Урок-конференция по теме: "Different Countries — Different Political Systems — Different Characters"

Разделы: Иностранные языки

Цели урока:

  • Обобщить лингвострановедческий материал, проконтролировать и расширить знания по указанной теме.
  • Совершенствовать умения и навыки практического владения английским языком по всем видам речевой деятельности: аудированию, говорению, чтению, письму.
  • Повысить интерес к изучению английского языка.

Оснащение урока:

  • Карта Соединенного Королевства.
  • Журналы и буклеты о стране и важнейших политических деятелях.
  • Схемы политических систем Великобритании, США, России.
  • Раздаточный материал.

План урока:

  1. 1. Сообщение темы и целей урока учащимся, знакомство с условиями и заданиями, подведение его итогов.
    2. Разминка: вопросы о политических системах данных стран.
    3. Диалог между журналистами из США и России и представителями власти Великобритании. (Элемент конференции)
    4. Что такое демократия и демократические ли это страны? (Обсуждение)
    5. Выводы: В какой стране Вы бы хотели жить?
  2. Работа в группах с элементами соревнования.
  3. Подведение итогов.

Часть первая

I. Greetings.

Dear boys and girls!
I’m glad to see you at our lesson today. The first part of our lesson is a conference between the representatives and the journalists from the USA and Russia.
We’ll speak about the political systems of these countries; learn some interesting facts about the United Kingdom. We’ll have several tasks at the lesson. Some of them were prepared by you at home.
The second part of our lesson, we’ll work in groups. We’ll have some sort of competition.

II. First, let’s review the political system of the United Kingdom, the USA and the Russian Federation.

ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, PLEASE:

  1. What country do you live in? (I live in Russian Federation.)
  2. Is Russian a monarchy or a republic? (Russia is a federal Republic.)
  3. Who is the Head of State in Russia? (The President is the Head of Russia.)
  4. Name the President. (Putin V.V.)
  5. Name legislative branch of Russia. (The Federal Assembly.)
  6. Name executive branch of Russia. (The Federal Government.)
  7. What is Great Britain? (Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy.)
  8. Who is the Head of State in Britain? (The monarch is the Head of State in Britain.)
  9. Name the monarch. (Her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.)
  10. Name legislative branch of Great Britain. (Parliament is a legislative branch of Great Britain.)
  11. Name executive branch of Great Britain. (The Government is an executive branch of Great Britain.)
  12. What is the USA? (The USA is a Federal Republic.)
  13. Who is the Head of State in the USA? (The President.)
  14. Name legislative branch of the USA. (Congress is a legislative branch of the USA.)
  15. Name executive branch of the USA. (The Administration.)

III. Let’s start our conference

1. The Press-Secretary of her Majesty, Queen. (Выступление).

Elizabeth II, Queen of the UK was born in London in 1926 as the eldest daughter of the Duke and duchess of York. She grew up in a happy home and was educated privately. Her father became king in 1936.
In 1047 Princess Elizabeth was married to Philip, who received the Title of Duke of Edinburgh.
When George VI died in 1952 Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth the Second of Britain. The coronation took place at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth II is one of the richest women in the world.
There are hundred ceremonies which the Queen has to keep.
Each year, in September or October, there is the State Opening of Parliament. The Queen wearing her crown arrives at the House of Parliament by carriage. There she reads the Queen’s Speech, which discusses the government’s work for the next year.
Every summer the Queen gives three or more royal garden parties at Buchingham Palace. About 8000 guests come to each party.
The Queen and other members of the royal family often travel abroad as guests of other countries. They meet important visitors.

Questions, please.

  1. What are the main functions of the Queen? (The Queen has mostly representative functions.)
  2. Where did the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II take place? (In Westminster Abbey.)
  3. When did Princess Elizabeth come to the throne? (Princess Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952.)
  4. The President of my country is the head of state and is elected directly by the people. In fact he has much power. The President can even dissolve the Dumas.What limits the power of the Queen? (The Power of the Queen is limited by the Parliament.)
  5. When did the relations between Russia and England begin? (Relations between Russia and England do back to the middle of the 16th century in 1553. In that time the Queen of England was Mary Tudor and Ivan IV was the Tsar of Russia.)
  6. I’m from the USA. The USA is a federation of 50 states and one Federal District. How many countries are in your country? (There are 93 countries.) Home Counties? What does it mean? (The counties around the capital are known as the Home Counties.)
  7. Who is the future monarch of Britain? (Prince Charles, the first child of the Royal marriage or his son Prince William.)
  8. What do the British think about the monarchy? (There are people who think that the monarchy is undemocratic.)

The Prime Minister.

Questions, please.

  1. In Russia the President appoints the chairman of the Government. Who appoints the Prime Minister in Great Britain? (The Monarch officially appoints the Prime Minister.)
  2. What is the important part of the Prime Minister’s job? (The most important part of the Prime Minister’s job is Cabinet-making. The Prime Minister has considerable individual power to introduce and control policies and to change the Cabinet by appointing new ministers.)
  3. Where does the Prime Minister live and work? (The Prime Minister lives and works in the official residence, No. 10 Downing Street, London. This is a large house in a small street, where many of the departments have their offices, a very short distance from the House of Parliament.)
  4. How many Ministers are in the Cabinet? (There are about twenty ministers.)
  5. How often the Prime Minister has the meeting with the Queen? (He has a meeting with the Prime Minister once a week.)

The House of Commons.

The House of Commons plays the major role in law-making. It consists of Members of Parliament (called MPs for short) each of whom represents an area of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The British parliamentary system depends on political parties. The political parties choose candidates in elections.
A proposed law, a bill has to go through three stages in order to become an Act of Parliament. They are called readings. It the majority of MPs still votes for the bill, it is sent to the House of Lords for discussion. When the Lords agree, the bill is taken to the Queen for the Royal assent. All bills must pass through both Houses before being sent for signature by the Queen.

  1. In the USA the House of Representatives has got 435 members. How many members are in the House of Commons? (About 650 MPs.) How often are they elected? (They elected every five years.)
  2. Who presides in the House of Commons? (The House of Commons is presided by the Speaker. MPs sit on two sides of the hall one side for the governing party and the other for the opposition. The first two rows of seats are occupied by the leading members of both parties (called “front-benchers”), the back benches belong to the rank- and-file MPs (”back-benches”).)
  3. Name the most important political parties in Britain, please. (The Conservative Party, The Liberal Party, The Labor Party. The Conservative Party and Liberal Parties are the oldest and until the end of the 19th century they were the only parties elected to the House of Commons.)

The House of Lords.

The other House of the Parliament is the House of Lords. Members of the House of Lords (peers) are not elected. About 70 per cent of them are “here-dietary peers” because their fathers were peers before them. The other 30 per cent are “life peers”, whose titles are not passed on to their children. They officially appointed by the Queen, on their government, for various services to the nation.

  1. Who presides in the House of Lords? (The chairman of the House of Lords is the Lord Chancellor and he sits on a special seat called the Woolsack.)
  2. How many members in the House of Lord? (There more than 1000 members, although only about 250 take an active part in the work of the House.)
  3. Every country has a lot of symbols, especially Great Britain. Our Russian symbol is the Russian national flag. This flag has three stripes: white, blue, red.
    White – noble and sincere.
    Blue – honest and devoted to friends, family and to the country.
    Red – love and bravery.
  4. What is the meaning of your flag? (Our flag is the Union Jack. It is red, white and blue and made up of three crosses: the cross of St. George, the cross of St. Patrick and the cross of St. Andrew, symbolizing England, Ireland and Scotland.)

IV. Are these countries democratic?

What do you think “democracy” means?
– People do what they want within the framework.
– People elect their representatives to rule the counter.
– People elect the head of state directly.
– People say what they think.
– Can live in any place they choose.
– The Head of State guarantees the rights of citizens.
– All People and authorities follow the constitution.
As it right or wrong?

V. Where world you like to live? What arguments do you give?

Часть вторая

Now we’ll work in groups and we’ll have some sort of competition. I have lots of red and blue stars here. For an excellent answer you will get a red star. For a good answer you’ll get a blue star. At the end of the competition you’ll count all the stars you’ve received. The winner will be the team with the biggest number of the red stars. Let’s start.

The first task is Quiz. There are three answers to each question but only one of them is correct. You should give the correct answer. Every group will have … questions.

Quiz.

1. What is the Capitol of the USA?

a) Washington;
b) New York;
c) Atlanta.

2. Now many states are there in America?

a) 50;
b) 52;
c) 25.

3. In which month is Thanksgiving Day celebrated?

a) December;
b) February;
c) November.

4. Who was the first president of the USA?

a) Thomas Jefferson;
b) Abraham Lincoln;
c) George Washington.

5. A popular American food is:

a) barbecue ribs;
b) pelmeni;
c) first and chips.

6. Name the residence of every President of the USA.

a) The White House;
b) Washington Monument;
c) United States Capitol.

7. Who discovered America?

a) Christopher Columbus;
b) George Washington;
c) The Pilgrims.

8. What is the national symbol of America?

a) The rose;
b) The bald eagle;
c) The shamrock.

9. Which is the largest island of the British Isles?

a) Ireland ;
b) Isles of Man ;
c) Great Britain .

10. Which is the longest river in Britain?

a) The Clyde;
b) The Severn ;
c) The Thames .

11. What is the name of the flag of England?

a) St. Andrew’s Cross;
b) St. Patrick’s Cross ;
c) St. George’s Cross .

12. Who is the official head of the UK?

a) The President ;
b) The House of Parliament ;
c) The Queen .

13. What place is the official home of the Queen?

a) The Tower of London ;
b) Buckingham Palace ;
c) St. Paul’s Cathedral .

14. What holiday is celebrated in Britain on the 25th of December?

a) St.Valentine’s Day ;
b) Mother’s Day ;
c) Christmas .

15. What is the highest mark in British schools?

a) A ;
b) B ;
c) G .

16. What is the emblem of England?

a) Shamrock ;
b) Red rose ;
c) Leek .

17. What is the capital of Scotland?

a) Manchester ;
b) Edinburgh;
c) Cardiff .

18. Who presides in the House of Lords?

a) The Lord Chancellor ;
b) The Speaker ;
c) The Prime Minister .

19. Where does the British Prime minister live and work?

a) At 10 Downing Street ;
b) In the House of Parliament ;
c) In Buckingham Palace.

20. How many countries does the United Kingdom consists of?

a) 4;
b) 3;
c) 2.

21. Who was the first President of the Russian Federation?

a) M. Gorbatchov;
b) Vladimir Putin ;
c) B. Eltsin .

22. What is the official residence of Russian Federation?

a) The White House;
b) The Kremlin;
c) .

23. When do Russian celebrate Independence Day of Russia?

a) The 12th of December ;
b)The 12th of June;
c) The 1st of September .

24. Who elects the President of the Russian Federation?

a) The People;
b)The Duma ;
c) The Prime Minister .

II. The following task for you is guess “Who is it?” You should put the passages of the story in the right order, read them aloud and tell me what British, American or Russian person this story is about.

Text 1.

He respected men and fought for human rights in Russia. He was awarded with Nobel Peace prize in 1975.
He was a humanist and fought for justice, peace, human rights. He was a great scientist and a public figure.
He understood that any atomic and nuclear weapons should be banned.
He is an outstanding person in our country. He was a great scientist. He took an active part in developing the hydrogen bomb.

Text 2.

He also liked history and geography, because he wanted to know about other parts of the world.
He was the first person to be elected the President of the United States. He was born in 1732 in Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C.
He grew up on a large farm. He went to school for about eight years. He especially liked to study mathematics.
He led the American army in many battles during the War for American Independence.

Text 3.

She is fond of cooking when she has some spare time. She is fond of classical music. She enjoys doing sports, especially tennis and swimming.
In 1973 she became Minister of Education. She worked and lived at No 10 Downing Street.
She is one of the most popular women in Great Britain. She is a chemist. She was born in 1925. She was keen on science and when she was 17 years old, she entered Oxford University.
After graduation from the University she got interested in politics. She joined the Conservative party.

Text 4.

Back from the war, he became a Democratic Congressman from the Boston area, advancing in 1953 to the Senate. He married Jacqueline on September 12, 1953.
On November 22, 1963, he was killed. He was the youngest man elected President; he was the youngest to die.
In 1961 he became the first Roman Catholic President. He did a lot to solve the Cuban crisis. He realized that both sides had an interest in stopping of nuclear weapons.
He was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. Graduating from Harvard in 1940, he entered the Navy and fought in the Pacific against the Japanese during World War.

1) Andrei Sakharov,
2) Nikita Khrushchev,
3) Vladimir Putin,
4) Winston Churchill,
5) Margaret Thatcher,
6) Lady Diana,
7) Franklin Roosevelt,
8) John Kennedy,
9) George Washington.

III. Read your part of text and find the comparison of Russian and British characters.

Text 1. Some greetings in England and in Russia are very informal: a simple “good morning” or a wave of the hand across the street is quit enough. In England handshake is only exchanged on a first introduction, in Russia men always shake hands to each other when they meet. English people do not readily ask each other to do anything. If they do ask, then they say something like “I don’t really like asking you, but…” In contrast, Russians are not shy in asking for something.
In England, it is considered polite to give up one’s seat to a woman who is standing, to open door for her, carry things for her, and so on. Russians are not polite nation, it means that they don’t give up a seat for a woman and for old people and they will not always open door or carry things for somebody.

Text 2. The famous English sense of humor is similar. They laugh at oneself – at one’s own faults. “He is a man of humor” or “he has no sense of humor” is often heard in Britain, where humor is so highly prized. Many Russian people and I don’t understand English humor and think that Russian humor is better. In recent years in Britain smoking has received a lot of bad publicity, and fewer British people now smoke. It considered rude to smoke in someone’s house without asking “Do you mind if I smoke?” In Russia you can smoke almost everywhere. The majority of Russian people smoke.

You all work hard and your marks are….
I’m pleased with your work. Thank you. Good bye.