Topic: Baroque in Europe and Poland

Target group

6th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

XI. The Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth and its neighbors in the 17th century. Student:

6. recognizes the characteristic features of Baroque culture, referring to examples of architecture and art in its own region.

General aim of education

The student will learn about the specifics of the Baroque era in Poland and in Europe.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• what were the characteristics of the Baroque era in Europe and Poland;

• how long it lasted and where the Baroque was born;

• what were the baroque buildings in Poland.

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 repeat the information from the previous lesson. He also recommends them to collect illustrations, photos, drawings, symbols, press clippings that they associate with the topic of the planned lesson.

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. Selected students present the illustrative material prepared by them before the lesson.
   The teacher encourages the class to ask questions to the presenters, e.g.

   • Why did you choose such examples?

   • What does this photo involve?

   • What this illustration is talking about

   • Why is this scheme important?

   • What is the graphics to tell us about?

Realization

1. 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.

2. Students analyze the illustration and execute Task 1. 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.

3. The teacher writes the word empiricism in the middle of the board, and then, using a mind map, he adds: experience, rationalism, empiricism, research. After writing each expression he asks the students to explain, what they think the expression means. The willing/chosen students write their explanations on the mind map. The teacher corrects their answers if necessary.
   In the next stage of the class the teacher informs the students their task will be to find out baroque. He says that the students will work using a snowball method, and explains the method if necessary:
   The students write their own answers on pieces of paper together with justification for these answers. Then they compare their suggestions in pairs and write a new, joint list on a new piece of paper. The the students gather in fours and confront their ideas in a similar manner, creating another joint list of the solutions. Then the students form even larger groups, until the whole class has cooperated on finding a solution. As a result the students will jointly find out the solution to the problem. All the agreed ideas together with arguments are written on the board..

4. The teacher together with the students sums up the current course of classes.

5. Students display interactive crosswords on the interactive board. The task of the others is to guess individual passwords. After each crossword, students assess the questions based on the technique of lights (whether they are clear, logically formulated). The teacher assesses questions in terms of language and provides feedback.

6. Students analyze the illustrations and execute Exercise 1 and Task 3. To answer the questions, they can use Internet sources or other publications. The teacher checks the correctness of the answer and provides feedback to the students.

7. Students in pairs solve the Exercise 2.

Summary

1. The teacher chooses one student by random method and asks him or her to explain in own words the meaning of a given word or concept learned during the lesson.

2. The teacher discusses the course of the lesson, indicates the strengths and weaknesses of students' work, thus giving them feedback.

Homework

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

2. Students solve exercises that were not completed during the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Baroque in Europe and Poland

Baroque was a period in the history of Europe lasting from the mid‑16th century to the end of the 17th century. The name „Baroque” comes from the Portuguese word „barocco” which means a pearl of irregular shape.

Baroque developed under the influence of religious disputes between Catholicism and Protestantism. It encompassed all spheres of life and most of the social classes.

This period was characterized by a diverse and contrasting culture. There were two philosophical views at that time: rationalism and empiricism. Rationalists believed that the only source of cognition is the reason, while empiricists proclaimed that only experience allows one to gain knowledge about the world. In art, the individualism of the artist, who in his works referred to the feelings and emotions of the viewer, came to the fore.

Baroque art dealt with various topics - besides sacral art, court art was created. Painters depicted scenes from the lives of saints and rulers of that time. They used rich colours, chiaroscuro and perspective, as well as a dynamic, open composition.

Rulers and magnates built magnificent castles, palaces and tenement houses. Palace of Versailles - the residence of French kings, became an artistic example for entire Europe. Establishing gardens and parks became very popular.

In the Baroque period, modern theatre as we know it was developed. Special buildings to hold theatrical spectacles on the basis of, among others, plays by Shakespeare and Molière were erected. At that time, the opera was born.

Polish Baroque artists were inspired by the architecture of the West. In the 17th century, Baroque royal and magnate residences, such as the Wilanów Palace, were built, and the royal castles on the Wawel hill and in Warsaw were rebuilt in this spirit. The development of the Baroque architecture in Poland was closely connected with the patronage of the Catholic Church.

Polish Baroque art was specifically reflected in Sarmatism - the ideology of the Polish nobility, which proclaimed the ideals of manorial life, glorified native customs and Catholic faith. Polish Sarmatians fancied building wooden manor houses, which corresponded to the model of life in the countryside they propagated.

In the field of painting, portrait art was developing dynamically. Paintings depicting ancestors started to adorn the walls of magnate residences and noble manors.