GREAT MARLOW SCHOOL Geography Department

The Technological FixBooklet: Topic outline and past paper exam questions

Lesson Key Questions Topic to cover

1 How much do we rely on technology?

Define technology Examples of how people are dependent on technology Technology levels vary spatially technological fix relates to people’s

expectations that they can fix problems – provide examples

2 How have technological improvements affected farming, telecomms and transport?

Advances in farming technology with examples Rapid growth of mobile phone technology Technological improvements are not evenly spread out – evidence of this

3 How is technology used to counter the effects of flooding?

Thames barrier – reasons for it and future changes Dhaka – reasons flood protection needed Dhaka Integrated Flood Protection Project CASE STUDY

4 How is technology being used to tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS?

Locate most seriously affected regions Antiretroviral drug development continues to lead way in countering of

AIDS Recent technological development and its uses in tackling AIDS CASE STUDY

5 Is there a link between economic development and technological innovation?

Know what the ‘Growth Report’ highlights Investment in innovation and higher education is needed for growth What is needed for a skilled workforce The responsibility for developed countries to finance Africa’s universities

6 What is technological leapfrogging?

Afghanistan has leapfrogged the demand for fixed line telephones and moved to wireless mobile sector

Know advantages of this leapfrogging to mobile technology Examples of Pakistan and India of alternative power CASE STUDY

7 What has been the impact of GM crops?

What are GM crops? Why they were first developed Benefits and drawbacks Golden Rice

8 Who should pay for pollution?

Understand PPP principal Growing economies are likely to treat environment as a sink Know schemes West has introduced to tackle CO2 emissions

9 How can water shortages in Ethiopia be tackled?

Understand that Ethiopia is poor but GDP is growing World Bank scheme to develop year round access to water – low-tech,

high-tech and intermediate solutions Contrast the costs and benefits of intermediate / appropriate technology

with hi-tech mega projects CASE STUDY

10 Can technology overcome global warming?

Boserup’s view There are a range of technological solutions – evaluate these Carbon capture

11 Technology and the Future Positive? Negative? Why?

January 2010The Technological Fix?5 Study Figure 5.(a) Using information in Figure 5, and your own knowledge, explain how farming technologies might have different consequences for human and ecosystem wellbeing. (10)

(b) Evaluate the contribution technology might make to tackling global environmental problems such as land degradation and global warming. (15)

June 2010The Technological Fix?5 Study Figure 5.(a) Explain how both taxing and subsidising petrol can have impacts on human and ecosystem wellbeing. (10)

(b) Using named examples, discuss the extent to which there is a widening technology gap between the developed and developing world. (15)

January 2011The Technological Fix?5 Study Figure 5.

(a) Examine the factors that may have influenced the global pattern of internet use shown. (10)

(b) Using named examples, assess the effectiveness of technological leapfrogging in contributing to the development process. (15)

June 2011The Technological Fix?5 Study Figure 5.(a) Explain some of the human and environmental consequences of the mobile phone life cycle. (10)

(b) Using examples, assess the contribution technology might make to improving the environment and peoples’ quality of life. (15)

January 2012The Technological Fix?6 (a) Explain the contribution that technology has made to Scandinavia’s development level and quality of life. (12)(b) Assess the extent to which Scandinavia has minimised the environmental costs of using technology and resources. (14)(c) Study Figure 13. Evaluate the contribution that the technologies shown might make in reducing ecological footprints in Scandinavia and beyond. (14)

June 2012The Technological Fix?5 Study Figure 5.(a) Suggest reasons for trends in the use of technology in the developing world, such as those shown. (10)

(b) Using named examples, evaluate the environmental and social costs of adopting new technologies.(15)

January 2013The Technological Fix?5 Study Figure 5.(a) Using Figure 5 and your own knowledge, explain why some methods for ‘cooling the planet’ appear to be better than others. (10)

(b) Using named examples, assess the relative importance of political, economic and social factors in explaining unequal access to technology. (15)

June 2013The Technological Fix?5 Study Figure 5.(a) Using Figure 5, explain the advantages and disadvantages to people and the environment of the different types of cooking technology. (10)

(b) Using named examples, assess the extent to which technological innovation may have unforeseen social, environmental and economic costs. (15)

June 2014The Technological Fix?5 Study Figure 5.

(a) Using Figure 5, suggest reasons for the differences in the use of the technologies shown. (10)

(b) Using named examples of developments in technology, such as its use in farming, assess the extent to which they have had a positive impact on people and the environment. (15)