Diagrams in geography exam papers?

[flinquinnster]

I've read up on the geography syllabus and it says that: "Students are expected to include well-drawn, large, relevant maps, sketches, tables and diagrams as often as applicable". My teacher says that we could and should include them, though she didn't give much detail (I will try asking her again).

However, I still have several questions:

1. How much detail is required in a graph? Can it be like in maths where there is a differentiation between sketching (where you draw a diagram with a few relevant data points without necessarily being in scale) and actually graphing? My concern is that if I simply do a rough sketch, I would actually be penalised as opposed to being given extra credit as it may betray a lack of technical skill. So would I have to include lots of numbers? My context for asking this was particularly in the describing changing trends in population growth from the core, because I can draw population pyramids but not necessarily in the excruciating detail given in actual statistical diagrams.

2. Linked to the previous question, how much quality is expected to be there? Do I have to use a ruler for everything? Am I expected to labour over it in detail, or is a rough idea good enough? Do I need to break out my colour pencils, or are our papers marked in black and white anyway?

3. Where in the paper would it be best to include it? I understand in the paper 1 that most of it is has boxes given as space for the answers, so you wouldn't want to be doing diagrams unless it specifically asks for it and leaves room. However, in extended response (and I think paper 2 and paper 3? I have no idea), would it be more appropriate then?

If any fellow geography students could provide some illumination on this query for me, I would be immensely grateful I am desperately procrastinating and silently panicking about my geography exam-preparedness as I feel as though I've done a lot of random research that's quite messy and not really specific with enough statistics (though I have many, many random case studies that I can probably name-drop). I shall have to resort to making up statistics (ha, of course not! I would not be so unethical as that IB, particularly when our teacher says that markers do indeed have access to internet and/or previous knowledge in their brain).

Edited July 15, 2012 by flinquinnster