The paper assess marginal and control territories within the Moscow Metropolitan area using a comparative analysis of fluctuating asymmetry method and determining the area of leaf damage to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the territory from the point of view of human habitation with minimal comfort parameters within the sensitivity of plants. The results of the combined analysis of two methods are obtained, which confirm the possibility of their use and the representativeness of the results obtained in assessing the comfort of the environment. The assessment of the quality of the environment in marginal territories was made by quantitative and qualitative indicators for the rational use of land resources, their involvement in economic turnover with the creation of favorable conditions for ensuring the flow of social processes of territorial development and comfortable life support of the population. It was proposed that socially-oriented infrastructure, leisure facilities, and social and cultural facilities have been formed in these territories with a sufficiently large and diverse number of types and forms of employment for the population, which should become the basis for the development of marginal territories.

In accordance with the standards of education for the development of cognitive activity and creative abilities, to work with a large amount of information and interact in a group, the paper suggests using the possibilities of a demonstration experiment in all courses of physical geography. In accordance with the standards of education for improving the quality of students’ knowledge, developing their cognitive activity, creative abilities, the mechanism of forming positive motivation in the process of independent activity in the acquisition of new knowledge and creative approach to the learning process is shown. The conducted pedagogical research on the selection of the content and forms of organization of the demonstration experiment showed the possibility of forming critical thinking in students on the basis of experimental activities in geography lessons. A wide introduction of a demonstration experiment that brings the quality of the lesson and extracurricular work to a new level with the provision of differentiation and individualization of the learning process is proposed.

The author’s definition of marginal territories is based on the principle of their uniqueness, specificity, and isolation. Marginal territories mean closed border areas located on the edge of districts or isolated areas in the center under the influence of factors and released a higher diversity and number of species, characterized by isolation from the center, which are based on the isolation of life of the population of the district. The assessment of the quality of the environment for the comfort of living in marginal territories was carried out in comparison with the control areas related to the lands of localities and recreational territories. It is carried out on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the habitat of groups of organisms sensitive to environmental degradation, belonging to the department of Lichens. The assessment of the condition of marginal territories was carried out by methods of determining the degree of lichen cover and the air pollution level parameter, the biotic index parameter, and the poleo-tolerance index in comparison with control territories related to the lands of settlements and recreational territories.