Geography teacher

Geography is a great science. Many scientists sacrificed their lives defending their beliefs and ideas. Giordano Bruno, for instance, was burnt to death.

Geography as a science deals with our planet Earth and different phenomena occurring on it geo, meaning “earth”, and graphein,meaning “description”. It is closely interrelated with such sciences as design, biology, chemistry, geology, cartography. It includes knowledge about continents, oceans, rivers and other geographical objects and phenomena. Geographers describe and analyze physical characteristics of our planet and the ways in witch people interact with these physical environments and with each other.

Most geographers focus on one of the two major branches of geography: physical geography and cultural (economic) geography. The subject of physical geography is the physical features and changes of the earth’s surface. In contrast to physical geography, cultural geography focuses on the impact of human ideas on the earth, it shows how groups of people who share traditions, institutions, activities and interests, charge their habitat. Along with the cultural landscape, geographers also study the process of cultural diffusion, or the spread of part of culture from one area to another.

Geography teacher should read new publications in professional journals, such as “National Geographic”, to make his lessons interesting and up-to-date. BBC channels such as “Discovery”, “Animal Planet” contribute to our development, enrich our knowledge and world outlook.

The science of geography answers such questions as

• Why does it rain?

• What are the reason of earthquakes and floods?

• Where are the highest peaks in the world?

• Why is one season followed by the other one?

Isn’t it interesting to learn how such outstanding Travellers as Przhewalski (1836-1888), Semyonov-Tyan-Shanski (1827-1914), Bellinshousen (1778-1852) discovered new lands and put them on the maps?

And the greatest duty of a teacher is to show his pupils that the future of our planet and our lives on it are in their own hands.

Task I. Give the English equivalents of the following geographical terms:

картография

физические характеристики

физические объекты

физическая география

экономическая география

предмет физической географии

сфера обитания

процесс взаимопроникновения культур

Task II. Fill the missing forms of the words

Noun	Verb
	interact
	relate
analysis	develop
	inhabit
	diffuse
discovery

Task III. Define the subject matter of geography.

Task IV. Answer the question.

• What is the etymology of the word “geography”?

• What other is geography closely interrelated with?

• What are two major branches of geography?

• What is the subject of physical geography?

• What is the subject of economic geography?

• What is meant by “the process of cultural diffusion”?

• What sources enrich our knowledge of geography ?

Task V. Interpret the words “the future of our planet is in our own hands”

Task VI. Render the content of the text in a 4 min talk.

Task VII. Project: Use the Internet, magazines, newspapers or TV programmers to find the information about Christopher Columbus, Captain Cook, Ferdinand Magellan, mark their voyages on the geographical map and report back to the class.