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The European Union - A mini-project

"What are the local voices in your area?"
A mini-project for students based on interviews in the local community

Teacher's Notes:

The activities below form a mini-project, requiring students to carry out research on attitudes to the EU in their own locality. the subject of which is The materials provided can be used in cross-curricular teaching (European education) in either a gimnazjum or a liceum. The project is carried out in the following steps:

Step 1

Students are asked to identify the issues involved in Poland's accession to the EU.

Step 2

Students read the interview with the Deputy Wojt and get acquainted with his point of view.

Step 3

Students form five groups the task of which is to make an interview with one of the following:

  • one of their peers

  • a teacher from the school

  • an official working for the local authorities

  • a local villager

  • someone from a local town

The teacher randomly allots each group one of the above.

Step 4

Students have one week to do the interview which should be based on the following set of questions:

  • What changes have taken place in the rural area since your childhood?

  • Could you compare the situation in rural areas in Poland with that in the west European countries who are already EU members?

  • How do local people feel about Polish accession to the EU?

  • What are the attitudes of the locals towards the possibility of unlimited land acquisition by foreigners, which obviously is one of the preconditions of our EU membership?

  • Has the gmina received any EU subsidies?

  • In what way can Poland's EU membership influence the situation in this area?

Step 5

Since the interviewees use Polish, Students spend one 45-minute lesson on translating their material with the help of the teacher.

Step 6

Another 45-minute meeting is an open discussion of the following questions:

  • How did you distribute work in your group?

  • How did you arrange the interview?

  • How did the interview go?

  • How did you feel in the role?

  • What did you learn from the interview?

  • What is your personal opinion on the question: "In what way can Poland's EU membership influence the situation in the area?".

Step 7

As homework students are asked to choose the most urgent issue in their area and write a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture convincing the officials to appropriate funds that would improve the local situation - perhaps using knowledge or illustrations from the UK or elsewhere in the EU. (word limit 200-250, discursive type of writing)


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