I remember that in my school years, sitting in a geography lesson, I involuntarily thought: “Why do we study geography at all? Why is she needed?" Such thoughts haunted me for quite a long time. But after graduating from school, I realized that there was simply nothing to do without knowledge of geography. And now I will tell you why.
Why do people need geography
Geography has always played one of leading roles In human life. This is one of ancient sciences whose importance is difficult to overestimate.
And after the white spots disappeared from earth map, the leading task of geographers has become knowledge of the laws by which nature exists and modern society of people. Even today in geography there is a place for amazing discoveries.
But back to the role of this science. Modern geography conducts studies in the field Agriculture, international relations solves global problems and comprehends the influence of man on the environment around him. The complex of geographical sciences is very large, it includes the study of:
- our planet as celestial body;
- internal structure of the Earth;
- landforms, their features;
- origin and location mineral;
- stories and cultures different peoples;
- shells of our planet(hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere...);
- structures of the oceans, local topography, flora and fauna;
- weather research. And many other areas.
Geography is a truly amazing science, even after centuries it is constantly discovering something new.
Why geography to an ordinary person
Before that, I spoke of geography as great science, which benefits all mankind and develops other areas. But why is geography useful? ordinary people?
First of all, geography gives us information about the structure of the earth. We learn the location of the continents, where is our country, hometown. We also get to know relief features our region, its structure and properties.
All this helps a person do not get lost and get out of any situation without panic. In addition, we are expanding our horizons. I would even say that geography teaches us to live on earth.
Geography is a necessary science that studies the Earth. Most people associate it with school subject, while others appreciate her knowledge of the places chosen for travel. It is a science that ensures the full existence of people on Earth with the available nature, products and even treatment options.
Geography at school
Geography is the only subject at school that gives students a comprehensive understanding of our planet and people. It introduces them to the territorial approach as a way of knowing and a significant tool for influencing socio-economic and natural processes.
The following geography values exist:
- understanding of the modern world as a single, but diverse and at the same time indivisible, understanding of certain places in the world and awareness of the inclusion of each person in life on the planet;
- the formation of geographical thinking, which makes it possible to look at phenomena and objects in close interconnection in space and time, and allows you to understand the situation in currently time;
- the implementation of humane ideas, which are manifested in the conservation of nature and animals, in-depth study of natural places and populations.
Why should you study geography?
It is necessary to learn this science in order to know how and why typhoons and tsunamis occur, how mountains are formed, where a person cannot study nature, how various insects, animals and birds live, and much more.
In addition, there are several areas of this science. There is even a medical one that studies how the geographical environment affects human health. It is not physicians who are engaged in this science, but professors and academicians of geographical sciences.
How it will be useful in life
Knowledge of geography helps in various areas of life. Everyone knows its benefits when traveling. Thanks to it, you can navigate the world map. In addition, time and time zones are taken into account. Given science explains everything about time zones, and in which of them this or that city is located.
It is also needed in the field of satellite and cellular communications, navigation. All modern GPS satellites, navigators and cellular operators use local knowledge. All operators have their own coverage area and it is no longer possible to call outside it, or roaming may turn on. This is where modern knowledge of geography comes in handy. If you know the area where the action of your operator ends and expensive calls begin, you can connect to another cellular connection.
Modern technology is inextricably linked with this science. Navigators are devices that help you get to your destination. And this is possible thanks to the built-in compass. GPS satellites also require mapping. They send coordinates to Earth, which are indicated in seconds, minutes and degrees. They are then deciphered and help to orient.
Tourists especially need knowledge in such science. After all, before you go to a certain place, you need to know everything about the climate there. Otherwise, unsuitable weather conditions can simply ruin your vacation. In addition, knowledge warns tourists from danger. After all, there are places on Earth where it periodically becomes very dangerous, hurricanes and earthquakes occur.
The dream to visit Australia or Baikal are different goals, because they are located in completely different places. Some are farther, some are closer. Knowledge gives an idea of what parts of the world they are located in and what kind of climate it is. This will help you plan your travels wisely.
In addition to the above, geography allows you to navigate in weather conditions. For example, mushroom pickers and fishermen always need to know when there will be a successful harvest and catch. And in these cases, as you know, they are possible when there is rain and warm nights are observed.
Thus, geography finds wide application in our life. It helps to navigate in life, learn a lot of new things and draw conclusions in various areas - nutrition, weather forecast, travel, traditions, entertainment, and so on.
Geography presentations
Such presentations contribute to the students' understanding and perception of the materials being comprehended, broaden their horizons, instill love in this science and native land. Download presentations on geography on this site.
This material is one of the important and interesting stages in consolidating the studied material or in checking homework after passing a certain topic. Thanks to presentations, students begin to develop the ability to work with all kinds of geographical information sources, analyze data and argue their opinion. Anyone can download and use presentations. They may include an analysis of various maps, diagrams, slides with text accompaniment, music video files. Everything depends on the topic.
Any science or field of knowledge is potentially useful not only for society, the state or business, but also for any person. Over time part scientific disciplines has been forgotten or has undergone significant changes. But no other science has suffered more than geography from unexciting and dry teaching at school. And many raise the question: why do we need geography if the teacher at school did not say anything useful? Why do we need this science, so far from each of us? Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to demonstrate what a monstrous mistake is the rejection of geography.
Geography and humanity
Modern geography studies the surface of the earth, the topography of the bottom of the seas and oceans, caves, faults, as well as the population of the planet and its economic activity. It sounds quite chaotic and, it would seem, does not imply anything interesting. However, in these moments, only a small part is known to man. For example, only 5% of the depths of the sea have been explored, although today there are ways to extract oil and gas from oil platforms, which provides a significant contribution to the economy. And what can be mined at the depths, we can’t even imagine.
Visual geoanthropology
As for the study of the population and its activities, there are few unclear points. But no one is going to correct them due to ignorance of geography and due to the presence of state borders. So why do we need geography? Perhaps to tell people that in the 21st century, 98% of peasants cultivate the land manually or with the help of animals? That today cities with a thousand permanent residents are formed in landfills? Or that half of the population of Africa eats 30% less per day than is necessary for a normal existence? Or that in the African state of Senegal, the average life expectancy is 32 years?
The vast majority of people in third world countries are forced to steal or kill in order to feed themselves. Isn't this the reason for the highest crime in the Philippines, in Colombia, in Haiti? And how many states where people are killed legally? Of course, this is unlikely to get into our news sources, from which we study the world. But we do not know not only geography, but also history, which is also sad, as it makes us live in ignorance. Why do we need geography? If only because she is not silent about such egregious facts and helps us find out in order to correct it. And what if not science can provide objective information?
Economic growth versus geography
Ignorance of geography makes a person a victim of his own economic activity. Although today we are so powerful that we can drain rivers or destroy the fragile balance of the original habitats of animals, but all this man does without knowledge of geography. One gets the impression that short-lived economic benefits are placed higher than the arguments of science. We have not yet learned to live in harmony with nature, but simply exploit it. Perhaps, in the question of why a person needs geography, the answer should be sought in the possibility of our peaceful existence with the flora and fauna?
But economic growth excludes all this, and the world's economies are accelerating as money is invested in them. Investors want to get more, and order executors hunt for profits. The volumes of GDP are growing, the profits of investors are growing. But at what cost? Maybe we are paying for this by increasing emissions into the atmosphere? Maybe pollution of water bodies due to the reluctance to install expensive filtering units? Maybe growing mountains of garbage on the outskirts of cities? In fact, for the expected logarithmic economic growth, we expect all this plus the drying up of rivers and soil erosion. And this is worse than all known disasters.
What did geography provide
We are changing geography, not knowing it at all, or knowing it, but not taking into account the opinion of authoritative science. We also do not know that a constant logarithmic growth of the economy is impossible, and that all economic activity is excessive for our consumption. But it is not enough for the undeveloped countries, whose development previously faced the colonial expansion of the current hegemons. 500 years ago, they knew why geography was needed, because of which they enriched themselves. Colonial expansion in the world continued until the middle of the 20th century, becoming a disgrace to the whole world. But its fruits have ensured the good existence of the current industrial leaders.
Today it is presented as an incredible success, which would not have been possible without the knowledge of economic and physical geography. For some reason, many people now forget about the latter. But it is she who is able to find a solution to the peaceful existence of man with his economic activity on the planet. Every piece of its land is already known, but due to ignorance of geography due to warming and rising ocean levels, many new Atlantis may appear. This is scary. But it seems to us that such phenomena are very far from us, like geographical concepts themselves.
The Importance of Physical Geography
All available from modern man the benefits became available to him through the use, and sometimes the harsh exploitation of nature with its resources. It is already clear to everyone that they are not endless, and therefore they should be used more carefully. Why study geography? At least in order to be able to produce more and safer, consciously limiting harm to the environment. Is it possible without knowledge of physical geography? Of course not, and therefore a competent understanding of soil science, geomorphology, oceanology, land hydrology, meteorology and climate science should help a person protect his original habitat from irreversible changes.
The most important achievements of geography
Like any science, geography has a lot of positive evidence of how Natural resources and phenomena are used by man without harm to environment. The fact that wind and hydroelectric power plants are being introduced to close coal-fired power plants in New Zealand should already be evidence of why geography is needed in life. She made it possible to describe the natural conditions in this state with its own methods, on the basis of which an idea that is profitable for the economy and safe for the environment is synthesized.
Another interesting example proper use of your geographical location is Iceland, where heating and heating of houses is achieved due to volcanic activity and many geysers. Or, for example, Spain, one of the leaders in solar energy. And there are many such examples. Each of them revealingly answers the question of why geography is needed. An essay on this topic would be incomplete without mentioning initiatives such as the construction of the Suez Canal in Egypt or the Panama Canal between North and South America.
These structures are examples of the competent use of geographical advantages, which, unfortunately, have become the cause of political controversy. Suffice it to recall the military operation "Just Cause" carried out by the United States in Panama and the Suez crisis. Moreover, geography will always clash with politics, in which, to our great shame, the latter will win for a long time to come.
9th grade student
MBOU secondary school No. 73, Ulyanovsk
What is geography? Earth science? Yes, of course, this is the correct definition, but, in addition, geography is a science, without which we would not be able to lead a full life. Don't believe? Let's imagine what would happen if everyone forgot about the existence of such a wonderful science as geography and consider one day in the life of any average person.
In the morning you wake up and rush to school, university, work or just some business, but you don’t know what time it is, what day, month or even year it is, and why? Because without geography there would be no time zones. Agree, a terrible picture! So we would live in ignorance.
After we've washed and cleaned ourselves up, we need to have breakfast, but where have our favorite foods gone? And they never were. If there was no geography, people would not explore other countries and continents, and would not bring products such as tea, coffee, cocoa, mango, vanilla, and even the familiar potato would not exist either.
After breakfast, we are going to leave the house, but how do we know what clothes to wear, because without geography there would also be no weather forecast and it would be impossible to predict rain, snow or ice, but I won’t even talk about tornadoes, hurricanes and floods.
Imagine that somehow, with grief in half, we nevertheless chose what to wear and went out into the street, but what is it, where have all the multi-storey buildings that are so familiar to us gone? Even ordinary, simple buildings have disappeared. Again, the lack of geography is to blame. Without taking into account the amount of winter precipitation, it is impossible to build a house: the roof may not withstand the mass of snow and collapse. Not taking into account probable natural disasters - too. Without geography, without surveys and knowledge of the geo-underlying, it is generally impossible to carry out design and construction. So we would have nowhere to live.
We didn’t want to walk and decided to go by car, but the trouble is, you won’t be able to do this either, because without geography there would be no different kinds of maps, and we wouldn’t know where we should go. Well, if the place you need to get to is nearby, then it will be much easier for you to get there, but still you will spend a lot of time looking, and if you suddenly need to get to another city, country, or in general, to another mainland? Without a map, you would not be able to travel.
Okay, let's say you got to where you were going. For example, this is a school. And what is there? You do not have such lessons as geography, history, biology and astronomy in your schedule. And all because without geography, these sciences will also disappear. So there would be no hikes, no cultivated plants, no celestial constellations, and certainly a person would not fly into space.
In the evening, having worked hard, we are in the mood for rest and entertainment. No geography geographical coordinates on which all navigation systems are based. No navigation systems means no satellites, which means no satellite TV or mobile phones. Do all schoolchildren know that without geography their "favorite toys" - mobile phones will stop working? Agree, without geography, life would turn into chaos. Everything familiar and familiar to us would disappear, and we would again plunge into the primitive age. Now you understand how important science is geography.
Remember, have you ever said the phrase “Why should I learn this if I don’t need it in my life anyway!”? How is this why? Firstly, it's just interesting, secondly, in order to be a versatile person, and thirdly, imagine that all people will start to think the same way as you, then we will not have scientists, and there will be no one to conduct research and discover, something new and unknown. Well, not a very bright prospect. To prevent this from happening, I invite you to visit the blog "Children on the Internet". I assure you after you visit the blog and complete the tasks, you will reconsider your attitude to geography and love it just like the author of the blog, a teacher with many years of experience Borsch Elena Alexandrovna. There you can find a lot of new things and complete exciting tasks. In addition, this is a great way to combine business with pleasure - to "sit" on the Internet and expand your horizons in geography. Let's take a closer look at the blog. It consists of 10 modules, each of which offers a service for completing a project with examples of other students' work and detailed instructions. In the proposed services, you can create quizzes, tests, crossword puzzles, maps, and even multimedia online ads. Students are happy to complete tasks and receive for it excellent grades. Let's consider the 1st module as an example, it offers a service for creating slideshows and quizzes Photopeach.com with detailed instructions with pictures, starting from registration and ending with an explanation of how you can get the code for publishing a presentation on websites and blogs. Rest assured, with such a detailed explanation, you will succeed. This module also features the work of other students who have already completed the assignment in this service, so you can look at examples! Modules 2-10 also offer various services with instructions and examples. In addition, completing assignments is also a way to consolidate knowledge on English language, because most of the services are in this language. When creating didactic materials in geography in WEB2.0 services, we see the integration of such sciences as: geography, English, computer science. Studying geography remotely, mastering new Internet services, is interesting and exciting! As F. Bacon once said: “Knowledge is power, power is knowledge”, learn and improve your skills. Wish you luck!
I recall the immortal expression of Madame Prostakova from Fonvizin's "Undergrowth": "Why teach geography, the cab will take you himself?" Perhaps she was right when she spoke of “a cab that will take you wherever you order”? There are specially trained people that will take me to Right place, a mass of maps, including digital ones, colorful guidebooks, GPS-receivers, travel agencies, an endless number of geographical videos. Finally, the internet!
Studying with children in a local history club, of course, we cannot know how specific children study geography in a particular school - we only see the result, and it is most often deplorable! Some schoolchildren do not know where Kaliningrad is located, and where Chukotka is located, and how they look on the map, or, for example, even having a dacha near Moscow, they do not always know which side of Moscow it is located.
When going on a hike, you sometimes have to reinforce the guys with the knowledge that they should take out of the course. elementary school"Natural History". It was there that the conceptual apparatus was formed, and how miserable it is today lexicon schoolchildren: not every “clearing” from a “field” will be distinguished, but a “field” from a “forest clearing”, or “arable land”, “hay” from “straw”, a “path” from a “clearing”, a “road” from a “path” ”, “pond” from the “lake”, “stream” from the “spring”, not everyone knows what a “pool”, “bend” is ... - the concepts are mixed into a mess. Where is there to analyze or read the map! It is amazing: after all, this is far from “highly specialized knowledge” - it does not require any calculations, equipment, or special talents to acquire it. It would seem that studying geography “for oneself” is easy and simple from childhood: based on adventure novels and films, on events in the world, on music and other facts of art from different countries and cities, on one’s own, after all, trips is a real pleasure requiring no effort. Geography should be one of the most interesting school subjects!
But we have to deal with children from different schools: municipal, private, gymnasiums - and unfortunately, the overall picture is about the same. Children can quickly name the height of Everest or the depth of Lake Titi-Kaka, but at the same time it’s easy to get confused which way from Moscow you need to go to Tver or why you don’t need to take an ax on a mountain hike at an altitude of 2 thousand meters! And that trees do not grow at this height - it becomes a real discovery for them! Ebb and flow, the presence of white nights in the northern regions, which allow you not to stock up on flashlights in June, remain behind school geographical knowledge!
What's the matter? Schoolchildren do not have a figurative idea of such simple things and as a result, interest is lost, the desire to learn more and deeper.
Clearly, tourism is practical use geography, because without knowledge of geography it is impossible to be a tourist! This form of work with children protects them from virtual knowledge, gives meaning to actions and knowledge. It is noticeable how interest in geography in general and in a particular area increases sharply during campaigns: the world it is perceived in a completely different way - the child develops real images (mountains, lowlands, swamps, plains, etc.)! Only at the school desk, studying the map, he cannot imagine a real picture of the area!
Why do we need geography?
Then, that human environmental activity is also closely related to geography and, by and large, the culture of its conduct is formed in the study of natural history from simple phenological observations of the weather. Only on this basis can he put together in his mind an idea of what a meteorologist does, what makes up the weather, how the strength of the wind and cloud cover are determined.
In our opinion, ignorance of geography is an indicator of ideal, refined ignorance. And what is most interesting is that it is often found in people who have already been everywhere where it is popular to be. Although many people talk about how well they had a rest in Thailand, and not just Thailand - they don’t immediately find Eurasia on the map!
Modern children travel a lot, go to different interesting places: from Veliky Ustyug and Finland to Cyprus and Egypt, but on trips they are more concerned about whether there will be a shower, whether there will be 3 or 4 meals a day. Unfortunately, this is what primarily worries parents: after the trip, they will not ask the children what the route was, what interesting things they met, what excited you the most, but first they will ask how they slept and what they ate! In this sense, parents have a very relaxed state, society is used to the fact that the better the service, the more they do for you, the better!
Unfortunately, we are very light on what children take away from trips, we do not require them to independently master new information and knowledge. So it turns out: "Where have you been?" - "On some sea!" Why is everyone passing? Because children do not take any real, independent part in these trips! According to the same principle, knowledge of geography is often given at school: learned - told, postponed - forgot! After the lesson, this knowledge will not be required to be applied anywhere, but it must certainly be in demand!
But on a hike, the child asks: “When will we come to the parking lot?” - "Take a map, look at the scale, remember how far we traveled yesterday, compare, try - calculate for yourself!" It is important not to give a ready answer to the question, but to suggest in which direction you need to look for it!
Protecting a child from the need to make an effort can kill his interest in the subject! Formal geography lessons cannot give a figurative idea of nature, relief, vegetation features, and as a result, do not reinforce interest in studying it!
Interest in geography in a child can be ignited by the simplest outings in nature. For the successful development of geography, impressions are needed: about the height of mountains, about the depth of reservoirs, about distances, about areas, they need to compare everything with something: if, for example, you walk 10 kilometers on a hike with them, you can explain what 100 is in reality km. Walking into nature, they enthusiastically learn how to navigate the terrain on the map, topography. In addition, preparing for a trip is a very serious geographical study of the area where the trip is being prepared: you need to know general geographical information about the travel area, meteorology, get information about the flora and fauna - after all, even a discussion of the necessary equipment will require practical explanations from them related to the geography of the area: whether there are mosquitoes or not, whether there is a large amplitude of temperatures day and night, and we are talking only about the most necessary equipment that we have to carry, whether we can use mushrooms and berries, whether there is fish or not. To understand all this, geographical knowledge is needed.
On a hike, we merge with nature, someone said: it’s at competitions that people come up with rules according to which they overcome difficulties, and on hikes, nature dictates the rules, and what it requires from you, you must fulfill!
What else gives a person knowledge of geography and the ability to use their geographical knowledge?
It gives a person the opportunity to get out of a difficult situation without panic: for example, getting lost in an unfamiliar place, gives confidence in life, not helplessness, but breadth of views in everything - geography is the basis for a person’s worldview, it teaches to live on Earth. Now quite regularly reports of accidents are transmitted - with students, adults. Previously, this was less precisely due to the fact that people were protected by knowledge of nature, natural phenomena- amateur tourism has been widespread since the 60s, there were no accidents, although they didn’t study in tourist clubs, and they didn’t teach life safety at school. Excessive protection of a child from accidents does not guarantee safety - people get lost in the mountains, in the forests, and even quite recently in the Moscow region there was a case when a woman with a child got lost and died in the forest, and this is five kilometers from home!
Only one form of insurance is effective - it's a five in geography!
The local history club "Preobrazhenie" has been operating for more than ten years, it is structural unit Children's Orthodox Movement "Vestniki". Considering the indicated difficult circumstances with the quality school education, in 2011, the teachers of the Movement came to the leadership of the Faculty of Geology of Moscow State University with a proposal to implement a joint project"My Universities: Geography concerns everyone". There have been several meetings, but the interest of the guys in these meetings is great.
The main task of this project was to arouse a keen interest in one of the main ideological subjects of the school - geography! Living impressions of living people are very touching for children: a live meeting with a specialist who is not indifferent to them, a geographer, is understandable and close to the child. After all, this is in the consumer format of a lecture: “You talk - I will listen”, but the active interaction of adults and children, which allows you to enter them in a state of active development of the subject: this, for example, is a symposium format in which children are in a state of searching for answers to questions. They do not just listen, but also analyze, formulate questions, problems, get acquainted with the culture and protocol of conducting scientific discussions and discussions, learn to listen to another, analyzing the speeches of another, getting some kind of internal result. Or is it a meeting in the form of a press conference, when the guys are required to Active participation, preliminary preparation of questions for the speaker, the ability to draw conclusions and conclusions.
On the other hand, such meetings gave an incentive to invite friends and parents.
Today it is quite difficult to overcome the general desire for information knowledge Almost impossible, but you should at least try geographical education to direct our schoolchildren along this vector - to give meaning to what they do and to combine disparate knowledge into a coherent picture of the world.
We are convinced that such meetings will expand the general geographical knowledge of our schoolchildren, as well as their ideas about the directions and specifics of education at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University, perhaps this will instill in children a taste for real university science.
Meshcheryakova E. I. Sergievskaya N. P.
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