Topic: White man's burden. Myths of the colonial period.

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.

General aim of education

Students learn about the cultural causes and consequences of the colonial expansion of European countries in the 19th century.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• what were the cultural reasons and consequences of European countries' colonial expansion in the 19th century.

Methods/techniques

• activating

  • discussion.

• expository

  • talk.

• exposing

  • film.

• 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 you to listen to the mini‑lecture - Dr. Piotr Szlanta talks about the opponents of the colonial system.

Introduction

1. The teacher gives the topic, the goals of the lesson in a language understandable for the student, and the criteria of success.

2. The teacher explains to the students, referring to the previous lesson, that colonialism is a cultural phenomenon, not just economic or political competition. He explains in the examples what is under this concept.

Realization

1. The teacher asks students to do Task 1 (students get acquainted with the interactive illustration) and Exercises 1 (they read a fragment of the source text about the colonial expansion of England, becoming familiar with the British way of perceiving it). Iconographic material is presented on a multimedia board. The teacher reminds that the main task of students during the lesson will be to analyze the ideas of nineteenth century Europeans about other „races” and exotic cultures based on the example of literature, photography or period painting. The teacher explains the meaning and manifestations of colonial propaganda. The teacher encourages students to note their observations on small self‑adhesive sheets.

2. The teacher discusses examples of critical literature regarding the phenomenon of colonialism and propagating colonialism. He refers, among others, to Sienkiewicz and his „W pustyni i w puszczy” and „Jądra ciemności” by Joseph Conrad. He reads to the students fragments of the letters of the Danish writer, Baroness Karen Blixen, or discusses her attitude to her own estate and people living in it based on fragments of „Out of Africa”. Then, he asks students to do Exercise 2. Students analyze the caricature of the era by completing the task attached to it. The teacher again encourages students to note their observations on small sticky notes.

3. The teacher explains to students what „new quality” racial arguments added in the second half of the 19th century to colonial propaganda. He indicates the durability of these criteria for categorizing people. Explains the concept of racism and the concept of „white man's burden” popular in that era. Students carry out Task 2, noting the most important information. They learn examples of criminal activities of colonizers. The teacher makes sure that the tasks have been correctly completed and gives feedback.

Summary

1. Students read the examples of colonial and anti‑colonial propaganda on the pages, stick them to the board. Then all together with the teacher wonder what criterion they can be ranked. Self‑adhesive cards on the board are organized according to common arrangements, maintaining the validity hierarchy.

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

Homework

1. The teacher sets homework (it is not an obligatory part of the script) - he proposes to read the capsule of time: Wystawy kolonialne, czyli „ludzkie zoo”.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

White man's burden. Myths of the colonial period.

Colonialism was not only about the political or economic competition. It was also a cultural phenomenon, including the ideas about other „races” and exotic cultures. The way of travelling to distant places changed as a consequence of the colonial expansion — that's how the exotic tourism was born. It was the racist prejudice and arrogance that helped European people to implement the politics of extermination. Tribes that were mostly threatened by this type of politics in the 19th century were the ones considered as „evil”, for instance those practising cannibalism. Congo, the private property of the Belgian king Leopold II, was the most extreme case of colonial cruelty. British people sought to occupy two Boer Republics neighbouring the Cape State - Orange State and the Transvaal in the early 70s of the 19th century. It was because diamond and gold deposits had been discovered there. The first attempt to annex those territories was not successful. Finally, in 1910 the Boer Republics were made parts of the Union of South Africa, which had a status of a dominion.