Geography Definition
Geography is the study of the Earth’s surface and all living things inhabiting it. When studying geography, one learns about the world’s many countries and people, climate, natural resources, seas, rivers, and mountains. Geography deals with topics such as:
#. Study of humans and animals who dwell on Earth
#. Natural phenomena like tides, winds, and earthquakes
#. The seven continents, five oceans, and different landforms, each with distinct physical features.
And much more.
What are the Two Major Areas Covered Under Geography?
When we study geography, what do we do? We investigate and learn two major topics: locations and people. There are two divisions of geography: physical geography and human geography.
#1. Physical geography
It studies nature, environment, natural disasters and their consequences, such as what happens when a volcano erupts or where and why floods occur.
#2. Human geography
It examines the consequences of our actions on the globe and what our surroundings imply to people’s lives and activities, such as why people move to towns or even migrate from nation to country, or why we exploit world resources, etc.
What is Geography for Kids?
#. Geography provides basic information about our globe and the world to kids. We study diverse regions, continents, countries, oceans, seas, rivers, deserts, and mountains in geography.
#. Kids get to learn about how people live in different regions of the world. We learn about diverse languages and cultures, traditions and challenges of living, and what makes our planet liveable.
#. In geography, kids also study the impacts that pollution, natural catastrophes, and warfare have on people worldwide and how to conserve our environment so that future generations can thrive and harness the natural resources.
#. Kids also learn about the natural habitats of animals, birds and insects and the factors that lead to endangering a particular species of fauna or flora.
Why is it Crucial to Learn Geography for Children?
Geography is as important a subject as language, maths, sciences and other social studies subjects. Geography, which includes knowledge of the Earth’s physical characteristics and political borders and people, sensitises the pupils about their surroundings, how the world evolved into its current state and what lies in the future of the human race inhabiting the Earth.
Let us elaborately look at the reasons why kids should learn geography:
#. Geography is a multidisciplinary subject; therefore, your kid also gets to explore some history, science, anthropology etc., while studying geography. Studying geography helps students understand several concepts of science and history better.
#. Another way geography may have a crucial impact on the globe is through raising awareness about climate change’s effects. Geographers have an extensive understanding of weather patterns and climatic changes, which helps them forecast weather conditions. A foreknowledge of any natural calamity like a storm or a flood can help us stay prepared.
#. The students of geography have a unique perspective with the knowledge of various civilisations and spatial consciousness. This gives the young learners a broad global perspective on people and cultures.
#. Geography may assist you in comprehending your world. Geography study provides you with information about various locations on Earth and about their interrelationships. Normally you start by studying about your neighbourhood, region, state, nation, continent, etc.
#. Geography also provides you with the tools to grasp international issues, intercultural and environmental issues. You learn to read maps, analyse information locally and globally and comprehend commerce and other international networks.
How to Make Geography Fun for Kids?
Geography for kids might seem tough and boring, but it can be made fun and easy to learn through the following ways:-
#1. Introduce Children to Maps
Make maps a part of your child’s surroundings. Kids will grow more familiar with maps if they are a natural part of their surroundings. In their room, hang a large world map. Hang images of landmarks, geographical elements, people, or cuisine from those locations around the map’s perimeter. You can also create a family travel map with pushpins, indicating where you’ve travelled and where you wish to go.
#2. Build your Map
Another enjoyable activity is that kids may design their map using a sheet of paper, some coloured pencils, and a ruler. Let them go creative with it. Instruct them to add mountains, highways, woods, bodies of water, and other landforms in their drawing.
#3. Use Globes to Play Games
Globes are an excellent learning aid. Get a nice globe to acquaint them with the topographical characteristics of the planet, such as mountains, deserts, and so on. You can play the following games with the help of a globe:
#. Identify Geographical Entities on the Globe
Passing the globe back and forth is a fun game. You must try to name the nation, continent, ocean, or other feature that your right hand falls on. At first, your kids will require help recognising the items, but they will soon catch up.
#. Turn the World
In this game, one person holds and spins the globe, and the other person points their finger at the globe with their eyes closed. When the person with closed eyes says, “Stop,” the spinner must stop and together, they must name what has been pointed at on the globe.
Besides all this, your child can also learn geography through interactive videos, songs, puzzles, etc. You can also introduce them to the Atlas to intrigue and interest them in spotting different geographical entities in it.
Conclusion
Geography is a vast subject that studies important topics such as climate, landforms, people, cultures, fauna, flora etc. Proper knowledge of these topics is necessary for any child to develop an interest in their surroundings and understand related concepts in other subjects.
To make geography easy and fun to learn, you can refer to the Real School’s Of Montessori innovative programmes. They offer interactive resources to assist your child in learning geography effectively. Book a masterclass and experience their unique learning methods for yourself.
