Mother monument for sailors and fishermen who perished

LESSON PLANS

WIND MOTHER MONUMENT FOR SAILORS AND FISHERMEN WHO PERISHED IN THE BALTIC SEA

LATVIA

Vēja māte - piemineklis bojā gājušajiem jūrniekiem un zvejniekiem Baltijas jūrā.

Wind

B1

Warming Up

Imagine being in the middle of a snow storm, kilometres away from any warm place and with no chance to take cover.

If you were in this situation, what would you do?

Would you be worried?

Would you be afraid of dying?

Please explain:

Vocabulary

Cultural Heritage Background

Extreme changes in weather conditions directly affect the activity of visuses and disease that affect people’s health. This was the case with the European population in the 18th century, when a series of events hit Europe and its population, causing thousands of deaths.

The 8-month eruption of the Lakagígar volcano in Iceland (summer 1783) is often blamed for the unusually hard winter in the nort half of the planet. However, scientists have recently proven that this theory is false. What historians usually call the “Little Ice Age” was caused by a mixture of two climate events, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

However, these were not the only events that affected Europe. Between the months of December 1783 and April 1784, there was a sudden drop in temperature and then rapid warming in temperatures. This combined with rain resulted in a series of floods that killed a lot of people. The bad consequences of the storm and floods were enormous at both local and regional levels. Even after the events, the losses of material, animal and human life were big. But the lack of food that followed was responsible for many more deaths.

Interestingly enough, scientists found that the NAO and ENSO conditions in the winter of 1783 to 1784 were similar to those of the winter of 2009 to 2010. They found that the winter of 2009 to 2010 had the strongest combined effects and the winter of 1783 to 1784 was the second strongest in the last 600 years. However, much less people died [Brázdil (et al.), R. 2009];[Choi, Q.R., 2011].

Listening

Listen to a sentence from the Cultural Heritage text and answer TRUE or FALSE…

The 8-month eruption of the Lakagígar volcano in Iceland (summer 1783) is often blamed for the unusually hard winter in the nort half of the planet. However, scientists have recently proven that this theory is false. What historians usually call the “Little Ice Age” was caused by a mixture of two climate events, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

 

 

The Between the months of December 1783 and April 1784, there was a sudden drop in temperature and then rapid warming in temperatures. This combined with rain resulted in a series of floods that killed a lot of people.

 

 

Listening Comprehension (optional)

Read the story

The Ancient Greeks believed that air or wind was associated with the breath of life, and attributed cleansing powers to it. This source of life could also become a force of terrible destruction, since the wind was thought to be the result of divine activity. Boreas, the Greek god of the North (cold) wind was often described as extremely strong and with a violent personality.

The Ancient Greeks were not the only ones who had gods with a bad mood. In the Celtic tradition, the Cailleach (Goddess of Winter) had powers that made her able to break mountains and cause thunderstorms.

Mythology aside, rapid and extreme variations in weather conditions directly affect crops and therefore the survival of animals and people. This was the case in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe, when mortality rates varied violently.

According to the Spanish Meteorological Agency, the winter of 1783-1784 was extremely hard. Goya’s 1786 “Winter” is a representation of a strong snowstorm. “Winter” is particularly somber. It reminds us how dangerous the powers of the natural elements are.

Reading Comprehension

 

 

 

 

Grammar

Additional activities

Extra Listening exercises:

Extra Vocabulary exercises:

Extra resources for learners

Lear more about weather events by watching these videos:

SELF-REFLECTION