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Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

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pupil. This is implied by the entries <strong>in</strong> Basic curricular requirements (M<strong>in</strong>istry of<strong>Education</strong> and Sport 2002), for example:• Description of your place of residence (land forms, rocks, types of water, soil,vegetation).• The liv<strong>in</strong>g conditions <strong>in</strong> your immediate surround<strong>in</strong>gs.• Orientation <strong>in</strong> the surround<strong>in</strong>gs, sketch, plan, map.• The landscape of the immediate surround<strong>in</strong>gs – observations and descriptions:– elements of the natural landscape– the ways of land development– people and culture– dependence of people’s lives on the natural and extra-natural factors.• Human <strong>in</strong>fluence on the natural environment.The Basic curricular requirements also specifies competences and attitudes thatpupils should work out while learn<strong>in</strong>g “science”. Many of them are related to thelocal environment, for <strong>in</strong>stance:• Notic<strong>in</strong>g the natural values of the most immediate region, know<strong>in</strong>g about thelegally protected objects and nature areas. Recognis<strong>in</strong>g, us<strong>in</strong>g atlases and keys,common species of plants and animals.• Notic<strong>in</strong>g the relationship between the elements of the natural and cultural environments.• Notic<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>fluence of human activity on the natural environment.• Solv<strong>in</strong>g simple „problem” tasks concern<strong>in</strong>g the place of liv<strong>in</strong>g and its environs.• Notic<strong>in</strong>g the culture values of the most immediate region.The entry <strong>in</strong> the Basic curricular requirements clearly <strong>in</strong>dicates that while implement<strong>in</strong>gmaterial connected with the landscape of the immediate surround<strong>in</strong>gs,regional education can be realised effectively. The “landscape” notion is quite a broadone, it encompasses both natural and human-made elements, jo<strong>in</strong>ed by a network of<strong>in</strong>terdependences and <strong>in</strong>teractions. Natural conditions determ<strong>in</strong>e to a considerabledegree the way man manages the land; and man transforms all the natural componentsof the landscape, leav<strong>in</strong>g his mark on its quality and appearance, giv<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>in</strong>effect the look typical of a given region.The ”Science” curriculum unit that is related to the landscape of pupils’ place ofresidence is realised <strong>in</strong> the fourth grade of primary school. A maximum number ofclasses devoted to pupils’ environs should be conducted <strong>in</strong> the field. Direct observationgives geographical concepts a concrete, real dimension. Pupils can activelyfollow the processes and phenomena occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the environment, <strong>in</strong> order tounderstand better their causes and effects, both for nature and for human activity.Through exposure to the environment, pupils can make observations on how ourancestors managed the land we <strong>in</strong>habit now, what they have left us, and what markis be<strong>in</strong>g left on it by the contemporary people. Dur<strong>in</strong>g such observation, a childhas an opportunity to see how the past <strong>in</strong>term<strong>in</strong>gles with the present, and how thecultural and economic activities of man overlay the picture of natural conditions(Angiel 2001).279

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