Materials: worksheet reading (sample article is included) on St. Petersburg teacher facts

Transcription

1 Title: Getting to Know St. Petersburg Overview: Students will: gather information and knowledge about the city of St. Petersburg, Russia work in pairs to solve problems with answers from an article check with another team of two and celebrate their agreement Lesson Focus: partner and team work learning about the city of St. Petersburg, Russia Materials: worksheet reading (sample article is included) on St. Petersburg teacher facts What to Do: 1. Students work within a team of 4. Students will do Pairs Check (Kagan Cooperative Learning Structure). 2. Each team of 4 is divided into pairs (person A and person B). 3. One person (A) in the pair individually reads and searches for the answer. Their partner (B) checks their work when done. Person B corrects the work if it is wrong or praises if the work is correct. 4. Continue the process with person B individually doing the next problem. Person A checks the work. 5. Periodically all 4 students who are sitting together check answers among the 4 and celebrate with a cheer. Lesson created by Carol Mohrlock 58

2 Pairs Check Name Name Directions 1. Work in pairs (2) in your team of Person 1 in the pair does the first problem, person 2 is the coach. 3. Coaches, when you agree the person has done the first problem correctly, give praise and switch roles. 4. Once you have completed the first two problems, do not continue. Check your first two problems with the other pair. All 4 people share and check answers at this time. 5. When you agree on the answer, give praise/celebrate and move on to the next two problems. 6. Switch roles after each problem. What used to be the name of St. Petersburg? List the years when St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia. St. Petersburg has several nicknames. Name one. Who was the last Russian Tsar? Where is Nicolas II buried? Name the greatest city built in Europe during the 18 th century. What items made it possible to build St. Petersburg. What is the Hermitage? St. Petersburg is known as the birthplace of what? When did the Romanov dynasty fall? Write one question related to the article. Write one question related to the article. Lesson created by Carol Mohrlock 59

3 Reading from: St. Petersburg (Leningrad from 1924 to 1992) was founded in 1703 by Russian Tsar Peter the Great to bring an unwilling Russian nation into the fold of Europe. Unlike some cities, it was not created by a process of gradual, graceful development but was forcibly constructed, stond by stone, under the force and direction of Peter the Great, for whose patron saint the city is named. When it was nine years old, it became the capital of Russia and retained this status till Even now it is referred to as the northern capital of Russia. World-class architects participated in the building of the city and today it remains an imperial city of golden spires and glided domes, of pastel palaces and candlelit cathedrals. St. Petersburg is a fascinating place which dazzles the eye of a visitor with numerous architectural landmarks, museums, palaces, parks, wide avenues, spectacular bridges and stylish monuments. Born in the heart of an emperor, St. Petersburg is Russia s adopted child, so unlike the Russian cities that came before it. St. Petersburg - with its strict geometric lines and perfectly planned architecture is almost too European. St. Petersburg is situated on 44 islands in Neva River s delta and is famous for its bridges, embankments, museums, and, of course, for its magical White Nights, which begins in the beginning of June and lasts up to the middle of July. During the season of White Nights St. Petersburg undoubtedly is the most beautiful city in the world. The space needed to describe all the beauty of this city, known as the Venice of the North, would fill unaccountable pages. The world famous Hermitage State Museum, St. Isaac s Cathedral the second largest basilica in the world and the Peter and Paul Fortress resting place of the last Russian Tsar Nicolas II are Lesson created by Carol Mohrlock 60

4 only three of the main architectural beauties to be seen and admired. In the summer, especially during the White Nights, you can enjoy the wonderful parks and gardens in the city with their statues and fountains. The most abstract and international city on earth to quote Fyodor Dostoyevsky became the birthplace of Russian literature, the setting for Dostoyevsky s Raskolnikov and Pushkin s Eugene Onegin. From here, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Rimsky-Korsakov went forth to conquer the world with Russian music. It was here that great architects were summoned by 18 th -century empresses to build palaces that transformed the city into a symphony of marble, malachite, and gold. St. Petersburg is not just about its fairy-tale setting, however, for its history is integrally bound up in Russia s dark side too a centuries-long procession of wars and revolutions. In the 19 th century, the city witnessed the struggle against czarist oppression. Here the early fires of revolution were kindled, first in 1825 by a small band of starryeyed aristocratic officers, the so-called Decembrists, and then by organized workers movements in The full-scale revolutions of 1917 led to the demise of the Romanov dynasty, the foundation of the Soviet Union, and the end of the city s role as the nation s capital. But the worst ordeal by far came during World War II, when the city then known as Leningrad-withstood a 900 day siege and blockade by Nazi forces. Nowadays, St. Petersburg is a modern city and plays a very important role in Russia s political, scientific, and cultural life. It is really worth visiting. Lesson created by Carol Mohrlock 61

5 St. Petersburg Teacher facts *focus of cultural reform *May 16, 1703 is the traditional date of the founding of St. Petersburg. May 27 is the date on the modern calendar. *Peter the Great wanted sea power. *On May 16, 1703 Peter and Paul Fortress was founded. *By Fall 1703 the wall and bastions of the fortress were finished. Many people died (soldiers and peasants) due to the damp climate, poor housing and primitive conditions. *The city spreads to over 44 islands. Bridges join to the islands. *St. Petersburg was thought to be an unhealthy town due to its climate and flooding. Peter the Great built in this location despite the many deaths and risks. By 1712 the city was large enough to be the capital of Russia. *The city was unfinished when Peter the Great died. *Today it is the second largest city in population in Russia. *It is located in northwest Russia. *Located on the Neva River *Close to the Gulf of Finland *Current manufacturing in this town includes textiles, scientific equipment and machinery. Notes Compiled by Carol Mohrlock 62

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