is the most common error.
OCR 20214 marksUsing Fig. 3, describe the relief and drainage shown on the OS map extract. (Component 3)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark map-interpretation question assessing AO4. Markers reward specific, evidenced description using map evidence.
Award credit for: describing the relief (the shape of the land) using contour lines and spot heights, for example "the land rises steeply from about 50 m in the valley to over 200 m in the north-west, where contours are close together showing a steep slope". Describing the drainage (the pattern of rivers), for example "a river flows from the high ground in the north-west towards the south-east, joined by several tributaries, in a dendritic pattern". Top answers quote grid references, heights and directions from the map, rather than describing in general terms.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Geography B (J384) specification — OCR (2016)