A contemporary New Zealand geographic issue (internal)
Internal 3 credits NZ issue Viewpoints Change over time Courses of action RecommendationAS 91245, 3 credits. FIVE components, not three: describe the nature of the issue; explain different VIEWPOINTS; describe how ONE VIEWPOINT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME; explain the strengths/weaknesses of DIFFERENT COURSES OF ACTION; and provide a RECOMMENDED course of action with reasons. The last three are easy to miss if the standard is treated as "nature + viewpoints" only.
1 Reading the notation
Five components, not three — viewpoint change over time, courses of action, and a recommendation are easy to miss.📖 Terms the schedule grades you on
4 terms- Explain aspects (Achieved)
- Describe nature; explain viewpoints; describe ONE viewpoint's change over time; explain strengths/weaknesses of courses of action; recommend with a reason.
- In depth (Merit)
- Detailed viewpoints with specific information; detailed courses of action; JUSTIFY the recommendation.
- Comprehensive (Excellence)
- Fully explain viewpoints with beliefs/values/perspectives and terminology; fully justify AND demonstrate why the recommendation beats alternatives.
- Geographic issue (note 3)
- A topic/problem/debate with a spatial dimension — must be LOCAL OR NATIONAL within NZ.
2 A contested, spatial, NZ-scoped issue
Local or national within New Zealand — not global. ✕Treating this as "nature + viewpoints" only
A write-up covering the nature of the issue and current viewpoints well, but never showing a viewpoint changing over time, never comparing courses of action, and never making a justified recommendation, has evidenced only two of the standard's five named components.3 Viewpoints, and one changing over time
Value → viewpoint, plus a specific, dated example of a shifted position.| Group | Value | Viewpoint it produces |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | Amenity, place attachment | The change threatens the character of the area |
| Farmers / industry | Economic viability | The limits are unachievable at current margins |
| Iwi / hapū | Kaitiakitanga, mana whenua | The resource is a taonga held for future generations |
| Environmental groups | Ecological integrity | Degradation is already past a threshold |
| Council | Balancing statutory duties | A trade-off between competing obligations |
Fill this table for YOUR issue, then pick ONE row and trace how that group's view has shifted over time — that is the separate, required component.
4 Courses of action, and the recommendation
At least two real options, weighed, then a justified — and comparatively argued — choice.What the recommendation needs
- At least two genuinely different courses of action, each with strengths and weaknesses.
- A chosen option, with reasons.
- For Merit: those reasons developed into a justification.
- For Excellence: an explicit demonstration of why it beats the alternatives.
Practice
Recall it first, then use it — testing yourself builds the memory, where rereading the notes above only feels easier.
Recall and application shuffled together — you have to work out what each item wants before you can answer it, which is the part the exam actually tests. Both kinds feed the same spacing schedule, so anything you miss comes back sooner.
Say the answer out loud before flipping — that attempt is where the learning happens, even when you get it wrong.
Exam-style only. Instant feedback, shuffled each attempt, best score saved on this device.