Slovenia Environmental Studies Curriculum (1.-3. razred)

This curriculum outlines the subject "Spoznavanje okolja" (Environmental Studies) for the first three grades of primary school in Slovenia. It emphasizes hands-on experience, exploration, and understanding the interconnectedness of natural and social environments.

General Learning Objectives:

• Understanding the environment and developing cognitive skills through active exploration.
• Learning facts, forming concepts, and making connections to understand and apply knowledge about natural and social environments.
• Developing cognitive processes and skills like comparing, classifying, organizing, measuring, recording data, predicting, concluding, experimenting, and communicating.
• Fostering an appreciation for facts, tolerance for uncertainty, openness to different perspectives, and sensitivity to environmental issues.
• Promoting sustainable development through awareness of environmental, economic, and social issues.
• Laying the foundation for constructive thinking about citizenship, ethics, responsibility, democracy, justice, safety, human rights, cultural diversity, and consumer patterns.

Curriculum Structure:

The curriculum is organized into thematic units, with learning objectives and content specified for each grade level (1st, 2nd, and 3rd). The order in which these units are taught is at the teacher's discretion. The curriculum also includes standards of knowledge and minimum standards of knowledge for each unit.

Thematic Units:

• Time: Exploring and understanding events and changes across different seasons, past and present life, the concept of heritage, the passage of time, using calendars and time-related vocabulary, day and night, the movement of the Sun and Moon.
• Space: Understanding the surroundings, orientation, geographical features, types of settlements, life in rural areas, markets, and different landscapes in Slovenia and the world.
• Materials: Exploring properties of solids and liquids, mixing substances, changing properties of materials, air, and the production and disposal of waste.
• Forces and Motion: Observing and describing movement, the causes of motion, technical devices and vehicles, traces of motion, balance, and influencing motion.
• Phenomena: Observing and recording weather conditions, weather phenomena, properties of light and sound, and the senses of sight and hearing.
• Living Beings: Identifying and comparing living beings and their environments, the needs of living beings, plant and animal life cycles, and the interdependence of living beings.
• Humans: Understanding the human body, healthy living, the impact of harmful substances and diseases, and the role of the senses.
• Self: Recognizing similarities and differences between people, expressing emotions, understanding the importance of knowledge, learning habits, and seeking help in dangerous situations.
• Communities: Family structures, school, holidays, institutions, the state of Slovenia, its people and symbols, the European Union, money, and consumerism.
• Relationships: Social rules, rights and responsibilities, communication, diversity, gender equality, cooperation, and dealing with violence.
• Traffic: Traffic routes, road safety, traffic signs, means of transportation, and the impact of traffic on the environment.
• Environmental Education: Human impact on nature, environmental protection, waste management, and pollution.

Learning Approaches:

The curriculum emphasizes active learning through observation, classification, organization, experimentation, data handling, and communication. It encourages direct interaction with the environment, the use of various resources, and adaptation to individual student needs and abilities. Interdisciplinary connections with other subjects, particularly Slovenian language and mathematics, are also encouraged.

Assessment:

Assessment is based on the learning objectives and standards of knowledge. Teachers use various methods, including observation, discussions, and reviewing student work. Descriptive assessment is used to provide feedback on student progress.