Collecting data about local population

LO: Understand what GIS is

Describe the population of a local areaUse Census data to access this information

Understand how Census data sets work

How could you undertake geographical research into the local area?

Paper 1Geographical enquiry skills

Ways in which you could find out about the local area:

• Census data• Collecting and annotating photos and satellite

images • Using the internet (here you need to consider

the reliability of the source) • Using GIS

GIS

• GIS stands for 'Geographic Information System', and refers to the use of a computer, a digital map and associated geographic data, along with a range of tools to help visualise, explore and question the data.

What is GIS?

• A popular question on exam is 'What is GIS and how can you use this to.....?’

• Remember: Google maps is part of GIS. If you forget what GIS is then try to think of Google maps and how you would use it and what possible things you can do e.g. ticking a box to add road maps on etc

The advs and disadvs of GIS

Collecting and presenting census dataCensus data is information about the population that is

collected by a survey. This data is collected every 10 years in the UK. The last census was conducted in 2011.

To retrieve information from the most recent census you should:

• Go to a census database website e.g. the UK’s neighbourhood statistics

• Type in the area name or postcode of the area you want to find out about and choose from a list of statistics.

• For example you could click on a link to show the age structure of the population in an area e.g. east Devon.

• The census database can allow you to compare the age structure of east Devon to the country average for England.

What is a census

An official count of the population including details of age, sex, occupation etc.

The UK Census

• Census statistics help paint a picture of the nation and how we live. They provide a detailed snapshot of the population and its characteristics, and underpin funding allocation to provide public services

• Website you can use to collect this data for the UK- Office of National statistics: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/index.htmlYou need to be able to

quote actual websites in an exam answer

Data from the UK census

Geographical skill: Compare the population pyramid for London with that of East Devon (3)

Data from the UK census

Data from the UK census

The census from around the world

The Jedi census in Australia• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh6o-

h0I_GI

• Ivory Coast- how to get date of birthhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=Rh6o-h0I_GI

The US census

• http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/

Local population pyramids

4211 Watonga Blvd, British International School of Houston, Oak Forest

Task: Investigating a local area

• Go to the ArcGIS website and locate your neighbourhood.

• Compare the census data about population structure for your neighbourhood to the data for the school’s neighbourhood.

• What do you notice?• Can you suggest any reasons for the patterns

you have seen?

Use the National Statistics website to investigate further information from the census

• Select two local area in the UK• Compare them for the criteria you have

chosen• What do you notice?

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/index.html

Example of a paper 1 (geographical skills question)

Describe the research that you would carry out to investigate the growth of Swanageand changes to its population.

(6)

Investigation skills