PROJECT: “VALUES OF LITHUANIAN ETHNIC CULTURE IN EUROPE”

By AUDRONĖ JONAITIENĖ,

a physics teacher-methodologist at the Sodai Secondary School in Mažeikiai

Integration of ethnic culture in lessons of physics and information sciences

Objectives:

Extending general knowledge of the Lithuanian folklore and literature and linking it with natural sciences and technological achievements.

Developing the imagination, observation and creativeness of pupils.

Extending knowledge of natural sciences by using new technologies.

Ethnic culture forms the basis of every national culture. It has been developed along with evolution of the man including all spheres of his spiritual and material life and meeting various his needs. Experience of the man, his dependence on the nature, history and social conditions, features of human character and anthropological particularities were reflected in the ethnic culture. A number of professional cultural spheres have developed, which take their vitality and national spirit from the sources of their progenitors.

The knowledge of ethnic culture may be imparted during lessons of all subjects but in this case it was done during integrated lessons of physics and information sciences. Elements of narrative folklore were used such as Lithuanian fairy-tales, riddles and proverbs, which are reflections of a primordial, integral and indivisible world, which incite amazement in front of and openness to the world, while stimulating the logic of creation of images, development of principal concepts, and perception of things and phenomena.

“Symbols of Bird” is a theme that attracts listeners by disclosing how the people tried to translate into reality their old dream to fly by observing the bird and analysing the structure of the body of bird. Aviation (avis in Latin – a bird) is the art of flying by heavier-than-air machines. But people learned also to build high constructions resistant to deformations by following example of the legs of bird, use camouflage imitating the feathering of birds, apply various water-and cold protective measures based on observations of the birds pluming their feathers.

A representative of every nation may carry out such analysis because the people had similar experiences all over the world. But the purpose of my work was to highlight specific features of Lithuanian ethical culture by concrete examples of folklore reflecting the relations of the man and the nature, and birds, in particular.

The lecture is in CD. I present the written version of the lecture. During the lecture the listeners participate in discussions, guess the solutions of riddles and solve problems.