Topic: The economy of the Second Polish Republic under Sanation

Target group

7th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

XXX. Society and economy of the Second Polish Republic. Pupil:

2 ) discusses the effects of the global economic crisis in Poland;

3 ) assesses the economic achievements of the Second Polish Republic, especially the Gdynia, coal and Central Industrial District.

General aim of education

Students learn about the manifestations of the economic crisis in Poland, indicating its specific features; economic achievements of the Second Polish Republic, including the construction of the port in Gdynia and the establishment of the Central Industrial District

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to characterize the economic crisis in Poland;

• to describe the location of the COP;

• to list the economic achievements of the Second Polish Republic.

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 the students to read the Introduction to the lesson in the e‑textbook and to recall the lesson Black thursday i Great Depression.

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 talks with students about the economic situation of Poland on the eve of the outbreak of the Great Depression, with particular emphasis on the impact of the English miners' strike and the implemented agricultural reform.

Realization

1. The teacher talks with the students about the shocking changes that the year 1929 brought to Poland. the teacher refers to the Watt's text, with which the students should be already familiar with, and invites students to analyze the source texts from that times. To this end, he asks them to do Exercises 1. The teacher takes cares of providing feedback for the students.

2. The teacher displays the timeline (Command 1) on the board and divides the class into two groups. Each group analyzes the events described on the timeline and performs Task 2 and Task 3 (analyzing the reasons behind the creation of COP and the creation of its main centers) and Exercises 2‑3. They compare prices and wages in Warsaw before and after the Great Depression, and then on this basis mark the correct answers in the table and choose the correct ending of the sentence. The teacher makes sure that the tasks have been correctly completed and provides feedback.

3. Based on the completed tasks and the knowledge from previous lessons, each group prepares statements regarding the issue of the economy during the period of the Sanation regime. In the course of their work, the students write down the stabilizing factors on green sticky notes, and on the yellow cards - destabilizing factors. They can also write down positive and negative aspects of a specific fact or phenomenon (also using the mentioned colors). If necessary, the students also reach for the english‑written resources of the Internet (non‑obligatory), but primarily use the displayed timeline. The work in the two separate groups should end with a comparison of the results (see the Summary phase).

4. Then the students of each group stick their cards on a sheet of paper, in a field shaped like a pyramid turned upside down (with the slogan Economy of the Second Republic in the reignation period written in the middle). Favorable factors „support” it, and those unfavorable try to „overturn” it.

Summary

1. A representative of each group presents the results of the group's effort to the class. The teacher and / or students take a photograph of the poster. The teacher takes care of providing feedback to the students, and draws their attention to possible differences in the assessment of phenomena.

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 tasks willing students with homework: The students create a multimedia presentation about Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski. They use the knowledge gained during the lessons. They try to do the work themselves, using the resources of the Internet.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

The economy of the Second Polish Republic under Sanation

Soon after the May Coup d’État the economic situation in Poland improved. The port in Gdynia was expanded and the construction of the Coal Trunk‑Line between Gdynia and Silesia was commenced. Other important projects implemented in that period included the construction of the State Nitric Compound Factory in Mościce, and the metallurgical plant and car factory near Warsaw. The Great Depression reached Poland at the beginning of the 1930s. The crisis mostly impacted the farming sector, but the industrial sector was also affected. In 1932, production dropped to 63% of what it was in 1929. Foreign trade turnover decreased by more than 70%. This significantly increased the unemployment rate. The gradual improvement of the economic situation in the Second Polish Republic was related to the improving economic situation around the world. However, it is Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, who in 1935 became the head of the Ministry of Treasury and the deputy prime minister, whose actions are credited as playing a decisive role. A four‑year plan was devised for the period from the beginning of July 1936 to the end of June 1940. The plan’s main component envisaged the construction of the Central Industrial District (in Polish: Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy, COP) between the Vistula and San rivers. At that time, construction primarily involved electricity plants (in Rożnowo, Stalowa Wola and Mościce) and arms industry plants. Power lines supplying electricity and gas pipes supplying gas to construction sites were also constructed. Stalowa Wola was a town constructed from scratch together with new works and a power station. A synthetic rubber factory was built in Dębica; an aeroplane factory was constructed in Mielec; an aeroplane engine factory was erected in Rzeszów; and an artillery equipment factory was built in Starachowice. In total, about 100 industrial plants were constructed.