European Geography & Cultures Lesson Plan 8 ~ Central Europe

This post is part of the European Geography and Cultures Series. Please the Introductory Post for a list of countries covered with links to all of the blog posts of this series.

This is a Geography Lesson Plan for Central Europe: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I am an affiliate of Amazon, and will receive a small commission if a link on this page is used to make a purchase.

You can download this lesson plan (including checklists) as a PDF file. Click on the thumbnail below and open the PDF file in Adobe Reader to read and print. If you open in a browser window, the text may be garbled. You may share this online and use the image above without permission, but please have all links point to this blog post, not to the PDF file. Thanks!

Introduction to Central Europe

Read

Looking at Poland
Children Just Like Me page 29

Map Folders and Stamp Albums (Follow General Instructions.)

Pass out Folders and Stamp Albums.
Pass out postage stamps from Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, and stamp hinges.

Physical Geography of Central Europe

Where on Earth?

Find the continent of Europe and the countries of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary on a globe. Have students color these countries on the map on their folder.
Find Europe and these countries in the Atlas: start on page 76 of Where on Earth? Atlas, then find the countries on page 78. Move on to page 80 to view the landscape, and to page 94 to see it by night.

Land, Climate, Population and Wildlife

The climate of most of Central and Eastern Europe is categorized as cool-summer humid continental. As in Western Europe, summers are mild, but winters are significantly colder, with snowfall a common occurrence.
To see pictures of some of the animals living in Poland and the Czech Republic visit: http://www.chido-fajny.com/2016/08/green-wild-face-poland.html and/or https://www.jeremytaylor.eu/photos/animals-in-the-czech-republic/ and/or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_of_the_Czech_Republic.
Read page 62 – 63 of the DK Children’s World Atlas about Central Europe. Find out about agricultural products, major landforms, and water

Card File (Follow General Card File Instructions.)

Listen to Around the World Stories from Poland or the Czech Republic while working (subscription required).
Flag and Map Country Cover Card PDF File (see below)
Country Information Card PDF File (see below)
Category Cards – plain index cards or pre-printed PDF File (you may want to provide samples for students to copy)
Images PDF File for Category Cards (see below)

PDF Files to Download for Card File

Click on the thumbnails below and open the PDF files in Adobe Reader to read and print. If you open in a browser window, the text may be garbled. You may share this online and use the images above without permission, but please have all links point to this blog post, not to the PDF file. Thanks!

People

Choose the activities that interest you the most. Add to your Card File as you learn new things and complete activities. Listen to related music and/or stories while doing projects if possible.

1. Artists

* František Kupka * Max Švabinský * Alfons Mucha

Look at art from one or more of these artists on the iPad or in a book from the library.
Draw a Czech Cat: https://artachieve.com/free-art-lessons-for-kids/free-level-i-art-lesson-2-the-czech-cat.
Make Wycinanki: https://kidworldcitizen.org/wycinanki-polish-folkart-kids/.

2. Composers

* Chopin

Listen to The Story of Chopin in Words and Music (VOX Music Masters Series).

3. Prominent People

* Irena Sendler * Saint John Paul II

Read or listen to a story about one of these prominent people.
Read Jars of Hope: How One Woman Helped Save 2,500 Children During the Holocaust

4. Scientists

* Nicolaus Copernicus * Marie Skłodowska Curie

Read or listen to a biography about a scientist from Central Europe.
Do a related experiment.

Places & Food

Choose the activities that interest you the most. Add to your Card File as you learn new things and complete activities.

For Festivals, Landmarks & Attractions, Crafts, and Recipes, please visit:

My Poland Pinterest Board

and my

My Czech Republic Pinterest Board

Checklists

Checklist for Basic Materials:

- - - Globe
    - Children Just Like Me
    - DK Where On Earth? Atlas
    - DK Children’s World Atlas
    - Looking at Poland (or similar book)
    - Map Folders, Stamp Albums, Stamps & Hinges
    - Card File materials including printed PDF files (see general instructions)
    - Music and/or Story CDs
    - Stories from Poland or Czech Republic by https://www.aroundtheworldstories.com
    - iPad or Computer with internet connection for research (optional)

Checklist for Projects:

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Checklist for International Food Dishes:

- - - - Recipes from Central Europe
      - Recipe ingredients: ______________________________
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Please comment below with your questions and suggestions – I will respond as soon as I can! Thank you for visiting Cotton Ridge Homeschool!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I am an affiliate of Amazon, and will receive a small commission if a link on this page is used to make a purchase.