Studying Ukraine's natural landscapes in the geography education process

Abstract

Abstract. The purpose of this article is to highlight the relevance of studying the natural landscapes of Ukraine, in particular those of one's own region, in the process of teaching geography in order to understand the interconnection of landscape complex components as an integrated system, to develop geospatial thinking in students, to foster a value-based attitude towards the environment, and to understand the negative consequences of excessive anthropogenic pressure on the environment. The research methods are based on the analysis and generalization of scientific sources on the study of landscape complexes in the context of school geography, the definition and justification of such relevant approaches as activity-based, competence-based, geoinformation-based, and landscape-based, for the effective acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities and the formation of natural and environmental competencies. Conclusions. School geography education has the potential to shape students' knowledge, skills, and abilities at an interdisciplinary level. By studying the natural landscapes of both Ukraine and their region in particular, students develop an understanding of the integrity of landscape complexes (a change in at least one leads to a disruption of the entire landscape), the interconnection between society and nature, and an awareness of the destructive impact on the environment through ill-considered excessive economic activity. For better assimilation and understanding of the material studied, it is advisable to use such approaches as: activity-based (development of creative potential and research abilities of students), cartographic (understanding the value of natural resources, retrospective changes in natural landscapes under the influence of human economic activity), geoinformation (development of geospatial thinking, understanding of the relationship between components of landscape complexes), and landscape studies (understanding of the relationships between adjacent territorial units as an integrated system). The application of these approaches when students study the natural landscapes of Ukraine will enable them to effectively structure and apply the knowledge they have acquired in practice (when studying the landscape complexes of their region) and to form the necessary competencies, such as natural (acquisition of the necessary set of geographical knowledge and skills for its applied use and understanding of changes in nature under the influence of anthropogenic load) and ecological (ecological values, adherence to rules of conduct in nature, understanding of a careful attitude towards nature and the basics of nature use, awareness of the interconnection between the negative impact of excessive economic activity on the environment). The main aspect in studying the natural landscapes of Ukraine and one's region in geography lessons is practical work, as students will explore the relevant territory, analyze the morphological units of landscape complexes, and create a comprehensive landscape profile reflecting all components of the study area.