New
New
Year 8

Fieldwork: Analysing, concluding and evaluating soil data

I can analyse and reflect on my soil data to create meaningful conclusions and an evaluation.

New
New
Year 8

Fieldwork: Analysing, concluding and evaluating soil data

I can analyse and reflect on my soil data to create meaningful conclusions and an evaluation.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Analyses of data can sometimes reveal data that does not seem to fit with the general pattern.
  2. Geographers should try to find explanations for anomalous data.
  3. Geographers look for evidence that their data is both valid and reliable.

Keywords

  • Anomaly - a piece of data that does not seem to fit the trend shown by all the other pieces of data

  • Valid (data) - data that is able to answer or partially answer an enquiry question

  • Reliable (data) - data that could be replicated if the data collection were to be repeated

Common misconception

Anomalous data can be ignored in the data analysis stage as it is due to human error in the data collection stage.

Geographers will always try to find explanations for data that does not fit the general trend before they dismiss it as being caused by human error during the data collection stage.


To help you plan your year 8 geography lesson on: Fieldwork: Analysing, concluding and evaluating soil data, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Listing the geographical variables that were not measured in the data collection stage can be a good way of helping students to formulate sensible reasons for anomalies.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Why does soil matter to humans?
Correct answer: It supports plant growth
It helps build roads
It keeps rocks from moving
It forms mountains
Q2.
What is humus?
A rock layer
A type of mineral
Correct answer: Rotting plant and animal material in soil
The sandy part of soil
Q3.
What can fossils tell us about?
Weather patterns
Correct answer: Ancient life forms
Future earthquakes
Modern buildings
Q4.
Match the type of soil to its key characteristic:
Correct Answer:Clay soil,Sticky, holds water well

Sticky, holds water well

Correct Answer:Sandy soil,Drains quickly, feels gritty

Drains quickly, feels gritty

Correct Answer:Loam soil,Mix of textures, good for plants

Mix of textures, good for plants

Q5.
What causes biological weathering?
Ice
Chemicals
Correct answer: Plants and animals
Sunlight
Q6.
Which rock type usually contains fossils?
Igneous
Correct answer: Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Volcanic

4 Questions

Q1.
What is an anomaly in data?
A perfectly average value
A repeated measurement
Correct answer: A value that doesn’t fit the pattern
A value with no label
Q2.
What does it mean for data to be valid?
It is the biggest number
Correct answer: It answers the enquiry question
It looks neat
It is written in pen
Q3.
Which of these is an example of unreliable data?
Using the same method for each test
Using a fair test
Repeating the test
Correct answer: Changing the measuring tool halfway through
Q4.
Why should anomalies not be ignored completely?
They make your graph look better
Correct answer: They might reveal something important
They are always caused by wind
They don’t matter in geography