How to apply experiments in geography teaching in junior high schools after the new curriculum reform
Abstract: Geography experiment is an image and intuitive teaching method in classroom teaching. It uses geographical teaching aids, learning tools, multimedia equipment and other experimental means to simply and vividly demonstrate the process of people discovering geographical laws and recognizing geographical principles. It has the ability to turn difficult knowledge into easy things, mobilize students' interest in learning, and stimulate students' desire for knowledge. Advantages, it is conducive to cultivating students' innovative consciousness and practical ability to explore and solve geographical problems. It is an important means and focus to realize the concept of new curriculum standards [1].
Keywords: Geography Experiments in Junior High Schools in the New Curriculum Reform
When it comes to "experimental teaching", people always think that it is a matter of physics, chemistry, biology and other subjects, and there is no need for it in geography teaching. Do experiments. The subject of geography is closely related to nature, and many materials for experimental teaching can also be unearthed in the subject of geography. In particular, the new curriculum reform emphasizes the need to cultivate students' innovative consciousness and practical ability while mastering knowledge, so experimental teaching in geography classroom is particularly important. Geography classroom experimental teaching takes experimental activities as the main form, emphasizing students' personal experience, requiring students to actively participate in experimental activities, and in "doing", "observation", "thinking", "induction", "reasoning", Discover and solve problems, experience and feel life through a series of activities such as "exploration", "experience" and "creation", and develop practical and innovative abilities.
The "General Middle School Geography Curriculum Standards" (hereinafter referred to as the new curriculum standards) proposes in terms of basic concepts "to advocate independent learning, cooperative learning and inquiry learning, and to carry out geographical observations, geographical inspections, geographical experiments, geographical surveys and Practical activities such as geographical special research”. In the ability goal of "mobilizing and using geographical knowledge and basic skills", it is emphasized for the first time that "being able to mobilize and use relevant geographical information obtained in the process of independent learning" responds to the appeal of independent inquiry learning advocated by the new curriculum; and clearly states that "basic "Geographical observations, geographical experiments, etc." new requirements for basic geographical skills. Geography experiments are highly intuitive, practical and exploratory. They can improve students' learning methods and cultivate students' scientific literacy. Their role and status in geography teaching will become increasingly important. It can be seen that the role of geography experimental teaching in teaching is becoming more and more prominent.
1. Basic concepts of geography experiment teaching design
1.1. The experiment should be simple and operable
The design of the experiment should be based on the actual geography teaching and use Experiments using standard equipment or materials should not be too difficult. It is recommended that the teaching of geography experiments use experimental equipment and materials that comply with national regulations, which is beneficial to safety and can give full play to the effect and role of the experiment.
1.2. Experiments should be inspiring
Experiments are an important means for people to understand and transform the world. They are a way to provide perceptual knowledge through intuitive teaching and to develop students. A method of scientific thinking is a basic way to cultivate students' creative ability. This requires teachers to design experiments that are inspiring, and to ask inspiring questions during the analysis of the experimental process and the drawing of experimental conclusions, so as to guide and inspire students to draw experimental conclusions. We will implement the cultivation of students' practical ability and pay attention to students' learning process and experience. Each experiment shows the "process and method" of learning in detail from the experimental materials, operating steps, and experimental activity reports.
1.3. Experiments should be clearly targeted
Geographic science has its own characteristics compared with physics, chemistry, biology and other natural sciences. Many geographical things and laws cannot be tested through experiments. means to reproduce. Therefore, in the process of geography teaching, we should specifically select those contents that can help us understand and master geographical knowledge more intuitively and effectively through geographical experiments. Generally speaking, the contents that need to be demonstrated through experiments are the key points and difficulties in teaching.
1.4. Experiments should focus on the exploratory nature of problems
Experiments are an important means for people to understand the world and discover laws. They are a way to conduct intuitive teaching and provide perceptual understanding. It is also a shortcut to cultivate students’ practical and creative abilities. Therefore, when designing experiments, geography teachers must not only choose appropriate experimental equipment and materials, but also consider guiding students to discover and solve problems during the experiments, and acquire knowledge, develop skills, and cultivate abilities in the process of inquiry, especially Creativity[2].
2. The role of geography experimental activities in middle schools.
Geography experiments are mainly based on students' practice, with the priority goal of cultivating students' geographical skills and abilities. They are rich in content, diverse in form, and have multiple teaching functions. Specifically reflected in:
2.1. Functions in geographical knowledge education
(1) Geographic experiments can simulate and display geographical processes, which is conducive to the learning of geographical evolution knowledge; (2) Geographic experiments It can display geographical landscapes and is conducive to the learning of geographical landscape knowledge; (3) Geographic experiments can enable students to directly contact geographical things, which is conducive to the learning of geographical names and geographical distribution knowledge; (4) Geographic experiments can enable students to form an understanding of geographical representations. Correct understanding is conducive to the learning of geographical concepts.
2.2. Functions in geography skills education
(1) Map and chart drawing skills; (2) Globe usage skills; (3) Astronomy, meteorology, hydrology, and earthquakes , environmental protection and other aspects of simple measurement and reporting instrument use skills; (4) Earth, terrain and other model making skills.
2.3. Functions in geography ability education
(1) Geography experiments can cultivate students’ observation ability; (2) Geography experiments can cultivate students’ imagination ability; (3) Geography experiments Experiments can cultivate students' thinking ability; (4) Geography experiments can cultivate students' scientific research methods.
2.4. Functions in education of emotions, attitudes, and values
(1) Geography experiments can stimulate students’ interest in geography learning and mobilize students’ enthusiasm for learning; (2) Geography experiments can Cultivate students' environmental awareness; (3) Geography experiments can cultivate students' patriotic awareness; (4) Geography experiments can cultivate students' scientific attitude; (5) Geography experiments can cultivate students' sense of cooperation; (6) Geography experiments can cultivate students' sense of cooperation; Correct aesthetic concepts cultivate their ability to feel beauty, appreciate beauty, and create beauty [3].
3. Basic models and application examples of geography experimental teaching.
3.1. In-class hands-on experiments
Refers to students using learning aids, teaching aids or other geography experimental equipment, under the guidance of teachers, to obtain experimental results or data through cooperation, exploration and hands-on operations Direct experience teaching methods. For example, in the first section of Chapter 2 "Atmosphere on Earth" of Volume 1 (People's Education Press Edition), "The Movement of the Atmosphere Caused by Uneven Cold and Heat": ①Discuss the experiment - Atmospheric movement caused by uneven cold and heat (1) Contents : Design an experiment to prove the existence of thermodynamic circulation. (2) Prepare materials: a rectangular glass jar (about 100cm long, about 30cm wide, and about 40cm high), plywood or plastic film, a basin of hot water, a basin of ice cubes, incense, matches, etc. (3) Experimental steps: 1. Place a basin of hot water and a basin of ice cubes on both sides of the glass jar; 2. Cover the upper opening of the glass jar tightly with a flat plywood or plastic film; 3. Fill with ice Make a small hole on one side of the plywood or plastic film above the pot; 4. Light a bunch of incense and put it into the small hole; 5. Students observe: How does the smoke float in the glass jar? What patterns can be discovered? What conclusions can be drawn from the experiment? (4) Draw conclusions: 1. The atmosphere moves from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. This is the movement of the atmosphere; 2. The uneven distribution of atmospheric temperature restricts the movement of the atmosphere; 3. Air circulation is formed due to uneven cold and heat on the ground - that is, thermodynamic circulation. Studying Chapter 1 "Planet Earth" Section 3 "Earth Movement": When exploring the meaning of "the rotation of the earth produces the phenomenon of day and night alternation", students used their own flashlights to represent the sun and illuminated the globe to observe the dividing line between day and night hemispheres - morning and dusk. Line, discuss the relationship between the dividing line and the light of the flashlight, demonstrate the rotation of the globe, inspire students to think about the moving direction of the dawn and dusk line, and further explain the reasons for the alternation of day and night, etc. Through experiments, students can gain direct experience in relaxed, interesting and vivid experiments, and experience the joy of cooperation and inquiry learning.
3.2. Computer simulation experiment
Refers to a method that uses computer technology to simulate and demonstrate geographical phenomena, geographical processes, geographical laws, etc., so that students can intuitively acquire geographical knowledge. It is included in middle school geography textbooks There are many geographical phenomena, processes, and laws that are beyond the scope of students' perception and are difficult for students to learn and for teachers to teach. For example, Chapter 1 "Planet Earth" Section 3 "Movement of the Earth" in Volume 1 (People's Education Edition): The process of the Earth's revolution around the sun and the resulting annual changes in the sun's direct point on the earth can be designed and produced into a three-dimensional simulation animation using computer multimedia to realize the transformation of virtual and real, distance and speed, so that students can easily master this One knowledge difficulty. In fact, those geographical environments, phenomena, processes, laws, etc. that are difficult to observe on large time and space scales, such as atmospheric movement, ocean currents, water circulation, crustal material circulation, etc., can be simulated three-dimensionally and intuitively using computer multimedia technology.
3.3. In-class demonstration experiment
Refers to a method that makes full use of teaching aids and geographical equipment, uses demonstration methods, and cooperates with lectures and questions to enable students to indirectly acquire perceptual knowledge of geographical things. . Demonstration experiments can enable students to obtain vivid and intuitive perceptual knowledge, deepen their impression of the learning object, and connect the theory in the book with practical things to help students form correct and profound concepts. Because it can provide vivid perceptual experience, it can easily arouse students' interest, focus their attention, and obtain stronger knowledge. For example, study Chapter 2, Section 2, "Pressure Zones and Wind Zones" in Volume 1 (People's Education Press Edition): Use the "Atmospheric Circulation Demonstration Model" to demonstrate the principles of atmospheric circulation movement, the distribution patterns of pressure zones and wind zones, and their impact on the climate; Section 3 "Common Weather Systems": Use the front demonstration model and cyclone (anticyclone) demonstration model to vividly demonstrate the weather phenomenon changes of cold and warm fronts and cyclones (anticyclones); Chapter 3 "Water on the Earth" Part 2 Section "Movement of Sea Water": Use the ocean current demonstrator to vividly demonstrate large-scale sea water movement - the movement process and distribution rules of ocean currents.
Use geographical flipcharts to demonstrate knowledge such as "changes in the length of day and night", "division of time zones and date lines", "movement of pressure zones and wind zones", etc. It can reveal some abstract and complex geographical movement patterns simply and intuitively, making it easier for students to understand and flexible use.
3.4. Extracurricular practical experiments
Extracurricular practical experiments: refers to the use of geographical things or geographical processes that exist in reality, and the application of certain instruments or tools under the guidance of geography teachers Equipment, using extracurricular time, through field operations, the process of gaining personal experience of geographical things and mastering geographical knowledge. Extracurricular geography experiments are combined with extracurricular practical activities such as geographical observation, geographical investigation, and geographical investigation, which can not only improve the attractiveness of geography learning to students, but also help students develop the ability to actively use knowledge for practical operations and actively explore geographical issues. Consciousness, to a certain extent, can help students get some training in "discovering" truth and verifying laws. For example, determine the "local geographical location" and design extracurricular activities experiments: How to use the "solar shadow observation method" to roughly calculate the longitude and latitude of the school location using bamboo poles, tape measures, watches and other tools? Instruct students to work in groups after class to discuss and determine experimental design plans, participate in experimental operations, and calculate experimental results;
A geography research study group in a school in my country uses the method of observing the sun's shadow before and after the vernal equinox to determine
South
The latitude and longitude of where the school is located.
Activity process: ① On the day before the vernal equinox, erect a benchmark vertically on the flat ground and measure the length of the above-ground part of the daily benchmark ② Take the insertion point of the benchmark (point o in Figure 1) as the center of the circle, at At 9 o'clock in the morning, draw a semicircle on the ground with a radius slightly shorter than the length of the pole's shadow at that time. ③When the shadow end of the benchmark falls on the circle in the morning, mark it as point a. When the shadow end of the benchmark falls on the circle again in the afternoon, mark it as point b. Connect the two points a and b into a straight line and take the midpoint c. , connect the midpoint and the center of the circle to form a straight line oc. ④The next day, when the shadow of the benchmark coincides with the straight line oc, record the Beijing time at this moment as 12:44, and measure the length of the shadow of the benchmark at this time to be equal to the length of the pole.
Based on the data measured in the above activities, complete the following questions.
(1) Please write down the main tools to complete this measurement task: . (2) According to measurements, the height of the sun at school at noon on the vernal equinox is .
(3) The research team determined that the longitude and latitude of the school’s location is . (4) Please mark the east, south, west and north directions of the place on the map.
When studying the "Insulation Effect of the Atmosphere", use transparent plastic bags, glass bottles and thermometers to conduct small experiments to simulate the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere; organize students to observe the changes in the moon phases, record and summarize the moon phases Change patterns, etc.
In short, the importance of geography experimental teaching in middle schools is illustrated no matter in terms of student development, curriculum standards and teaching reforms, or propositions and examinations. The majority of geography teachers should combine teaching and carefully design experiments to maximize the role of experiments in geography teaching. Middle school geography experimental teaching is not only an important component of middle school geography teaching, but also an important method of geography teaching. Carrying out geography experimental teaching has not only been proved necessary by practice, but also has theoretical basis. We must update the concept of geography teaching, attach great importance to and actively carry out middle school geography experimental teaching activities, give full play to the various teaching functions of middle school geography experimental teaching, and vigorously cultivate students' geographical literacy [4].
[1] Zhu Xueyao. Research on existing problems and countermeasures in geography experimental teaching [j]. Teaching Instruments and Experiments, 2007, (04).
[2] Sun Junmei. my country A review of research on evaluation methods for geography experimental learning in middle schools [j]. Journal of Inner Mongolia Normal University 2007, (04).
[3] Pan Fangping. Research and development of geography experimental functions in middle schools[j]. Cultural and Educational Materials, 2007 , (11) .
[4] Chen Dewang. How to conduct geography experiments in the teaching of the new high school geography curriculum Yongan No. 12 Middle School