Topic: National Parks

Target group

4th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

Grade IV
VII. Anthropogenic environment and landscape of the nearest school area. Pupil:
8) indicates the place of occurrence of protected areas, nature monuments, historic buildings in the vicinity, justifies the need to protect them.

General aim of education

Students indicate national parks on the map of Poland and justify the need to protect their areas.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• present the natural and tourist significance of national parks;

• justify the need for appropriate behavior on the territory of national parks;

• discuss the attractions of selected national parks;

• describe Poland as a country with diverse nature and various landscapes.

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;

• symbols of national parks;

• map of Poland.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Volunteers get acquainted with the content of the abstract and prepare a knowledge quiz for their colleagues.

Introduction

• The teacher explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

Realization

• The teacher uses the text of the abstract 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.

• Students are selected into groups. Each team receives a sheet of paper with a map of the geographical regions of Poland and a set of national park symbols. The teacher asks students to mark national parks on the map with symbols. Students performing a task, use the interactive illustration.

• Participants familiarize themselves with the content presented in the interactive illustration. Then the teacher discusses the issues with the students.

• The teacher asks students to carry out the recommended interactive exercise themselves.

Summary

• Students will familiarize themselves with the task in the abstract. Then they jointly choose one of them to be implemented in the form of a presentation and set criteria for its evaluation.

Homework

• Develop a lap book containing issues learned during the lesson and bring your work to the next class.

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

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

National Parks

National parks are protected areas with area over 1000 ha, the nature of which is unique. They serve to preserve biodiversity and inanimate natural forms, such as boulders, springs and caves, and are of great cultural and educational importance. They allow us to observe wild nature and teach respect to it. National parks are willingly visited by tourists. In Poland there are 23 national parks. Two of them lie in the coastal strip, 5 in the lake district belt, another 5 in the lowland, 3 in highlands and 8 in the mountains.

The territory of the entire national part is subject to protection. However, it is divided into areas subject to strict, partial or landscape protection. A national park is surrounded by a buffer zone. It is an area, the purpose of which is to protect the park against human activity.

National parks are established mainly to preserve plants, animals and inanimate nature in condition not changed by humans. Most of the area of a national part is subject to strict protection. Therefore, living organisms have ensured peace, and are not disturbed by people. National parks are also important places of education. Tourist and nature trails crossing particularly attractive places are set out in their territories. National parks are also the habitats of endemic species.

During the visit to a national park, certain rules have to be observed. The visitors to the park can move exclusively along the trails (usually on feet). At the outskirts of some parks there are also cycling trails.
It is prohibited to pick any plants or their fruit, or to catch or scare any animals in national parks. Picking of any rocks, minerals or fossils is not allowed either. You must keep quiet, cant shout or listen to music. Camping or lighting bonfires is prohibited. All rubbish has to be taken away and disposed at designated places – usually near shelters. It is also prohibited to walk dogs in the national parks in Poland.

• National parks are protected areas with area over 1000 ha, established to preserve biodiversity and inanimate natural forms, as well as scenic features.

• Individual areas of national parks are protected in different manners: there are distinguished strict, partial and landscape protection areas.

• At present, there are 23 national parks in Poland.