Topic: We live by the sea

Supplementary material for use in lessons in the group of natural sciences (nature, biology, chemistry, geography, physics), additional classes, science clubs. It can serve as a resource for expanding knowledge, preparing students for science competitions.

Target group

5th‑grade students of elementary school (geography).

Core curriculum

Grade V (geography)
II. Landscapes of Poland: alpine (Tatra Mountains), uplands (Kraków‑Częstochowa Upland), lowlands (Masovian Lowland), lake (Masurian Lake District), seaside (Slovincian Coast), metropolitan (Warsaw), urban‑industrial (Silesian Upland), agricultural (Lublin Upland). Pupil:

1. indicates the geographical location of Poland on the map;

2. presents the main features of Polish landscapes and shows their diversity;

3. recognizes Polish landscapes in descriptions as well as films and illustrations;

General aim of education

The students exchange the most important tourist values of seaside towns.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• list the benefits of the sea neighborhood;

• present the historical, economic and tourist significance of seaside towns.

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;

• Polish outline from the previous lesson, pencils, markers, glue, tape, scissors, cards.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Before the lesson, the teacher asks students to look in colorful magazines, the Internet and their own collection of photos from coastal cities: Gdańsk, Szczecin, Hel.

Introduction

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

Realization

• The teacher displays the students' ranking of the players (group and teacher symbols) after subsequent competitions concerning the geographical areas.

• The teacher randomly assigned the work of other teams to the groups. The groups recognize and save what they rearrange the photos / illustrations of the geographical region indicated. The card marked with your own chosen symbol is given to the teacher who will compare it with the authors' answers.

• The teacher displays students' graphics: Geographical regions of Poland. The indicated student describes the location of selected coastal towns: Gdańsk, Szczecin, Hel.

• The teacher asks students to read the abstract themselves, paying particular attention to the illustrations.

• The team receives their own work. Students choose and stick / draw elements of coastal towns: Gdańsk, Szczecin, Hel on the underside of the previously sewn contour of the coast. The group writes down what the selected photos show on a sheet marked with the same symbol as the page with the outline of Poland and the envelope. They give the card to the teacher at the end of the lesson.

• After the set date of work, the teacher collects materials from students and carries out a puzzle about seaside towns (interactive illustration).

Summary

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

Homework

• 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

We live by the sea

The greatest advantage of a seaside location is the possibility to build a port, that is a place where ships can load or unload goods. In Poland, there are 4 large seaports – in Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście. They have the capacity to accept the largest ships. There are also other ports, e.g. in Elbląg, but the volume of traffic there is low. Szczecin is a particularly interesting port. It is located several dozen kilometers from the sea, with which it is connected by the Oder River. In Poland, there are shipyards (the largest ones are in Gdańsk, Gdynia and Szczecin) which build and repair ships. Ferries depart from Świnoujście, Gdynia and Gdańsk ferries to Baltic ports in other countries. In Poland, there are also over 60 fishing harbours and fishing ports. The entire Polish shore is an attractive destination for holidaymakers and tourists. Another significant activity is the extraction of amber and the production of amber jewellery. Due to frequent and relatively strong winds, it is also possible to produce wind electricity wind farms. Wind farms are built along the coast.

Many towns and villages on the Polish coast are of great importance for industry, transport, trade, fishing and tourism. One of the largest cities of the coastal zone is Gdańsk, which is also the most popular tourist destination and has a remarkable history. Smaller towns, such as Darłowo, Władysławowo or Hel attract tourists with their beautiful beaches. Another great attraction for tourists visiting these towns are sea cruises on board of small ships.

Żuławy Wiślane situated in the central part of the Gdańsk Seashore are a particularly interesting part of the Polish seashore. Only a few thousand years ago, it was a large bay of the Baltic Sea and the estuary of the Vistula River. The river was continuously transporting sand and mud, depositing it nearby. Gradually, the terrain began to dry up and became overgrown by vegetation. This process was accelerated by people, who dried large areas of land. Today, Żuławy Wiślane are a vast plain with fertile soils. A part of this plain lies lower than the sea level. An area like this is called a depression. However, it is not flooded, because it is separated from the sea by high, strong embankments. Żuławy are cut by canals whose aim is to collect water from the surrounding lands. Without these channels, the ground would be boggy and the depressed areas would be flooded.

Żuławy Wiślane are extremely precious for agriculture. There are some of the best soils here. The fields in this area ensure very high yields. In the central part of Żuławy, only one city was built – Nowy Dwór Gdański.

• Sea‑related economic activities include seaborne trade and fisheries.

• Gdańsk and other cities and villages located by the sea ensure especially favourable conditions for tourist and leisure activities, water sports and spa services.

• Fertile soils make Żuławy Wiślane valuable for agriculture.