EUROPE:NORTHERN REGION

CFE 3241V

OPEN CAPTIONEDENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA1993Grade Levels: 6-1020 minutes

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DESCRIPTION

Identifies Europe’s northern region: Scandinavia(Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), the Baltic Republics(Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), Iceland, and Finland.Discusses in depth Scandinavia’s diverse geography,cultures, industries, climates, and natural resources.The people live harmoniously with the challenges oftheir harsh environment. This region’s long democratictraditions and high standard of living set an example forthe rest of Europe.

INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS

• To present an overview of northern Europe’sgeography and people.

• To portray the harmony of Scandinavian peopleamong themselves and with nature.

• To illustrate the dairy, fishing, mining, and timberindustries of northern Europe.

• To contrast the role climate plays in the differentparts of Scandinavia.

BEFORE SHOWING

1. Read the CAPTION SCRIPT to determineunfamiliar vocabulary and language concepts.

2. Using a map of northern Europe, point out thecountries the video will outline.

3. Using a world map, discuss the location ofnorthern Europe. Predict what scenes might be shown.

DURING SHOWING

1. View the video more than once, with one showinguninterrupted.

2. Pause after references to grams or kilos andconvert information to standard measurements.

3. Pause after the video refers to Nordkapp abovethe Arctic Circle. Record information about themidnight sun.

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AFTER SHOWING

Discussion Items and Questions

1. Which countries in northern Europe havemonarchies?

a. Discuss whether they are active in theirgovernments.

b. Compare with other monarchies in the world.2. Find the names of the two largest lakes in

Sweden. Determine how they might be significant toSweden’s geography.

3. In which part of Finland do people mostly live?a. Is this the most preferable area? Why?b. Why does Finland have a milder climate than

most other regions that lie as far north?4. How is Copenhagen different from other

European cities?5. Define the following words and name their

country of origin: smorgasbord, sauna, ombudsman.6. Define archipelago and fjord. Find examples of

each, specific to the Scandinavian countries.7. If only 3 percent of Norway’s land can be used

agriculturally, where do the people likely obtain theirfood?

Applications and Activities

1. On a map of northern Europe, locate the FaroeIslands. Discuss their history. Speculate on thepeople’s sustenance there.

2. Research the following questions and write briefsummaries of the information:

a. Which religions are practiced in northernEurope?

b. How did Iceland get its name?c. What is the history of the Balkan countries?d. Who was Hans Christian Andersen?e. Who was Leif Ericson? How is his life

important to Norway’s history?

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f. What are Denmark’s folk high schools like?How are their schools different than those inthe United States?

3. Write a synopsis about the midnight sun in farnorthern Europe where daylight occurs a full month inJune, darkness a full month in December.

a. Create a personal diary of a northernEuropean’s activities and experiences in mid-June and mid-December.

b. Research, then using a globe and pointer,demonstrate why this phenomenon occurs.

c. Does the midnight sun occur in Anarctica?How is it different than the Arctic Circle?

d. Present information on the MidsommarFestival in Sweden. Determine why this is oneof their most popular activities as a country.

4. Using papier-mâché, create a topographical mapof northern Europe.

a. Include major mountains, rivers and lakes,remembering to keep heights and distances inproportion.

b. Paint borders to differentiate countries.5. Investigate the process of making furniture in

Scandinavia. Determine what type of wood is typicallyused. Discuss what is unique about the designs.

6. Prepare a short skit joining Scandinavia’s pastwith its present.

a. Include a Viking ship docking along the coastof Norway and its sailors stepping foot on landin the present year.

b. Paint a large city backdrop for the openingscene.

c. Present the play to an audience.7. Imagine two cousins writing letters about

participating in the Vassaloppet, the ski marathon inSweden. Describe their experiences in an essay.

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8. List past Nobel Prize winners. Make a summarychart and include these ideas:

a. What is the most common field of award?b. How many Americans have won Nobel

prizes?c. What is the average age of Nobel Prize

winners?d. How many men and how many women have

won this prize?e. If personally winning a Nobel Prize, what

would it be for?9. Research the formation and use of family names

in Iceland.a. Rewrite the names of family and friends.b. Keep the first name the same; add to the last

names -son for males and -dottir for females.c. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of

having no common family names in Iceland.

WEBSITES

Explore the Internet to discover sites related to thistopic. Check the CFV website for related information(http://www.cfv.org).

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CAPTION SCRIPT

Following are the captions as they appear on the video.Teachers are encouraged to read the script prior toviewing the video for pertinent vocabulary, to discoverlanguage patterns within the captions, or to determinecontent for introduction or review. Enlarged copiesmay be given to students as a language exercise.

(male narrator)Of all the continentsof the earth,

Europeis the second smallest.

It's smaller than Asia...

smaller than Africa...

smaller than either

North or South America,

and just a little biggerthan Australia.

The northern regionof Europe

is a landof harsh beauty...

its people toughenedby the rugged climate.

Their natural resourcesare few,

but the people use themwith amazing resourcefulness

and have developeda culture

like no other in Europe.

The North is hometo Laplanders,

who herd reindeer,

just as their ancestors havefor centuries,

as well as hometo thriving industries.

It encompassessmall settlements

locatedwithin the polar circle...

and someof the greatest cities

of Europe.

The countriesof Europe's northern region

are Denmark, Norway,and Sweden--

collectively knownas Scandinavia--

as well as Finland,

the island countryof Iceland,

and the threesmall Baltic countries

of Estonia, Lithuania,and Latvia.

Except for Denmark,

the Scandinavian countries

are separatedfrom the rest of Europe

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by the sea.

The sea is onlya few kilometers wide

at Oresund--

the straitwhich connects the Baltic Sea

with the North Seaand the Atlantic Ocean.

Large ferryboatscarry passengers and cargo,

completing Europe's networkof roads and railways.

Weather conditionscan be severe in winter.

The Baltic Sea freezes,

and icebreakers oftenmust open passage for ships.

But on the west coastof Norway,

important ports,such as Troms and Narvik,

stay openall year-round.

This is dueto the influence

of the Gulf Stream,

which makes the climateof western Scandinavia

much warmerthan its eastern section.

The coast of Finland

is brokeninto thousands of islands,

creatinga unique archipelago.

The northernmost tipof the European continent

is Nordkapp,

well abovethe Arctic Circle.

In summer,the sun never sets here.

Many people cometo observe the midnight sun.

Among the physical features

one can findthroughout Scandinavia

are granite rockswith moss and lichens,

the mixed forests,

and bodiesof salt and fresh water.

The inland is richwith freshwater lakes,

where many speciesof wildlife thrive,

such as these wild geese.

Here in southern Norway,

crops such as barley, oats,potatoes, and wheat

are grown.

However,only 3% of Norwegian land

can be used for crops.

The Scandinavians make the mostof their rugged climate

and are great loversof outdoor activities.

Vassaloppet,

Europe's oldestand biggest ski marathon,

bringsover 12,000 participants

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to central Swedeneach year.

Borders still formally existwithin Scandinavia,

but nobodyhas to show a passport

while traveling betweenthe Scandinavian countries.

Long before Europebegan its attempts to unite,

these countriescreated a common region.

Most peoplelive along the coast

and in the southern partof the region.

The inland--

for instance,here in central Sweden--

is only sparsely inhabited.

Isolated farmhousescan be found in the north.

This farmis in central Finland.

It produces bothfor the family's subsistence

and for the market.

The forest

is Scandinavia'smost important natural resource.

The lumber produceshigh-quality wood.

This is becausethe trees up north

grow more slowlythan in warmer regions

and the woodhas a high density.

Wood is the foundation

of one of Scandinavia'smost important industries:

the fabrication of furnitureand other household goods.

The high standardsof Scandinavian furniture design

are known the world over.

Rovaniemi is a cityon the Arctic Circle.

During the winters,

the people herego for months at a time

without seeingthe sun rise.

This is why Scandinavians

joyfully celebratethe sun's return:

the midsommar.

Here in Sweden,and all over Scandinavia,

people rejoice

at the returnof the long daylight

and the short nightsof summer.

It isa traditional celebration

in whicheverybody participates--

even the very young.

The indigenous inhabitantsof the north

are the Lapps--

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distant kinof North American Inuit.

In winter,

they feed their reindeerdry lichens.

In spring,they travel north.

Let's listento a reindeer herdsman.

(man)Every job

has its good sideand bad side.

In reindeer farming,you're your own boss

and you spend timein the wilderness.

Everywhere in Sweden,

the feeding groundsare getting smaller.

The townsare crowding out

the reindeer areas.

This is reindeer farming'sbiggest threat.

I start earlyin the morning,

while the snowis frozen hard enough

for the reindeerto walk.

(narrator)The landscapeis very different

in the south,

especially in Denmark,

where high-yield agricultureis typical.

This isa Danish milk farm.

(man)Hello.

My nameis Henrik Hovman,

and I'm the managerof this farm.

We have about 180red Danish cows.

They're standing here.

And they'rethe most important thing

on this farm.

It's the cows.

Each cow produces

about 8,000 kilos of milkin each year,

on average.

And for the Danish farmer,

the milk productionis very important

so that we can sellcheese and milk

for consumersall over Denmark

and around the world.

(narrator)Danish dairy products

are a partof a food industry

that representsan important branch

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of the Danishnational economy.

The fishing industryis of critical importance

throughout allof northern Europe.

Traditionally,the Scandinavians,

living in close contactwith the sea,

are great loversof all seafood.

The Scandinavian countries

have fully modernizedfishing fleets.

Nevertheless,

the natural catchvaries each year,

which has ledthe Scandinavians

to develop fish farms

for artificialsea fish production,

such asthis salmon farm

on the Baltic coastof Sweden.

(man)My nameis Jan-Erik Pallin,

ocean farmer of salmonin Sweden.

You have two different kindsof farmers--

the one who producesthe small fish

that I buywhen the fish is one year old

and weighsabout 100 grams.

I farm it from 100 gramsup to 3.5 kilo.

That takesabout two years.

It is very importantin farming

that you tryto keep the natural way,

the same waythat it lives naturally.

So that is whythe fish that I buy

have been livingin fresh water,

and whenit's one year old,

it naturallymoves downstream

and comes outinto the salt water.

These areperfect conditions

because we havea one-meter level of fresh water

on topof the salt water

so that the salmon meetsin a natural way

in the salt water.

(narrator)The original inhabitantsof Scandinavia--

the Vikings--

were a seagoing people.

It was shipssuch as this one

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that the Vikings usedto reach America

500 years before Columbus.

The shipbuilding tradition

is best representedin Swedish Gothenburg,

though nowadays,

the docks here are mostly usedfor repairing ships only.

In the actual buildingof ships,

the Scandinavianswere unable

to beat the competitionfrom the Far East.

Scandinavia'smain mineral resources

lie in the northern partof Sweden,

such as the iron ore minesof Kiruna and Gllivare.

After blowing up the rock,

the ore is transportedfor crushing and concentration.

Most of the hard work,once performed by miners,

is now handledby remote-controlled machines.

Europe's largest and richestiron ore deposits

are situatedin northern Sweden,

well abovethe Arctic Circle.

For Norway,

the important mineral wealthlays deep in the North Sea.

Anchoredto the sea bottom,

these man-madedrilling platforms

extract oiland natural gas.

Tankers and pipelinesbring them to the land,

where they are processedby the companies

of Norway's coastalpetrochemical industry.

It is importantto the people of Scandinavia

to live in harmonywith their natural environment.

Like all otherScandinavian capitals,

Oslo,the capital of Norway,

is an important seaport.

It isa thriving urban center,

yet on the hillssurrounding the Oslo Fjord,

human settlementsare situated

amidst the unspoiledScandinavian landscapes.

In this Stockholm suburb,

one sees a new approachto urban planning--

living and workingside by side,

still in harmonywith nature.

Stockholm--capital of Sweden.

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On the right sideis the saltwater seaport.

On the left,freshwater Lake Mlaren.

Every year,

in the town hallof Stockholm,

the Nobel Prize is presentedby the king of Sweden.

For distinguishedmen and women

of science and literaturearound the world,

the Nobel

is the most prestigious awardof its kind.

The biggest cityin Scandinavia

is Copenhagen,the capital of Denmark.

Copenhagen is a busy centerfor industry and commerce

and an important gatewayfor all Scandinavia.

As a seaportand business center,

it has a longand distinguished history.

Sweden, Norway, and Denmarkare all monarchies.

While the Prime Ministeris the head of the government,

the monarch is consideredthe chief of state.

The Scandinavian countries

were amongthe first in Europe

to havedemocratic parliaments.

Citizens' rightshave been protected here

for many years.

Every summer,in much of Scandinavia,

the sunonly touches the horizon

before rising again.

But winterwill come soon,

and long days will be tradedfor even longer nights.

Tivoli,

the famous amusement parkin Copenhagen,

treats its numerous visitorswith old-fashioned attractions.

Perhaps it isthe region's harsh climate

that has helped instillthe people of Scandinavia

with such strong beliefin traditional values.

Nevertheless,their living style is modern,

and their living standard

is considered to bethe highest in Europe.

The Scandinavians offera challenging example,

as well as a great hope,to the rest of Europe.

Funding for purchaseand captioning of this video

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was provided by theU.S. Department of Education: PH: 1-800-572-5580 (V).