To show the organization of the course that includes this module, follow this link:  Course organization

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the conceptual, methodological and cultural basis needed to analyze and interpret the geographic reality in a broad sense and to provide the basic skills for teaching geography in schools.
For this purpose the students must be familiar with following concepts:
-Earth as a planet (shape, size and movements). -Earth's surface representation (maps, reduction scales, projections, cartographic products). -Atmosphere (composition, subdivision, characteristics), climate and its elements: solar radiation and temperature, atmospheric pressure and circulation, humidity and precipitation), variation factors and classification. - Hydrosphere (seas and oceans, their movements, continental waters). - Lithosphere (distribution of continents and oceans, plate tectonics theory, big orographic structures, volcanoes and seisms).
N.B. Final examination requires the knowledge of these basic concepts.

Program

Course content
- Geographical thought evolution and its different methodologies; study of the man/environment relationship in different contexts (cities, countryside, landscapes and societies).
- Geographer’s instruments.
Teaching method
Lessons with slideshows.
Throughout the academic year, the Professor will be available for students in office hours as published on the webpage (a prior appointment is not required). Any other change in the schedule will be notified on professor’s webpage.
Teaching material will be made available at the e-learning platform.
Reading list
1) S.SALGARO, L.MASOTTI, A.ALAIMO, Il paesaggio agrario tra obsolescenza e degrado. Riflessioni e materiali per il recupero e la valorizzazione, Bologna, Pàtron Editore, 2018.
 Or F.BARTALETTI, Geografia. Teoria e prassi, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2019.
2) E. LAVAGNA, G. LUCARNO, Guida alla lettura delle carte geotopografiche, Bologna, Zanichelli 2014.
Selected chapters of the following book are suggested for the review/study of the basic concepts:
E. LUPIA PALMIERI, M. PARISOTTO, Il globo terrestre e la sua evoluzione, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2000: cap. 3 Il pianeta Terra, cap. 8 I fenomeni vulcanici, cap. 9 I fenomeni sismici, cap. 10 La Tettonica delle placche, cap. 12 L’atmosfera e i fenomeni meteorologici, cap.13 Il clima e la biosfera, cap.14 L’ambiente marino, cap.15 I ghiacciai e le acque continentali, cap.16 Il modellamento del rilievo terrestre.
Non-attending students have to integrate the study materials with a short essay on the contents of the volume:
A. MACCHIA, Il mondo e i suoi paesi. La Geografia del Pianeta a inizio XXI secolo, Bologna, Pàtron 2010 .
N.B. A meeting with the teacher is suggested for guidance on the methodology and choice of the parts to analyze.

Examination Methods

Assessment method
Final oral assessment.
-At the end of the course, attending students could take a preliminary written assessment to integrate with the oral one.
-Non-attending students shall present at the oral assessment also the mentioned essay, whose content has to be previously agreed with the professor.
Purposes of the assessments
The written assessment will verify the knowledge both of the lectures and the basic concepts, and will be integrated by an oral assessment, to evaluate the knowledge of the rest of the program.
The unique oral assessment will verify:
- former and newly acquired knowledge;
- language skills;
- ability of connecting knowledge;
- analytical and discussion skills.
Contents and methods of assessment:
Written assessment will consist of four questions on the lectures and on the basic concepts. The evaluation is expressed in thirtieths and must be integrated by the evaluation of the oral assessment.
The unique oral assessment covers the entire program and the evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.
N.B. Final evaluation for the course “Introduction to the study of geography and history” (12 credits) will be calculated on the average with the evaluation of the course “Introduction to the study of history” whose professor will register the mark.
Erasmus students are kindly requested to contact the professor at the beginning of the course in order to agree on the modalities.