Topic: Wonders of nature – uplands

Supplementary material for use in lessons in the group of natural sciences (nature, biology, chemistry, geography, physics), additional classes, science clubs. It can serve as a resource for expanding knowledge, preparing students for science competitions.

Target group

Students of an elementary school (geography).

Core curriculum

Grade V (geography)

II. Landscapes of Poland: alpine (Tatra Mountains), uplands (Kraków‑Częstochowa Upland), lowlands (Masovian Lowland), lake (Masurian Lake District), seaside (Slovincian Coast), metropolitan (Warsaw), urban‑industrial (Silesian Upland), agricultural (Lublin Upland). Pupil:

1. indicates the geographical location of Poland on the map;

2. presents the main features of Polish landscapes and shows their diversity;

3. recognizes Polish landscapes in descriptions as well as films and illustrations;

Class VI

7. Landscapes of Poland and Europe. Pupil:

2. characterizes selected Polish landscapes: high mountains, calcareous highlands, lowland, lake, seaside, metropolitan, industrial, agricultural and shows them on the map;

General aim of education

Students characterize the highlands landscape

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• describe how karst phenomena and forms arise;

• assess the tourist value of the heights;

• discuss the economic use of Polish highlands.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers;

• Polish outline from previous lessons, pencils, markers, glue, tape, scissors, cards;

• contour of highlands.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Before the lesson, the teacher asks students to look in colorful magazines, the Internet and their own collections of upland images. One of them must concern a large city lying in highlands.

Introduction

• The teacher explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

Realization

• The teacher displays the students' ranking of the players (group and teacher symbols) after subsequent competitions concerning the geographical areas.

• The teacher randomly assigned the work of other teams to the groups. The groups recognize and save what they rearrange the photos / illustrations of the geographical region indicated. The card marked with your own chosen symbol is given to the teacher who will compare it with the authors' answers.

• Students describe the location of the highlands.

• The teacher asks students to read the abstract themselves, paying particular attention to the illustrations.

• Teams receive their projects. Students mark the highlands and make a collage of photos.

• Participants familiarize themselves with the content presented in the interactive illustration. Then the teacher discusses the issues with the students.

Summary

• The teacher asks students to carry out the recommended interactive exercise themselves.

Homework

• Develop a lap book containing issues learned during the lesson and bring your work to the next class.

• Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Wonders of nature – uplands

The areas which are situated at absolute altitudes higher than lowlands and have small relative altitudes are called uplands. In Poland, most uplands are located at the altitude of 200–400 metres above sea level, although there are places where individual elevations exceed even 600 m above sea level. On this basis, one can distinguish three large uplands: Silesian‑Cracovian Upland, Małopolska Upland (also known as Lesser Poland Upland) and Lublin Upland (with Roztocze). The Silesian‑Cracovian Upland can be subdivided into smaller regions: Silesian Upland and Kraków‑Częstochowa Upland. The terrain of the uplands is mostly wavy and hilly. Only the Silesian Upland is dominated by plains.

The highest lying part of the Lesser Poland Upland are the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. Their highest peak – Łysica – is situated 612 metres above sea level. However, most peaks are much lower. There are only slight differences in relative heights, therefore the entire area is classified as an upland. The hard rocks that make up the highest parts of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, i.e. Łysogóry, have partly disintegrated under the influence of atmospheric factors, forming rubble. In the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, they are called stone runs.

A part of the Silesian‑Krakow Upland is the Krakow‑Częstochowa Upland. It is a good place to observe karst forms created as a result of the dissolution of limestone and some other rocks by water. The resulting rocks often have amazing shapes. Underground, wider and wider gaps are leached out, which gradually combine to form caves. When the ceilings of caves collapse, sinkholes of various sizes emerge in the surface, known as karst sinkholes. Rocks not destroyed by water are called inliers.
Sometimes, mainly in caves, we can observe rock icicles hanging from the ceiling (stalactites), infiltrations growing higher and higher from the bottom of the cave (stalagmites), as well as columns connecting the ground with the ceiling of the cave (stalagnates).

A part of uplands is used agriculturally. The Lublin Upland, with its chernozems (black‑colored soil containing a high percentage of humus) is famous for its agriculture. Forests in the uplands are generally small and scattered. One of the most beautiful ones is the Fir Forest in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains.

The Polish uplands are one of the most attractive tourist areas in our country. There are many national parks, reserves and magnificent historical heritage sites. In the Krakow‑Częstochowa Upland, one can visit fortified castles along the so‑called Trail of the Eagle's Nests. A popular leisure activity in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains and in the Krakow‑Częstochowa Upland is rock climbing.

• In Poland, there are three large uplands: Silesian‑Cracovian Upland, Małopolska Upland and Lublin Upland. The Świętokrzyskie Mountains constitute a part of the Małopolska Upland. The Silesian‑Cracovian Upland consists of the Silesian Upland and the Krakow‑Częstochowa Upland.

• In the Krakow‑Częstochowa Upland, we can observe karst forms created as a result of the dissolution of rocks by water.

• In the Lublin Upland, there are favourable conditions for the development of agriculture.

• The uplands are an attractive tourist area, too.