Western Democracies
(Учебник для 10-11 классов общеобразовательных учреждений, авторы В.П.Кузовлев и др.
Раздел 2 “Western Democracies. Are They Democratic?”, урок 1.)
Цели урока:
- Развитие лингво-страноведческой компетенции учащихся: обобщить лингвострановедческий материал, расширить знания по указанной теме.
- Совершенствование умений и навыков практического владения английским языком по следующим видам речевой деятельности: аудированию, говорению, чтению.
- Развитие критического и логического мышления через чтение информационного текста;
- Повышение интереса к изучению английского языка.
- Реализация межпредметных связей (история, обществознание).
Оснащение урока:
- географическая карта мира,
- раздаточный материал (cards 1, 2, 3),
- компьютер, проектор, экран для презентации Microsoft Power Point (Приложение 1).
Ход урока
Hello everybody! Whether we like it or not but politics is part of our lives. It is everywhere: in newspapers, on the radio and on TV. And today we are going to speak about it (about politics) a little bit. Exactly we are going to speak about democracy and its faces.
The idea of democracy plays a great role in politics. What do you think “democracy” means? (учащиеся высказывают свое понимание демократии на основе знаний, полученных на уроках истории и обществознания).
Well, democracy means: (Приложение 1)
O.K. And now I would like you to look at the screen and try to explain these statements:
By the middle of the 20th century, every independent country in the world, with only a few exceptions, had a government that, in form if not in practice, embodied some of the principles of democracy. Although the ideals of democracy have been widely professed, the practice and fulfillment have been different in many countries.
So, what about the political systems of the United Kingdom, the USA and the Russian Federation? Do you know the types of ruling these countries?
I hope you can explain such words as monarchy, a constitutional monarchy (a parliamentary democracy), a federal (presidential) republic. (учащиеся объясняют типы политической власти на основе знаний, полученных на уроках истории и обществознания).
Let’s check your knowledge!
By the 15th and 16th centuries absolute monarchs, such as King Henry VIII of England and King Louis XIV of France, ruled the countries of Europe. Abuses of power, as well as growing dissatisfaction among the bourgeoisie, helped bring about the end of many absolute monarchies; revolutions in England in the 17th century and in France in the 18th century were major landmarks in the limitation of absolute power.
The modern concept of a limited, constitutional monarchy arose slowly throughout much of Europe. During the 19th century, parliamentary authority grew while royal power diminished. Many Western monarchies ceased to exist after World War I, including those in Russia, Germany, and Austria. Some constitutional monarchies still survive, primarily as symbols of national unity.
In the 20th century, most states that were not monarchies labeled themselves as republics either in their official names or their constitutions.
Most countries are ruled by presidents, elected heads of state who are voted into power for limited periods of time. Other countries are governed by dictators who seize power and rule by military force.
So many figures play a great role in political life of the state. They are:
What activities are the Queen, President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Lawmakers, Members of the opposition involved in? (работа с материалом учебника, упр.2.2, 2.3 стр.41)
We have just remembered the names and the functions of the three branches of power. Are all these branches typical for every political system we’ve spoken about?
Who rules the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in fact?
Read some interesting facts about the political system of the UK. (класс делится на 4 группы – по количеству карточек для чтения) (reading for detail).
Card 1 The present sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II. The powers of the monarch are not defined precisely. In law, the Queen is the head of the executive, legislature, judiciary, the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Crown and the head of the Established Church of England, of the Commonwealth. In practice, she has little direct power. The monarch reigns with the support of Parliament. The Queen summons, prorogues and dissolves Parliament. Parliament and the Queen have different roles in the governing of the country, and they only meet together on symbolic occasions such as the Coronation of a new monarch or the Opening of Parliament. The State Opening of Parliament happens in the first week of November. Her Majesty in her Crown Jewels or the royal regalia from the Tower of London travels from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in the State Coach. As a rule she opens the new session with a speech from the Throne. In Parliament in the House of Lords she makes a speech to all of Britain’s MPs and Lords about the government’s plans for the next year. The Queen doesn’t write it, she only reads out what the Prime Minister’s staff write for her. As the head of the State, the Queen maintains close contact with the Prime Minister, with whom she has a weekly audience when she is in London, and with other Ministers. From government ministers and her representatives in the Commonwealth and foreign countries, the Queen receives information in the form of policy papers, Cabinet documents, telegrams, letters and other State papers. All of these papers have to be read and, where necessary, approved and signed. The Queen must give Royal assent before a bill becomes law. |
- верховный главнокомандующий
вооруженными силами - светский глава англиканской церкви
- официальное открытие сессии парламента
- парадная карета - тронная речь - королевская санкция |
Card 2 The British parliamentary system depends on political parties. The political parties choose candidates in elections. The party which wins the majority of seats forms the Government and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister. The Prime Minister chooses about 20 MPs from his or her party to become the Cabinet of Ministers. Each minister is responsible for a particular area of the government. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and “Shadow cabinet”. Leader of the Opposition is recognized post in the House of Commons. |
| Card 3 The legislative organ is
Parliament. British Parliament is considered to be the oldest in the world. In 1265 Simon
de Monford summoned up the first parliament. The job of modern Parliament is to make sure that the Government is working properly and in the public interest. British Parliament consists of two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Both houses share one and the same building – the House of Parliament or Westminster Palace. The Lower Chamber, the House of Commons, which is presided over by the Speaker, consists of 650 elected MPs, each of whom represents an area of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The House of Commons plays the major role in law-making. The main function of the House of Commons is to adopt bills. A bill is to pass through 3 stages called readings before it becomes an Act. The first reading is the announcement. The second reading is voting. The third reading is the final stage after which the bill goes to the House of Lords. Apart from the legislative functions the House of Commons has other duties such as financial, education, economic problems and so on. |
| Card 4 The Upper Chamber, the House of Lords, is the less powerful part of the British Parliament, although members of the House of Lords (not elected, almost of them are peers) may occupy important cabinet posts. It is presided over by the Lord Chancellor. The special seat on which the Lord Chancellor sits in the British Parliament is called “the woolsack”. The work of the House of Lords includes examining and revising bills from the House of Commons and discussing important matters which the House of Commons cannot find time to debate. When the Lords agree, the bill is taken to the Queen for Royal assent. All bills must pass through both houses before being sent for signature by the Queen, when they become Acts of Parliament and the Law of the Land. |
The first (second, third, fourth) group, what facts from the text have you taken in the file?
So, let’s summarize everything we’ve learnt today.
Your home task is: Think and discuss everything you know about the political system of the UK. Use the scheme on the page 42 and be ready to explain it to your classmates.
Thank you for your work on the lesson. Our work was very productive. Good bye everybody.