Exploring Cities with a Population of Millions in Russia's Geography Course Through Their Symbols

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to reveal the possibilities of studying Russian cities with millions of inhabitants in the 8th grade geography classes through their emblematic symbols. Materials and methods: The study was based on one of the model Russian geography textbooks, and the following methods were used in the research: analytical, synthetic and experimental. Results and discussion. A review of the available options for the study of cities in the course of "Geography of Russia" is given; the leading approaches to the study of cities in the school course of geography are identified. Materials for an extra lesson on the topic "Cities of Russia", based on acquainting students with the emblems of cities with a population of millions of people and comparing them, were developed and tested. The results of a pedagogical experiment on the implementation of a lesson using this material in school educational practice are presented and analysed. Conclusions. The study of cities in the school course of geography forms a comprehensive picture of the country as a whole and its regions, and the assimilation of thematic material devoted to cities by pupils is an essential condition for the implementation of the educational potential of the course "Geography of Russia". Familiarity with coat of arms symbols is an effective means of studying cities, closely connected to the formation of their geographical perception, making comparisons and establishing interdisciplinary links in the discipline.