Topic: Natural environment and economy of Lithuania

Target group

6th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

VIII. Neighbors of Poland: changes in industry in Germany; the cultural heritage of Lithuania and Belarus; natural environment and tourist attractions of the Czech Republic and Slovakia; political, social and economic problems of Ukraine; natural and socio‑economic diversity of Ukraine; natural and socio‑economic diversity of Russia; relations between Poland and neighbors.

2) designs a tour of Lithuania and Belarus taking into account selected values of the natural and cultural environment

7) understands the need to shape good relations between Poland and its neighbors.

General aim of education

The student will discuss the natural environment and plan a trip around the most interesting places in Lithuania.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• Discuss the location of Lithuania on the map of Europe;

• Characterize the natural environment of Lithuania;

• Discuss the main branches of the economy in Lithuania.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Students get acquainted with the content of the abstract. They prepare to work on the lesson in such a way to be able to summarize the material read in their own words and solve the tasks themselves.

Introduction

• The teacher explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

• The teacher launches an interactive board on the multimedia board from the abstract and asks students to write down associations related to Lithuania. Then he initiates a discussion on this topic.

Realization

• The teacher at the earlier lesson asked students to familiarize themselves with the source material concerning the Lithuanian population, including the Polish minority. Students prepare messages at home. Thanks to this, a discussion on the subject is possible at the lesson.

• Work of the whole class team. Students determine the geographical location of Lithuania. They indicate the neighboring countries.

• Work in pairs. Characteristics of Lithuania's natural conditions: vertical shape, river network, natural vegetation and climate. During the task, students use geographical atlases and a geography and a textbook manual.

• The indicated persons discuss the developed issue. They use the map of Lithuania - a hypsometric map of the textbook displayed on the interactive whiteboard.

• Work in pairs. Lithuanian economy: agriculture (soils and crops), industry (mineral resources and industries). Students use geographical atlases, a handbook for teaching geography and Internet resources.

• Work in groups. The teacher divides the class into 4 teams. Students in each group develop a tour of Lithuania, taking into account the values of the natural and cultural environment. Each group receives a sheet of A1 paper, markers. Students use source materials (geography teaching handbook, internet resources, e‑textbook). Students present their suggestions using a talking wall.

Summary

• At the end of the class, the teacher gives homework to the students. Using the generator from the abstract they are to create a crossword, the main slogan of which will be the word Vilnius, and the remaining slogans will be thematically related to Lithuania. Students will use their crossword puzzles at the next lesson.

• The teacher asks pupils for self‑evaluation about team cooperation and the task performed. Evaluates the work of selected students.

• At the end of the class, the teacher displays on the interactive whiteboard exercises that are performed by the whole class team.

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

Natural environment and economy of Lithuania

Lithuania is a small country located on the south‑eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Its area is more than 65 thousand kmIndeks górny 2², which means that it is slightly larger than Slovakia and a bit smaller than the Czech Republic. It is almost five times smaller than Poland. Vilnius is the capital city. Lithuania borders four countries – Latvia in the north, Belarus in the east and south, Poland in the south, and the Kaliningrad Oblast, part of the Russian Federation, in the south‑west. The border with Poland is only 104 km long and it is the shortest in Lithuania. The Lithuanian part of the coastline of the Baltic Sea is even shorter – 90 km long.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are the so‑called Baltic Republics. These small, now independent countries on the Baltic Sea, are former Soviet Republics. The Baltic Republics were the first to separate from the USSR, thus starting the break‑up of the Soviet empire. Lithuania proclaimed its independence already in 1990, facing strong opposition from Moscow which dispatched tanks to Vilnius. However, this did not stop the Lithuanians, and the country defended its independence.

Due to the location and association with the Baltic Republics, Lithuania is sometimes considered part of Northern Europe. However, Poland has come to consider all European former Soviet Republics as part of Eastern Europe.

In terms of terrain, Lithuania is very similar to Belarus – mostly with flat lowlands intersected by small hills. Both countries are located within the great East European Plain. The central part of Lithuania lies within the Middle Lithuanian Lowland. The Lithuanian Lakeland spreads in the east, with the highest landmark of the country - the Aukštaitija Mountain with a height of 294 m asl. Across the state border, the Lithuanian Lakeland neighbours the Belarusian Lakeland. In the west of Lithuania lies the Samogitia Highland which comprises the area of the historical region called Samogitia. The Baltic is bordered by a narrow strip of lowland coast.
The Lithuanian coastline is rather plain. Its only variation is the final fragment of the Curonian Spit which separates the Curonian Lagoon from open sea. The state border between Lithuania and Russia separates the Curonian Spit and Lagoon into two parts.

The entire area of Lithuania lies within the catchment area of the Baltic Sea. The main river, Nemen, is 475 km long. Its lower section, down to its mouth, is a natural state border with the Russian Federation. Nemen flows into the Curonian Lagoon, where it forms a delta which lies entirely on the Lithuanian side. The largest Nemen tributary in Lithuania is the Viliya River on which the capital of the country is situated.

Although Lithuania is a coastal country, its climate is temperate warm transitional. The impact of the marine air masses is often restricted to the coast, as on the other side there is the vast land territory of Eurasia from where continental air masses flow. Thus, two types of air masses clash above Lithuania and it cannot be said that either of them – marine or land – is dominant over the year.
Like in Belarus, the potential natural flora in Lithuania is represented by mixed forests. However, Lithuania has more lakeland and glacial areas with sand sediments, where podsolic soils characteristic of coniferous forests were formed. Nowadays, 1/3 of Lithuania’s area is covered by forests, and this is an average level – a bit higher than in Poland, and a bit lower than in Belarus.