Objectives and competences

The objective of this course is to acquaint students to: • become qualified to understand the most important natural-geographic and socio-geographic phenomena and processes individually and through their interactive cause and consequence connections, • analaysing geographical reasons for natural, cultural, economic, civilisation and political variety of the world, with emphasis on Slovenia, • understand the complexity of protection of geographical environment and the meaning of its co-natural development on local, regional, national and global level, • structure spatial and population characteristics in understanding the importance of tolerant intercultural communication and coexistence among nations, • evaluation of Slovenia's role in the European and international space in terms of ensuring economic growth and social cohesion and protecting the environment, • be cartographic literacy, • perform chosen research methods and techniques of field work and become qualified to plan and perform various phases in the process of geographical field research of domestic province, • are trained in the use of educational and information communication technology and its integration with various forms of outdoor learning.

Content (Syllabus outline)

1 Geography as a science and its educational mission. 2 Space and landscape as the core of geographical study. 3 Orientation and cartography in geography. 4 Lithosphere (with examples from Slovenia and the world). The geomorphological development of the Slovenian territory and its impact on the landscape image of Slovenia. Natural disasters of a geomorphological character in Slovenia. 5 Pedosphere and biosphere (with examples from Slovenia and the world). Soils in Slovenia. Plant communities as soil and rock indicators in Slovenia. The importance of agriculture and sustainable agriculture in Slovenia. 6 Hydrosphere (with examples from Slovenia and the world). Selected characteristics and quality of Slovenian waters. Natural disasters of a hydrogeographic nature in Slovenia in the context of spatial planning. 7 Atmosphere. Climate and weather. Climate types in Slovenia. Climate change and weather events in Slovenia and the world and their impact on the economy and population. 8 Anthroposphere. World population growth, migration and sustainable (co)existence on the planet. Selected characteristics of the population and settlement of Slovenia. Settlements and Slovenian autochthonous architectural heritage as an element of the cultural landscape. The economy of Slovenia with an emphasis on agricultural land use, energy production and consumpsion, industry and service activities. Development potentials and differences of Slovenian regions. Involvement of the Slovenian economy in globalization trends. International efforts for sustainability and sustainability goals in Slovenia. Protected nature areas in Slovenia.

Learning and teaching methods

• Lectures, • exercises, field work, excursion.

Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding

• define geography as a complex and integrated science (natural and social scientific contents) and evaluate the importance of complexity in interdisciplinary study of space, • generalize thecomplexity of geographical space of different spatial levels, with special emphasis on Slovenia, home-land education, spatial and national identity and inter-cultural coexistence, • explain the importance of sustainable principles in the planning of local, regional, national and global space development, • independently collect analyze and present geographical information in the case of Slovenia and Earth, • connect theoretical knowledge and life practise through field research and use of different sources of geographical information, use and develop communication skills with working with graphical, tekstual and cartographical materials for written and oral communication, counsciously interpret the development of geography as well as its profesional language.

Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes

Readings

ARSO – Atlas okolja. http://gis.arso.gov.si/atlasokolja/profile.aspx?id=Atlas_Okolja_AXL@Arso Geopedija – interaktivni atlas Slovenije. http://www.geopedia.si/#T105_x499072_y112072_s9_b4 Konečnik Kotnik, E., Jesenek Bračko, P., Ivajnšič, D., Žiberna, I. (2024). Mentalni zemljevidi Dravskega polja. V: HORVAT, Uroš (ur.), KONEČNIK KOTNIK, Eva (ur.), ŽIBERNA, Igor (ur.). Dravsko polje. 1. izd. Maribor: Univerzitetna založba, 2024. Str. 331-358. Senegačnik, J. (2012). Slovenija in njene pokrajine. Ljubljana: Modrijan. Virant, Z., Konečnik Kotnik, E. Pojmovanje idiličnega podeželja v Sloveniji. Revija za geografijo. [Tiskana izd.]. 2022, 17, [št.] 2, str. 69-87. Žiberna, I., Konečnik Kotnik, E. (2020). Spremembe rabe tal v Sloveniji med letoma 2000 in 2020 = Changes in land use in Slovenia between 2000 and 2020. Geografija v šoli, letn. 28, št. 3, str. 6-17. Žiberna, I., Konečnik Kotnik, E. (2021). Svetlobna onesnaženost v Evropi in Sloveniji. Geografija v šoli, letn. 29, št. 3, str. 28-38. Aktualna strokovna periodika – izbrani primeri in izročki (podani na predavanjih).

Prerequisits

Minimal 75% attendance at lectures, 80% attendance at exercises and completed obligations in exercises (portfolio) are conditions for taking the written exam.