Задачи урока:
- Научить учащихся собирать необходимую информацию из различных источников, делать сообщения с выводами, составлять необходимые таблицы.
- Активизировать знания, умения и навыки учащихся по теме “Великобритания”.
- Развивать навыки общения и самостоятельной мыслительной деятельности, умение работать со справочным материалом и мультимедийными средствами.
- Формировать культурно-страноведческую компетенцию учащихся, приобщать к мировой культуре, развивать познавательный интерес.
T. Good morning, dear friends. Today we are going to have a very interesting lesson-exploration of ancient British monuments, legends and traditions, which are closely connected with them. During our exploration we are going to fill in a special form, prepared for our lesson to see what new things we managed to learn about mysterious Ancient Britain. (Приложение 1)
Today we’ll speak about knights and beautiful ladies, about English kings and queens, castles, palaces, places of interests and old traditions.
T. Let’s repeat the worlds which can help us to discuss our topic:
Рыцарь, король, королева, замок, монархия, парламент, Вильгельм Завоеватель, Книга Страшного Суда, легендарный, баллада, Церемония Ключей, карета, речь королевы, мэр, Великая Хартия Вольностей, кельтский.
T. We have already learnt a lot of things about Ancient Britain. Tell me please
1. Where is Great Britain situated?
(It is situated in the north-west coast of Europe).
2. How many parts does this country consist of?
(It consists of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
3. What is the capital of the country?
(London is the capital of the country).
T. Do you have your note-books? Be ready to write down all interesting facts about the sights of our interests.
Let’s begin with the first branch – legendary heroes. You know that each country has its legendary heroes. They are always brave, honest, kind and generous. Our first legendary hero is King Arthur.
P1. The legends of King Arthur began to appear in the XII century and were based on a Celtic leader of the 6th century who defended his country against Saxon invasion. He was born in Cornwall and brought up by Merlin, an old Celtic magician. Arthur became the King of Britain at the age of 15. He received a magic Sward from the Lady of the Lake. His Knights sat at the round table so, that they were equal. The Knights had feasts, sang ballads and had to kill dragons and giants. They respected honour. The legend said King Arthur died in a Tintagel Monastery which is King Arthur’s castle now.
P2. One more legend is about Lady Godiva, a kind and beautiful woman and a wife of Lord Leofric, the ruler of Coventry in 1040. The people of Coventry paid much money to their Lord and Lady Godiva often asked her husband not to take so much money, but he only laughed at her. He agreed only once, but by his words she must ride naked on horse-back through the streets of the town. There are two versions of this legend: while doing it she was covered by her long hair and according to the second all people in Coventry shut doors, windows, nobody came out, except Tom, who became blind when he looked out.
P3. Robin Hood is a legendary hero who lived in Sherwood Forest in Nottingham. Stories about his adventures appeared in the 14th century, but it is believed that Robin was born in 1160 at time of many robbers living in the wood. Nobody knows if such a man as Robin Hood and his Merry Men robbed the rich to give to the poor. He was tall and strong and he could shoot well. The poor people loved him and told many stories about him. A statue of Robin Hood now stands at the foot of Nottingham Castle, founded in 1068.
T. Our next branch is science. Do you know any ancient monuments connected with science?
P4. The first monument which is closely connected with science is Stonehenge. It is 13 kilometres from Salisbury. It is the biggest stone circle in Europe. The Druids used Stonehenge as a calendar to know when the months and the seasons started. On the 24th of June the Sun shines on the Heel Stone. It is the longest day of the year. On that day we can see Druids festival. It is a tradition. And this monument was used as an observatory for complex calculations and predictions of movements of sky bodies. So, it was a kind of the first computer!
T. England is famous for its universities. The most famous are Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
P5. Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Britain. Known together as “Oxbridge” (the word was invented by Lewis Carroll, the author of “Alice in Wonderland” and a lecturer of mathematics at Oxford), they have been chosen as national icons. Oxford University was founded in 1164. It consists of 35 different colleges and 5 “halls”. Cambridge University was founded in 1209. It consists of 31 colleges (28 mixed and 3 for women only). Newton, Darwin, Byron and many other scientists and writers were educated there. These Universities are the centres of education and learning.
T. Our next branch is the government. The UK is a parliamentary monarchy. The British parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Prime Minister rules the country. When did the first parliament appear and why?
P6. It was in 1215. The King of England John I was greedy and not a competent ruler. He raised the taxes. The barons were angry with it and started a revolt. They made the King sign the Magna Carta. It was an agreement between the King and his barons. It limited the King’s power. It was the beginning of the British Parliament. Since then all the English kings have had to ask the barons before they made any important decisions. The Magna Carta proclaimed the power of Law over the free people of the country. It has become the foundation stone of liberty. Four copies of the Magna Carta still exist – two of them are in the British Museum.
T. In England the Queen is the Head of the country. And all the English kings and queens are very important for the history. Do you know any great English monarchs?
P1. William the Conqueror was one of the greatest kings in Britain. He built many palaces and churches. He ordered to write the Domesday Book, the oldest official document in Britain.
P2. On the 14th of October, 1066 darkness fell over the hills of Sussex. On that day the famous battle of Hastings took place. In this battle the last Anglo-Danish king was defeated by a Norman invader, Duke William. Soon William the Conqueror was crowned as William I. The new king brought a new land and a new language. The new king wanted to know all about his country. He ordered his servants to count all the population in England, their houses and castles. Later this information was written in the famous Domesday Book in 1068. This book is the official document in England. The Domesday Book was made for fiscal purposes to increase and protect the power of the king.
P3. King Henry VIII was born on July 28, 1491. He was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He was the Duke of York. Prince Henry enjoyed music and he was a good musician. At the age of 10 he could play many musical instruments including the fife, harp, viola and drums. He could speak French, Latin and Spanish well. He was intelligent, handsome and athletic. He could shoot very well. His first wife was Catherine of Aragon. They were married for over 20 years but she had no son and Henry divorced her to marry Anne Boleyn. They had a daughter. She became a queen of England at the age of 15 and her name was Mary Bloody. In 1536 Anne Boleyn was arrested and beheaded on Tower Hill. Then Henry married Jane Seymour, but she died in 1537. His next wife was Anne of Cleves, but they divorced in a year after their marriage. His fifth wife was Catherine Howard. She was beheaded in 1542. His last wife was Catherine Parr. Henry VIII died on January 28, in 1547.
T. I want to tell some words about this monarch. He was a great politician. His interests in foreign policy was focused on Spain, France the Holy Roman Emperor. He also built the first modern navy and increased its size from 5 to 53 ships. The second half of his reign was dominated by two very important issues: the succession and the Protestant Reformation, which led to the formation of the Church of England. But Henry VIII was not very happy. He wanted to have a son. He married six different women to try and produce a male heir to the throne. But his son died at the age of 14. However his two daughters both became queens of England.
T. Do you know anything about Elizabeth II?
P4. Britain is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the head of the state is the Queen. But in reality she has very little power. The Queen is a symbol of Britain’s long history and traditions and her most important function is ceremonial.
She represents Britain when she meets other heads of state.
- Once a week she has a meeting with the Prime Minister.
- As the head of the Commonwealth, she meets and entertains Prime Ministers of the member states.
-- Every year she speaks on TV on Christmas day.
- She opens new hospitals, bridges and museums.
- After disasters she sends messages to the families of the victims.
T. There are a lot of places in England which are connected with then history of England. Our next branch is English churches.
P5. Westminster Abbey is a royal church. It is more than nine hundred years old. There are a lot of monuments and statues there. Many English kings and queens are buried there. Westminster Abbey is famous for the Poet’s Corner too. Many great writers are buried there: Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and others.
P6. One of the greatest English churches is St.Paul’s Cathedral. Old St.Paul’s was built in the time of William the Conqueror. The stones of it were brought from the north of France and it was much taller and wider than it is today. During the reign of King Henry VIII there were a lot of financial problems and it was destroyed. Christopher Wren, final architect of the cathedral, was asked to restored it. He laid the foundation stone for the cathedral in 1675.
35 years later he set the final stone in place. When he died he was buried in his own magnificent building.
P7. Canterbury is a town in Kent. It is the religious capital of England because its cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury who is the head of the Church of England.
T. There is a very interesting place in London. It was a fortress, a palace, a prison and a king’s zoo. Now it is a museum. What is it?
P8. It is the Tower of London. It is attractive for people because the Crown Jewels are kept there in the Jewel House.
P9. Tourists can see 8 black ravens live there. There is a story that they bring good luck to Britain if they stay at the Tower. That’s why they get “paid” meat and biscuits every day. But their wings are cut so that they can’t fly away.
T. There is a very old tradition in the Tower of London. It is the Ceremony of the Keys.
“Halt! Who goes there?”
“The Keys”
“Whose Keys?”
“Queen Elizabeth’s Keys”
“God preserve Queen Elizabeth”
“Amen!”
These words can be heard every night just before 10 o’clock. It’s the Ceremony of the Keys or locking up of the Tower for the night. Five minutes before the hour the Chief Warder comes out with a bunch of keys and an old lantern. He closes 3 outer gates. The Keys are carried to the Queen’s house where they are safe for the night. This ceremony is at least 700 years old.
T. Every year Londoners and tourists can see some unusual ceremonies. Can you name any of them?
P10. Traditionally the Queen opens Parliament every autumn. The Queens travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in a gold carriage. In the Houses of Parliament she sits on the throne in the House of Lords and she reads the “Queen’s speech”. At the State Opening of Parliament the Queen wears a crown and the other jewels from the Crown Jewels.
P11. The beefeaters make a ceremonial search of the Houses of Parliament before the Queen’s arrival. On November 5, 1605, Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators planned to blow up Parliament. The plot was discovered, but the cellars where he was captured are still searched before each opening of Parliament.
P12. The Lord Mayor’s Show is a colourful ceremony which has been running for almost 800 years. It takes place each November in London and attracts thousands of people.
T. Unfortunately our trip is over. Now work with your activity sheets and be ready to check your progress.
Change over your sheets of papers, look at the screen, check the answers and give the marks for this work. (Приложение 2).
T. Now, children our lesson is over. Your marks are 5-s. You worked brilliantly. Thank you very much for your work.
Используемая литература:
- К.Кауфман, М.Кауфман Happy English.ru. 8 кл.
- Т.Клементьева, Д.Шеннон Счастливый английский книга 2
- Е.Л.Базаркина Нестандартные уроки. Английский язык 5-11 класс
- И.В.Цветкова, И.А.Клепальченко, Н.А.Мыльцева Английский язык для школьников и поступающих в ВУЗы.
- Speak Out №4, 5 2004, №58, 62, 68 за 2006-2007.
- Интернет ресурсы.