Topic: Economic and political transformation. Beginnings of the Third Republic of Poland

Target group

8th‑grade students of an elementary school

Core curriculum

XL. Decade 1981‑1989. Student:

3. explains the reasons for concluding the „Round Table” agreement, presents its main participants and describes the provisions.

XLI. The birth of the Third Polish Republic. Student:

1. describes the key political changes in 1989‑1997;

2. characterizes socio‑political, economic and cultural changes of the 1990s;

3. explains the causes of social tensions.

General aim of education

The student will learn about the realities of economic and political transformation of the beginnings of the Third Polish Republic.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• what the Round Table Talks were;;

• what the ‘thick line’ was;;

• about the most important political, social, and economic reforms after 1989;;

• why there was a division among the opposition;;

• what the ‘Balcerowicz Plan’ was, and what effects it had..

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

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 plays the recording of the abstract. Every now and then he stops it, asking the students to tell in their own words what they have just heard. This way, students practice listening comprehension.

Realization

1. Reading the content of the abstract. The teacher uses the text for individual work or in pairs, according to the following steps: 1) a sketchy review of the text, 2) asking questions, 3) accurate reading, 4) a summary of individual parts of the text, 5) repeating the content or reading the entire text.

2. Discussing information presented on the timeline. The teacher then divides the class into groups - as many as there are events on the axis. Each team works on one assigned issue, deepening the information contained in the abstract. Then the students present their discussions.

3. The teacher together with the students sums up the current course of classes.

4. Students analyze the gallery of illustrations and execute Task 2. To answer the question, they can use Internet sources or other publications. The teacher checks the correctness of the answer and provides feedback to the students.

5. Students in pairs solve the Exercise 1. The teacher checks if the task has been correctly completed and gives feedback to students.

Summary

1. The teacher asks: If there was going to be a test on the material we have covered today, what questions do you think would you have to answer?
   If the students do not manage to name all the most important questions, the teacher may complement their suggestions.

2. The teacher discusses the course of the lesson, indicates the strengths and weaknesses of students' work, thus giving them feedback.

Homework

1. Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

2. Make at home a note from the lesson, for example using the sketchnoting method.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Economic and political transformation. Beginnings of the Third Republic of Poland

The economic collapse of Poland in the late 1970s was further worsened by the period of the Martial law and sanctions of the West. In 1988, once again, great strikes broke out (in Cracow, Wrocław, and Gdańsk), which demanded a restoration of independent trade unions, improvement in the economic situation, and release of the arrested activists of the opposition. In order to pacify them, the authorities used the Motorized Reserves of the Citizens’ Militia and the police.

Realizing the hopeless situation, the authorities made the first attempts at cooperation and agreement with the opposing side. The result of this was the Round Table Talks, which started in February 1989. The talks were conducted in three groups concerning the economy, political reforms, and trade union pluralism. The opposition was represented by representatives of Solidarity, headed by Lech Wałęsa. Part of the opposition opposed to the agreement with the communists was omitted. It was agreed that Solidarity would be re‑registered and freedoms would be introduced in political and economic life. A reform of the law and the judiciary was promised, as well as an election in which the opposition would be able to run for the first time (35% of seats in the Sejm, and 100% in the Senate).

In the parliamentary election held on June 4, 1989, the opposition won practically all the seats (1 seat in the Senate for an independent candidate). As a result of a compromise, Tadeusz Mazowiecki was appointed Prime Minister of the first non‑communist government, and Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski was elected by the National Assembly for the re‑established position of President.

One of the most important tasks of the new government was to improve the economy. Leszek Balcerowicz took it on. He proposed 11 new Acts aimed at changing the law, stopping the hyperinflation, granting property rights, and reforming unprofitable workplaces. These led to an increase in unemployment and higher product prices. However, the economy soon stabilized and inflation fell.

Changes began, which affected practically every aspect of the lives of Poles. The new government opened the economy to international capital, and started integration with Western European countries. Changes were made to the Constitution, thus restoring the name Republic of Poland, political pluralism, and the national emblem from before the war.

In the autumn of 1990, a general presidential election was held. It was won by Lech Wałęsa. Wałęsa held power for only one term, followed by Aleksander Kwaśniewski for 10 years (1995–2005), and then Lech Kaczyński (2005‑2010) and Bronisław Komorowski (2010‑2015).

Poland was the last of all the countries of the former Eastern bloc to hold a completely free parliamentary election. As a result of fragmentation of the political scene, 29 groups entered the Sejm, which was not conducive to stability of governance. In the early election of 1993, post‑communists from SLD returned to power, and formed a coalition with PSL thus ruling until 1997. 1997 was also the year when the Constitution, which is still in force today, was adopted by the nation in a nationwide referendum.