Lesson plan (English)
Topic: The Great Sejm and the adoption of the Constitution of 3 May
Target group
6th‑grade students of elementary school
Core curriculum
XVI. Rzeczpospolita in the Stanisławów era. Pupil:
3 ) situates during the deliberations of the Great Sejm and the adoption of the Constitution of May 3; lists the reforms of the Great Sejm and the most important provisions of the Constitution of May 3.
General aim of education
Students learn about the circumstances of the Seym and the adoption of the Constitution of May 3; reforms of the Great Sejm and the most important provisions of the Constitution of May 3
Key competences
communication in foreign languages;
digital competence;
learning to learn.
Criteria for success
The student will learn:
to describe the circumstances of the Sejm and the adoption of the Constitution of 3 May;
to describe the reforms of the Great Sejm and the most important provisions of the Constitution of 3 May;
to characterise the key figures of these events.
Methods/techniques
expository
talk.
activating
discussion.
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
The teacher asks to execute Tasks 1,2,3 and 4 from the e‑textbook.
Introduction
The teacher gives the topic, the goals of the lesson in a language understandable for the student, and the criteria of success.
The teacher discusses the homework with the students. Then he explains the students what events in European and national politics preceded the convening of the sessions of the Great Sejm. The lecture leads to the meeting of Stanisław August Poniatowski in Kaniów in 1787. Students assess the importance of reforms preceding this meeting. They write down conclusions in notebooks. The teacher makes sure that the task has been correctly completed and gives feedback.
Realization
The teacher talks about the circumstances of calling the Great Sejm.
Students do Exercise 1. They learn about the efforts made by the Poles to reform their country. Why did they undertake it? What event prompted MPs of the Sejm to deal with the affairs of townsmen and, as a result, to pass laws on cities? Then they do Exercise 2, arranging puzzles related to the topic of the lesson, and possibly Exercise 3. The teacher makes sure that the tasks have been correctly completed and gives feedback.
The teacher hangs the SWOT analysis sheet on the board. Pupils prepare the arguments necessary for the analysis on self‑adhesive sheets. Its theme is the reforms of the Four‑Year Seym. Then they stick them in the right places on the sheet.
Summary
The teacher summarizes the work of the students, helps to make any corrections. At the end, the students carry out photographic documentation of the work.
The teacher gives students evaluation surveys in which they evaluate their own work during the lesson, the work of the teacher and colleagues.
Homework
The teacher sets homework (it is not an obligatory part of the script), which is the execution of Task 9 from the e‑textbook and preparing a written note from the task.
The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson
Terms
królewszczyzny – dobra królewskie (majątki ziemskie, miasta) w dawnej Rzeczypospolitej
kodyfikacja – uporządkowanie licznych przepisów prawa w danej dziedzinie przez zastąpienie ich jednym nowym aktem prawnym, który staje się podstawowym źródłem prawa
Rada Nieustająca – powołana w 1775 roku najwyższa władza administracyjna Rzeczypospolitej; dokonał tego sejm rozbiorowy
“czarna procesja” – nazwa wydarzenia z 2 grudnia 1789 roku, gdy przedstawiciele 141 miast królewskich w Rzeczypospolitej udali się do Warszawy, aby zamanifestować swoje poparcie dla obozu reform Sejmu Czteroletniego.
plenipotent – przedstawiciel większego miasta, wysyłany na sejm w celu przedstawienia postulatów mieszczan
konstytucje – dawna określenie na prawo stanowione przez sejm
liberum veto – zasada ustrojowa Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów, dająca prawo każdemu z posłów biorących udział w obradach Sejmu do zerwania go i unieważnienia podjętych na nim uchwał.
Konstytucja 3 Maja –- inaczej Ustawa Rządowa; była to pierwsza w Europie, a druga w świecie ustawa zasadnicza, uchwalona przez Sejm Czteroletni (1788‑1792)
Texts and recordings
The Great Sejm and the adoption of the Constitution of 3 May
King Stanisław August Poniatowski sought to carry out reforms in Poland. He succeeded the most in the fields of education, culture and arts. It was also decided to increase the number of troops. However, the largest reforms were carried out during the session of the Sejm, which has gone down in history as the „Great Sejm”. Its term began in 1788. Stanisław Małachowski (Marshal of the Crown Courts of Justice) and Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha (Marshal of the Lithuanian Confederation) became the Marshals of the Sejm – the Sejm was a confederation, hence the need for two marshals. Taking into account the patriotic moods, the Sejm decided to increase the size of the army to 100,000. On May 3, 1791, the Great Sejm passed the constitution. Officially, it was called the „Government Act” and consisted of 11 articles, and the previously adopted laws on cities and regional councils constituted its integral part. The political system was to be based on the Montesquieu tripartite division of powers: legislative, executive and judiciary. Pursuant to the constitution, the Republic of Poland would become a constitutional monarchy. The liberum veto was abolished and hereditary succession was introduced.