1. Jaroslav Vávra Technical University of Liberec Czech Republic
What is a place? The Concept of Place in the US National Geography Standards and Czech Geographical Curriculum IGU/HERODOT Conference London, April 2007
Jaroslav Vávra
Technical University of Liberec
Czech Republic

2. IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007
Czech Paradise
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

3. IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007
What is a place?
An answer in the Czech R.:
The term ´place´ will become an important position/status in the university subject ´Teaching Geography´ [meant at University of Liberec].
The term is obscure in geographical education [meant Czech geographical curriculum]
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

4. IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007
Place in Curricula
Czech National Geographical Curriculum – primary schools (6-14 yrs pupils)
US National Standards
International Charter on Geographical Education (IGU-CGE 1992)
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

5. IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007
Geography in Czechia
geography (soviet influence on the Czechoslovak geography)
-> socioeconomic geography (70s and 80s)
-> social geography (current Czech geography)
where is human/humanistic geographies?
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

6. Human geography in the Charter
English
German
Czech
Human Geography may include:
population geography,
economic geography,
urban geography,
social geography,
historical geography,
cultural geography,
rural geography,
political geography,
human ecology ...
Die Anthropogeographie umfaßt:
Bevölkerungsgeo-graphie,
Wirtschaftsgeographie,
Stadtgeographie,
Sozialgeographie,
Historische Geographie,
Kulturgeographie,
Agrargeographie,
Politische Geographie,
Humanökologie ...
Sociální geografie zahrnuje:
(Social geography includes)
geografie obyvatelstva,
(population geography)
ekonomickou geografii,
(economic geography)
geografie sídel,
(geography of settlement/urban geography)
(omitted)
historickou geografii,
(historical geography)
kulturní geografii,
(cultural geography)
politickou geografii,
(political geography)
sociální ekologii…
(social ecology)
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

7. Place in the Charter´s versions
English
German
Czech
Knowledge of the physical characteristics of places and people's environmental perception and behavior are the bases for understanding the interrelations between people and places.
Die Kenntnis der natürlichen Faktoren von Orten und Räumen sowie der Wahrnehmung und des Verhaltens von Menschen ist die Grundlage für das Verstehen der Beziehungen zwischen Mensch und Raum
K porozumění vztahům člověka k prostoru v různých částech světa je třeba chápat přírodní i sociální prostředí.
(It’s necessary to understand natural and social environment (space) and if so we understand people-environment interrelations in other parts of the world.)
Place/Ort, Raum/místo; perception/ Wahrnehmung/ vnímání and
behaviour/Verhalten/chování - are omitted in the Czech text
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

8. Situation in Czech schools
humanistic (6-10 yrs)
People and Their World
Places
perception
attitudes
values
identity
scientific (11-14 yrs)
People and Nature
physics
chemistry
biology
geography
People and Society
history
citizenship
Environment/ Landscape/ Regions
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

9. Environment; landscape, region or place?
Jewish cemetery in the TURNOV town, Czech Paradise Czech R.
Traditional approach
The Jewish cemetery in the Turnov town was found in the 17th century. The last funeral was there in the middle of 50s after WW II. The Jewish settlement in Turnov comes from Gravestones create regular rows, their direction is from the West to the East and petrographs on the gravestones are turned to the South. The old petrographs are just in Hebrew language, the petrographs of 40s of 19th century are in German language and some petrographs of the beginning of 20th century are in the Czech language. The road bridge was build and finished over the cemetery at the beginning of 90s. The Memorial in the cemetery commemorates victims of the WW II was damaged during the road construction, later restoring and there is inside the house which is at the graveyard wall.
Conclusion
- teacher’s speech
- localization of the place
- description of the place
- source of tourist information
“New” (humanistic) approach
Where are the Jewish cemetery and the town walls situated?
Where is a nearest synagogue situated? Is it close to or long way from the cemetery?
Look at the epitaphs on the gravestones. What were occupations of the people?
Why is a high congestion of gravestones at Jewish cemeteries? Why were not the gravestones moved into another place?
Can you see candle lights at the graveyard and what way the Jewish people commemorate their dead people?
What is your opinion of the bridge above the graveyard? Have you any problem with it if a bridge like this is over your grandparents´grevestone?
The Turnov town is a centre of the Czech Paradise. What do you think why the area is called the Paradise?
When you look at this place/picture, where is a Paradise and where is a Hell in your opinion? Is Paradise always up and Hell down?  Is Pardise i the Czech Paradise?
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

10. IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007
Where are the Jewish cemetery and the town walls situated?
Where is the nearest synagogue situated? Is it close to or long way from the cemetery?
Look at the epitaphs on the gravestones. What were occupations of the dead people?
Why is a high congestion of gravestones at Jewish cemeteries? Why were not the gravestones moved into another place?
Can you see candle lights at the graveyard and what way the Jewish people commemorate their dead people?
What is your opinion of the bridge above the graveyard? Have you any problem with it if a bridge like this is over your grandparents´ gravestone?
The Turnov town is a centre of the Czech Paradise. What do you think why the area is called the Paradise?
When you look at this place/picture, where is a Paradise and where is a Hell in your opinion? Is Paradise always up and Hell down? Is the Paradise in the Czech Paradise ? 
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007

11. Thank you for your attention
My acknowledgments:
Alois HYNEK
Alois MATOUŠEK
Tomáš HENDRYCH
my family
Jaroslav Vávra Liberec, Czech R.
IGU/HERODOT, London Conference, April 2007