Over the last few weeks you have compiled a lot of information. All of this information should be in your project folder and on your computer.

Your task is to use this information to produce a written report that discusses how developed your country is when compared to the those studied by your classmates.

What should I discuss in my report?

This is up to you. One of the skills I am looking for is your ability to chose which information best illustrates your countries level of development. A good place to start would be to look at your countries population pyramid but do not rely on this as your only piece of evidence. Often the information you have collected may contradict itself. For example the data on GDP may suggest that your country is relatively developed but the population data may suggest the opposite. What is important is that you use a range of different development indicators and justify why you have chosen to use them. Make sure you use actual data wherever possible.

Give reasons for your countries development.

The best reports will not only discuss how developed a country is but also give reasons for the level of development. Is the country full of natural resources? Does the climate or the physical geography impact the country’s development? Do natural disasters prevent the country from developing? What about war and corruption? Any attempt to explain your country’s level of development will give great joy and happiness to your geography teacher and that means more marks for you.

Do I need to discuss every country?

No. Use the data we have compiled on the Google Sheets to create graphs of the data you have chosen to use and then use them to compare your country to the others. If you create a graph, share it with your classmates. Make sure you insert the graphs into your report, label them and refer to them in your text. Graphs must always have a title and a caption eg Graph 1: A Graph of birth rates for the countries studied.

But some of the information isn’t numerical.

Correct, you will have to find other ways to illustrate these sections of the report. I am a huge fan of maps and photographs and I expect you to use them. Just make sure they are referred to in the text and given a caption and a reference.

How long should it be?

I would expect you to write approximately 1000 words. A typical page which is typed in 12 point font will be approximately 500 words when typed single spaced. That means about 2 sides of text. You will be adding photo’s, graphs and maps so your report will be more than 2 pages long.

How will my work be marked?

Your work will be assessed using the rubric below. I suggest you use this rubric as a guide to writing your essay. Have you met all of the criteria?
Country Comparison Assignment Rubric.xlsx