The core question: a characteristic, explained through interaction (every paper)

Name it, then show two or more elements or processes affecting each other. Exam-style Characteristic: the steep, deep relief of a glaciated mountain valley Explain how elements or processes interacted to create it. ELEMENT — climate: high altitude gives low temperatures, and the mountain barrier forces moist air to rise, producing heavy snowfall that compacts into ice. PROCESS — glacial erosion: the ice moves downslope, plucking rock from the bed and using it to abrade the valley, deepening and widening it into a U-shape. INTERACTION — weathering feeds erosion: freeze–thaw above the ice shatters rock, which falls onto the glacier and becomes the abrasive tools; without weathering the ice would have far less cutting power. INTERACTION — relief feeds climate: the deepened valley now channels cold air and casts shade, keeping the valley floor colder and holding snow longer, which sustains the ice. EVIDENCE: name the valley, its depth and width, the altitude of the snowline, and annual precipitation figures. ✓ Two elements, one process, and TWO two-way links. The relief-feeds-climate link is the one that shows genuine interaction rather than sequence. ✕

Describing the landform instead of explaining the process

A paragraph saying the valley is deep, steep-sided and U-shaped with a flat floor is a description. The marks are in the verbs — plucking, abrading, weathering, transporting — and in the links between them.

Practice for this standard covers the whole topic — flashcards and quiz.