Celebrate Culture: Poland

The capital of Poland is Warsaw.

Help your students to locate Poland on the globe or map.

The people who live in Poland are called Poles.

Most of the people in Poland live in large cities where they work in factories and refineries.

Poland is low and flat, perfect for growing potatoes, rye, oats and beets.

Polish farmers also raise hogs, cattle and sheep on the countryside.

Poland is home to one of the world's richesst coal fields.

**Explain to older children that Poland was under communist rule from World War II until 1991 when Poland gained its independence. During the World War II era, Nazis terrorized Poland.**

At Christmas, friends and families celebrate by taking a horse drawn sleigh in the snow to a "sleigh party". They ride in a sleigh to a campfire, where they cook a meal.

After eating, everyone sings and dances around the campfire.

Easter is a very important holiday in Poland. Poles enjoy decorating Easter eggs elaborately.

Embellished Eggs

You will need:

* assorted colors of construction paper-one for each child

* draw a large egg or copy a reproducible outline of an egg onto the construction paper

Instruct the children to draw designs on the eggs by using crayons or markers.

To further embellish the designs on the eggs, trace with liquid glue, then cover glue with glitter.

Another idea for embellishment is to add small sequence or confetti pieces, or wall paper pieces to the egg.

After eggs are dried, allow children to cut them out.

Fredrick Chopin was born in 1810 in Poland. He was a great composer who wrote hundreds of piano compositions.

Listen to a few selections of Chopin's music.

Poland is also the origin of polka music.

Students will love to dance the polka.

Polka dancing is a traditional Polish folk dance.

Play polka music while dancing.