Topic: Europe at the height of power. Colonial conquests

Target group

7th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

7th‑grade students of elementary school

XXIII. Europe and the world in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Pupil:

3 ) explains the causes, extent and consequences of the colonial expansion of European countries in the 19th century.

32 \\ .3. explains the causes and situates in the space the directions and extent of colonial expansion of European countries in the nineteenth century.

General aim of education

Students learn the causes and extent of colonial expansion of European countries in the nineteenth century.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to list the causes of colonialism;

• to point out on the map the colonial empires of the 19th century;

• to characterize the differences in the colonisation of Asia and Africa in the 19th century.

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

1. The teacher asks students to read in the e‑textbook information about the Suez Canal and to analyze the source text: Pierre Leroy‑Beaulieu, Kolonie.

Introduction

1. 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.

2. The teacher asks students to do Task 1 - to analyze interactive graphics and to get acquainted with the definition of colonialism. Then the students prepare in pairs four questions considering the definition. Each pair presents one question during the class. Questions should not be repeated, that's why students are constantly trying to modify them. The teacher asks students about the reasons for colonial activity by the governments of European countries. Asking questions, he remembers that they are to be formulated as the key questions.

Realization

1. The teacher discusses briefly the similarities and differences between the process of colonization of Africa and Asia. Next, students list the raw materials of Africa (Task 2) and the countries lying in the Far East on the basis of maps (Task 3). In each case, maps of Africa and the Far East are displayed on a multimedia board and / or on students' tablets. The teacher makes sure that the tasks have been correctly completed and gives feedback.

2. The teacher goes with the students to the characterization of colonial empires in the nineteenth century: Great Britain, France and Germany. Students divided into 3 groups do Task 4 (Group I), Task 5 (Group II) and Task 6 (Group III). When working on tasks, the teacher uses a method or set of cards in three colors: green, yellow and red. Thanks to the cards, the students signal to the teacher if they have difficulties with carrying out orders (green - I'm doing great, yellow - I have doubts, red - please help). The teacher makes sure that the tasks have been correctly completed and gives feedback.

3. Then, on the multimedia board, one of the students, indicated by the teacher or volunteer, reads the text of Exercise 1 and - using the instructions of other students - ranks the names of the countries participating in the colonial race. The teacher makes sure that the task has been correctly completed and gives feedback.

Summary

1. The teacher asks to do the Task 7 (the students analyze the postcard - they wonder which elements of it document the dominance of Europeans over the colonial territories?). Then, after listening to the thoughts and proposals of the students, the teacher tells them what the word „europocentric perspective” and „European point of view” mean.

2. The teacher assesses the students' work during the lesson, taking into account their input and commitment. For this purpose, he may prepare a self‑assessment questionnaire.

Homework

1. The teacher sets the homework (it is not an obligatory part of the script): he proposes those interested in history to familiarize of war reportage and journalism with the content of the time capsule on the e‑textbook (Far East in the lens of Felice Beato. The background of the nineteenth‑century war reportage).

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Europe at the height of power. Colonial conquests

The industrial revolution has given a new face to European colonial expansion. The rapid economic development of Europe forced Europeans to look for new markets and opportunities to invest capital. Colonies were also seen as a source of cheap raw material. The most fierce competition took place in Africa and Asia. In Africa, the colonies were founded by: the British, the French, the Belgians, the Germans, the Italians and the Portuguese. In Asia, Great Britain dominated India, while the French occupied Indochina. Also Russia conquered numerous Asian areas. The weakened China has been divided into spheres of influence between many countries. Competition for colonial and subsequent conquests led to armed conflicts between the states and the native population of the colonies.