Natural environment and economy of Lithuania

Natural environment and economy of Lithuania Lesson plan (Polish) Lesson plan (English) Natural environment and economy of Lithuania

Vilnius - the capital of Lithuania Source: Lestat (Jan Mehlich), Wikimedia Commons, licencja: CC BY 3.0.

Link to the lesson

Before you start you should know

the current territorial breakdown of Europe; what the Soviet Union (USSR) was.

You will learn

To discuss the location of Lithuania on the map of Europe; To describe the natural environment of Lithuania; To mention the main branches of industry in Lithuania.

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Nagranie dźwiękowe abstraktu

Write down your associations with Lithuania.

Locaon of Lithuania

Lithuania is a small country located on the south‐eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Its area is more than 65 thousand km2, 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.

The figure presents the polical map of Lithuania, with a division into administrave units and districts. Source: Wydawnictwo Edukacyjne Wiking, Wikimedia Commons, licencja: CC BY 3.0.

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.

Natural condions

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 figure presents a hypsometric map of Lithuania. Source: Wydawnictwo Edukacyjne Wiking, Wikimedia Commons, licencja: CC BY 3.0.

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. Exercise 1

Which of those cies are located in Lithuania?

Kaunas Klaipėda Grodno Brest Vilnius

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Choose the correct answer.

30, most densely, Balc, Vistula, 20, lowland, Curonian, Vilnius, Kaunas, Narew, elevated, White, 200, Vistula, 3, Nemen, flat, most scarcely, highland

Lithuania is a small country bordering the ...... Sea. Lithuania is a ...... country, with post-glacial lake districts and lightly undulang land. The coast of Lithuania is ...... and level. In the south, the Curonian Spit separates the ...... Lagoon from open sea. The border between Lithuania and Russia lies across the Spit and the Lagoon. The major rivers of Lithuania are: ...... and its right tributary Viliya on which the capital of the country, Vilnius, is situated. 1/3 of Lithuania’s area is covered by forest – mainly mixed and coniferous forests on poor podsolic soils. Lithuania is Poland’s ...... populated neighbour – with approx...... million people. In Lithuania, there are more than ...... thousand Poles living mostly in the ...... region. Exercise 4

Mark in blue the cies located within the Samogia Highland, in green – the cies within the Middle Lithuanian Lowland, and in red – those within the Lithuanian Lake District.

Šiauliai Telšiai Vilnius Jonava Kaunas Druskininkai Alytus

Homework

Plan a crossword puzzle with the keyword ‘Vilnius,’ and with other words related to Lithuania.

Keywords

Lithuania, Baltic Republic, Vilnius

Glossary

Balc Republics

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka

Republiki bałtyckie - to małe, niepodległe dziś państwa leżące nad Morzem Bałtyckim, będące dawniej republikami Związku Radzieckiego, jako pierwsze odłączyły się od ZSRR, czym zapoczątkowały rozpad radzieckiego imperium. Zalicza się do nich Litwę, Łotwę i Estonię. Lesson plan (Polish)

Temat: Środowisko przyrodnicze i gospodarka Litwy

Adresat

Uczniowie klasy VI szkoły podstawowej

Podstawa programowa

VIII Sąsiedzi Polski: przemiany przemysłu w Niemczech; dziedzictwo kulturowe Litwy i Białorusi; środowisko przyrodnicze i atrakcje turystyczne Czech i Słowacji; problemy polityczne, społeczne i gospodarcze Ukrainy; zróżnicowanie przyrodnicze i społeczno‐gospodarcze Ukrainy; zróżnicowanie przyrodnicze i społeczno‐gospodarcze Rosji; relacje Polski z sąsiadami.

2) projektuje trasę wycieczki po Litwie i Białorusi uwzględniającej wybrane walory środowiska przyrodniczego i kulturowego

7) rozumie potrzebę kształtowania dobrych relacji Polski z sąsiadami.

Ogólny cel kształcenia

Uczeń omówi środowisko przyrodnicze oraz zaplanuje wycieczkę po najciekawszych miejscach Litwy.

Kompetencje kluczowe

porozumiewanie się w językach obcych; kompetencje informatyczne; umiejętność uczenia się.

Kryteria sukcesu Uczeń nauczy się:

Omawiać położenie Litwy na mapie Europy; Charakteryzować środowisko przyrodnicze Litwy; Wymieniać główne gałęzie gospodarki na Litwie.

Metody/techniki kształcenia

podające pogadanka. aktywizujące dyskusja. programowane z użyciem e‐podręcznika. praktyczne ćwiczeń przedmiotowych.

Formy pracy

praca indywidualna; praca w parach; praca w grupach; praca całego zespołu klasowego.

Środki dydaktyczne

e‐podręcznik; tablica interaktywna, tablety/komputery.

Przebieg lekcji

Przed lekcją

Uczniowie zapoznają się z treścią abstraktu. Przygotowują się do pracy na lekcji w taki sposób, żeby móc przeczytany materiał streścić własnymi słowami i samodzielnie rozwiązać zadania.

Faza wstępna

Prowadzący lekcję określa cel zajęć i wspólnie z uczniami ustala kryteria sukcesu. Nauczyciel uruchamia na tablicy multimedialnej planszę interaktywną z abstraktu i prosi uczniów o zapisanie skojarzeń związanych z Litwą. Następnie inicjuje dyskusję na ten temat.

Faza realizacyjna

Nauczyciel na lekcji wcześniejszej prosił uczniów o zapoznanie się z materiałem źródłowym dotyczącym litewskiej ludności z uwzględnieniem mniejszości polskiej. Uczniowie przygotowują wiadomości w domu. Dzięki temu na lekcji jest możliwa dyskusja na ten temat. Praca całego zespołu klasowego. Uczniowie określają położenie geograficzne Litwy. Wskazują państwa graniczące. Praca w parach. Charakterystyka warunków naturalnych Litwy: ukształtowanie pionowe, sieć rzeczną, naturalna roślinność oraz klimat. Uczniowie w czasie wykonywania zadania korzystają z atlasów geograficznych i podręcznika do nauczania geografii oraz z e‐podręcznika. Wskazane osoby omawiają opracowane zagadnienie. Korzystają z mapy Litwa – mapa hipsometryczna z e‐podręcznika wyświetlonej na tablicy interaktywnej. Praca w parach. Gospodarka Litwy: rolnictwo ( gleby i uprawy), przemysł (surowce mineralne i gałęzie przemysłu). Uczniowie korzystają z atlasów geograficznych, podręcznika do nauczania geografii oraz z zasobów internetu. Praca w grupach. Nauczyciel dzieli klasę na 4 zespoły. Uczniowie w każdej grupie opracowują trasę wycieczki po Litwie, biorąc pod uwagę walory środowiska przyrodniczego i kulturowego. Każda grupa otrzymuje arkusz papieru A1, mazaki. Uczniowie korzystają z materiałów źródłowych (podręcznik do nauczania geografii, zasoby internetu, e‐podręcznik). Za pomocą gadającej ściany uczniowie przedstawiają swoje propozycje.

Faza podsumowująca

Na zakończenie zajęć nauczyciel zadaje uczniom pracę domową. Za pomocą generatora z abstraktu mają stworzyć krzyżówke, której głównym hasłem będzie słowo Wilno, a pozostałe hasła będą związane tematycznie z Litwą. Krzyżówki uczniów nauczyciel wykorzysta na kolejnej lekcji. Nauczyciel prosi uczniów o samoocenę dotyczącą współpracy w zespole oraz wykonanego zadania. Dokonuje oceny pracy wybranych uczniów. Na zakończenie zajęć nauczyciel wyświetla na tablicy interaktywnej ćwiczenia, które wykonywane są przez cały zespół klasowy.

Praca domowa

Odsłuchaj w domu nagrania abstraktu. Zwróć uwagę na wymowę, akcent i intonację. Naucz się prawidłowo wymawiać poznane na lekcji słówka.

W tej lekcji zostaną użyte m.in. następujące pojęcia oraz nagrania

Pojęcia

Balc Republics

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka

Republiki bałtyckie - to małe, niepodległe dziś państwa leżące nad Morzem Bałtyckim, będące dawniej republikami Związku Radzieckiego, jako pierwsze odłączyły się od ZSRR, czym zapoczątkowały rozpad radzieckiego imperium. Zalicza się do nich Litwę, Łotwę i Estonię. Teksty i nagrania

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Nagranie dźwiękowe abstraktu

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 km2, 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. Lesson plan (English)

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

Balc Republics

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka

Republiki bałtyckie - to małe, niepodległe dziś państwa leżące nad Morzem Bałtyckim, będące dawniej republikami Związku Radzieckiego, jako pierwsze odłączyły się od ZSRR, czym zapoczątkowały rozpad radzieckiego imperium. Zalicza się do nich Litwę, Łotwę i Estonię.

Texts and recordings Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl

Nagranie dźwiękowe abstraktu

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 km2, 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.