LEARNING GEOGRAPHY THROUGH PLAY

Abstract

In modern world geography becomes an integral part of mankind’s culture and everyday life, and the significance and topicality of geography teaching in a secondary school increases. However, anyway geography as a subject is not particularly favourite to the Lithuanian pupils and this is easy to explain – conveying, oral methods of teaching dominate at school, the educational process is mainly concentrated not on the quality of knowledge and the ability to apply knowledge in practice but to quantity, often ignoring the development of pupils’ favourable attitude to geography. The evaluation of the ability to orientate on the map often reminds of physical education classes when attention is concentrated on seconds, i.e. the time factor, and not on the sense and practical value of orientating on the map. Meanwhile the modern conception of education emphasises meaningful learning, the wish to learn, satisfaction with the learning process, the ability to apply knowledge and use it in daily life. On the other hand, methodical aids, assisting teachers to change geography lessons currently are not numerous in Lithuania. Considering the existing situation the new book by Dr. L.Railienė and Dr. V.Lamanauskas for primary class and geography teachers “Mokomės geografijos žaisdami“ (We Learn Geography through Play) is topical and useful methodical publication to be used in educational practice. The authors present a particularly large variety of geographical games. These include communication games, labyrinths, rebuses, tasks-tables, code tasks, etc.