Circular coins of European countries: history, description, systematization, methods of application in geography lessons

Abstract

The article highlights the importance of the implementation of competency-based learning in modern school, which requires, above all, activation of mental activity of students and development of their creative abilities.

The purpose of this article is to review and systematize circulation of coins of European countries, to study images of physical and socio-geographical objects, processes and phenomena on coins. It is important to highlight historical aspects of formation and functioning of the monetary system on the European continent, present their vision of optimal use of metal banknotes in geography lessons in general secondary education.

Main material. The use of such visual aids as coins plays an important role in the development of visual thinking of schoolchildren, visual acuity, observation, visual memory. The author believes that one of the most important visual aids used successfully in general secondary education in geography lessons is metal banknotes - coins. Teachers can use them at almost every stage of learning. The article analyses peculiarities of the design development of circulating coins in European countries, their local lore and country orientation. We know that the coins depict political and historical fi gures, prominent representatives of culture or typical representatives of the organic world, the population of the country, nationalities. The article presents the analysis results of collections of circulation coins in European countries on the images of plants and plant ornaments, animals, astronomical, hydrological, social, historical, political, economic objects. Among 344 circulation coins of European countries, the image of socio-geographical objects accounts for 267 coins (77.6%), the image of physical-geographical objects – 77 units, which is 22.4% of all coins. The most common images on European coins are historical, political and social objects, plants and plant ornaments.

Conclusions. The article off ers a number of methods and receptions of eff ective application of circulation coins of the European countries at the lessons of geography at the establishments of general secondary education, based on methodical and didactic researches. There is a table with a detailed description of images of all modern euro coins for the implementation of practical tasks during the study course «Geography: Regions and Countries».