What are the characteristics of the quarry?
Study the photograph opposite.
It shows part of the Ok Tedi
Mine in western Papua New
Guinea.
Use the photograph to
describe the characteristics
of the quarry.
Image used courtesy of Ok Tedi Mine CMCA
Review
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OkTediMine.
jpg
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2015
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What are the characteristics of the quarry?
Study the photograph opposite.
It shows part of the Ok Tedi Mine in
western Papua New Guinea.
Use the photograph to label the
characteristics of the quarry.
One label has been provided for you.
Image used courtesy of Ok Tedi Mine CMCA Review
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OkTediMine.jpg
Access road (not tarmac)
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2015
24634
Page 2 of 3
What are the characteristics of the quarry?
Teaching notes
Observations
This style of question has proved popular in some recent GCSE examinations. However,
reports from an AQA Principal Examiner have noted that these questions have frequently
been poorly answered. The observation was made that candidates need to be reminded
that they should focus on describing what can be seen in photographs rather than
inferring what is not in evidence. The command word is ‘describe’ and there is no need
to ‘explain’.
Background information
The Ok Tedi Mine is an open cast copper and gold mine in the remote Star Mountains of
Papua New Guinea. It is one of Papua New Guinea's oldest and largest mines and is
located close to the headwaters of the Ok Tedi River in a region of high rainfall and
frequent earthquakes.
Gold and copper are the two main exports of Papua New Guinea and all mines in Papua
New Guinea are at least partially owned by foreign resource companies. BHP Billiton in
Australia (60%) and the Papua New Guinea government (20%) are the largest owners of
the Ok Tedi mine jointly and Canada, the UK and USA have considerable mining
interests.
As a result of this overseas ownership, the industry has seen extensive foreign
investment in infrastructure with for example; access roads constructed into previously
inaccessible places, the provision of, schools in rural areas and local health care. The
average life expectancy for the indigenous people has consequently increased.
The foreign investment in infrastructure has provided employment for the local people
but the majority of the profits return to the overseas investors. Similarly, in terms of
exports, most of the products of the mines are exported to other countries lacking the
same resources as Papua New Guinea.
Discharges from the mine have caused widespread and diverse harm, both
environmentally and socially, to the 50,000 people who live in the 120 villages
downstream of the mine. Wikipedia refers to the Ok Tedi open cast mine as ‘One of the
worst environmental disasters caused by humans’ –
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ok_Tedi_environmental_disaster
The Ok Tedi Mine was scheduled to close in 2013. However, that year the Papua New
Guinea Government seized 100% ownership of the mine and has extended the life of the
mine to 2025 with the consent of the local community.
Differentiation
The resource is presented twice with almost identical wording, the difference being
‘label’ on the second page rather than ‘describe’ on the first page. It is suggested that
students complete the labelling exercise as an introduction to the use the photograph to
describe the characteristics of the quarry style of question.
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