The main problem considered in this article is the development of cognitive universal educational activities. The relevance of the topic is related to the necessity for students to develop skills in working with various types of information, the ability for analyzing and transforming it in conditions of rapid knowledge’s updating. This is an essential condition for maintaining competitiveness in the labor marketing the information society. The author proposes an approach to the development of cognitive universal educational activities through the formation of geographical images. The concept of "geographical image", its application area is considered in the article. The reasons for the distortion of representations and images are shown. Examples of techniques aimed at creating the cartographic and sensory components of the image are presented, as well as techniques for creating images based on thought processes in the course of lessons, extracurricular and extracurricular activities. The effectiveness of the author's approach is analyzed. How author’s approach influences on the increase in the level of the formation of cognitive universal educational activities and on the activation of the students’ cognitive activity.

Keywords: cognitive universal educational activities, an image, a geographical image, the territory’s image.