Проектный урок "Welcome to Great Britain!"
проект по английскому языку (8 класс) по теме

Welcome to Great Britain!

Teacher: Today we are going to have an unusual lesson. It will be a trip to Great Britain. We are going to talk about British traditions and celebrations, symbols and sightseeing, and of course about the British mentality and the character in general.

         Let’s start our journey which is called “Welcome to Great Britain!” Every year a lot of people visit the UK. This country is fantastic! It is a country of beautiful landscapes. It has its own national symbols and emblems.

            I think that before planning travelling to Great Britain visitors would probably like to get as more information as possible. Let’s listen to your classmate’s opinion about a geographical position and national symbols and emblems of Great Britain.

1. В данном проекте учащиеся демонстрируют проект о географическом положении и о символах Великобритании

Проект: “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”

The Union Jack

• The Union Jack is the national flag of Great Britain. It is made up of 3 flags: the crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick representing England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland

The Red Rose

• The different parts of Great Britain have their own emblems. They are all plants.

        The emblem of England is a red rose. In the 15th century there was a series of wars in         England, which were called the Wars of Roses. The Duke of the Red Rose won a victory,         that’s why the red rose is a symbol of England.

Shamrock

• Shamrock is a symbol of Northern Ireland. It means the beginning of spring. And a green colour is one of the national colours of Ireland.

(Вопросы для обсуждения)

• How many countries does the United Kingdom consists of?
• Which of them is the biggest (smallest)?
• Name their capitals, please!
• What is the capital of the UK?
• What are their symbols?
• Is the Union Jack a person or a building in London or the flag of the UK?
  

Teacher: Foreigners have many ideas about what the British are like. For example, some people say the British are always conservative and reserved, some believe the British eat porridge for breakfast and read “The Times” every day. So, is this all true? Today we’ll try to describe the British. Let’s listen to your classmate’s opinion about the British character.

2. В данном проекте учащиеся описывают характерные особенности и образ жизни британцев

Проект: “The British character”

The Population of the UK

The population of the UK is about 60 million people. It is a home for four nationalities: the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. It should be remembered that a lot of people from all over the world live in the UK.

Television, films, and books give us ideas about what British people are like.

The best-known quality of the English is a reserve. A reserved person is the one who does not talk very much to strangers, doesn’t show a lot of emotions. He or she never tells you anything about himself.

Every Englishman is said to be a countryman at heart. The English countryside is many things to many people. It stands for freshness, for leisure, fun and games. And 40% of the British like doing work in the garden."

The English are reputed to have a good sense of humour."

And the Englishmen are known to be home sitters. “My home is my castle” is the typical English proverb which says about the British character more than just words.

The Scots are said to be a serious people, rather inventive and somewhat mystical. One of the most characteristic things about Scots is their national garment, so called "tartan kilt", that is a woollen, checked skirt worn by men. The bagpipes are a typical Scottish instrument.

The Irish are known for their charm as well as for the beauty of the Irish girls. Besides people consider that Irish have “a sweet tooth”; they love cakes, chocolates and sweets. What is more, the Irish are great talkers and friendly people. They like going to pubs and meeting with their friends."

The Welsh are an emotional people but sometimes reticent. Welsh people are proud of their national language and culture. Besides, Wales has been called a "Land of Song". The Welsh like to sing very much and it is difficult to find a village without a choir. During a music festival, singers often wear their colourful national costumers. These music festivals are very popular.

( the folk song “My Bonny”)

So, we can say that the British are a tradition-loving nation.

Teacher: Well, it’s true! Most British people are proud of their traditions and customs and they follow them carefully. The British preserve the traditions that were introduced centuries ago and the traditions that are rather new.

Let’s listen to your classmate’s opinion about the British traditions

3. В данном проекте учащиеся рассказывают о традициях Великобритании

Проект: “Traditions of Great Britain ”

There are many royal traditions in Britain:

Coronation Day

Coronation Day, for example, it marks the anniversary of the date when Elizabeth II became queen.

The Changing of the Guard

The Changing of the Guard is a very beautiful tradition. Every morning tourists go to watch the ceremony at Buckingham Palace. At 11.30 a.m. the guard that stands in front of the palace change.

Everyone’s Cup of Tea

The drink that Britons love more than all others is tea. Today the people of Britain drink more tea than any other nation in the world. They drink it in bed in the morning, round the fire on winter afternoons and out in the garden on sunny summer days. The British for the first time heard of tea in I598. It is said that tea was brought to Britain in about 1650. Soon it became very popular with the population. 

Sports in Great Britain

The British are great lovers of sport; and when they don’t play or watch games, they at least talk about them. They are fond of different sports. Football, rugby, cricket, golf and lawn tennis are considered to be the most popular games.

There are many sports centrals and sport clubs in the UK. Manchester is a city for sport. It has more than 12.000 sport clubs. Manchester United is a leading English football club founded in 1878 with a stadium in the southwest of Manchester and with a long history of success. David Beckham is the most famous British football man, who plays for Manchester United and also for the English National team.

School Uniforms in Britain

To wear school uniforms in Britain is almost a tradition. Many school uniforms have not been changed for about fifty years. And some have not been changed for more than a hundred of years. Groups of boys and girls, all dressed in the same way, can be seen some time after four o'clock in the afternoon. They are wearing their school uniforms.

Teacher: So, traditions – they make a nation special. And it’s great to find out and to learn a lot of new traditions, things, habits, celebrations from different countries.  To my mind, many tourists come to England to learn its traditions and to take part in its celebrations. And what are the most popular holidays in the United Kingdom?  Let’s listen to your classmate about holidays in the United Kingdom.

4. В данном проекте предлагается информация о праздниках  Великобритании

Проект: “Holidays And Festivals in the United Kingdom”

Halloween

Children like Halloween very much. It is celebrated on the 31st of October. It is a colourful festival when children wear costumers of ghost and witches and play tricks with their friends.  

Guy Fawkes’ Night

Guy Fawkes’ Night is celebrated on the 5th of November, when British people light fireworks and burn a boy of a straw on a bonfire. This is in memory of the time when Guy Fawkes tried to destroy the Parliament in London in 1605. This celebration is often associated with collecting money for charity.

St. Valentine Day

The 14th of February is a St. Valentine’s Day. On that day most people send “Valentines”, sweets, or roses to someone they love. “Valentines” are the greeting cards in the shape of a heart, or they have hearts, the symbol of love, on them.

Christmas Day

The 25th of December is a Christmas Day when people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. People decorate a Christmas tree and Santa Claus brings presents to children.

(Вопросы для обсуждения)

• What other special holidays or events of the United Kingdom do you know?
• Do you like celebrations?
• What British holidays do you like best of all?

Teacher: Well, you can see that at different celebrations people are involved in different activities. Thank you for your project.

Teacher: There are many places to visit in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. What places of interest in the United Kingdom would you like to visit?

5. В данном проекте учащиеся рассказывают о достопримечательностях Великобритании

Проект: “Places of Interest in the United Kingdom”

Oxbridge

Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest universities in Great Britain

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, central England, on the River Avon. It is famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare and very popular with tourists.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge, one of the best-known archeological sites in the world, is probably the most mysterious place in England. Lying on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, this group of huge stones has always attracted both tourists and scientists trying to solve the mystery surrounding its origin. Stonehenge is one of the Europe's biggest stone circles that is 10 or 12 metres high. The largest of the Stonehenge stones weigh 50 tons, and the smallest stone weighs 5 tons.

The earliest part of Stonehenge is approximately 5000 years old. But what was Stonehenge? A holy (святое) place? A market? Or a kind of calendar? Actually, the Druids – priests (жрецы) in Britain used Stonehenge for a calendar. They introduced it about 2000 years ago. The sun and the stones at Stonehenge let the Druids know when the months and seasons start. 

The Jorvik Viking Centre

Welcome to York! It is an ancient city in England. Visit the Jorvik Viking Centre. Visit and see York a thousand years ago when Erik Bloodaxe was king. Travel back to AD 975. Everything you see and feel is original: Viking chickens, a Viking sock and ice-skates. Hear people speak "Viking" — and smell the smells of the Viking streets! New at the Centre is a Viking longship — you can get on the longship and be a Viking!

Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood

The cultural centre of Scotland is Edinburgh, it has been a capital city for almost 500 years.         Scotland is also famous for its medieval castles like Edinburgh Castle, which is a home for the Scottish Crown Jewels.

Another place worth visiting is the Palace of Holyrood, her Majesty the Queen's official residence.

The Highlands

The most interesting and beautiful part of Scotland is the region usually called “the Highlands”. The Highlands are in the north of Scotland. This is a region of mountains and rivers, small towns and villages. The Highlands have a lot of great sea-lochs. On the sides of some of the lochs there are farms, which can be reached only by boat.

My Heart's in the Highlands

(by Robert Burns)

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here;

My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing1 the deer2

A-chasing the wild deer and foll'wing the roe 4;

My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.

Farewell 5 to the Highlands, farewell to the North,

The birthplace of valour 6, the country of worth 7;

Wherever I wander 8, wherever I rove 9;

The hills of the Highlands forever I love.

Farewell to the mountains high covered with snow;

Farewell to the straths 10 and green valleys beiow;

Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods;

Farewell to the torrents  and loud pouring12 floods 13.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here;

My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer,

A-chasing the wild deer and foll'wing the roe;

My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.

1 a-chasing — преследуя; 2 deer [dia] — олень; 3 4 roe [rouj — косуля; 5 farewell [fea'wel] — прощай(те)!;6 valour f'vaela] — доблесть; 7 worth [w9;9] — достоинство; 8 wander ['wond] — бродить; 9rove [rouvj — скитаться; Io strath fstrsO] — широкая долина с рекой; ll torrent ['brant] — стремительный поток; 12 pour ['рo:] — литься; 13 

В горах мое сердце

В горах мое сердце... Доныне я там. По следу оленя лечу по скалам. Гоню я оленя, пугаю козу. В горах мое сердце, а сам я внизу.

Прощай, моя родина! Север, прощай,

Отечество славы и доблести край.

По белому свету судьбою гоним,

Навеки останусь я сыном твоим! Прощайте, вершины под кровлей снегов, Прощайте, долины и скаты лугов, Прощайте, поникшие в бездну леса, Прощайте, потоков лесных голоса.

В горах мое сердце... Доныне я там.

По следу оленя лечу по скалам.

Гоню я оленя, пугаю козу.

В горах мое сердце, а сам я внизу!

Loch Ness Monster

The most famous lake is called Loch Ness, where you can meet a very shy monster Nessie. Year after year thousands of tourists come to Loch Ness, put their tents and watch the lake in the hope that one of the animals would appear. People who say that they have seen the monster, describe it as an animal with a small head, a long neck and a large body. The Loch Ness monster is a real attraction for people from all over the world. It is interesting to know that a museum of the Loch Ness monster was opened in Scotland several years ago. It has more than four thousand written reports and drawings of Nessie.   Is the monster a fact or fiction?  Let’s hope, however, that scientists will be able to say one day whether the Loch Ness monster is a fact or a fiction is.

6. Проект: “London and Its Variety”

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral is the greatest work of England's greatest architect, Christopher Wren. The Cathedral was begun in 1675. It was opened in 1697 but was finished only in 1710, when Wren was almost eighty years old. There are memorials to many famous men of England in the Cathedral.

Teacher: Well, London is undoubtedly one of the greatest cities in the world. It’s got everything that a visitor could possibly want: a rich history and a beautiful architecture, charming parks and incredible museums, the oldest castles and stately homes, amazing pubs and luxurious restaurants and so on. Would you like to visit London?  Now, you have an opportunity to do it. We welcome you to watch the Video-Excursion around London. Let’s watch it!

(просмотр видео-экскурсии о Лондоне)

(Вопросы для обсуждения)

• What sights of London would you like to visit?