As science and technology education spearheads the reform of basic education, how to enable students to“think like scientists and practice like engineers”by integrating engineering thinking into geography classrooms has become an urgent issue to be addressed. This study explores the alignment mechanism between engineering thinking and geographical key competences, applying the first principles to continuously simplify complex matters, exploring the“roots”behind them, and taking this as the convergence point to provide a feasible medium for disciplinary integration. On the basis of the constructed integration pathway for engineering thinking in geography teaching, a fi ve-step teaching strategy is developed. The study establishes a paradigm shift of engineering thinking from“analogical thinking”to“essence-driven”thinking, and through case analysis, examines the practical diffi culties encountered as well as the interdisciplinary integration model. This study proposes a viable paradigm for advancing the transformation of basic education from a“knowledge-based”to a “competency-based”orientation.