Practicum based learning in the material “understanding the basics of mapping” in geography subject high school

Abstract

This article explains the experience in implementing practicum-based learning, especially in making maps, in geography Subject Grade X High School in Banda Aceh. It provides an overview of the application of practicum-based learning on map (cartography), which can be referred to by high school geography teachers, especially in Chapter 3.2. “Understanding the basics of mapping, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS)”. This was a literature review that is following the experience of the application of practicum-based learning that we have done in subject schools. The application of practicum-based learning based on maps was done by general practicum based; Grouping, Preparing Materials, Understanding Step Activity, Working Project, and Sharing/Confirm Result. The learning was six themes: (1) copying map data into new maps manually, (2) lettering and completing map attributes, (3) manually counting area on the map, (4) Zoom in and out of the map, (5) Make a Map of the Globe, and (6) Overlays the Map Manually. Copying maps and lettering maps makes students understand about the data and attributes of general maps and understand the elements on the map. Students learn to make grid boxes and calculate the area with map scale make them do basic for calculating the area with pixels digitally. Making maps of a globe directly teaches them the principle of drawing the earth into a flat. Overlapping maps makes students understand the basics of map functions and determine information on it.