Lesson plan (English)
Topic: Not just Piłsudski and Dmowski. The Fathers of Polish Independence.
Target group
7th‑grade students of elementary school
Core curriculum
XXIV. Polish lands under the partitions in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Pupil:
characterizes the orientation dispute in the years 1908‑1914.
XXVI. Polish case during the First World War. Pupil:
characterizes the relations between the partitioning powers and the Polish cause on the eve of the war and the outbreak of the war;
assesses Polish armed and diplomatic efforts, lists state‑building works during the war.
General aim of education
The student acquires knowledge and skills about the topics discussed in the classes
Key competences
communication in foreign languages;
digital competence;
learning to learn.
Criteria for success
The student will learn:
to indicate when and in what circumstances Poland regained its independence;
to list the greatest champions of the “Polish Cause” during World War I and the fight for the borders of the reborn Polish state;
to characterize the concepts of regaining independence;
to describe what difficulties did the reborn Polish state had to face.
Methods/techniques
activating
discussion.
expository
talk.
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.
Lesson plan overview
Before classes
Students should have knowledge of the Poles' struggle against the partitioners to regain their independence and preserve their culture, tradition and language.
Introduction
The teacher states the subject of the lesson, explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.
By referring to the subject of the lesson, the teacher asks students if they know when Poland regained its independence. If the students are not able to give a good answer, the teacher guides the students asking when Poles are celebrating the national Independence Day.
Then he explains that in order to achieve success in 1918, the Poles had to go through a long and sometimes bloody path. He asks students about the most important phenomena and events of the period of partition - autonomy (the Duchy of Warsaw, the Kingdom of Poland, Galician autonomy); uprisings (November and January) and activities of partitioners (russification and germanization). Students perform ** Exercise 1 ** and ** Exercise 2 **. Then the teacher makes sure that the task has been correctly completed and gives feedback.
Realization
The teacher asks students what the situation in Europe was like on the eve of the outbreak of the Great War, while displaying the map (Task 1). Students carry out ** Exercise 3 **.
The teacher asks the students what possibilities the Poles have at the outbreak of the war in 1914. He reminds that the Polish state does not exist, and the Poles‑inhabitants of the partitioning lands are citizens of three different countries. Students perform ** Task 2 ** and ** Exercise 4 **. The teacher discusses tasks with students and provides them with feedback.
The teacher presents the ideas of Józef Piłsudski and Roman Dmowski for regaining independence explaining the differences of their views. Students carry out ** Exercise 5 **.
Continuing, the teacher emphasizes that although these two great politicians are considered the most important figures related to regaining independence by Poland, there were more of the so‑called „fathers of Polish independence”.
Division of the class into six groups – each receives a picture and a name of one of the „fathers of Polish independence.” ** Exercise 6 ** – the task of the students is to create and present to their friends a short biographical note of the given person and explain why they belong to this group. The teacher hints at what sources students can use.
Summary
The teacher sums up the lesson, noting that even at the beginning of the war, in 1914, nobody suspected that after four years Poland would regain its independence. Students perform ** Task 3 ** and ** Exercise 7 **. The teacher makes sure that the tasks have been carried out correctly and gives feedback.
The teacher, encouraging students to search for themselves, emphasizes that despite the rebirth of Poland after 123 years of partitions, real challenges were still ahead of it. He encourages students to think about and search for information about some of those problems.
Homework
When in 1905 Henryk Sienkiewicz received the Nobel Prize in the field of literature, he told his audience in Poland: „* It was proclaimed dead - and here is one of the thousandth proof that it is alive, and it is capable of conquering *. „ What events does Henryk Sienkiewicz reference? Do you agree with the writer's opinion?.
The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson
Terms
Trójprzymierze – inaczej państwa centralne, tajny obronny układ pomiędzy trzema państwami – Niemcami, Austro‑Węgrami i Włochami (do 1915 r.) w okresie przed i w czasie I wojny światowej. Po odejściu Włoch z Trójprzymierza, termin ten oznaczał sojusz Niemiec, Austro‑Węgier i Turcji, która przystąpiła do porozumienia w sierpniu 1914 r.
Trójporozumienie – inaczej ententa, w czasie I wojny światowej przymierze państw utworzone przez Rosję, Francję i Wielką Brytanię i ich sojuszników.
Dyplomacja – wszelkie czynności jakie prowadzi państwo w celu rozwiązania w pokojowy sposób problemów międzypaństwowych.
Niepodległość – niezależność państwa od wpływu innych państw, instytucji na swoje działania.
Autorytet – osoba lub instytucja ciesząca się uznaniem i szacunkiem.
Federacja – forma organizacji państwa, które składa się z mniejszych posiadających autonomię państw związkowych, np. stanów, prowincji itp.
Nacjonalizm – pogląd głoszący wyższość danego narodu nad innymi.
Rozejm – inaczej zawieszenie broni, oznacza czasowe wstrzymanie działań zbrojnych między walczącymi stronami.
Texts and recordings
Not just Piłsudski and Dmowski. The Fathers of Polish Independence.
For the entire Partition period the Poles wondered what should be done to regain independence. And when it happens – what form should the reborn Polish state assume? In the second half of the nineteenth century, two great Polish politicians – Józef Piłsudski and Roman Dmowski – began their activities. They devised two ways for the Poles to strive for their independence. Piłsudski aimed to incite another great uprising. Dmowski rejected the idea of armed violence and sought to obtain independence through diplomacy. During World War I Piłsudski created the Polish Legions, an armed formation fighting alongside the Austro‑Hungarian army. Dmowski used diplomacy in order to solicit the acknowledgement of the Polish interests by the Western powers. Owing to their efforts, as well as favorable political conditions (the breakdown of all three partitioning states), in the autumn of 1918 the independent Polish state was reborn, and subsequently acknowledged on the international stage.