1. Coursework Key terms – what’s the point?

2. Key terms What is a ‘key term’? How important is it to use key terms? What key terms are there for this assessment? Where can I find definitions for key terms?

3. What is a “key term”? A word or phrase that is used throughout your assessment, which a ‘non-geographer’ would not be able to describe. Something that you need to define. For example, if you were assessing the management of traffic in an urban area you could define: congestion, commuter, public transport.

4. How important is it to use key terms? Accurately defining your key terms shows your geographical understanding. Using them correctly throughout your Assessment, including in the conclusion & evaluation, will help you to reach Level 3 in “geographical understanding”. AQA Principal Examiners: “you must have a list of key terms (it may only be 3-4 words) in order to achieve a level 1 in the “geographical understanding” section.”

5. What can I use in this Controlled Assessment? Consider the area we visited. What is the overall question in this assessment? What terms are important and will keep on coming up? Which terms should you define if you are going to keep on using them? “Conflicts between…”? “Tourism”? Are there any others you can think of?

6. Where can I find definitions? Geography textbooks (these should be your starting point) Geography dictionaries Dictionaries/Encyclopaedias Reputable websites – Wikipedia is not always the best source!