"The country I adore – my Ukraine"

                                    The country I adore – my Ukraine

Aims: to practise different types of games at the lesson;

           to develop students’ logical thinking;

           to activate the information and vocabulary on the topic;

           to practise students’ speaking skills                

           to teach to respect and love the country you were born in and the people living there

                                                   The procedure

І.  Introduction

Т: Today we’ll speak about your Motherland - Ukraine. We’re going to summarise and revise the previously learnt information about Ukraine.

II. The main part

1.  The alphabet game

Say the word beginning with each letter of the alphabet; try to be close to the topic. 

E.g. anthem, borsch, Carpathian Mountains (the), Dnieper (the), effort, fame, grain, hopak, independence, join, kobza, liberty, music, nation, Odessa, pampushki, quality, rule, Svitiaz’, trident, uzvar, vyshyvanka, wheat, X-mas, youth, zapaska.

2. Be ready to answer the questions on the topic “Ukraine”.

Where is Ukraine situated?

What is the territory of Ukraine?

Which countries does Ukraine border on?

Which seas is Ukraine washed by?

What are the rivers of Ukraine? 

What is the highest mountain peak? 

What are the largest cities in Ukraine?

What is the capital of Ukraine?

What is the population of Ukraine?

Why do we call Ukraine a multinational country?

What are the national symbols of Ukraine?

3. True/false sentences

Everybody writes one true and one false sentence about Ukraine and then reads it; the class raises green or red cards on them.

E.g. Ukraine is the largest country in the world (red).

       Ukraine has its national emblem and anthem. (green)

4. T: You are in the international camp. Tell your foreign friends about Ukraine.

The suggested answer:

   Ukraine is my Motherland. Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It borders on Belarus and Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Hungary and Romania. It is washed by the Black and the Sea of Azov. The major rivers are the Dnieper, the Dniester, the Donets and the Danube. The biggest lake in Ukraine is Lake Yalpuh and the deepest one is Lake Svityaz.

   The major part of Ukraine is flat. The Carpathian Mountains are in the west. Ukraine is rich in iron, salt, coal, oil and other mineral resources. The population of Ukraine is about 38 million people. More than 100 nationalities live in Ukraine: Jews, Greeks, Poles, Germans, Russians, Gypsies, etc. The biggest cities are Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Lviv. Kiev is the capital city of Ukraine. Ukraine has an ancient and rich history and culture. One Ukrainian symbol is the Ukrainian national flag. It is yellow & blue. Blue is the blue sky and yellow wheat field. The trident is the national emblem of Ukraine. Some scientists think that the trident represents air, water and earth. Others are  sure  that it is a  symbol  of  strength and power. The song “Ukraine has  not  perished  yet” is the  anthem  of Ukraine. The official language of the country is Ukrainian, however a lot of citizens speak Russian as well.

5. Are the statements True (T) or False (F)?

 There are happily gifted nations. I saw such a nation. They are the Ukrainians. Let’s talk about it. You are to make up sentences with the given words. (group work)

1) brave – protect

 The Ukrainians were brave and freedom loving. They fought against invaders to protect Ukraine.

2) hard-working – wheat – domestic animals – hunters  - coil pots

The Ukrainians were hard-working people. The Ukrainians grew wheat, beans and fruit trees and kept a lot of domestic animals: goats, pigs, cows, horses. They were good hunters. The Ukrainians were excellent potters and made coil and pinch pots.

3) eaters – tasty dishes - borsch

The Ukrainians are great eaters because. There are many tasty national dishes in the Ukrainian cuisine: varenyky with different fillings, holubtsi, uzvar, salo (lard), pampushki &, of course, borsch, the king of the Ukrainian cuisine.

4) bread and salt

The Ukrainians are hospitable. It became a tradition to meet guests with bread & salt.

5) musical – dancing – the kobza

The Ukrainians are musical. Ukraine is famous for dancing and singing. The hopak is a Ukrainian folk dance. The Ukrainian instruments are the bandura, the kobza, the sopilka, the buben.

6) vyshyvanky – bright - colourful

     The Ukrainians are well- known for their embroidered blouses and shirts called vyshyvanky. They are bright and colourful. Each region has its own patterns.

7) a woman's traditional costume

A woman's traditional costume is an embroidered blouse, a skirt called "plakhta", an apron called "zapaska", a belt, a headdress or a wreath. Women wear red high boots.

8) a man's traditional costume

 A man's traditional costume is an embroidered shirt, a belt and sharovary. Sharovary are men’s trousers. Sharovary are usually red or blue. Men black high boots. The Ukrainians wear national costumes on special occasions.

9) What are the Ukrainians like?

     The Ukrainians are kind, friendly, cheerful, hard-working, musical, helpful, hospitable, talented, fun-loving, clever and peaceful. You can find the Ukrainians living around the world but they never forget the country they are from. They try to keep the traditions of their Motherland.      

III. Summing up

T. What have we done at our lesson? Did you like our lesson? We’ve spoken much about Ukraine. But still there are plenty of interesting facts about Ukraine & we’ll continue learning about them.

Home assignment

   Make short reports about national symbols (the Anthem, the Flag, and the Emblems). Speak on the chosen topic.