Within the eTwinning project “SciMag GeoEd – Integrating Educational Games in geography”, the basic ideas of the Erasmus+ SciMaG project were transferred and adapted to the teaching of geography. The emphasis was on developing and applying educational games in which students acquire geographical content not only by memorizing facts, but also through active participation, problem solving, spatial orientation, logical reasoning, communication, and collaboration.
As part of the project, five teaching scenarios based on learning through play were developed and tested in class, linked to different contents and outcomes of the Geography Curriculum. In the scenario “Restless Earth – Say it in other words”, students explained geographical concepts related to the structure and age of the Earth, plate tectonics, rock types, earthquakes and volcanism through an adapted social game. The restriction of the use of certain “forbidden” words required students to understand the concepts and explain them in their own words.
“Astronomical sudoku” connected geography with logical reasoning and contents astronomy. Solving specially designed sudoku problems, the students repeated the position of Earth in the solar system, features of planets and other celestial bodies, and Earth’s motions and their consequences.
The scenario “Earth’s climate through the Pi dance – treasure hunt” connected geography, mathematics, movement and teamwork. The students moved according to the digits of the number π coordinate grid, using UV light to find hidden clues and solve them as a team in geographical assignments. To find the final key and open the treasure chest, they had to apply knowledge about climate types, their characteristics, and the connection between climate and life the world.
Through the game “Memory – Tourism“, the students interactively connected the concepts and contents related to the development and characteristics of tourism, while the “Map Designer” scenario focused on the economy and the development of cartographic and spatial literacy. Students used geographical data and created cartographic representations, connecting geography content with creative and visual expression.
An important part of the project was the international cooperation of students. In the activity “International Alias”, mixed Croatian-Serbian teams were formed in which students explained and guessed geographical terms together. The activity linked the testing of geographical knowledge with communication, cooperation and intercultural learning and showed that educational games can also connect students from different schools and countries.
After implementing each scenario, students evaluated the game and their own learning experience, highlighted elements that were particularly successful for them and proposed possible changes and improvements. In this way, they were not only participants in the activity, but also actively contributed to the development and improvement of educational games.
The geographical part of the project thus connected game-based learning, problem-based and research-based learning, collaborative work, digital technologies and an interdisciplinary approach. Apart from the adoption of geographical content, the activities encouraged the development of spatial thinking, cartography literacy, critical and logical reasoning, problem solving, creativity, digital competence and communication and collaboration skills. Developed scenarios and games at the same time, they represent teaching materials that can be re-applied and adapted to different content in geography lessons.