Vast glades, lakes, swamps and boundless taiga. No villages, no roads and mighty Siberian river Lena. This is all about Yakutia.
I started using Modern Guidebooks in my English lessons to compare and contrast Russian culture and culture of the English-speaking world.
These guides give a unique possibility to explore Russia, its different parts and remote corners.
Now let’s visit a far-off part of Russia called Sakha.
If you are prepared to visit any place, probably, you’ll try to find out something before you get off.
The activity is very simple to learn according to the plan:
When we speak about the main river of Great Britain we mean the Thames, when we speak about one of the main rivers of the USA we mean the Mississippi and in comparison I give the information about the Lena.
There is a topic about animals in every course book at different levels.
Here you can find materials about African tiger and Siberian tiger which is in danger, you can either practise figures and also describe the animals.
At higher levels you can discuss the problem of keeping wild animals in zoos.
Yakut national clothes are so unusual, that it can’t be compared with any other nation.
You can compare with national clothes of Scotland, Wales, and national clothes of American Indians.
You can describe pictures or organize speaking activity to tell when, where and why people wear their national clothes.
Have you heard about ice beach, neither do I.
You can use this activity as a warming up to start a lesson.
Do you believe that you can visit ice beach?
Elephants and mammoths to compare and contrast (use the table to compare and contrast)
At higher level you can discuss the problem of cloning.
In Yakutia there is an evidence of a terrible monsters, I use this text and description in comparison with Loch Ness Monster.
You can add more mythical animals.
In Yakutia deer are used as transport, you can discuss cons and pros of using them as a mean of transport.
Another point for discussion: can you keep a deer as a pet, why, why not?
When we speak about Christmas and New Year we think about Father Frost (Ded Moroz) and Santa Claus but if you read about Yakut gift-bringers and add information according to the scheme.
For example, Santa Claus
Has no Snow Maiden
Travel by reindeers (Rudolph is the main)
Put the presents into stockings through chimney
Elves help him
When do people write love letters, the answer is simple on St. Valentine Day?
But in Yakutia you can also find information about love letter which is registered in the Russian Guinness Book of Records.
Finding information is one of the skills the students should acquire while learning, this is a good chance to give the students to explore the topic.
Every nation has a lot of legends; find one or two legends from the English- speaking world and the legend about three sisters from Yakut folklore.
This is a useful reading activity; you can prepare pre-reading activity, while-reading activity and post-reading activity to explore the texts.
Have you heard about Florence Nightingale, a lady with a lantern probably "yes". In comparison with this brave woman I give information about Kate Marsden who was also famous for her medical skills.
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