Geography. Online. — free course from Sciencely. Smart Moscow, training 1 month, Date: December 5, 2023.

Author of a geography group. A graduate and researcher at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University, she studies social geography and cartography. It is Marina who can tell what Google search queries are made by residents of different regions of Russia.

Katya graduated from the Faculty of Geology of Moscow State University and works as a geologist at the international oil service company Schlumberger. Its geological models are used to search for oil in Western Siberia and on the Russian shelf. Katya also spends a lot of time with her younger brothers and sisters, talking about geological (and other) patterns that affect our daily lives.

Irina graduated from the Faculty of Geology of Moscow State University and has been involved in geosciences for almost 10 years, with a particular preference for marine research. I was in all the Arctic seas of Russia, went from the Chukchi to the Barents Sea, worked in scientific expeditions in a large team with marine geologists, geophysicists, geochemists, hydrographers, biologists and oceanologists.

LESSON 1. HISTORY OF GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH.

We discuss how people's ideas about the world have changed over time, and what geographical discoveries are being made now. We study ancient maps and remember what great discoveries were made in different eras.

LESSON 2. EARTH MODELS: GLOBE AND MAP.

We study the most visual model of the Earth - the globe. Let's find out why the tropics and polar circles are marked on it. Then we try to solve the classic problem of geography and transfer an image of the surface of the globe onto a flat map.

LESSON 3. HORIZON SIDE AND COMPASS.

Let's figure out what the cardinal directions are and how they differ from the parts of the world. We make the main tool of any geographer and traveler - a compass. We turn the room into an unfamiliar area and learn to determine where the sun rises and sets.

LESSON 4. EARTH FROM SPACE.

We look at the planet from an airplane and from space and learn how the Earth is studied using satellites. We interpret satellite images taken at different times of the year to see how the snow line moves and the contours of deserts change. We also learn to find cities, roads and coasts at night.

LESSON 5. GEOGRAPHIC MAPS. PART 1.

We work with different types of cards and find out what they are. We learn to distinguish physical maps from topographic ones, large-scale from small-scale. We also draw a topographic map and put forests, gardens and roads on it.

LESSON 6. GEOGRAPHIC MAPS. PART 2.

We are looking for the most unusual geographical features that can be plotted on a map. Then each child makes his own individual map, putting on it his travels, favorite countries, and the native places of his family members. All this in compliance with the most important cartographic standards.

LESSON 7. METEOROLOGY.

We study the weather in the house and outside: we measure temperature, humidity, pressure, wind force. We find out why these parameters are constantly changing, and what affects climate and weather. We start a weather observation log, collect a barometer, and try to use it to make the most accurate weather forecasts possible.

LESSON 8. ZOOGEOGRAPHY.

Why do different inhabitants live on different continents, and why do many animals never see each other? We are looking for answers to the main questions about habitats. We also find habitats of rare animals and plants and put them on maps.

LESSON 9. HYDROLOGY.

Water is the source of life on Earth. We figure out what kind of water is more - fresh or salty, and we also learn to determine the salinity and acidity of water and guess from which part of the world it was brought.

LESSON 10. SOIL SCIENCE.

According to Vernadsky, soil is a mirror of the landscape. We find out why soil is more than just the top layer of the earth's crust, and at the same time we learn to determine what exactly is under our feet. We collect small models of soil profiles and find out the value of good black soil.

LESSON 11. GLACIOLOGY.

The coldest lesson of the course. Let's dive into glaciology - the science of ice. We investigate the sinking of the Titanic, study different types of glaciers and figure out why ice can be blue. We are also trying to turn snow into firn and ice right in the home freezer.

LESSON 12. FINAL LESSON.

Final lesson. We summarize the weather diaries, show off each other’s maps, and take a quiz on all the topics covered.