Edexcel A-level Geography – Glaciated Landscapes and Change
Evaluate the view that glaciated and periglaciated landscapes have a greater value globally
than locally. [20 marks]
HOW TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION
This 20-mark 'evaluate' question is marked on the quality of your argument as much as your
knowledge — take a clear position in the introduction and sustain it throughout:
• 1. Make deeper synoptic links: the strongest points reach beyond the landscape itself into
wider Earth systems — for example, permafrost as a cryospheric carbon store whose
degradation disrupts the whole carbon cycle, or ice cover driving a positive feedback loop
through the albedo effect. Synoptic connections like these are what Edexcel Level 4 (16–20
marks) demands.
• 2. Use explicit evaluative criteria: don't just assert that one value is more important — judge
the view against stated criteria, such as spatial scale (local values are restricted to specific
areas while climate regulation affects all life on Earth). A criteria-based judgement, signposted
in the introduction and returned to in the conclusion, is what turns description into evaluation.
Examiner tip: the balance still matters — credit both sides (local biodiversity, regional HEP, cultural
value for indigenous communities) before weighing them, or the evaluation looks one-sided.
The full model answer follows on the next page.
Evaluate the view that glaciated and periglaciated landscapes have a greater value globally
than locally. [20 marks]
HOW TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION
This 20-mark 'evaluate' question is marked on the quality of your argument as much as your
knowledge — take a clear position in the introduction and sustain it throughout:
• 1. Make deeper synoptic links: the strongest points reach beyond the landscape itself into
wider Earth systems — for example, permafrost as a cryospheric carbon store whose
degradation disrupts the whole carbon cycle, or ice cover driving a positive feedback loop
through the albedo effect. Synoptic connections like these are what Edexcel Level 4 (16–20
marks) demands.
• 2. Use explicit evaluative criteria: don't just assert that one value is more important — judge
the view against stated criteria, such as spatial scale (local values are restricted to specific
areas while climate regulation affects all life on Earth). A criteria-based judgement, signposted
in the introduction and returned to in the conclusion, is what turns description into evaluation.
Examiner tip: the balance still matters — credit both sides (local biodiversity, regional HEP, cultural
value for indigenous communities) before weighing them, or the evaluation looks one-sided.
The full model answer follows on the next page.
