Paper 2 of IB Geography has a 10-mark question based on an infographic. The infographic is based on content related to Unit 1, 2 or 3. You do not have to be an expert at the content that the infographic focuses because the questions are more evaluative than content specific. This means that if you can evaluate well, you should be able to answer the questions correctly.
After careful analysis of the types of questions that have been asked in the past and their mark schemes, I have a few ideas on how to tackle the infographic.
Here are some quick tips:
1. Do it in less than 15 minutes
Spend no more than 15 minutes on the infographic question. It is a 10-mark question so on division of the time you have in the exam (60 minutes) by the total marks of the exam (40 marks), that leaves us with 1.5 minutes per mark. So, in an infographic question, try to do it in under 15 minutes. Best advice for this is to practice as many infographic questions as you can!
2. Focus on command terms and number of marks for each question
The infographic section of questions will have 3 or 4 questions. The first few questions are short answer questions where you may need to state/identify/suggest/outline. The last question is often 6 marks, and you need to evaluate. So, based on what the question is asking, answer accordingly!
If it is a 1-mark question that asks to state the country with the highest ecological footprint, simply state the country, without wasting any time.
If it is a 2-mark question that asks you to explain the reason for why the country has such a high ecological footprint, provide the reason, and then further develop / elaborate your reason.
If it is a 6-mark question that asks you to evaluate, do so. To evaluate means to outline the strengths, outline the weaknesses, and then give an overall appraisal.
3. Evaluate the infographic in a holistic way
There are many ways you can evaluate an infographic. Here are a few things you can consider when looking at whether an infographic is effective or not.
Data – Is the data reliable and does it have a reference or a credible source from which it has gotten its information? Is the data timely and relevant to today?
Layout and Appearance – Is it clear and readable? Does it have clear labels/headings/key/scale? Is it organized and easy to follow?
Visuals – Does it have appropriate visuals that help communicate the data in an effective way?
Story – Does it tell a story or message? Is it for a specific audience? Is there clear reason for why it has been created?
Tone and Words – How is the choice of words used? What is its tone and is it helpful in communicating its message?
:)
Here is an example of an infographic question, along with a mark scheme that I created.
This infographic shows aspects of the global water footprint.
1.State the country which has the highest water footprint per capita. [1]
USA
2. Suggest a reason for why this country has such a high-water footprint per capita. [1]
Award [1] for a valid reason.
Possibilities include:
The USA is a developed nation with a high standard of living [1]. The people living in the USA, on average, have a lot of access to water [1].
3. Describe the trends of water footprint per capita as shown in the map. [2]
Award [1] for a valid descriptive statement on the trend and [1] for quantification / exemplification.
For example:
The countries with higher per capita water footprint of 1800 [1] or more are those in North America (USA and Canada) and Europe [1].
The countries with lower per capita water footprint of 600-1000 [1] are in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia [1].
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the infographic in communicating the current situation of the global water footprint. [6]
Award [1] for each valid point and a further mark [1] for supported development / elaboration / exemplification up to a maximum of [5].
Award the final [1] for an overall appraisal that weighs up the infographic as a whole.
Award a maximum of [4] if only one perspective is given.
For example:
The infographic is well designed. It uses a simple color scheme which is nice on the eye [1]. It is informative and uses different graphical methods such as a choropleth map and different visual methods to show a lot of different information [1]. It also uses reputable sources of information - waterfootprint.org and WWF [1]. The infographic however may not be timely [1]. It does not show when the data is taken from so for the audience, it is not clear how relevant the data is in terms of time [1]. Overall, the infographic is neat and clean. It is easy to read and would be useful for anyone wanting to learn about the global water footprint [1].
I have a collection of infographic questions so please let me know if you want a few to practice!