#21 Second Competition for Teacher Generated Materials / National and Historic Heroes / Grade 10-12

#21 Second Competition for Teacher Generated Materials / National and Historic Heroes / Grade 10-12

Overall Objective: Ss will be able to learn and analyze some historical facts about Georgian Queen Ketevan, identifying main points from her life and causes of death. They will be able to define the main concept of hero generally.

Language Objective:  Ss will be able to use new vocabulary, phrasal verbs and some unfamiliar proper names correctly from the text.

Civic Education Objective: Ss will be able to identify the main features and qualities of hero, the importance of heroic spirit and deeds for their country and I hope, they will try to use all the gained knowledge in real life.

Curriculum Connection:

Class Context and Needs: intermediate (B1) level, secondary students

Materials: text about Queen Ketevan, posters, proverbs, chart,

Overall Objective: Language Objective: Civic Objective:
Stage of Lesson	Activity	Time
Warm Up	Greeting. Motivating students for the lesson. Creating positive learning atmosphere. T shows Ss several photos of historic and modern persons who are considered as heroes and asks them to make suggestions who they are and what the topic of the lesson is.	3 min Handout1
Activity 1	T gives Ss slips of papers with different questions about heroes .Ss work in pairs. They share the ideas to each other and then introduce answer to the class. Questions: what do you think, who is the hero? Why?  Can you name any modern or historic hero?What features make hero a hero? Would you like to be a hero? What should you do to become a hero? Can a soldier or policemen be a hero? Why? (6 min) In this phase of lesson Ss also fill mind map on the board with adjectives characterizing heroes. Ss fill the map by themselves.	6 min Handout2
Activity 2	After answering the questions and making the collective “portrait” of a hero, the teacher chooses one of the photos and introduces it to the class. T asks if they know who she is, if they know something about her life and causes of death of Queen Ketevan.  T distributes TWL chart. Ss fill it with necessary information. At the beginning of the lesson Ss fill only first and the second column of the chart. Ss work individually and then share with a partner.	5 min Handout 3
Activity 3	T gives Ss text about Queen Ketevan and asks them to underline key information and circle new words and phrasal verbs. Ss read text silently and decide which information is the most important. Ss work individually and after finishing reading share information with a partner.	10 min Handout4
Activity 4	For checking understanding of the text teacher writes some questions on the board.  Who was Great Ketevan? Who was Constantine and why was he known as Accused? What did he ( Constantine ) do after committing crime ? why? Was the time of Queen ketevan’s reign peaceful and nice? Why did she go to Shah Abbas’s castle as a hostage? What was Shah Abbas’s demand? Can you describe Queen Ketevan using these  adjectives? Why did she become a hero ?	5 min
Activity 5	The evidence how well the students understood the topic; T collects the texts about Queen Ketevan and distributes cut slips of paper with information about her. Ss should make a whole correct story about her in chronological order. Ss work in 2 groups.	5 min Handout 5
Activity 6	Ss summarize all the information and express their point of view. Ss finish T  W L chart and introduce it to the class. T shows some proverbs written on the board and compares it with Ss ideas about the meaning of hero.	5 min
assessment	To write an essay “my favorite hero”.

Self assessment

Lesson went interesting without any difficulties and hesitations. The topic I’ve choose was especially interesting for students of secondary level and they were fully involved in activities. They worked in pairs and groups that developed their skills of communication and collaboration.  I always take into account student interest and need and try to plan my lesson according to this. I also take into consideration “gaps” from the former lesson that helps me to make my lesson plans more student centered and interesting for them. For example during this lesson I tried to give time to my student to think over the questions and answer, gave them opportunity to do activities by themselves without my help and assistance, I tried to give clear instructions and show directions. And also added some activates such as warm up activity with guessing the topic of the lesson or finishing the proverbs.  I think, lesson was productive for Ss and I hope in future they will b able to transfer and use the gained knowledge in real life.

If I had a chance to change my lesson I wouldn’t like to change it completely but some aspects. I would prepare some interesting activities and strategies like role play or something like this to make lesson more creative and unusual.   I also think that creating positive atmosphere also plays a vital role in achieving final result.

Handout 2

T	W	L

                                                Handout 3  

 What do you think, who is the hero? Why do you think so?

 Can you name any modern or historic hero?

 What features make hero a hero?

 Would you like to be a hero? What should you do to  become a hero?

 Can a soldier or policemen be a hero? Why?

                                      Handout 4

Great Martyr Ketevan, queen of Kakhetia, Georgia
13/26 September

Great-martyr Ketevan was of the royal house of Bagration, and was the great-granddaughter of King Constantine of Kartli (1469-1505). Having married David, heir to King Alexander II of Kakhetia (1577-1605), she herself ruled the kingdom. The queen’s profound piety was manifested in her particular concern for the needs of the Georgian Church, in her building of churches, orphanages, and hostels. Following her husband’s death, St. Ketevan became a solitary.

Her husband’s brother Constantine, known as the Accursed, adopted Islam, and at the instigation of Shah Abbas I dispatched assassins to kill his aged father, King Alexander II, and his brother Georgi. After committing this crime, Constantine ordered that the bodies of the murder victims be packed on camels and taken to Queen Ketevan. Horrified by the evil deed, the queen mourned the innocent victims and buried them in the Cathedral of Alaverdi. The impious one, however, made an attempt to encroach upon her honorable widowhood and asked for her hand, threatening her with force should she refuse.

Assembling the people of Kakhetia, Queen Ketevan took up arms against Constantine, and defeated the impious apostate. Together with a multitude of Persian warriors, he suffered an ignominious death. Under the wise rule of Queen Ketevan, peace and justice settled in Kakhetia. Shah Abbas I returned her son Teimuraz to her. Although Teimuraz lived for a number of years as a hostage in the Shah’s court, he maintained his Orthodox faith unsullied. Later, making threats that he could decimate Georgia, Shah Abbas forced the Kakhetian vassals to give up some important hostages. Queen Ketevan volunteered to be one of those hostages. Desiring to turn looming misfortune away from the Georgian people and the Holy Church, she went to Isfahan. Shah Abbas offered the righteous queen the opportunity to adopt Islam, but received a firm refusal. Then Queen Ketevan was cast into a dungeon in which she spent 10 years of suffering and torture. Nothing could shake the resolve of the one who suffered for Christ’s sake: not the Persian courtiers’ dirty tricks, not the Shah’s sly proposal to make her queen of the Persian state, not the offers of great treasures, not the appeals and prayers of the courtiers and important personages of Persia to spare herself by saying only a single blasphemous word against Christ. They crucified her on a tree, and tortured her with red-hot pincers. They placed a red-hot iron kettle upon her head. Thick smoke arose from her burning hair and head, and the Blessed Martyr gave up her holy soul to God On September 13, 1624.

As a sign of her spiritual victory, three pillars of light were seen descending upon the body of St. Ketevan. Queen St. Ketevan’s relics were translated to Rome, to the Cathedral of the Holy Apostle Peter, by monks of the Augustinian Order, who had witnessed the spiritual struggle of the confessor. Portions of her relics (the Martyr’s honorable head and right arm) were given by the Augustinian monks to King Teimuraz I and were placed under the Altar Table in the Cathedral of Great-martyr George in the Monastery of Alaverdi, Kakhetia. Catholicos-Patriarch Zachary (1613-1630) declared the Great martyr to be among the ranks of the Saints, and instituted September 13^th as the day of her commemoration.

                                              Handout 5

Great-martyr Ketevan was of the royal house of Bagration, and was the great-granddaughter of King Constantine of Kartli (1469-1505).

Her husband’s brother Constantine, known as the Accursed, adopted Islam, and at the instigation of Shah Abbas I dispatched assassins to kill his aged father, King Alexander II, and his brother Georgi.

After committing this crime, Constantine ordered that the bodies of the murder victims be packed on camels and taken to Queen Ketevan. Horrified by the evil deed, the queen mourned the innocent victims and buried them in the Cathedral of Alaverdi.

Assembling the people of Kakhetia, Queen Ketevan took up arms against Constantine, and defeated the impious apostate. Together with a multitude of Persian warriors, he suffered an ignominious death.

 Under the wise rule of Queen Ketevan, peace and justice settled in Kakhetia. Shah Abbas I returned her son Teimuraz to her. Although Teimuraz lived for a number of years as a hostage in the Shah’s court, he maintained his Orthodox faith unsullied.

Later, making threats that he could decimate Georgia, Shah Abbas forced the Kakhetian vassals to give up some important hostages. Queen Ketevan volunteered to be one of those hostages.

Desiring to turn looming misfortune away from the Georgian people and the Holy Church, she went to Isfahan. Shah Abbas offered the righteous queen the opportunity to adopt Islam, but received a firm refusal. Then Queen Ketevan was cast into a dungeon in which she spent 10 years of suffering and torture.

 Nothing could shake the resolve of the one who suffered for Christ’s sake: not the Persian courtiers’ dirty tricks, not the Shah’s sly proposal to make her queen of the Persian state, not the offers of great treasures, not the appeals and prayers of the courtiers and important personages of Persia to spare herself by saying only a single blasphemous word against Christ.

They crucified her on a tree, and tortured her with red-hot pincers. They placed a red-hot iron kettle upon her head. Thick smoke arose from her burning hair and head, and the Blessed Martyr gave up her holy soul to God On September 13, 1624.

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