Lesson plan (English)
Topic: The Autumn of Nations
Target group
8th‑grade students of an elementary school
Core curriculum
XXXVI. World after World War II. Pupil:
11. characterizes socio‑political changes in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989‑1991.
General aim of education
The student will learn about the Autumn of Nations, socio‑political changes in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989‑1991.
Key competences
communication in foreign languages;
digital competence;
learning to learn.
Criteria for success
The student will learn:
how did the abolition of Communism in East‑Central Europe proceed;
what spurred the reunification of Germany;
what does the term “Autumn of Nations” mean;
what were the effects of the 1989‑1991 changes in East‑Central Europe.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
The teacher together with the students sums up the current course of classes.
Students analyze the illustration and execute Task 2 and Task 3. 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.
Students analyze the gallery of illustrations and execute Task 4. 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.
Students in pairs solve the Exercise 1. The teacher checks if the task has been correctly completed and gives feedback to students.
Summary
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.The teacher asks a willing student to summarize the lesson from his point of view. He asks other students if they would like to add anything to their colleague's statements.
Homework
Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.
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
Rewolucja – gwałtowna zmiana przynosząca zasadniczą zmianę istniejącego stanu rzeczy. W potocznym rozumieniu szybkie i głębokie zmiany.
Radio Wolna Europa – rozgłośnia radiowa utworzona w 1949 r., z siedzibą w Monachium i finansowana przez Kongres Stanów Zjednoczonych. Jego misją było promowanie wartości demokratycznych oraz dostarczanie prawdziwych i rzetelnych informacji do krajów za żelazną kurtyną.
Demoludy – potoczne określenie krajów „demokracji ludowej” w bloku wschodnim. Były one podporządkowane ZSRR, a ich ustrój zmieniono na wzór radziecki. Określenie „demokracja ludowa” miało wskazywać na rzeczywistą władzę ludu.
Karta 77 – niezależna, czechosłowacka inicjatywa z lat 1977‑1992 łącząca środowiska wzywające do przestrzegania i obrony praw człowieka. Jej członkowie (np. Vaclav Havel) stali się aktywnymi uczestnikami przemian antykomunistycznych w 1989 r.
Trójkątny stół – obrady między opozycją i węgierskimi komunistami z 1989 r., które doprowadziły do demokratyzacji, zmiany konstytucji i wolnych wyborów.
Migracja – proces przemieszczania się ludności związany ze zmianą ich zamieszkania lub czasowego pobytu. Możemy podzielić ją na wewnętrzną – w granicach państwa/obszaru lub zewnętrzną.
Forum Obywatelskie – czeski ruch polityczny z lat 1989‑1991, skupiający osoby o antykomunistycznych poglądach dążące do demokratyzacji kraju. Jego nieformalnym przywódca był Vaclav Havel.
Aksamitna rewolucja – określenie na wydarzenia 1989 r. w Czechosłowacji, które doprowadziły do upadku systemu komunistycznego i transformacji ustrojowej. Głównym powodem aksamitnej rewolucji były wydarzenia w innych krajach bloku wschodniego, przede wszystkim w Polsce.
Transformacja ustrojowa – zmiany zachodzące wewnątrz systemu panującego w danym państwie. Wiążą się ze zmianami w sprawowaniu władzy i sposobie rządzenia, prowadzą często do zmiany ustroju państwa.
Texts and recordings
The Autumn of Nations
For almost half of a century, the countries of East‑Central Europe were under the control and influence of the Soviet Union. This state of affairs changed between the 80s and 90s of the 20th century owing to the democratic transformation that started in Poland. It was caused by the extremely poor economic situation of the Eastern Bloc, the United States’ policies, and the perestroika (reconstruction) of the Soviet Union initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev. The anti‑Communist transformations in the People’s Republics were almost universally bloodless and followed similar scenarios. Reformist groups gained traction, then worked out compromises with the Communist authorities (e.g. the Hungarian Round Table Talks). Such situations would be oftentimes accompanied by large‑scale social protests supporting the opposition. As a result of the agreements, the constitutions would be changed, with the passages on the leading role of the party and the dominant position of the workers removed, and the anti‑Communists would be let to exercise power. The names of the states would be changed as well. Such was the course of action in Hungary, Czechoslovakia (the Velvet Revolution) and in Bulgaria.
In East Germany, changes happened as a result of large‑scale manifestations and the reformers’ rise to power in the Communist Party. The process that began could not be stopped. Finally, it led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany’s reunification on 3 October 1990. The costly and tedious process of uniting the two parts of the new state followed.
The only country that failed to conduct its system transformation peacefully was Romania. With the help of the security forces, its dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, created a system of full control, making the opposition virtually nonexistent. The brutally quenched (with over 1000 victims) anti‑government protests of 1989 caused the military to turn its back on him. Ceausescu's party opponents founded the National Salvation Front and took control of the revolution. Soon after the bloody ruler was abolished, then subsequently executed after a brief trial.
The last Communist Republic to witness change was the multi‑national Yugoslavia. Due to conflicts between the nationalities, as well as the limitations to civil freedoms, the federation fell apart, which resulted in a long civil war (1991‑1995).
The process of the nations of Central‑East Europe leaving the Soviet sphere of influence ended in 1991, and was dubbed the “Autumn of Nations”. It begun with the Round Table Talks between the government and the opposition in Poland.