Preparation of future geography and history teachers for the implementation of heritage tourism (krajoznawstwo) in primary and high school

Krajoznawstwo odgrywa ważną rolę w życiu społeczeństwa, sprzyja bowiem w wychowywaniu młodzieży oraz pozwala na kształtowanie pożądanych jej postaw. Jednak, aby edukacja krajoznawcza mogła spełniać swoje funkcje, niezbędna jest dobrze przygotowana kadra pedagogiczna, z zamiłowaniem do poznawania kraju ojczystego. Ze względu na liczne powiązania krajoznawstwa z wymaganiami zawartymi w podstawach programowych z geografii i historii, to właśnie nauczyciele tych przedmiotów odgrywają najważniejszą rolę w edukacji krajoznawczej młodzieży. Dotychczasowe badania wykazały niestety istotne braki w krajoznawstwie szkolnym, czego powodem może być brak kompleksowego przygotowania przyszłych nauczycieli w tym zakresie. W artykule wykorzystano metodę analizy dokumentów. Dokonano więc przeglądu planów studiów dla kierunków geografia oraz historia na uczelniach publicznych, umożliwiających uzyskanie uprawnień nauczycielskich celem sprawdzenia, czy w toku kształcenia został uwzględniony kurs krajoznawstwa lub kursy o zbliżonej tematyce. Przeprowadzone badania wykazały znaczne ograniczenia w możliwości zdobywania wiedzy z zakresu metod i sposobów przekazu wiedzy krajoznawczej na studiach nauczycielskich.Heritage tourism (krajoznawstwo) plays an important role in the life of society, being conducive to the upbringing of young people and allows for shaping the desired attitudes. However, to fulfill its functions heritage tourism education, needs well-prepared teaching staff with a passion for getting to know the mother country. Due to the numerous connections between heritage tourism and the requirements contained in the core curricula for geography and history, teachers of these subjects play the most important role in the heritage tourism education of young people. However, the research carried out so far indicates significant gaps in school tourism, probably because the lack of comprehensive preparation of future teachers in this area. The autor has used method of document analysis. A review of the curricula of studies in the fields of geography and history at public universities enabling the acquisition of teaching qualifications was carried out, in which it was checked whether the field of study tourism or similar subjects were included in the course of education. The research showed significant barriers in the acquiring knowledge in the field of methods and ways of transferring knowledge about heritage tourism during thuse pedagogical studies

Lithology and chemical composition of a Neoholocene palaeochannel infill within the Białka River valley, Kraków-Częstochowa Upland

Mires are common in the landscape of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, but they are rarely explored by Earth scientists. In addition to numerous morphological depressions filled with biogenic sediments, mires also occur within river valley, usually upstream from gaps. The intensification of marsh formation within the Białka River valley (left-side tributary of Krztynia, upper Pilica catchment) may have been influenced by the occurrence of poorly permeable, fluvial silty sands in the bedrock. Infilling of the studied depression at Młyny was accomplished via fluvial sedimentation characterised by local aggradation interrupted by carbonate precipitation, and sedentation of autochthonous organic matter. The former sediment type is represented mostly by mineral-organic aggraded silt with a dominant fine fraction, occurring mostly in the basal part of the studied core, and sand fraction in the top interval of the core, superjacent to calcareous-clay gyttja. Ash content reaches up to 87% and Fe concentrations are periodically elevated (30–48 mg/g). Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) also occurs in the studied oxbow mire deposit, exceeding 40% in some intervals, which indicates that a more important part was played by groundwaters in the water balance of the Białka valley. This periods were periodically interrupted due to higher flooding activity and recorded by mineral sediments characterised by specific granulometric composition, and an elevated percentage of organic matter deposited as rhythmists. Elevated concentrations of trace elements noted in a horizon dated at 1885±105 BP by means of radiocarbon dating may point to human impact on the environment due to the adaptation of economy to local conditions. The geochemical record of human activity is corroborated by archaeological data from various parts of the Białka valley catchment. The reason for the concentration of trace elements being highest in the top interval of the studied core is the intense economic development of Silesia-Kraków region, and the associated deforestation, mining and metallurgy

Late Glacial palaeoenvironmental changes in the southern part of the Holy Cross Mountains based on the “Białe Ługi” peatland record

This paper presents the Late Glacial stage of the development of the Białe Ługi peatland in the southern Holy Cross Mountains, based on a comprehensive palaeoenvironmental data. A complex analysis of palynology, Cladocera, sedimentology, geochemistry and 14C dating were used. Organic deposition was initiated during the Oldest Dryas. The sedimentary record of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems reflects considerable difference between cooler (Oldest, Older and Younger Dryas) and warmer phases (Bølling and Allerød). Periods of intensified interaction between aeolian processes and peatland are related to stages of disappearing vegetation and changes in aquatic invertebrate communities. We therefore suggest that peatlands were created as a result of local lithological-structural, tectonic, hydrogeological and morphological conditions, and the peatland development rate was largely influenced by changing climatic conditions, which determined local vegetation development, intensity of denudation processes and water level changes. The results validate significance of selection and use of several methods, as well as value of biogenic deposits from the Białe Ługi peatland as archives of past climate change in the Małopolska Upland. Relatively stable water conditions and uninterrupted biogenic sedimentation in the Late Glacial that were provided by the geological structure and relief suggest the studied peatland is a leading one in the region