Our year 10 geographers visited National Trust Erddig near Wrexham in July to conduct a GCSE fieldwork investigation along the River Clywedog.
The fieldwork was an opportunity to collect primary data relating to their work on river landscapes as well as a chance to learn more about investigations methodology – in other words, what fieldwork actually involves. Students had a number of tasks to complete during the day.
First, they collected velocity data by measuring out a 10m stretch of the river using ranging poles and a 30m tape. Using a tennis ball and stopwatch, they measured the time it took for the ball to travel between the two markers. They collected three time-scores and converted the findings into a velocity in metres per second (m/s).
Second, they collected river width and depth data by using ranging poles to measure the extent of the river. They measured the width in three places along their 10m stretch.
And finally they collected a sample of river pebbles from the river and lined them up in size order. They measured the long face of each rock and compared the roundness of each rock. This indicates the amount of erosion taking place in the river.
The next step is to analyse the fieldwork data in class to determine how and to what extent the river’s main characteristics have changed from source to mouth. They compare their findings to a geographical model – called the Bradshaw Model – to determine if the River Clywedog is changing as expected or if it shows anomalies.
