Topic: The Golden Age

Target group

6th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

IX. „Golden Age” in Poland on the European background. Student:  

7. presents the greatest achievements of the Polish Renaissance and Reformation, including the works of Mikołaj Rej, Jan Kochanowski, and Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski; recognizes objects of Renaissance art in Poland;

General aim of education

The student will learn about the development of Poland in the „Golden Age”.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• why the sixteenth century is called in Poland the „golden age”;

• how art and science developed at that time;

• about the main representatives of the Polish renaissance.

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

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. 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

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. On the basis of the timeline and information from available sources, the students indicate the event that they think is the most important from the period of the Golden Age in Poland. Then they argue their choice on the class forum. Colleagues assess their work, taking into account the manner in which applications are presented and the clarity of justification.

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

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

5. Students carry out Task 3. Using available sources, such as the Internet, they search for information about the achievements of the Polish Renaissance. They divide them into three categories: literary, scientific and political thought. Then they read them on the class forum.

6. Students in pairs solve the Exercise 1. The teacher checks if the task has been correctly completed and gives feedback to students.

Summary

1. 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

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. Prepare 5 questions about the area that could be found on the test of the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

The Golden Age

The 16th century is often referred to in Poland as the “golden age”. It was the time of reign of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the time of stabilisation, economic growth and blooming of culture and science. The greatest prosperity occurred during the reign of Sigismund I the Old and Sigismund II Augustus. The first one married Italian princess Bona Sforza, and consequently brought to his court architects and artists from Italy.  He brought not only artists, but also ready works of art. A special Renaissance style called Sigismund’s style developed in Poland thank to it. Its examples are remaking of the Royal Wawel Castle and the Sigismund's Chapel. The son of Sigismund I the Old was also surrounded by artists and eminent people. He ordered tapestries, which he then brought to Poland. During his reign, the Krakow Cloth Hall with characteristic arcade was built. Renaissance artists had powerful patrons. It gave birth to patronage. Thanks to the financial support of the Jagiellonian dynasty kings, Krakow was the most important centre of culture and art. It the place where many branches of science developed at the Jagiellonian University (the University of Krakow). Thanks to Renaissance writers, the Polish language flourished. This time is associated with famous sentence by Mikołaj Rej “...Polacy nie gęsi, iż swój język mają” (Eng.: “Poles are no geese – they have a tongue of their own”). Rich Polish youth travelled across Western European countries, studies at their universities, and broadened their knowledge getting acquainted with foreign cultures and customs. The University of Krakow was also attended by students from Germany, Hungary or Bohemia. It was the time of the apogee of the development in mathematics, astronomy and geography in Poland. The most renowned scientist of the golden age was Nicolaus Copernicus. He proved his work “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres” that Earth was circling around the Sun. Another scientist enjoying fame was Maciej of Miechów who published his work describing the geography of Eastern Europe entitled “Treatise on the Two Sarmatias – Asiatic and European”. It was the time of development of political writing. The most eminent publicist was Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, who distinguished himself with his work “On the Improvement of the Commonwealth”. He described in it the situation of the Polish state, pointing out the inequality of the estates, the deterioration of the situation of peasants, or the relaxation of manners. Another writer, Stanisław Orzechowski, was in turn the defender of the nobles' democracy. He believed that the system of the Commonwealth did not require any improvements, and freedom of the nobles was a gift from God. During Renaissance, the oratory art became popular and developed in two directions – preaching, and secular (political) speeches. Rhetoric became one of the core classes in Polish education.