Keyword: «means of developing cognitive interest»

In modern school, the initial stage of studying Physics in the 7th grade is often accompanied by the decrease in motivation and difficulties in learning the material. The traditional teaching methods are not effective enough to maintain the adolescents’ sustained interest. Therefore, it becomes relevant to search for the innovative didactic tools that can transform the learning process into an exciting activity. Cognitive interest is a key basis for active knowledge acquisition and personal development, that necessitates its purposeful formation from the very first lesson. The aim of the article is to provide the methodological justification for using the thematic worksheet "Mission is possible!" as a means of developing the students' cognitive interest at the initial stage of studying Physics. The leading research methods were analysis, synthesis, and generalization of psychological and pedagogical literature on the problem of learning motivation, empirical observation, and questionnaires for the 7th grade students, as well as the method of pedagogical design in the creation of the authors’ original worksheet. The study confirmed the low level of the students’ cognitive activity in traditional education. The worksheet has a storyline with the elements of gamification. The worksheet includes a system of sections for theoretical, practical, experimental, and creative activities in the form of completing "missions". The authors found that the integration of game mechanics, visual aids, differentiation of tasks, and the connection of theory with real-life situations increased the students' engagement, stimulated their independence, and developed their research skills. The theoretical significance of the study lies in the systematization of the approaches to activating the students’ cognitive interest at Physics lessons. The practical significance lies in the creation of the ready-to-implement methodological product that corresponds to the Federal State Educational Standard and the 7th grade curriculum, which will allow teachers to increase the 7th grade students’ motivation, diversify the learning process, and improve the quality of subject competences.