# prvouka, etc.



## winpoj

Hello,

I wonder if anyone could advise me on how to best talk in English about such apparently Czech-specific primary school subjects as "prvouka" or "vlastivěda" and how to distinguish between "přírodověda" and "přírodopis". There probably exist no direct translations but I need to describe them in a way that is both short and understandable enough.

Dík.


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## Jana337

Tuším, že naše terminologie je poplatná německému vzdělávacímu systému (Heimatkunde, Landeskunde). Asi bych to přeložila jako "introduction to local history" a "elementary geography" a jednotlivé úrovně bych odlišila čísly. Můžeme se zeptat v německém fóru, jak by vyjádřili Heimatkunde anglicky. Nebo v anglickém fóru, jak se jmenují podobné předměty u nich, pokud existují. 

I have a hunch that our terminology heavily borrows from the German educational system. I'd translate it as "introduction to local history" and "elementary geography". Numbers could be used to distinguish different level. We can ask in the German forum how they would translate Heimatkunde into English. Or in the English forum whether they have similar courses.


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## winpoj

Oh, thanks a lot (I'd prefer to stick with English for the sake of more universal understanding). I had an inkling that the Germans might be responsible. My German is quite limited, but it seems that "vlastivěda" would cover both "Heimatkunde" and "Landeskunde". What to do with prvouka then - "introduction to science" ?
Maybe I'll try the other boards as you suggested. Dík again.


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## Jana337

OK, back to English.  I had to look up some info about prvouka because, well, it's been a while.  Click. It seems to me that "introduction to environment and society" could capture it just fine.


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## beclija

Are these subjects that are taught only in primary school, like in Austria "Heimatkunde" or "Sachunterricht"?
I don't know any even remotely standardized English translation, though.


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## Jana337

If I remember correctly, we had it as follows:
prvouka - 1st and 2nd year
vlastivěda - 3rd and 4th year, then followed by zeměpis (Erdkunde)
přírodověda - 3rd and 4th year, then followed by přírodopis (Naturkunde)


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## Linni

I am not sure but I think that we had přírodověda and vlastivěda in our 5th year as well...


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## dima_david

Elementary education is not very much standardized in the USA, every school district is free to choose which textbooks to use and which classes to require. The schools are barely required to satisfy certain rather loose national standards. However practically every school chooses to require a course in "Science" (it is usually actually so named, "Science"), and a course in "Social Studies".

To give an example, here is a schedule of one relatively randomly pulled elementary school in Michigan: http://www.berkley.k12.mi.us/index.asp?item=7&name=Curriculum

Btw, in the former Soviet Union elementary school kids were taking a course in "Природоведенье (Prirodo-vedenie)". The course in "Обществоведенье (Obschestvo-vedenie)" was reserved for the 10-11 graders, the topmost grade.


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## mnhlsk

We use the expression "Homeland Studies" for vlastivěda and "Science" for přírodověda.


mnhlsk


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## winpoj

Dear mnhlsk, who do you mean by "we" if you don't mind me asking?


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## mnhlsk

Sorry.

By "we" I mean teachers of our school.


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