The political and the physical

Kasturi Krishnakumar

It is so true that geography can be either very interesting or very boring. This is because there are too many things to remember, and also too many things to understand. Teaching geography is an art and it can be made easy and interesting particularly if the teacher is passionate about the subject.

There are many things in life that we read, learn, repeat and keep reading over the years but never understand the concept behind the same. Geography is one such subject.

The study of geography mainly comprises two sections – political and physical. The two are highly interlinked and therefore must be tactfully combined while teaching. But contrary to this, it is divided into distinct compartments and taught separately. In fact, the lessons in the textbook are usually arranged in two separate sections.

Following is an illustration on how we can make a simple beginning to integrate these sections to make geography easy and interesting.

Let us consider the case where we have to teach the geography of India.

Its political geography will deal with the study of states, state capitals, industries, crops, rainfall, culture, sea routes, rail routes, food and dressing habits, etc.

Its physical geography will deal with the study of the mountains, barren lands, climate, rivers, rain shadow regions, etc.

Maps form a very important part in the learning of geography. Using an outline map in every class will go a long way in making the study of geography easy. Children have very good photographic memory and the use of maps can help in capturing this quality in children.

Ask the children to bring blank copies of the outline map of India with the state borders clearly marked (preferably double the A4 size) as it is easy for the child to write on the map.

EXAMPLE 1 – States and state capitals
• Write the names of the states.
• Mark the capital cities with a dot.
• Write the names of the capital cities within the state boundaries.

Once this is done it looks like a photograph and children will find it easy to remember not only the names of the states and their capitals, but also the exact locations of the capitals. This may not be easy if the child is made to merely memorize the same.

To make it further interesting, take the children to the playground. Draw a big outline map of India on the ground. Play a game. Call out the names of states, and the name of a student. The child should stand in the correct place. Since state boundaries are not marked you cannot expect accuracy, but at least you will know how much they have understood. If you call out Kerala, the child cannot be standing in the middle. Similarly, if you call out Himachal Pradesh the child cannot be standing in the lower half.

Very soon you will see that the children will start noticing even fine differences and argue that he/she stood in south Mangalore and not Kerala. Such observations are helpful and the child is no more afraid of the states. This same game can be used to teach state capitals, industries, crops, etc., as well.

Such games are very useful particularly in schools that have limited resources and do not have the facility for e-learning. It will also be useful to schools that have adopted e-learning, as such games make for good outdoor activities which are largely absent nowadays.

EXAMPLE 2 – Physical features
• Mark the mountains.
• Mark the plains.
• Mark the plateaus.
• Mark the rain shadow regions.
• Mark the coastal areas.

Remembering the various mountainous regions will become very easy. An extension of this could be marking the peaks. Once again the concept of photographic memory will play an important role.

Once the physical features are marked, understanding lessons on rainfall, climate, etc., becomes very easy.

Let’s say after doing physical features, the teacher explains the lesson on rainfall. Factors that lead to heavy rainfall, moderate rainfall, or scanty rainfall will be very well understood as they are all dependant on the physical features of the region. (It is at this point that the teacher can easily integrate political geography with physical geography.) Once the child is very clear about the physical features, it becomes very easy for him to remember the names of the places receiving heavy, moderate, and scanty rainfall. He will also be able to give you reasons as to why a particular region receives heavy, moderate, or scanty rainfall. He will know exactly what you mean by a rain shadow region. Another example will be climate and dressing habits as it is the climate that decides the dress that people in a particular region wear. Several such integrations can be made like states and industries, states and crops, climate and crops, climate, crops, and places and so on. Similar integration can be made between physical features, crops, and industries.

This process of integration can go on; we can start combining several lessons. For e.g., ask the children to mark rail routes and rivers both on the same map. Children will learn the finer aspects like the states through which rivers flow or the states through which rail routes pass.

Integration and not isolation combined with the regular use of maps is the key to making geography easy. While the use of maps will largely help in political and physical geography, chapters on the universe, hydrosphere, ocean beds, waves, etc., can be better understood through visuals and pictures. Nowadays, with e-learning, excellent visuals on chapters on the universe, the oceans, temperature, soil, etc., are available. The school must make an attempt to provide these visuals which will further make the study of geography easy and interesting.

The author teaches primary children at home having given up a corporate job. She can be reached at kasturikrishnakumar@gmail.com.