Title: Why do we need the classical tradition?

Lesson plan elaborated by: Katarzyna Maciejak

Topic:

Why do we need the classical tradition?

Target group:

1st‑grade students of an high school.

Core curriculum

Old core curriculum

I. Receipt of statements and use of information contained.

1. Reading and listening. Student:

1. reads the meaning of the entire text (...) and fragments separated by it; can explain their meaning and function on the background of the whole;

2. recognises the specificity of journalistic texts (article, column, reportage), political (speech) and popular science; (...) reads both explicit and hidden information contained in the received texts;

3. indicates the characteristic features of the style of a given text, recognizes the linguistic means used and its functions in the text;

2. creatively uses critical literary and theoretical literary statements (eg review, sketch, article, essay). ZR

3. Self‑education and access to information. Student:

2. uses dictionaries and lexicons, including etymological dictionaries and symbols;

3. creates these databases containing information acquired in the course of study.

II. Analysis and interpretation of cultural texts.

1. Initial recognition. Student:

1. presents his own experiences resulting from contact with a work of art;

2. defines the problem of the work.

2. Analysis. Student:

1. indicates the means of artistic expression used in the work and their functions (...)

3. Interpretation. Student:

1. uses contexts in the interpretation of the work (eg literary, cultural, philosophical, religious).

4. Values and evaluation. Student:

1. sees the relationship between language and values, understands that the language is subject to valuation, (...);

2. sees national and universal values present in literary works and other cultural texts.

III. Creating statements.

1. Speaking and writing. Student:

7. performs various activities on the text of someone else (eg summarizes, paraphrases, draws up an outline, quotes);

8. creates statements with the awareness of their causative function.

Core curriculum (new)

I. Literary and cultural education.

1. Reading literary works. Student:

2. recognises the means of artistic expression in the literary text (...); defines their functions;

3. recognises the subject and issues of the texts learned and its relation to the programs of the literary era, social, historical, existential and aesthetic phenomena; he reflects on it;

4. presents a proposal for interpretation of the work, indicates in the text places that may constitute arguments in support of its interpretation proposal;

5. uses the necessary contexts in the interpretation of literary works, especially the historical, literary, historical, political, cultural, philosophical, biographical, mythological, biblical and existential context;

6. recognises universal and national values present in literary works; determines their role and relationship with the work's issues and the importance to build their own value system.

2. Receipt of cultural texts. Student:

11. analyses the structure of the essay: it reads the meanings contained in it, the way of conducting the argument, the characteristic features of the style; ZR

12. recognises the specificity of journalistic texts (article, column, reportage), rhetorical (speech, laudation, homily), popular science and scientific (dissertation) (...); recognizes linguistic means and their functions used in texts; reads information and explicit and hidden messages; distinguishes between correct and avoidant answers;

13. recognises references to biblical and ancient traditions in contemporary culture; ZR

14. reads non‑literary cultural texts, using the code proper in a given field of art.

III. Creating statements.

1. Elements of rhetoric. Student:

1. formulates theses and arguments in oral and written speech using appropriate syntax structures;

2. Speaking and writing. Student:

1. agrees with other people's views or polemicizes with them, substantively justifying their own opinion;

2. build a statement in a conscious manner, with the knowledge of its language function, taking into account the purpose and the addressee, keeping the principles of rhetoric;

3. in accordance with standards formulates questions, answers, evaluations, edits information, justifications, comments, a voice in the discussion;

4. in the interpretation presents a proposal to read the text, formulates arguments based on the text and known contexts, including personal experience, and performs a logical argument for the validation of formulated judgments;

IV. Self‑study. Student:

1. develops the ability of independent work, inter alia, by preparing various forms of presenting their own position;

2. organises information into the problematic whole by valuing it; synthesizes the learned content around the problem, topic, issue and uses it in your statements;

3. uses scientific or popular science literature;

4. uses multimedia resources, e.g. from: libraries, on‑line dictionaries, e‑book publications, original websites; selects web sources, taking into account the criterion of material correctness and critically evaluates their content.

General aim of education

Students, based on Zygmunt Kubiak's essay, reflect on the universality of ancient culture.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Learning outcomes

Student:

• discusses the characteristics of the essay and can recognize this genre;

• speaks about the universality of ancient culture;

• creates text on a given topic.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned;

  • leading text method.

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 students will think about the works of culture inspired by the classical tradition they know..

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. Students chosen by the teacher enumerate works of culture inspired by classical tradition they know..

Realization

1. The teacher displays on the screen or hangs a geographical map of Greece (preferably physical or administrative). Asks the chosen student or students to indicate places known to them from Greek mythology and from ancient history. The students point places and talk about them (eg Olimp, Sparta, Delphi). One of the students can prepare a presentation about lesser known but important places related to culture and history.

2. The teacher encourages students to remind themselves of the situation in which the ideas about a place have been confronted with reality - he asks whether it is better to look at something fresh or to get acquainted with information about a given place.

3. Students look at any source of information about the essay's genres, and then perform exercise 3 - choose from typical features for essay.

4. Reading fragments of Zygmunt Kubiak's essays. Students perform exercises referring to the texts read.

5. The teacher encourages students to think in pairs over the words of the author, who says that seeing the monuments of Greece (and Rome), „we are silent before them”, and the statement: „peace, which all people crave, in the Greek and Roman traditions is understood as something that has not been given to a man, but given „.

6. Students design a website from the travel agency directory, which is to encourage visitors to visit a selected Greek city - they place an advertising text, a password and a quote from Kubiak's text on it. The teacher reminds that special attention should be paid to the monuments of classical art located in a given place. Students can also plan a multi‑day tour along the route of the most important Greek monuments.

Summary

1. The teacher asks the chosen student the summary question contained in the topic of the lesson: „Why do we need a classic tradition?” He asks other students to complete his colleague's statements. Examples of other summary questions:
   - Why Greece is considered to be the cradle of European culture?
   - What significance can a contact with historical monuments of antiquity have for a common man?.

Homework

1. Write an essay on the subject: „Is antiquity more noble than modern times?”..

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Why do we need classical tradition?

Classical antiquity is never obsolete. It is evidenced by works that are constantly being created which are inspired by the achievements of ancient Greeks or Romans.