Grade 8 Geography Exam Memo PDF

GEOGRAPHY: GRADE 8 EXAM MEMO 75 MARKS _____________________________________________________________________________ SECTION A: 35 MARKS QUESTION 1...

GEOGRAPHY: GRADE 8 EXAM MEMO 75 MARKS _____________________________________________________________________________ SECTION A: 35 MARKS QUESTION 1 TOTAL: 5 MARKS Write down whether the following statements are true or false. 1.1) The equator is at 0˚ latitude. TRUE  (1) 1.2) Maps show less detail than globes. FALSE  (1) 1.3) Lines of longitude are also called meridians. TRUE  (1) 1.4) An atlas is a book of photographs. FALSE  (1) 1.5) Continents on maps may be distorted. TRUE  (1) QUESTION 2 TOTAL: 6 MARKS Match column A with the correct statement in column B. Write only the number and corresponding letter. A B 2.1) Solstice D Occurs in the summer and winter seasons. (1) 2.2) Satellite images A Pictures put together from information (1) gathered by satellites. 2.3) Rotation E Causes day and night. (1) 2.4) Equinox F When day and night are the same number of (1) hours for all places around the world. 2.5) Scale C Making things smaller. (1) 2.6) Index B Lists names of places in alphabetical order. (1) © E-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za  QUESTION 3 TOTAL: 11 MARKS Look at the World Time Zone Map below and answer the questions that follow: a b c 3.1) Complete the following sentence: (3) The world’s time zones should change by ONE  hour for every 15  degrees of LONGITUDE  3.2) The time in South Africa is 11h00 (11am), on Monday morning. Write down what the time and day would be for the places marked on the map above: A) Greenland 06:00am  Monday  (2) B) China 05:00pm  Monday  (2) C) Hawaii 11:00pm  Sunday  (2) 3.3) In Wellington, New Zealand, the time and date is 19h00 (7pm), Tuesday morning, 18 May. Calculate the time and date in Cape Town, South Africa. (2) 9:00am  Tuesday morning, 18 May  QUESTION 4 TOTAL: 8 MARKS 4.1) Discuss how the earth rotates. (2) Earth rotates on its axis  which is 23 ½ degrees away from the perpendicular  OR we know the earth rotates because the position of the sun changes throughout the day  © E-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za  4.2) Rotation causes day and night. Differentiate between equinoxes and solstices, by answering the following: 4.2.1) On what dates do they occur? (2) Equinox: 21 March, 23 September  Solstice: 21 June, 21 December  4.2.2) Describe the positioning of the sun. (2) Equinox: sun is directly overhead at the equator  Solstice: sun’s rays fall on the Tropic of Cancer, south of the equator  4.2.3) During which seasons do they occur? (2) Equinox: spring and autumn  Solstice: summer and winter  QUESTION 5 TOTAL: 5 MARKS 5.1) What can satellite images be used for? (2) Examine a variety of conditions  about the earth, including soil erosion, land use, vegetation and cloud patterns  5.2) Examine the information on the following image: 5.2.1) In which season was this image recorded? (1) Autumn  © E-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za  5.2.2) Based on the vegetation cover, what does this indicate about the rainfall? (2) The greener areas on the map indicate higher rainfall areas  while the drier, brown areas indicate less rainfall  6.1.1) Weather (1) Short term, or day-to-day conditions in the atmosphere  6.1.2) Climate (1) Usual conditions in the atmosphere over a long term  6.2) Temperature and rainfall are the most important parts of both weather and climate. List and briefly discuss the five factors that influence temperature and rainfall. (15) 1. Distance from equator   Sun’s rays concentrated over equator   The further away from the equator, the lower the average temperatures  2. Distance from the sea   Inland places heat up quickly and cool down quicker which results in higher summer temperatures and cooler winter temperatures   Places next to the sea have cooler summers and warmer winters  3. Altitude/height above sea level   Temperatures decrease with altitude   The higher up you go, the colder the temperature will become  4. Ocean Currents   Cold ocean currents cool air above cold water  which has drier air and less rainfall  Warm ocean currents warm the air and holds moisture, causing heavy rainfall  5. Mountains (relief)   The amount of radiation and rainfall is based on the slope   A slope facing the equator will have more hours of radiation, resulting in higher temperatures  QUESTION 7 TOTAL: 10 MARKS Use the following images to answer the questions that follow: © E-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za  Image A: South Africa’s climate Image B: Durban’s annual precipitation Image C: Upington’s annual precipitation Image D: Pretoria’s annual precipitation © E-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za  7.1) Look at Image A. Name the kind of climate that can be found in the 3 cities listed in Images B-D. (3) Cape Town: warm and dry summer (Mediterranean)  Durban: humid and subtropical without dry season  Upington: hot, arid desert  7.2.1) Which city has the highest rainfall average? Durban  (1) 7.2.2) Which factor from Question 6 could explain this? (3) Ocean currents  warm ocean currents warm the air  which holds more moisture, resulting in heavier rainfall  OR Distance from the sea  Upington is further from the sea which means it cools quicker and heats up quicker  resulting in less rainfall as the clouds with moisture cannot carry the moisture that far inland  7.3) Cape Town is also a coastal city, but the rainfall is concentrated to a specific time during the year. What season does the rainfall occur? (1) Winter  7.4) Upington is situated inland. Discuss why the average rainfall is much lower than Durban and Cape Town. (2) Upingon is inland which is away from the sea  This means it is not in the path of winds that bring rain which reduces the average rainfall  QUESTION 8 TOTAL: 9 MARKS 8.1) Read the statements below. Write down the name of the kind of climate the statement is describing. 8.1.1) This climate can be divided into wet and dry. It includes both the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. (1) Tropical  8.1.2) A rainy, cool climate, which is typical of Northern Europe. (1) Temperate  8.1.3) Summers are warm and dry while the winters are wet and often cool. (1) Mediterranean  © E-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za  8.1.4) The winters are usually long and dark with temperatures not rising above freezing, often for 6 months of the year. (1) Tundra  8.1.5) There are two clear seasons - summer and winter. (1) Sub-tropical  8.1.6) The seasons are determined by the amount of sunlight an area gets. (1) Polar  8.1.7) An area where there is usually very little rainfall, and they are not always in hot places. (1) Desert  8.1.8) The only really found in the northern hemisphere. There are four distinct seasons. (1) Continental  8.1.9) Rainfall in these areas is very erratic and often, there are droughts. (1) Semi-desert  8.2) Select one of the above-mentioned climate regions and answer the following: 8.2.1) Describe the summer and winter temperatures. (1) 8.2.2) Name a factor that influences this climate region. (1) 8.2.3) Describe the annual precipitation. (1) 8.2.4) Is this climate region found in South Africa? (1) Climate 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Tropical Wet summer seasons, dry Distance from 2000mm  No  winters  equator  Sub-tropical Summers above 20°, Distance from the sea 1200mm  Yes winters between 10-15°    Temperate More rain in winter  Distance from 1400mm  Yes equator   Mediterranean Warm and dry summers, Distance from 400-600mm Yes wet winters  equator    © E-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za  Climate 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Polar Temperatures rarely Distance from Very little No  above 10°  equator  precipitation  Tundra Summer temperatures not Distance from the 100-400mm  No  more than 13°. Winters equator  are long and dark  Continental Short summers with long Distance from 500-1200mm  No  winters below freezing  equator  Desert Can reach 50°C during the Distance from Less than Yes day in summer  equator  250mm   Semi-desert High day time Height above sea 1400mm  Yes temperatures, cooler night level   time temperatures  © E-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za