GGH1502/101/3/2018

Tutorial Letter 101/3/2018

World Issues: A Geographical

Perspective
GGH1502
Semesters 1 and 2

Department of Geography

This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 3
2.2 Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 3
3 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS................................................................................... 4
3.1 Lecturer(s) .................................................................................................................................... 4
3.2 University ...................................................................................................................................... 4
4 RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 4
4.1 Prescribed book ............................................................................................................................ 4
4.2 Recommended books ................................................................................................................... 4
4.3 Module-related resources ............................................................................................................. 5
4.4 Library services and resources information ................................................................................... 5
5 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ................................................................................................ 5
6 STUDY PLAN ............................................................................................................................... 6
7 PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING ..................................................... 6
8 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 7
8.1 Assessment plan .......................................................................................................................... 7
8.2 Assignment numbers and due dates ............................................................................................. 7
8.3 Submission of assignments .......................................................................................................... 8
8.4 The assignments ........................................................................................................................ 10
8.5 The examination ......................................................................................................................... 37
8.6 Ethical Clearance ........................................................................................................................ 38
9 IN CLOSING ............................................................................................................................... 39

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 GGH1502/101/3/2018

Dear Student

1 INTRODUCTION
We take great pleasure in welcoming you to the module World Issues: A Geographical
Perspective. This module deals with some of the major problems that the world is facing at the
beginning of the 21st century.
Because this module follows a blended approach, you will need to use myUnisa to study and
complete the learning activities for this course. You will also need to visit the module site for
GGH1502 on myUnisa frequently. You should use GGH1502-18-S1 for the first semester and
GGH1502-18-S2 for the second semester.
You will need to register on myUnisa to be able to submit your assignments, to gain access to
the library functions and various learning resources, to "chat" to your lecturers and fellow
students about your studies and the challenges that you might encounter, and to participate in
online discussion forums. All the learning units for the module have been uploaded on myUnisa.
You will have access to the study material if you are registered for and have access to myUnisa.
In addition to registering on myUnisa, it is crucial that you activate your myLife e-mail address,
as all your official correspondence regarding this module will be sent to your myLife address
(not your private e-mail address). Please consult the Study @ Unisa publication for more
information on the activation of your myLife e-mail address, as well as on how to gain access to
the myUnisa site for this module.
How to approach this module
You will need to go online to access your study material and familiarise yourself with what you
will need to do for the module. Go to https://my.unisa.ac.za and log in with your student number
and password. Look in the More Sites tab for GGH1502-18-S1 or GGH1502-18-S2 and click on
the module you want to open.

2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

2.1 Purpose
After completing this module, you should be able to identify the spatial patterns of both natural
and human phenomena, as well as the spatial processes that give rise to these patterns and
change them over time. The phenomena and processes that will be studied are presented in the
form of a number of selected issues that manifest on a global scale. You will study the causes
of these issues, their global patterns and consequences and their possible solutions. We will
also introduce you to some of the skills that geographers use to analyse the environment and
environmental problems.
2.2 Outcomes
Specific outcome 1
Explain why and how human-environment interaction leads to environmental degradation.
Assessment criterion 1
Identify and explain the basic links between human-environment interaction and environmental
degradation.

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Specific outcome 2
Describe what sustainable development is and how it can mitigate environmental degradation.
Assessment criterion 2
Argue the different perspectives on sustainable development as a solution to prevent
environmental degradation.
Specific outcome 3
Explain the impact of human activities on the environment with specific reference to air, soil,
water and biodiversity.
Assessment criterion 3
Display, utilise and integrate various forms of maps, photos, graphs, diagrams and tables to
analyse the impact of human activities that lead to the development of various environmental
issues.
Specific outcome 4
Describe possible solutions to prevent environmental degradation.
Assessment criterion 4
Interpret and synthesise elementary statistical information from various sources to find
relationships in sequences and patterns, distinguish bias and identify trends.

3 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

3.1 Lecturer(s)
The names of the lecturer(s) responsible for this module will be announced on the module site
during the first week of tuition.
3.2 University
If you need to contact the University about matters that do not relate to the content of this
module, consult the publication Study @ Unisa. This brochure contains information on how to
contact the University (e.g. to whom you can address different queries, important telephone and
fax numbers, addresses and the times during which certain facilities are open). Always have
your student number at hand when you contact the University.

4 RESOURCES
4.1 Prescribed book
Middleton, N. 2013. The global casino: An introduction to environmental issues. 5th edition.
London: Routledge. ISBN 9781444146622
4.2 Recommended books
There are no recommended books for this module.

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4.3 Module-related resources

Different resources, such as the internet and the Unisa electronic library, will be used in the
teaching of this module. You can access these resources online; it is therefore crucial that you
have regular access to the internet. You will also receive a DVD with this tutorial letter.
4.4 Library services and resources information
For brief information, go to www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies.

For detailed information, go to http://www.unisa.ac.za/ and click on Library.

For research support and services of personal librarians, go to

http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=7102.

The library has compiled a number of library guides:

 To find recommended reading in the print collection and e-reserves, go to

http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/undergrad
 To request material, go to http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
 For postgraduate information services, go to http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
 To find, obtain and use library resources and tools to assist with research, go to
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_Skills
 To contact the library, find us on social media and for frequently asked questions, go to
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask

5 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

For information about the various student support services that are available at Unisa (e.g.
student counselling, tutorial classes and language support), please consult the publication
Study @ Unisa.
myUnisa
The myUnisa learning management system is Unisa's online campus that will help you to
communicate with your lecturers, with other students and with the administrative departments of
Unisa. Here you will get free access to non-course-specific and course-specific functions.
Non-course-specific functions
Non-course-specific functions are administrative tasks such as checking your personal
information, changing your address, changing your exam venue, adding or cancelling courses
and viewing your account, as well as making credit card payments. These also include:

 personalising your examination timetable

 searching for library functions and resources
 receiving online student counselling
 receiving advice on studying online

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Course-specific functions
Course-specific functions include:

 viewing the course homepage

 contacting your lecturer via e-mail
 viewing and submitting assignments
 participating in course discussion forums
 studying learning units and associated resources
 viewing or downloading study material

To go to the myUnisa website, start at the main Unisa website (http://www.unisa.ac.za) and then
click on myUnisa at the top of the screen. You can also go there directly by typing in
http://my.unisa.ac.za. Consult the publication Study @ Unisa for more information on myUnisa.

6 STUDY PLAN
Refer to the myUnisa module site for the study plan for this module. Use the Study @ Unisa
brochure for general time management and planning skills. Consider the number of weeks in
the semester, the number of learning units to be covered, due dates for assignments, the
examinations, and so forth. The following table is a guideline on how you should schedule your
time for the semester. We have indicated important due dates. Complete the rest of the table
according to your specific circumstances and timetable.
STUDY FRAMEWORK FOR 2018

WEEK ACTIVITY SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2

1 Study Tutorial Letter 101 1 February 2018 23 July 2018
2
3
4 Submit Assignment 01 28 February 2018 17 August 2018
5
6
7 Submit Assignment 02 29 March 2018 14 September 2018
8
9
10 Submit Assignment 03 13 April 2018 28 September 2018
11
12
13
14 Examination starts Revision Revision
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7 PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING

There is no practical work for module GGH1502.

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8 ASSESSMENT
8.1 Assessment plan
Assignments are part of the learning material for this module. While doing the assignments,
consulting resources, discussing the work with fellow students or tutors or doing research, you
are actively engaging in learning.
You will receive feedback on each assignment in a follow-up tutorial letter. Tutorial Letter 201
will include the feedback on Assignments 01 and 02 and Tutorial Letter 202 will include the
feedback on Assignment 03. As soon as you have received the feedback, check your answers.
The feedback on assignments constitutes an important part of your learning and should help
you to be better prepared for the examination.
The mark reading sheets for Assignments 01 and 03 (multiple-choice questions) will be marked
electronically by the Assignment Section.
SEMESTERS 1 AND 2

ASSIGNMENT NUMBER ASSIGNMENT FORMAT PERCENTAGE OF YEAR

MARK

1 MCQ 10

2 Written 50

3 MCQ 40

COMPOSITION OF FINAL MARK FOR SEMESTERS 1 AND 2

COMPONENT PERCENTAGE

Year mark 25

Examination 75

8.2 Assignment numbers and due dates

FIRST SEMESTER

ASSIGNMENT UNIQUE NUMBER DUE DATE

01 803229 28/02/2018

02 808561 29/03/2018

03 833198 13/04/2018

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SECOND SEMESTER

ASSIGNMENT UNIQUE NUMBER DUE DATE

01 798078 17/08/2018

02 660672 14/09/2018

03 748892 28/09/2018

8.3 Submission of assignments

Submit your assignments online in PDF format via myUnisa. Software to convert Word
documents to PDF is available on myUnisa. You can also download a free PDF convertor from
http://www.primopdf.com/index.aspx.
To submit your assignment online, go to the module site on myUnisa, click on Assessment
Info. Type in your student number and then click on the number of the assignment you wish to
submit. Follow the instructions on the screen to make sure that your assignment is uploaded
onto myUnisa. If you experience problems with myUnisa, contact MyUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za.
Describe the problem and/or the error message in detail.
Plagiarism
Before you start your assignments, read the following information to avoid plagiarism.
When writing an assignment, it is easy to quote someone else and inadvertently forget to cite
the source. While compiling your assignment, you consult many websites and many different
ideas clamour for attention in your head. It is easy to copy and paste a quote while forgetting to
note the source of that quote. It is equally easy to copy an entire section of someone else's
work. However, even if you did not mean to plagiarise, doing it has important consequences.
Plagiarism, intentional or not, is a very serious matter. You will receive 0% if you plagiarise.
Take note of the following to ensure that you do not plagiarise in your assignment.
It is usually better to paraphrase ideas than to quote directly. In other words, read the source
text and then put the ideas into your own words. However, even when paraphrasing, you need
to acknowledge the original source.
Whenever you use a fact, phrase, chart or quotation that you have obtained from someone else,
acknowledge the original source.
Never copy and paste anything from the internet without also copying the URL where you found
it. Later you will be able to go back to the same page, check the wording and give a proper
citation.
If you think, you may be using someone else's writing, copy and paste the passage into Google
or another search engine. If your search comes up with close hits, your passage may well not
be original work.
For the module GGH1502, you must use the Harvard referencing style.

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Resources to help you understand and avoid plagiarism

 Referencing guidelines for GGH1502 are available on myUnisa and at

http://www.plagiarism.org.

 An educational website from iParadigms, LLC, makers of Turnitin plagiarism detection

software

 Unisa's policy for Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism:

http://cm.unisa.ac.za/contents/departments/tuition_policies/docs/copyrightinfringement_a
nd_plagiarism_policy_16nov05.pdf

An example of how to write an extract in your own words:

Quote from an article with in-text reference
"The transition to a new era of coastal management was signalled by the Department's
acknowledgement that a participatory policy formulation process was needed to address the
shortcomings of previous efforts. This shift in approach cannot be divorced from the wider
political context" (Glavovic 2006:893).
Own words with in-text reference
The evolution in coastal management was put in motion when the Department admitted that the
shortcomings of previous attempts needed to be dealt with by means of a participatory policy
formulation process. The use of a new approach should not be separated from the overall
political context (Glavovic 2006).

Examples of how to reference in the text

One author:
(Strauss 2006).
Two authors:
(King & Jacob 2003).
More than two authors:
(Nkosi et al. 2011).
Examples on how to compile a reference list
Book: Author's surname, his or her initials. Year. Title of the book. Edition. City of publication:
Publisher. (Always use the language of the source.)
Middleton, N. 2013. The global casino: An introduction to environmental issues. 5th edition.
London: Routledge.
Journal: Author's surname, his or her initials. Year. Title of the article. Title of the journal,
volume, page number(s).

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Glavovic, B.C. 2006. The evolution of coastal management in South Africa: Why blood is thicker
than water. Ocean & Coastal Management 49, 889–904.
Internet: Author's surname, his or her initials. Year. Title of the article. Available at: URL.
[Accessed on ...........].
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2005. Fertilizer use by crop in
South Africa. Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y5998e/y5 998e06.htm. [Accessed on: 17
September 2012].
Please note that the reference list should always be in alphabetical order.
8.4 The assignments

SEMESTER 01
ASSIGNMENT 01 UNIQUE NUMBER: 803229 DUE DATE: 28/02/2018

This assignment contributes 10% to your year mark.

Please consult Tutorial Letter 102 on myUnisa.
1 Which of the following referencing styles should you use for GGH1502?

(1) Modern Languages Association (MLA) style

(2) Vancouver style
(3) Chicago style
(4) Harvard style

2 How would you correctly cite the following textbook in an assignment? Holden, J. 2012.
An introduction to physical geography and the environment. 3rd edition. London:
Pearson.

(1) According to Holden in the textbook An introduction to physical geography and the
environment, …
(2) According to the textbook published in 2012 in An introduction to physical
geography and the environment, …
(3) According to Holden (2012), …
(4) According to the textbook An introduction to physical geography and the
environment published by Pearson, …

3 How would you correctly cite the following journal article in the reference list of an
assignment?

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(1) Heidi Soosalu, Regina Lippitsch, Páll Einarsson. 2006. Journal of

Volcanology and Geothermal Research 153. Low-frequency earthquakes
at the Torfajökull volcano, south Iceland. Available online at
www.sciencedirect.com
(2) Soosalu, H., Lippitsch, R. & Einarsson, P. 2006. Low-frequency
earthquakes at the Torfajökull volcano, south Iceland. Journal of
Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 153, 187-199.
(3) Soosalu et al. 2006. Low-frequency earthquakes at the Torfajökull volcano,
south Iceland. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 153, 187-
199.
(4) H. Soosalu, R. Lippitsch & P. Einarsson. 2006. Low-frequency earthquakes
at the Torfajökull volcano, south Iceland. Journal of Volcanology and
Geothermal Research 153, 187-199. Elsevier. Available online at
www.sciencedirect.com.

4 How would you correctly cite the following journal article in the reference list of an
assignment?

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 (1) Ferreira, M.P., Alves, D.S. &. Shimabukuro, Y.E. 2014. Forest dynamics and
land-use transitions in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: The case of sugarcane
expansion. Regional Environmental Change, 15, 365-377.
(2) Matheus P. Ferreira, Diógenes S. Alves & Yosio E. Shimabukuro. 2014.
Regional Environmental Change 15, 365-377. Forest dynamics and land-use
transitions in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: The case of sugarcane expansion.
Available online at DOI 10.1007/s10113-014-0652-6.
(3) M.P. Ferreira, D.S. Alves, Y.E. Shimabukuro. 2014. Forest dynamics and
land-use transitions in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: The case of sugarcane
expansion. Regional Environmental Change 15, 365-377. Springer-Verlag:
Heidelberg.
(4) Ferreira et al. 2014. Forest dynamics and land-use transitions in the Brazilian
Atlantic Forest: The case of sugarcane expansion. Regional Environmental
Change 15, 365-377.

5 Which statement does not describe a technique that you can use to avoid
committing plagiarism?

(1) After reading the prescribed material, write the entire assignment from memory
of the knowledge you retained.
(2) Cite in the text each piece of information that comes from a source.
(3) Ensure that all the sources you consulted are included in the reference list.
(4) Use the referencing process to strengthen and substantiate an argument with
evidence from academically valid sources.

6 Which statement regarding referencing is true?

(1) Referencing is only necessary for work that is written for publication.
(2) Referencing involves the inclusion of both an in-text reference and a reference
list.
(3) Citing each source in the text once is sufficient acknowledgement of the source.
(4) Referencing is only necessary for quotations taken directly from a source.

7 Which of the following statements about a reference list is false?

(1) A reference list enables a reader or a marker of an assignment to access a

source for further consultation if necessary.
(2) A reference list includes all the necessary information about the sources you
have consulted.
(3) A reference list does not need to contain the name of the author, the title and
the year of publication of a source if the ISBN is given.
(4) A reference list supports your arguments and makes your work credible.

8 Which statement corresponds with the Unisa Policy for Copyright Infringement and
Plagiarism?

(1) Students may only be subjected to a disciplinary hearing if they committed

plagiarism intentionally.
(2) Submitting assignments that were completed by a friend or fellow student is not
an act of plagiarism or dishonesty.
(3) Using direct quotations extensively in an assignment is not plagiarism if they
are cited correctly in the text and reference list.
(4) Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, is a serious criminal offence.

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9 Which one is an example of plagiarism?

(1) "Patch-writing" in which students cut and paste information from the internet
without any acknowledgements.
(2) Using a series of direct quotations with no or very little paraphrasing.
(3) Copying the work of another student.
(4) All of the above.

10 Which statement regarding direct quotations is correct?

(1) They should be used as frequently as possible to avoid plagiarism.

(2) They are the only way to avoid plagiarising.
(3) They should be used only when absolutely necessary.
(4) They should be used instead of your own thoughtful analysis.
TOTAL: 10

SEMESTER 01

ASSIGNMENT 02 UNIQUE NUMBER:808561 DUE DATE: 29/03/2018

This assignment consist of an essay question. The length of the essay must not exceed four A4
typed pages. Please ensure that your student number and the module code are on your cover
page. This assignment contributes 50% to your year mark.

Assessment criteria for Assignment 02

Any scientific essay should comply with certain standards. Your essay should reflect the
following:
- The content must be comprehensive, factual, accurate and persuasive.
- Do not write in the first person. Always remain impersonal when writing a scientific essay.
- Write grammatically complete sentences that are not too long.
- The structure of each paragraph must be clear and easy to follow.
- When you plan your answer, you must include a short introduction and conclusion.
- Use linkages to proceed from one paragraph to the next.
- Make sure the essay is the appropriate length as required for the assignment.
- Include a cover page with your name, student number and title of the essay.
- Check that you have followed the rules of grammar and punctuation.
- Use at least six references for the assignment.
- Consult the referencing guidelines for GGH1502 in Tutorial Letter 102.
- Make sure that the sources you have consulted are correctly referenced in the text as
well as in the reference list.
- Type your essay with Arial font and use 11 or 12 font size.
- Page margins can be set at 2 cm on all sides (left, right, top and bottom).

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Assignment 02

The population explosion of earlier and of the present day has already caused and is still
causing serious impacts on the global environment. The increase in the human population has
stressed most of the natural systems, comprising flora and fauna as well as biological diversity.
Discuss the various ways in which we have increased the world's food supplies in the past 200
years and their effect on the natural environment.

You MUST use the following headings in your answer:

Heading Mark

Introduction 2

The meaning of the Green Revolution and its impact on world food production 10

The environmental problems associated with the use of biotechnology 10

The environmental impacts of aquaculture and the Blue Revolution 10

The benefits of producing food sustainably 10

Conclusion 2

Reference list 6
Total 50

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SEMESTER 01

ASSIGNMENT 03 UNIQUE NUMBER: 833198 DUE DATE: 13/04/2018

This assignment contributes 40% to your year mark.

Learning Unit 1: Physical Environment
1 Which ecosystem has the greatest net primary productivity (billion tons/C) per year?

(1) Open ocean

(2) Swamp and marsh
(3) Upwelling zones
(4) Tropical rain forest

2 Which proportion of the earth is underlain by permafrost?

(1) 50 per cent

(2) 20 per cent
(3) 5 per cent
(4) 2 per cent

3 Which statement about biomes is false?

(1) Hyper-arid desert supports very little plant life.

(2) Steppe, prairie, pampa and veldt are all regional names for tundra.
(3) Much of the boreal forest is underlain by acid soils.
(4) Herds of grazing mammals are typical of savanna landscapes.

4 Most of the carbon is found in the … .

(1) atmosphere
(2) biosphere
(3) hydrosphere
(4 lithosphere

5 Planet Earth is … million years old.

(1) 460
(2) 4.6
(3) 46
(4) 4 600

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6 Which biome is represented in figure 1?

Figure 1: Biome
(1) Fynbos/chaparral
(2) Savannah
(3) Desert
(4) Tundra

Learning Unit 2: The Human Environment

7 Which statement about global inequality is false?

(1) The top 20 per cent of the global population controls more than 60 per cent
of total income in 2007.
(2) Global income inequality increased over the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.
(3) Someone born at the beginning of this century in an industrialised country
will add more to resource consumption and pollution over his or her lifetime
than over 30 people born in developing nations.
(4) None of the above.

8 What does the tragedy of the commons suggest?

(1) Certain resources are given too high a value

(2) Resources under common ownership are prone to overuse
(3) Resources that are owned tend to be managed carefully
(4) Resources become overexploited when people own them

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9 Which characteristic is NOT associated with geographical concentrations of chronic

rural poverty?

(1) Areas that are far from political centres

(2) Areas that are well-connected to markets
(3) Areas with low agricultural potential
(4) Areas that are politically disadvantaged

10 Which of the following is NOT a factor in globalisation?

(1) Transnational corporations

(2) Water scarcity
(3) Colonialism
(4) Transport networks

11 The following statements describe the 'technocentric' approach to environmental

issues. Where does the answers to current environmental challenges lie?

(1) Technology and economics

(2) Fundamental changes in our worldview
(3) The decentralisation of power
(4) Environmental challenges require changes in our ethical and moral approaches
to nature

12 Which combination regarding early interest in environmental issues is false?

(1) England in 1306; ocean pollution

(2) Caribbean islands after 1560; deforestation
(3) Mongolia at the end of the 1200s; overexploitation of resources
(4) Ancient Mesopotamia; soil erosion

Learning Unit 4: Tropical Deforestation

13 Why do gaps continually form naturally in the forest canopy?

(1) Trees are blown over

(2) Older trees die
(3) Lightning strike trees
(4) All of the above.

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14 How long has the Amazon rainforest been a permanent feature of South America?

(1) At least 55 million years

(2) Less than a million years
(3) Since the last Ice Age
(4) Less than 3 500 years

15 What proportion of all species are thought to live in tropical moist forests?

(1) More than 50 per cent

(2) Less than 10 per cent
(3) Less than 30 per cent
(4) More than 30 per cent

16 Which of the following effects of deforestation is false?

(1) Greater soil erosion

(2) Reduced biodiversity
(3) Greater runoff from bare soils
(4) Greater carbon sequestration

17 What may slow tropical deforestation down?

(1) Supplying foreign aid in the form of money to affected countries

(2) Encouraging migration of poor, homeless people to the forests
(3) The implementation of sustainable farming practices
(4) Providing economic incentives to conserve forests

Learning Unit 6: Oceans and Coastal Issues

18 What does POPs stand for?

(1) Persistent organic pollutants

(2) Persistent offsite pollution
(3) Poisonous organic pollution
(4) Polar organic pollutants

19 Which statement about oil spills is true?

(1) Huge individual accidents have minor local impacts

(2) Most oil spills from shipping occur in ports or at oil terminals
(3) The number of major oil spills has declined from about 25 a year in the 1970s
to about 8 a year in the first decade of the present century
(4) None of the above.

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20 What may cause the ecological problems of the Black Sea?

(1) Pollution and resulting eutrophication

(2) Intense overfishing, partly responsible for a trophic cascade
(3) Oil spills and an invasion of jellyfish
(4) All of the above.

21 Which one is NOT a coastal habitat?

(1) Salt marsh

(2) Seagrass bed
(3) Oasis
(4) Estuary

22 Which one of the following is a mangrove forest?

(1) The Sundarbans

(2) Parc National du Banc
(3) The Zuider Zee
(4) Prince William Sound

23 Which three countries have the greatest area of mangroves?

(1) Australia, Nigeria and Cuba

(2) Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Bangladesh
(3) Indonesia, Australia and Brazil
(4) Brazil, Malaysia and Mexico

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24 Study figure 3 and indicate which type of marine pollutants takes the longest
amount of time to break down in the ocean.

Figure 3: Persistence of pollutants in the ocean

(1) Plastics and toxic metals

(2) Detergents and pesticides
(3) Oil
(4) Sewage and thermal pollutants

Learning Unit 8: Big dams

25 Which one of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?

(1) Aswan High Dam; Nile

(2) Three Gorges Dam; Yangtze
(3) Cahora Bassa Dam; Volga
(4) Hoover Dam; Colorado

26 Which statement about hydropower dams is false?

(1) Hydropower dams impede or prevent the migration of fish

(2) Dam building can cause downstream changes such as increased water
temperature
(3) Hydropower is an unreliable and non-renewable source of energy
(4) Hydropower dams and large reservoirs displace large numbers of people

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27 What do multi-purpose dams provide?

(1) Flood control, water supply and power generation

(2) Power generation, water supply and forests
(3) Power generation and manufacturing industry
(4) Flood control, disease prevention and drought mitigation

28 Which one is NOT associated with local changes in groundwater after reservoir
impoundment?

(1) Salinisation
(2) Landslides
(3) Waterlogging
(4) Sedimentation

29 Study table 1 and indicate which hydropower project displaced the largest number of
people.

(1) Three Gorges (China)

(2) Tarbela (Pakistan)
(3) Cabora Bassa (Mozambique)
(4) Akosombo (Ghana)

Table 1: Hydropower dams and the number of people displaced for dam projects
(Adapted from Middleton, 2013).
Project and country Capacity (MW) People relocated
Three Gorges (China) 182 000 1 300 000
Tarbela (Pakistan) 1 750 86 000
Cabora Bassa (Mozambique) 2 075 25 000
Akosombo (Ghana) 833 80 000

Learning Unit 10: Acidification

30 What does the pH scale measure?

(1) Turbidity
(2) Acidity
(3) Salinity
(4) Hardness

31 What is an important precursor to acid rain?

(1) Sulphur dioxide

(2) Methane
(3) Carbon dioxide
(4) Radon

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32 Buffering capacity is … .

(1) the ability of people to neutralise acids entering an ecosystem

(2) a measure of shallow soils that are sensitive to acidification
(3) the ability of an ecosystem to neutralise incoming acids
(4) an assessment of how land use change can affect acidification

33 Study figure 4 and indicate the process represented by A.

Figure 4: Emission and transport of acid rain

(1) Dry deposition

(2) Acid hail
(3) Ocean acidification
(4) Evaporation

34 Which combination regarding the effect of acid rain is false?

(1) Limestone; dissolve

(2) Plastic; corrosion
(3) Health; breathing difficulties
(4) Trees; damage to needles, leaves and bark

Learning Unit 12: Soil Erosion

35 What are the most widespread and effective human drivers of soil loss?

(1) Wind and water

(2) Agriculture and footpath erosion
(3) Agriculture and construction
(4) Agriculture and deforestation

36 What is the cardinal rule for erosion control?

(1) Always maintain a sufficient vegetative cover on a soil

(2) Avoiding clay-rich soils
(3) Never use machinery in heavy rainfall
(4) Measure rates of soil loss on experimental plots

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37 Which of the following is a consequence of soil compaction?

(1) Increased soil salinity

(2) Increased rock weathering
(3) Decreased germination of seedlings
(4) Decreased soil salinity

38 Which option includes three types of soil erosion?

(1) Splash, sheet and gully

(2) Uniform, differential and varied
(3) Vertical, horizontal and diagonal
(4) Dry, wet and moist

39 What determines the erosivity of an erosion agent such as water?

(1) Land use patterns

(2) Its depth as well as the speed at which it flows
(3) The type of soil
(4) The type of vegetation

40 Which statement about erosion is true?

(1) The action of wind and water can be regarded as the two main causes of
accelerated erosion.
(2) As a rule, the implementation of soil conservation projects in the developing
world yields very good results.
(3) Ploughing land and planting a crop such as maize will lead to a decrease in
natural erosion rates.
(4) The removal or disturbance of natural vegetation is one of the most important
contributions of humans to accelerated soil erosion.

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 SEMESTER 02
ASSIGNMENT 01 UNIQUE NUMBER: 798078 DUE DATE: 17/08/2018

This assignment contributes 10% to your year mark. Please consult Tutorial Letter 102 on
myUnisa.
1 Which of the following referencing styles should you use for GGH1502?

(1) Harvard style

(2) Ancient Languages Association (ALA) style
(3) Oxford style
(4) Vancouver style

2 How would you correctly cite the following journal article in the text of an
assignment?
Cavello, M., D'Orsi, R.N., Piciullo, L., Paes, N., Magalhaes, M. & W.A. Lacerda.
2016. The Rio de Janeiro early warning system for rainfall-induced landslides:
Analysis of performance for the years 2010-2013. International Journal of Disaster
Risk Reduction 12, 3-15.

(1) According to the article The Rio de Janeiro early warning system for rainfall-
induced landslides published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk
Reduction, …
(2) According to Cavello et al. (2016), …
(3) According to Cavello, D'Orsi, Piciullo, Paes, Magalhaes & Lacerda (2016), …
(4) According to the article The Rio de Janeiro early warning system for rainfall-
induced landslides published in 2016 …

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 GGH1502/101/3/2018

3 How would you correctly cite the following journal article in the reference list of an
assignment?

(1) Peter M. Homyak & James O. Sickman. 2014. Influence of soil moisture on the
seasonality of nitric oxide emissions from chaparral soils, Sierra Nevada,
California, USA. Journal of Arid Environments 103, 46-52.
(2) Homyak, P.M. & J.O. Sickman. 2014. Influence of soil moisture on the
seasonality of nitric oxide emissions from chaparral soils, Sierra Nevada,
California, USA. Elsevier. Available at www.elsevier.com/locate/jaridenv.
(3) Homyak, P.M. & Sickman, J.O. 2014. Influence of soil moisture on the
seasonality of nitric oxide emissions from chaparral soils, Sierra Nevada,
California, USA. Journal of Arid Environments, 103, 46-52.
(4) P.M. Homyak & Sickman, J.O. 2014. Influence of soil moisture on the
seasonality of nitric oxide emissions from chaparral soils, Sierra Nevada,
California, USA. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of
California: Riverside, California.

25
4 How would you correctly cite the following journal article in the reference list of an
assignment?

(1) Elisabeth Druel & Kristina M. Gjerde. 2014. Sustaining marine life beyond
boundaries: Options for and implementing agreement for marine biodiversity
beyond national jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea. Marine Policy 49, 90-97.
(2) Druel, E. & K.M. Gjerde. 2014. Sustaining marine life beyond boundaries:
Options for and implementing agreement for marine biodiversity beyond
national jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea. Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations: Paris,
France.
(3) Druel, E. & K.M. Gjerde. 2014. Sustaining marine life beyond boundaries:
Options for and implementing agreement for marine biodiversity beyond
national jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea. Elsevier. Available at www.elsevier.com/locate/marpol.
(4) Druel, E. & Gjerde, K.M. 2014. Sustaining marine life beyond boundaries:
Options for and implementing agreement for marine biodiversity beyond
national jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea. Marine Policy, 49, 90-97.

5 Which method is the most efficient way of avoiding plagiarism?

(1) Ensure that most of your assignment is based on quotations from sources.
(2) Paraphrase an author's ideas into your own words and write them as if they are
your own ideas.
(3) Do not cite any sources in an assignment.
(4) Paraphrase the ideas into your own words and cite the original source.

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6 Which statement about referencing is incorrect?

(1) Referencing involves two steps: citing a source in the text and including a
corresponding full entry in the reference list.
(2) Referencing needs to provide for all sources, including books, journal articles
and websites.
(3) Referencing is only necessary when you quote directly from a source.
(4) Referencing is necessary when you paraphrase the words and ideas of others
into your own words.
7 Identify the statement that corresponds with the Unisa Policy for Copyright
Infringement and Plagiarism.

(1) The submission of an assignment without adequate citations does not intrude
on the original author's economic or moral rights.
(2) The utilisation of online web services or "ghost writing services" is a criminal
offence.
(3) Students may only be subjected to a disciplinary hearing if they committed
plagiarism intentionally.
(4) Submitting assignments that were completed by a friend or fellow student is not
an act of plagiarism or dishonesty.

8 Which statement about in-text referencing is true?

(1) It is the acknowledgement of a source from which you have taken information
to use in an assignment.
(2) It is only necessary when a quote is taken directly from a source.
(3) It requires that you provide the entire URL (http://...) in the text of your
assignment when you use internet-based sources.
(4) It is sufficient on its own without providing a corresponding entry in the
reference list.

9 Why is paraphrasing too closely to the original text, even if you acknowledge the
source, still considered as plagiarism?

(1) You have failed to indicate, by means of direct quotation marks, which are the
exact words of the original.
(2) You should never use the words of others when you are using their ideas.
(3) By changing a few words or the order of the original words, you have changed the
author's exact words.
(4) By not providing the exact words of the author in their entirety, you are attributing
to the author some words that he/she did not write.

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10 Which statement is true?

(1) It is acceptable to submit an assignment that is based exclusively on another

student's ideas, as long as the assignment is cited correctly.
(2) Sources are listed alphabetically in a reference list.
(3) If you cite information within the text of an assignment, it is not necessary to
include this source in the reference list.
(4) A person can get in trouble for plagiarism only if the person intended to
plagiarise.
TOTAL: 10

SEMESTER 02

ASSIGNMENT 02 UNIQUE NUMBER:660672 DUE DATE: 14/09/2018

This assignment consists of essay questions. The length of the essay must not exceed four A4
typed pages. Please ensure that your student number and the module code are written on your
cover page. This assignment contributes 50% to your year mark.

Assessment criteria for Assignment 02

Any scientific essay should comply with certain standards. Your essay should reflect the
following:
- The content must be comprehensive, factual, accurate and persuasive.
- Do not write in the first person. Always remain impersonal when writing a scientific essay.
- Write grammatically complete sentences that are not too long.
- The structure of each paragraph must be clear and easy to follow.
- When you plan your answer, you must include a short introduction and conclusion.
- Use linkages to proceed from one paragraph to the next.
- Make sure the essay is the appropriate length as required for the assignment.
- Include a cover page with your name, student number and title of the essay.
- Check that you have followed the rules of grammar and punctuation.
- Use at least six references for the assignment.
- Consult the referencing guidelines for GGH1502 in Tutorial Letter 102.
- Make sure that the sources you have consulted are correctly referenced in the text as
well as in the reference list.
- Type your essay with Arial font and use 11 or 12 font size.
- Page margins can be set at 2 cm on all sides (left, right, top and bottom).

Assignment 2
Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, one form of soil degradation. The
erosion of soil is a naturally occurring process on all land. The agents of soil erosion are water
and wind, each contributing a significant amount of soil loss each year. Discuss soil erosion as
a form of soil degradation. You MUST use the following headings:

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 GGH1502/101/3/2018

Headings Mark

Introduction 2

Variables that influence erosion 10

Prime causes of accelerated erosion 10

Effects that wind and water erosion could have on soil 10

Soil protection techniques 10

Conclusion 2

References 6
TOTAL 50

SEMESTER 02

ASSIGNMENT 03 UNIQUE NUMBER:748892 DUE DATE: 28/09/2018

This assignment contributes 40% to your year mark.

Learning Unit 3: Sustainable Development
1 What are we talking about when the needs of the present are met without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs?

(1) The tragedy of the commons

(2) The impossibility theorem
(3) Sustainable development
(4) Net primary production

2 What are the three pillars of sustainable development?

(1) Economic development, social development and environmental protection

(2) Poverty, population and degradation
(3) Economic growth, population growth and environmental protection
(4) Strong, weak and balanced sustainability

3 Thomas Malthus suggested that … .

(1) food supply grows geometrically

(2) human population grows arithmetically
(3) population growth will not outstrip the food supply
(4) population growth will lead to conflict and human misery

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4 What may have caused the decline of the civilisation on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)?

(1) Pollution
(2) Over-reliance on maize
(3) Deforestation
(4) Overuse of soil

5 Which diagram in figure 1 illustrates the decline of the Mayan civilisation?

Figure 1: Three diagrams showing the relationship between carrying capacity and
population

(1) (a)
(2) (b)
(3) (c)
(4) (a) and (c)

6 Which perspective or theory holds that technological change is the result of human
inventiveness reacting to needs?

(1) Malthusian perspective

(2) Boserup theory
(3) Green perspective
(4) Machako's perspective

Learning Unit 5: Desertification

7 What do you call a rising salty water table?

(1) Saline leak

(2) Saline seep
(3) Saline ooze
(4) Eucalyptus salts

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8 Which country is NOT part of the Sahel?

(1) Botswana
(2) Niger
(3) Nigeria
(4) Mauritania

9 What do you call the transformation of arable land into uninhabitable land because of
climate change and destructive land use?

(1) Deforestation
(2) Desertification
(3) Soil erosion
(4) Acid rain

10 What was the main cause of desertification in the Sahel region during the 1970s and
1980s?

(1) Soil degradation

(2) Drought
(3) Oil spill
(4) Overgrazing

11 Which statement on desertification is true?

(1) The occurrence of desertification is limited to deserts such as the Sahara and
the Namib.
(2) Desertification only affects the arid and semi-arid parts of the world.
(3) Desertification is the result of the interaction between certain land use practices
and climatic conditions.
(4) Desertification means that deserts such as the Sahara are expanding.

Learning Unit 7: Rivers, Lakes and Wetlands

12 Most of the fresh water on earth is found in … .

(1) aquifers
(2) caves
(3) polar ice and glaciers
(4) lakes and rivers

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13 Which convention aims for the protection of wetlands?

(1) Rio Conference

(2) Ramsar Convention
(3) Basel Convention
(4) London Dumping Convention

14 Which of the following can result in cultural eutrophication when introduced into
rivers, lakes and wetlands?

(1) Nitrogen
(2) Acid wastes
(3) Bacteria
(4) Pesticides

15 Contamination from which of the following is a non-point source of pollution?

(1) Overflow from a sewage treatment plant

(2) Runoff from an agricultural field
(3) Drainage from an abandoned mine
(4) Hot water from a power station

16 According to figure 2, in which year were 50 fish species recorded in the Thames
River?

Figure 2: Fish diversity in the Thames River

(1) 1964
(2) 1970
(3) 1974
(4) 1977

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Learning Unit 9: Climatic Change

17 What is a likely effect of the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer?

(1) Increased volcanic activity

(2) Increased amounts of UV radiation reaching the earth
(3) Decreased rates of soil erosion
(4) Decreased amounts of water in lakes

18 Which of the following is NOT a major greenhouse gas?

(1) Methane
(2) Water vapour
(3) Calcium carbonate
(4) Carbon dioxide

19 Where was the global agreement to reduce the release of ozone depleting substances
signed?

(1) Montreal Protocol

(2) Kyoto Protocol
(3) Basel Convention
(4) Rio Convention

20 Which greenhouse gas is entirely anthropogenic in origin?

(1) Methane
(2) Nitrous oxide
(3) Chlorofluorocarbons
(4) Carbon dioxide

21 Which statement about climatic change is true?

(1) Water vapour is the most powerful greenhouse gas.

(2) Record snowfall disproves global warming.
(3) Human action has significantly increased the concentrations of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere.
(4) Human activities are too insignificant to affect the global climate.

22 What do many scientists believe causes the greenhouse effect?

(1) Overgrazing of land in developing nations

(2) Burning large amounts of oil and coal in developed nations
(3) Testing nuclear weapons along coastlines
(4) Using natural fertilisers to increase crop production

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Learning Unit 10: Acidification

23 Which statement about acidification is false?

(1) Conifer plantations frequently result in soil acidification

(2) The smelting of metals is not associated with acid rain
(3) Most lichens are very sensitive to atmospheric pollution by sulphur dioxide
(4) Acid mist has been associated with forest dieback in Germany

24 Which statement regarding acid rain is true?

(1) The source areas of acid rain pollutants and affected areas are often far apart.
(2) Acid rain occurs only in the southern hemisphere.
(3) Acid rain presents the most serious environmental problem in developing
countries.
(4) Industrialised countries are least affected by acid rain.

25 Which part of the world is NOT significantly affected by acid rain?

(1) East Asia, especially Japan, China and South Korea

(2) Antarctica, St Helena and Marion Island
(3) Europe (from Wales to Poland)
(4) North America (USA and Canada)

26 Which technology can NOT be used to limit emissions of industrial pollutants that
cause acid rain?

(1) Fuel desulphurisation

(2) Incineration of waste
(3) Flue gas desulphurization
(4) Fluidised bed technology

27 Which protocol does NOT regulate sulphur emissions?

(1) Helsinki Protocol

(2) Oslo Protocol
(3) Gothenburg Protocol
(4) Kinshasa Protocol

Learning Unit 11: Food Production

28 Which one is NOT a characteristic of the Green Revolution?

(1) Chemical farming techniques

(2) Mechanised agriculture
(3) Hunting and gathering
(4) Expansion of irrigation

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29 Which statement on the application of the Green Revolution techniques is correct?

(1) Food production in especially African countries benefited from it.

(2) Only the cultivation of soft fruits benefited from this.
(3) It requires sufficient water, chemical fertiliser and pest control.
(4) It is applied evenly across the world.

30 An important characteristic of sustainable agriculture is that it … .

(1) requires huge inputs of fossil fuels

(2) encourages organic fertiliser use
(3) uses chemical fertilisers to a large extent
(4) encourages monoculture crop cultivation

31 Which statement on the world food situation is true?

(1) The world produces more than enough food to meet the basic calorie needs of
everyone on earth.
(2) In terms of absolute numbers, there are less malnourished and undernourished
people in the world today than at any other time in the past.
(3) Most developing countries in the world are self-sufficient regarding food and do
not import any food.
(4) The production of food is distributed evenly over the world, with most countries
producing enough food to provide for their own needs.

32 The main goal of aquaculture is to … .

(1) decrease fisheries, where industrial fishing is practiced

(2) solve chronic food shortages
(3) expand the economies of developing nations
(4) reduce ocean pollution

Learning Unit 13: Biodiversity Loss

33 The loss of what kind … species may result in a cascade of extinctions.

(1) top
(2) supporting
(3) keystone
(4) vital

34 What does CITES stand for?

(1) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

(2) Convention on Internal Trade in Endangered Species
(3) Convention on International Trade in Exotic Species
(4) Convention on International Trade in Endemic Species

35
35 What is an exotic species?

(1) Pest species that affect farmland

(2) Type of zoo animal
(3) Species introduced into an area from somewhere else
(4) Species from the humid tropics

36 In the North American Great Lakes, what are the alewife, sea lamprey and zebra
mussel all examples of?

(1) Migratory species

(2) Exotic species that have altered the ecosystem
(3) Non-renewable resources
(4) Endemic species

37 According to figure 3, by which year did the number of dead zones in the ocean
reached more than 500?

Figure 3: Marine dead zones

(1) 1950
(2) 1990
(3) 2000
(4) 2010

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 GGH1502/101/3/2018

38 What does it mean if a species is classified as 'vulnerable' on the Red Data List?

(1) It is only known to survive in cultivation, in captivity or when naturalised.

(2) It is at high risk of extinction in the wild in near future.
(3) It is at high risk of extinction in the wild in medium-term future.
(4) It is at extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in immediate future.

Learning Unit 1: Physical Environment

39 With the earth as a system, with what is the hydrosphere concerned?

(1) Air
1 (2) Water
(3) Vegetation
(4) Rocks

40 Which one is NOT an example of a biome?

(1) Temperate grassland

(2) Forest-grassland
(3) Tropical rainforest
(4) Tundra

8.5 The examination

For general information and requirements as far as examinations are concerned, see the
brochure Study @ Unisa.

Examination admission
To gain admission to the examination for this module, you will have to submit any assignment
on or before its due date. If you do not submit any assignment, you will not be admitted to the
examination.
How does this work in practice?
Students who qualify for a supplementary, aegrotat or special examination should note that the
structure and scope of the examination paper and the guidelines for the examination might vary
slightly from semester to semester. Students who have the opportunity to write a
supplementary, aegrotat or special examination are not registered for the semester in which
they write the supplementary examination; they are still registered for the semester in which
they wrote the examination for the first time. They will therefore not receive any tutorial matter
via the official channels for the semester in which they write the supplementary, aegrotat or
special examination. This implies that they will not receive, for example, the tutorial letter
containing examination guidelines for the semester in which they will write the supplementary,
aegrotat or special examination. If you are writing a supplementary, aegrotat or special
examination, you will have to contact your lecturer to arrange for a copy of the tutorial letter
containing the examination guidelines to be sent to you to help you prepare for the examination.

37
If illness prevents you from writing an examination, you may apply to the Examination Section
for permission to write an aegrotat or special examination at the end of the next semester. Full
particulars on and the requirements for aegrotat and special examinations are contained in the
booklet Study @ Unisa. Please do not apply for an aegrotat or special examination to the
Department of Geography, and do not send your medical certificate to the lecturer who is
responsible for this module.
Examination period
This module is offered over a semester period of 15 weeks. This means that, if you are
registered for the first semester, you will write the examination in May/June 2018 and the
supplementary examination, if necessary, in October/November 2018. If you are registered for
the second semester, you will write the examination in October/November 2018 and the
supplementary examination, if necessary, in May/June 2019.
During the semester, the Examination Section will provide you with information on the
examination in general, examination venues, examination dates and examination times.
Examination paper
Work through the study material and the learning unit activities in MO001 at a regular pace to
prepare yourself properly for the examination. Keep in mind that the semester is very short. Do
not wait until a few days before the examination because you think that you will be able to
master all the material by "cramming". This method of study will not work for this module.
You will write one examination paper of two hours for this module. The examination paper will
consist of questions that will require written answers of varying lengths. The mark you obtain for
the examination will count 75% towards your final mark. The other 25% of your final mark will
comprise a semester mark that will be made up from the marks you obtain for Assignments 01,
02 and 03.
Previous examination papers
Previous examination papers are available on myUnisa.
Tutorial letter on the examination
To help you in your preparation for the examination, you will receive a tutorial letter that explains
the format of the examination paper and specify the material you will have to study for
examination purposes.
8.6 Ethical Clearance
All students who register for this module should take note that your lecturer may or may not
require information from you for research purposes. The information required may be from the
assignments you complete or additional activities your lecturer may asked you to take part in or
comment on or the marks you achieved for your assignment or anything related to the teaching
of the module you registered for. In all these instances, the information provided by you will not
identify you in any way. Your identify will remain anonymous and the information you provide
will remain confidential. The lecturer will not use your information in any way that is unethical or
does not abide by the Unisa Policy on Research Ethics. The lecturer will also apply to the
College Ethics Research Committee for ethics clearance to do research on specific data from
the module after which approval will be obtained from the Research Permission Sub-Committee
of Unisa to use Unisa student data. Through this research, the lecturer will be able to improve

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 GGH1502/101/3/2018

and develop this module for future students. If you cannot consent to your lecturer using the
information indicated above, please let your lecturer know via email.

9 IN CLOSING
We hope that you will find the module interesting and rewarding. We will do our best to enable
you to succeed in your study of this module. You will be well on your way to success if you start
studying early in the semester and resolve to do the assignments properly.
We trust that you will enjoy this module, and that the knowledge and skills you acquire will
motivate you to continue your studies in geography and learn even more about world issues
and how they could be resolved.

©
Unisa
2018

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