ПУТЕШЕСТВИЯ ПО РОССИИ
TRAVELS AROUND RUSSIA
Russian Heritage Language Learners
Intermediate/Intermediate High
5 Class Periods (50 min/period)
ABSTRACT
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This unit is designed for Russian heritage language learners who
already know how to speak, read, and write Russian fairly well – at
least at an Intermediate level. However, this unit can also be
modified to work with any language, since it revolves around
geography. Geography is universal, and language learners can take
their previous knowledge of geography in one language, and expand
upon it with the other language, in this case their heritage
language. This unit frames learning about geography in Russia
around travel; new geography and travel vocabulary is introduced,
specialized texts are used, and, just as importantly, verbs of motion,
which can be difficult for all learners of Russian, are focused on.
These scaffolding techniques help build upon the students’ previous
knowledge and help motivate them for this unit. The unit starts
with a short lecture, which introduces the new vocabulary, then
transitions to creating and practicing dialogues, writing short
compositions, and finally doing a research project and presenting it
in small groups. Group work and exclusive use of the heritage
language is crucial to this unit.
Unit Created by: Isaiah White, Karina Eremetova, Nadezda Berkovich
OBJECTIVES
Content Objectives:
 Enhance reading, writing, and speaking skills in
geography and travel-related topics
Language Objectives:
 Use heritage language exclusively
 Enrich and enlarge vocabulary relating to
geography and travel
 Develop proficiency in reading popular and
specialized texts
 Usage of transitional words and phrases
 Verbs of motion, appropriate cases and
prepositions
MATERIALS USED
Materials Used:
 Online resources – maps, travel websites, online
ads maps, travel advertisements, travel websites
 Physical media – brochures, guidebooks, texts on
Russian geography
 Videos about traveling
Assessment:
1. Formative: group work observation, quizzes
2. Summative Final Oral Presentation
OUR STUDENTS
Strengths
Strong speaking, listening, and comprehension skills
Able to write complex sentences
Able to discuss abstract ideas and topics
Weaknesses:
Lack of topic specific vocabulary and writing and reading fluency
Be able to carry out formal and informal conversation as appropriate
Have trouble understanding technical, content-specific conversations (ie.
Business, medicine, technology)
Unit Prerequisites
Have intermediate skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening
(Intermediate/Intermediate High)
Have already had considerable experience reading novice & intermediate
texts, can write using complex sentences and higher-level knowledge, and can
speak well and understand even better
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
Differentiated Assessment: Final project is assessed
according to level of individual students
 Final Project: adjusting to different skills of HL –
students can choose the final form of presentation
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Example: flyer (easiest), brochure (hardest)
DAY 1: INTRODUCTION TO LESSON
Introduction to content and language objectives
 Templates for oral presentation and writing
assignments
 Familiarize with the grading system
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Students evaluated using rubric, differentiated for different
levels of HLLs (based on 2012 ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines)
 Pre-test
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Multiple choice quiz about Russian geography
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Students take, teacher collects, holds until end of unit
DAY 1: INTRODUCTION CONTINUED
 Discussion
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Introduce new vocabulary, transitional phrases, verbs
of motion during a discussion of Russian geography
(10 min)
Practice exercise (10 min)
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of geography of Russia
Students, in pairs, have a map with blanks, need to fill in the
blanks with city names, seas, neighboring countries
Extra assignment (if time allows)
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Introduce template with a sample dialogue about buying a plane
or train ticket
Watch video (buying tickets, conversation w/ agent) (10 min)
 point out unit vocabulary, important transitional phrases,
verbs of motion used (real-life application)
 role-play
DAY 1(CONTUED): VOCABULARY
(SPEAKING)
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Practice activity for new vocabulary
 Divide into pairs: American visits Russian friend
 Create a dialogue that includes new vocabulary and
makes connections to previously-learned vocabulary
Greetings
 Engage in small talk (making connections)
 Questions about Russia – geography, holidays, climate, etc.
 Assign vocabulary words (flashcards) to each pair to use in their
dialogue
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Homework: Read text that contains new vocabulary; practice
pronunciation and spelling of new words
DAY 2:
WRITING
Warm-up with new vocabulary
 Show English word, have students say Russian
equivalent
 Students will read a traveler’s blog in class about his/her
recent trip in some part of Russia – work in pairs
 Will create a comment to the blog
 Ask at least three questions
 Use vocabulary and idiomatic expressions and
transitional phrases
 Incorporate verbs of motion (ходить) and means of
transportation (лететь на самолете, ехать на машине)
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DAY 3
(READING & SPEAKING)
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Introducing new travel materials: travel brochures, guides,
websites, and advertisement sites (25 min)
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Instructor shows 2-3 examples of Russian travel websites
Students go to these websites and pick a tour of Russia
Discussion
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Pros/cons
Talk about routes and means of travel
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Incorporate transitional phrases (я считаю, во первых)
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Travel advertising (Final Project) (15 min)
Show examples of advertisements (newspapers, websites, videos,
travel magazine advertisements)
Homework: Have students think about what type of advertisement
they would create if they were director of tourism for a city.
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DAY 4
(READING, WRITING & SPEAKING)
 Advertisement
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Project (Final Project)
Group students (3-4 per group)
Students choose an advertisement project from either
a brochure, flyer, poster
Students pick a city or a region to advertise
 Community: Advertisement targeted to students’ family,
friends (target language)
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Students work on project
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Project needs to include: City or region name, local attractions
and landmarks,
DAY 5
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Presentation!
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Presenters need to create list of vocabulary and questions that
will be distributed to classmates
During presentation, audience needs to take notes to answer
questions and prepare questions to the presenters
WRAP-UP
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Post-test: Students take the same quiz they took on the
first day of unit
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Hand back pre-test, students compare results to see their
progress
Exit-cards: Each student fills out an exit-card, listing
three things they learned to hand in to teacher
ONLINE RESOURCES USED IN CLASS
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Страна.ру. Все путешествия по России: http://strana.ru/
Форум о России. Путешествия по России. Маршруты выходного дня:
http://forum.awd.ru/viewforum.php?f=182
Журнал “Путешествие по России”: http://www.snpg.ru/almanah.html
По России - АВТО путешествия: http://ladyauto.ru/index.php?mod=122
Планета Дорог - Путешествия по России. Туризм в России:
http://www.roadplanet.ru/home/top10/
Путешествия по России: Fantasy Way: http://www.fantasyway.ru/
Лоцман Путешествий по России: Золотое кольцо, достопримечательности...:
http://www.trip-guide.ru/
"По России на авто" - о путешествиях на автомобиле: http://autotravel.ru/
RussiaOutdoors - Путешествия по России:
http://www.outdoors.ru/russiaoutdoors/882/index.php
Путешествия по России: http://www.riverland.ru/russia
...по России из Санкт-Петербурга | Туры по России 2012 | Путешествия...:
http://akvarel.ru/category/0
Путешествия России | Туристические поездки по городам России:
http://www.orfey.net/tours/index.php?level=1&SECTION_ID=24