FORMATION OF GEOGRAPHICAL CONCEPTS IN THE LESSONS OF THE INTEGRATED COURSE “LET’S LEARN ABOUT NATURE” IN 5TH GRADE

Abstract

The article examines the process of forming geographical concepts that are learned by students while studying one of the integrated courses in the natural sciences. It was found that geographical concepts, which are the foundation of a person’s understanding of the world, allow students to imagine various geographical phenomena and processes, analyze them, assess the impact of natural conditions on people’s lives, navigate in space, and consciously relate to the environment. It was confirmed that the formation of geographical concepts is a key process that contributes to the establishment of intersubject connections, based on the creation of a system of various cognitive tasks for the application of these concepts. Problems associated with the difficulties of students’ assimilation of geographical concepts were identified. The experience of scientists in the methodology of forming geographical concepts was analyzed, in particular, certain stages of the process of forming concepts. It was determined that the main task of the teacher in the process of forming concepts is to choose the optimal method. Some methodological approaches that were used during the formation of geographical concepts in the conducted study are described, in particular the use of information and communication technologies, which in the current conditions are an integral part of the educational process and can become an important component of the formation of geographical concepts in students. The results of the conducted ascertaining study are presented, which made it possible to establish the level of formation of a number of geographical concepts in fifth-graders, to identify those concepts that had a low level of formation. The results of the formative experiment proved that the application of the various methods and techniques used allowed students to improve their understanding and awareness of geographical concepts, activated the educational process, and stimulated students' interest in studying the integrated course.