Summary
After completing the lesson, students will be able to:
- Read and understand texts
- Ask and answer questions
- Write short paragraphs
- Participate in short dialogues on familiar topics
Victory Day Overview:
December 16 is a significant day for Bangladesh as it marks the country's independence in 1971 after a brutal nine-month war with Pakistan, resulting in millions of casualties. This day is celebrated with enthusiasm, starting with a 31-gun salute, flag hoisting, and various programs to honor the martyrs. A grand military parade is held, attended by government officials, and the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar becomes a site for citizens to pay their respects and remember the sacrifices of the heroes.
A1: Vocabulary Meanings:
- Homage: Respect or tribute
- Martyrs: Individuals who died for a cause
- Dedicate: To commit to a purpose
- Patriotic: Having love for one’s country
- Sacrifice: Giving up something valuable
- Commemorate: To honor the memory of someone
A2: Questions:
- a. Significance of Victory Day? It commemorates Bangladesh's independence and honors those who sacrificed for it.
- b. Why pay homage to martyrs? To remember their sacrifices for freedom.
- c. Name of the monument at Savar? National Martyrs' Memorial.
- d. How many sacrificed lives? Three million people.
A3: List of Patriotic Songs:
N/A
B: Dialogue Activity:
Students are to fill in gaps in a dialogue about celebrating national days and visiting the National Martyrs' Memorial on December 16.
C: Vocabulary Match:
- celebrate - observe
- wreath - garland
- graveyard - cemetery
- independence - freedom
- martyr - a person who died for a belief
- sacrifice - to give up
- inspiration - encouragement
D: Interview Cues:
Students will pair up and interview each other using specific questions about personal experiences of great days.
E: Writing Task:
Students will use interview answers to write a small paragraph on how their partner celebrated a national day.
F: Personal Experience Writing:
Students are to write about their own experiences celebrating a national day, detailing activities and emotions related to the event.
After completing the lesson students will able to
- read and understand texts
- ask and answer questions
- write short paragraphs
- participate in short dialogues and conversations on familiar topics
A . Read the following passage.
December 16 is a remarkable day for Bangladeshi people. On this day in 1971, Bangladesh got independence after a nine-month-long blood-soaked battle against the Pakistani army. It is a day of national pride as well as a day of commemorating the sacrifices of the millions of Bangladeshi people. Pakistani army killed three million people and raped thousands of women.
Victory Day is celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country. The day begins with a 31-gun salute at dawn, followed by the hoisting of the national flag at government buildings and private institutions. Different political, cultural and educational programs are organized to pay homage to the martyrs of the war. The entire nation celebrates the day with colorful flags, banners and parades.
The National Parade ground hosts a grand military parade where the president, the prime minister and dignitaries from government and non-government sectors join. The National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar, our monument dedicated to the soldiers and civilians who lost their lives during the war, becomes a focal point for citizens to pay their respects. People from all walks of life gather to offer flowers, recite patriotic songs, and recall the sacrifices made by the nation's heroes.
A1. Write the meanings of the following words:
Homage, Martyrs, Dedicate, Patriotic, Sacrifice, Commemorate
A2. Answer the following questions.
a. What is the significance of our victory day?
b. Why do we pay homage to our martyrs?
c. What is the name of the monument situated at Savar?
d. How many people have sacrificed their lives for our country's liberation?
A3. Make a list of the patriotic songs that encouraged our people during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
B Listen to the dialogue from a CD or as your teacher reads it out and fill in the gaps.
Teacher Well students, how do we celebrate our national days?
Shanta We go to the ____ on ______ We go to the Jatiyo Smritisoudho at _____ on ____and _________
Teacher Great! But do you know the English of Jatiyo Smriti Soudho?
Shanta Yes, ma'am. It's ______ Mausoleum.
Teacher Very good. Have you ever been to our National_________
Shanta Oh yes, I went there last year on the ________ on 16 December.
Teacher What did you do there?
Shanta Well, I went there with my ______ and my brother. Many people were there! Everybody went there to pay to the liberation war martyrs.
We were in a long queue. We had flowers with us. We _____ wreaths of flowers before the mausoleum.
My parents took me to the mass graveyards. They told us about
the sacrifice of our people for our ______ I was very _______ to see the mass graves.
I prayed for the souls of the martyrs.
Teacher Yes, we should never forget their _______ . What else did you see there, Shanta?
Shanta I saw all kinds of people there- old and young, men, women, and children,
politicians, workers, teachers, diplomats, _________ . All came to pay _________ to the freedom fighters. I saw some ________.
Teacher Really? Were you excited?
Shanta Oh, yes! I shook hands with them and gave them some flowers.
Teacher You must have felt very ______ We all should love and respect them. They are our source of inspirations.
C Read the words in Column A. They are used in the text above. Match them with their meanings in the Column B.
Column A | Column B |
celebrate wreath graveyard independence martyr sacrifice inspiration | cemetery freedom to give up observe garland encouragement a person who died for a religious or political belief or cause |
D Work in pairs and take an interview of your partner. Use these cues.
i) Do you have any experience of a great day?
_______________________________
ii) What was it for?
_______________________________
iii) Where did you go?
_______________________________
iv) Who accompanied you?
_______________________________
iv) What did you do?
_______________________________
v) Why was it great/special to you?
_______________________________
E Use the cues in Section D and write a small paragraph on how your partner celebrated a national day.
F Write your own experience about the day. Mention what day you celebrated; what exactly you, your teachers, and your friends did; and what your feelings were on that day.
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