Due:
Name:
Year 7 Microclimates assessment
“A microclimate is when the climate in a small area is different to the general surroundings”
Task: Produce an investigation at 8 different locations around the school site and analyse the various
factors responsible for creating a microclimate.
Factors affecting microclimates:
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Shelter (both artificial and physical)
Aspect (the direction a place faces)
Surface (both colour and texture)
Buildings (as a provider of heat and an influencing factor on increasing/decreasing wind strength
and direction)
 Physical features (e.g. trees, hedges, ponds)
 Human actions (e.g. drainage ditches, grass cutting)
Hypotheses:
The following hypotheses must be investigated at 2 sites:
1. “The aspect of a location influences temperature”
2. “The type of surface found at a location influences temperature”
3. “Buildings have a significant impact in creating microclimates”
Work to hand in:
Your assessment should be completed on paper and written up like a science investigation. It will be about
2-3 pages long. You should look at the level descriptors on the reverse of this sheet to aim for the highest
possible level. Your work should cover the following:
A) Introduction
– What is the aim of the investigation? Which hypotheses were you testing?
B) Method
– What method did you follow to collect data?
- What equipment did you use?
- A map showing the 8 locations used for your investigation and why you selected them.
www.digimapforschools.edina.ac.uk Username: da27bb
Password: dilts50
C) Results
– A table of your results data
- You map your data using GIS to discover geographical patterns.
D) Analysis
– Conclusion: What do the results show you?
- Summarise reasons for your findings
E) Evaluation
– Explain why your data might be inaccurate? (Refer to your method)
- If you were to do the investigation again which improvements would you make to get more
accurate data?
- How could your data be different with different weather conditions ie. on a warm sunny
afternoon with light winds or a cloudy day with a strong cold wind from the North East?
Target level:.............
Level 1
o You describe the location of the sites.
o
o
o
o
o
You explain why each of the sites were
chosen (Top of Level 1).
Level for this work:..........................
Level 2
o You describe the location the sites and why they
were chosen and use a map to do this. You use
appropriate vocabulary.
o
You describe the method in detail (step-by-step).
o
You present your results graphically – using GIS
mapping
You describe and begin to explain
geographical patterns and physical and
human processes (Top of Level 1).
o
You present your findings in a coherent way and
reach conclusions that are consistent with the
evidence.
You communicate your findings using
appropriate vocabulary.
o
You describe and explain a variety of human and
physical processes and recognise that these interact
to produce the distinctive characteristics of places.
(Top of Level 2).
o
You identify and explain problems with your data
collection method (Top of Level 2).
o
You explain how you would improve your method to
get more accurate data (Top of Level 2).
You describe the method.
A plausible conclusion is stated (Top of
Level 1).
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