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ALL TOGETHER NOW: "THE BALTIC WAY" Meet the Baltic States Grouping ESTONIA, LATVIA and LITHUANIA Into One Unified Group Is Totally Unfair

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ALL TOGETHER NOW: ALL TOGETHER NOW: "THE BALTIC WAY" Meet the Baltic States Grouping ESTONIA, LATVIA and LITHUANIA into one unified group is totally unfair. The three "BALTIC STATES" may share the eastern coast of the Baltic sea but they have different histories, languages, religions and more. Why do people group them together...? For convenience? Sure. Because they were all under Russian rule until 1918, then became independent together, then came under Soviet domination in 1940, then became independent together again in 1991...? That too. Since 1991 the Baltic nations have developed multiparty parliamentary democracies; all joined the European Union in 2004. European tourists flock to the Baltics for their seaside resorts and their reputation as being home to warm, welcoming people. At the same time, the Baltic states are still coming to terms with a history full of struggle, especially in the 20th century in which they endured Nazi and Soviet rule. THREE OF A KIND? -- Is there one "Baltic" Language? No. Estonians speak a "Uralic" language that's very close to Finnish. Latvian and Lithuanian are different from each other, though both are "Indo-European." -- Is there one "Baltic" Religion? No. Most Estonians and Latvians practice Protestant (Lutheran) Christianity, while most Lithuanians are Catholic. -- Is there one "Baltic" History? Not really. Divergent Introducing kids to the Baltic nations and "the elements of the Baltic history came together in 1918 Baltic Way" when all three fought German and Russian armies and became independent, and again when Russia occupied all three in 1940. HANDS ACROSS THE BALTICS On August 23, 1989, more than a million people from the Baltics linked hands to form a human chain almost 400 miles long in an event called "THE BALTIC WAY" The massive hand-holding ostensibly marked the 50th anniversary of a German/Russian pact that led to the Nazi occupation of the Baltics, but it also demonstrated the unity of the people of the Baltics in demanding independence from the "The Baltic Way" teacher extra, Soviet Union. password: za653ZdeDG Ultimately the Baltics became independent of Soviet rule, non-violently, in what has come to be called, PROCEDURES "The Singing Revolution." After introducing "THE BALTIC WAY" and showing students a map: 1) Prepare music from the Baltics, perhaps the clip from the how-to video, the other videos linked on this page or from online, to use as backing track for your revolution. 2) Divide your class into three groups and assign a Baltic country to each. If you're just two in a family, you can be all three countries at once. Hands Across the Baltics 3) Stand up! Have kids stand in a line side by side, all facing the same direction. Order them in groups by country, south to north -- Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. 4) Turn on Baltic music. HOLD HANDS!! (Or, if kids don't want to hold hands, they can link arms or just stand beside each other.) Sing along or chant your own made-up pro-Baltic chants.... "Rah Rah LITHUANIA!!!!" In our how-to video, in a nod to the importance of public choral singing in Estonia, we fumble through the Estonian national anthem and don't do much hand- hodling, but you can link arms or hold hands all the way. Estonian Singing Revolution 1988 6) When you've had enough, each country declares independence and cheers. VOCABULARY/TERMS THE BALTIC STATES: A term that refers collectively to three independent nations, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- that share the east coast of the Baltic Sea. All three were under the influence of the former Soviet Union until the became independent in 1991. (Also sometimes called, "the Baltic nations.") THE BALTIC WAY: A massive event that took place across the Baltics on August 23, 1989. More than a million Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians participated -- some estimates stretch to 2 million, approximately 25% of the nations' population -- holding hands in an international chain, demonstrating the unity of the people in the Baltic nations in opposition to the Soviet Union. DISCUSSION/PROJECTS The Baltic Way was a massively popular non-violent action. Tiny kids may not understand the concept of society-changing protest, but they can certainly appreciate all the good things that can happen when people hold hands. To show how strong a line of hand-holders can be you can play a version of "red rover," sending kids across the classroom, gymnasium or field to try to break the hand- holding chain of the others. Talk with big kids about the fact that people in the Baltics chose non-violent actions like the Baltic Way over taking up arms against the Soviets. Depending on the age of the students, leave the idea of weapons out of the discussion. Are you more likely to get your way if you use your fists to fight or choose something else? Do it! Your kids must be interested in changing something in your classroom or family. Identify something you, as teacher or parent, are willing to change. Challenge them to hold hands and sing songs as a means of protest...then, if they do, surrender. LEARN MORE -- http://www.allaroundthisworld.com/TheBaltics -- http://www.allaroundthisworld.com/TheBalticWay GRADE LEVEL: Pre K -5: Teacher can introduce and lead dance to match appropriate grade level. LEARNING OUTCOME/GOAL: Pre K - K: Students will experience an historical event that took place the Baltic states, though essentially they'll just celebrate the unity of linking arns or holding hands. K-2: Students will learn the general location of the Baltics and experience an historian event from the Baltics by linking arms or holding hands. 3-5: Students will learn location of the Baltics, appreciate the fact that the Baltic nations were eager to achieve independent and chose to do so non-violently, and experience part of the historical "Singing Revolution" by linking arms or holding hands. MATERIALS: -- Materials are not necessary, though imagination is. -- Internet access in class or home helpful for streaming music and watching videos, though you can acquire music and download videos beforehand. The music streamed in our how-to video is " National Anthem of Estonia - Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" posted by DN Anthems under a Creative Commons attribution/reuse-allowed license. ASSESSMENT Pre K - K: Did students experience an important, unitifying, historical event that took place in the Baltics? K-2 : Can students generally locate the Baltics on a map? Did they experience our version of the unifying historical event, "The Baltic Way?" 3-5: Can students locate the Baltic States on a map and apprecaite that the region is composed of three different countries? Do they have a sense of the historical importance of "The Baltic Way" as a display of resistance through non-voilence? COMMON CORE: Following Directions -- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1.B Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges. -- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.B Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges. -- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.B Build on others’ talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others. -- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.B Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). -- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.B Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles. Listening and Adding Something New/ Listening and Repeating/ Understanding Others -- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1, 1.1, 2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten/grade 1/ grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. -- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1, 4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3/4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. National Council for the Social Studies -- Standard 1: Culture (c.) describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture -- Standard 9: Global Connections (a.) Explore ways that language, art, music, belief systems and other cultural elements may faciligate global understanding or lead to misunderstanding National Standards for Music Education -- 9. Content Standard: Understanding music in relation to history and culture -- Achievement Standard: Students: b. describe in simple terms how *elements of music are used in music examples from various cultures of the world ALL TOGETHER NOW: "THE BALTIC WAY" Grouping ESTONIA, LATVIA and LITHUANIA into one "country" is totally unfair. The three "BALTIC STATES"" may share the eastern coast of the Baltic sea but they have different histories, languages, religions and more. Why do people group them together...? For convenience? Sure. Because they were all under Russian rule until 1918, then became independent together, then came under Soviet domination in 1940, then became independent together again in 1991...? That too. Since 1991 the Baltic nations have developed multiparty parliamentary democracies; all joined the European Union in 2004. European tourists flock to the Baltics for their seaside resorts and their reputation as being home to warm, welcoming people. At the same time, the Baltic states are still coming to terms with a history full of struggle, especially in the 20th century in which they endured Nazi and Soviet rule. IN CLASS WE... -- "met" the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- learned about some characteristics the Baltic states share and also about their many differences. -- experienced "the Baltic Way," a "hands across the Baltics" event that empowered Estonians, LEARN MORE: Latvians and Lithuanians to stand together AllAroundThisWorld.com/TheBaltics against the Soviet Union.
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