World Cultures

Malason
unit I Europe

Name: Colleen

Block:_______
Exploring a European Country Research Activity
Instructions: Using the Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (found through the
library database Gale Virtual Reference Library; username and password is colonials), research a
European nation of interest to you and complete the items below thoughtfully and completely.
Be prepared to share what youve learned with your peers.
1.
To what extent was this country ruled by others? Use evidence to support your
answer.
After WWI started Russia was in control of Poland and then in 1915 Germany and
Austria took control over Poland. They didnt have control of themselves until
after WWI was over.
2.
Which 20th century events had the greatest influence on this country? Choose two
events and explain their impact.
WWI was an event in the 20th century that had a lot of influence on Poland. They
were forced to fight against each other but near the end of the war they gained their
independence.
Identify the following:
Topic

Details

Well known cities, regions,

or landforms

Cities: Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Torun, and

Poznan
Landforms: Bieszczady Mountains, Tatra Mountains

Relative size (size in

relationship to another
place)

Poland has an area of 312680 sq. km it is slightly smaller

Population size

38.53 Million

Degree of diversity
(1=homogenous; 10=very
diverse) with explanation

7 because they have many small groups such as

Languages/Alphabets

Polish is spoken by 50 million people. Theres also

than the state of New Mexico.

Ukrainians, Belorussians, Russians, Germans,

Czechs, Lithuanians, and Slovaks

Western Slavic languages, Easter Slavic languages, and
Southern slavic languages. They use the Roman
Alphabet.

3.
How does folklore influence the peoples worldview or actions? Explain your
answer using specific details.
For poland there are many legends that have to do with christmas and easter. Theres
Christmas spiders who were upset because there was not enough money for
decorations and trees. Jesus helped them by blessing the tree and after that it was
decorated in silver and gold webs. Thats why people put tinsel on christmas trees.

4.

What religion(s) is practiced in this country, and how does it impact the people?

Alot of the country is catholic, this impacts the people because a lot of them study it
in school even though its not something they have to do. Its a big part of the way that
they live.
5.
Are rites of passage in this country similar to or different from rites of passage in
the U.S.? Explain your answer using specific pieces of evidence.
They are similar to what people celebrate in the US today, such as celebrating
baptism, holy communion, and Marriage. Wedding anniversaries are also important to
the people in poland and the people in the us.
6.
What tips on interpersonal behavior might you give to an American who is about
to travel to this country? Provide at least three.

7.
Is the standard of living in this country better, worse, or about the same as that of
the U.S.? Justify your answer with at least three pieces of evidence.
The standard of living in Poland is much like the Standard of living in the US. Money is
an important thing to the people in Poland, and it gives them a higher standard of
living like how it does for the people in the US. Also A Lot of people from the ages 1565 are able to get jobs that they are paid for, similar to how the people in the US are.
The education there is also an important thing for the people just like it is here. It
helps them get better jobs and they live better lives.

8.
Is family important in this country? Why or why not? Use specific details in your
response.
Yes family is a very important thing to the people in poland. Family is who they go
to for advice and help with getting jobs.

9.
Does this country have distinctive traditional clothing? Explain your answer citing
specific details.
They wear modern western style clothes and they normally dress more
conservatively. Woman do not wear pants, mainly skirts. It is still common for the
people to wear hand made clothes because clothing is very expensive.

10.
How has globalization impacted food and diet in this country? Explain your
answer using specific facts.

11.
How might your educational experience in this country differ from the schooling
you receive in the U.S.?
The education there starts at an older age than what we do but they are in school for
longer. The kids there are very serious about their education. They have to be able to
pass a big test in order for them to get into one of the colleges in Poland.
12.
what cultural influences or accomplishments is this country best known for? List
and describe at least three.
Art- They used art to protest against their government.
Their musical heritage is a big influence on them. Poland has ten symphony
orchestras, seventeen conservatories, over one hundred music schools, and almost
one thousand music center.
People who write are considered the most important people.

13.

Summarize the overall economy of this country in 2-3 sentences.

The economy in this country is good and its getting better. During the late 2000s
there was a recession but it is growing at a yearly rate of 6%.

14.
How do people of this country spend their leisure time? List at least five activities.
Would you want to live there?
watch or play soccer
surfing the internet

skii
study
spend time outdoors
Yes I would like to live there, it seems much like it is in the US.
15.
List (in order of significance) what you feel are the three biggest problems that
this country needs to resolve.
The three biggest problems are the high unemployment rate, their dependence on
gas imports from russia and their health care. They need to fix these issues because
its important for people to make money and be able to provide for their families. They
also need to be able to have health care without it being too expensive for people
who can't afford it.

16.
Are all people treated equally in this country? Why or why not? Explain your
answer using specific evidence.
Yes they are. All of the people are able to vote and believe in what ever type of
religion they want. They are able to go to school and learn.