Meaningful Lessons in Geography
Everyone knows learning about geography is important, but how does a teacher make it meaningful and fun at the same time? Why not connect the learning to something everyone loves: giving gifts at Christmas!
For their culminating assignment in December, Grade 8 Geography students were given an MCC or MEDA giving project to help connect their learning to the real world. They worked in small groups to research about the country in need of development aid, and then presented their “pitch” to the class. The goal was to not only learn about geography, but also to give back to others by choosing and supporting one project as a class.
Through the experience, students learned about the geographical characteristics of the region; they discovered the social, environmental and economic factors that affect the people who live there, and they analyzed how and why their particular project would help address the many challenges of a developing country.
All the presentations were extremely convincing, however in the end, the $115.75 that was raised went to support an MCC project to install a hand pump on a well in Mozambique.
Kudos to the whole class for their hard work and generosity!
Don Dyck Steinmann, Grade 8 Geography Teacher
