The Geography curriculum at Saint Martin’s is constantly changing. Geography is a dynamic subject, it responds to and seeks to describe and explain the world as it changes. The new curriculum at Saint Martin’s is exciting, up to date and taught using modern methods to enthuse students about Geography.

The key stage three curriculum at Saint Martin’s covers a wide range of both physical and human topics. The students study traditional topics such as Tectonics, Coasts and Settlement alongside more modern topics such as Global Fashion. Where text books are used, a large part of the new programme of study has been based on the ‘Geography 123’ series.

Student feedback is constantly monitored by the department. The message from the students is that Geography, in the 21st Century, should be relevant to their lives, personal experiences and futures. As a result of feedback the department continues to look for opportunities to reinvigorate the curriculum, e.g. the department introduced China as a new unit of study in Year 9 2009-2010.

 

Curriculum Guide for the Year

Autumn Term

Year 7 - What is Geography about? - physical, human, environmental.
Making and Mapping Connections: - connections, scale, grid references, distance, direction,
OS maps, height.
Settlement: - sites, function, place growth, land-use, hierarchy.

Year 8 - Coasts: - waves and tides, landforms, geology, land-use, erosion, coastal defence.
Weather & climate: - measuring, clouds and rain, air pressure, air masses, satellite images,
climatic factors.

Year 9 - Tourism: Tourist, UK, St. Ives, Majorca, Gambia, Sustainable tourism.
Development: Development, Ghana, Poverty, Measuring and mapping development aid.

Spring Term

Year 7 - Exploring Britain: physical, political, climate, population, settlement, employment.

Year 8 - Ecosystems: biomes, tropical rainforests. 
Brazil: physical, political, climate, population, settlement, development.

Year 9 - Global Fashion: global jeans, swoosh, fashion victim, global actions, local effects.
Local Actions: global effects.
Sustainable: Peak District, National Park, Antarctica.

 

Summer Term

Year 7 - Earth: our changing home: weathering, erosion, rock type, earthquakes, volcanoes, plates.

Year 8 - Energy: fuel, electricity, fossil fuel, oil, environmental impact,
global warming, renewable.

Year 9 - Local actions: global effects: sustainable, River Rhine,
Peak District National Park, Antarctica.