We have another bonus country to add to our Around the World in 11 Weeks series…Poland! Poland is located in central Europe. It has a long history and is full of beauty from the Baltic coast in the north to the mountains in the south and everything in between. Check out all the resources below and grab the FREE printable portion to learn more about this country.
Note: For ideas on how to organize your unit study, visit the Around the World in 11 Weeks main page.
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Printable Unit Study
The printable portion of the unit study contains Poland Notebooking Pages, a Map Scavenger Hunt, a Following Directions activity, a math activity about Polish currency, Famous People notebooking pages, and book summaries. Grab it below! (22 pages)
Videos About Poland
10 Best Places to Visit in Poland (15 minutes).
This is a great video to show your children the beauty and a little history of Poland.
22 Interesting Facts About Poland You Should Know (8 min.)
The Animated History of the Poland (Part 1: 13 minutes, Part 2: 11 minutes).
This series is definitely aimed at older children…middle and high school…or very inquisitive upper elementary students.
Research More About Poland
Kids World Travel Guide contains a variety of information about Poland along with beautiful pictures.
Ducksters has a history page and a geography page dedicated to Poland. They include information about the history, geography, economy, and history of Poland.
National Geographic Kids has a short slideshow of pictures, fast facts, the history of Poland and more.
Cool Kid Facts has a narrative version of facts about Poland written in a larger font making it a good place for younger children to learn.
Hands-On Activities
Wycinanki: Try this Polish folk art that involves cutting paper in colorful designs! All that is needed is some colorful paper, scissors, glue and some inspiration!
Serso: Find some sticks and make a hoop and play a game of Serso!
Rooster: The rooster image is used frequently in Polish folk art. The rooster is seen as a guardian and a symbol of fertility. This rooster painting is fun regardless of the age of your children. Older kids may enjoy this drawing tutorial.
Dance: Try the Mazurka dance. First watch this video about the importance of the Mazurka in Polish culture and then try this tutorial.
Make Polish Food
Polish food often incorporates meats and grains. It tends to be ‘hearty’, using cream, eggs, and lots of seasonings. Pick a couple of these recipes to try:
One of the most popular dishes in Poland is pierogi, or filled dumplings. Savory and sweet ingredients are used to fill them. They do take awhile to make, but can be done in separate steps. Here is a recipe for potato and cheese pierogi.
Placki Ziemniaczane are Polish potato pancakes.
Golabki or stuffed cabbage rolls are another popular Polish food.
For dessert, make kolaczki or cream cheese cookies.
Kielbasa is a popular Polish sausage that you can buy and serve with some of the above foods.
Famous Poles
There are notebooking pages for the following famous people of Poland included in the printable portion of the unit study. Here are some resources to research them:
Nicolaus Copernicus: Research, Video, Solar System Unit Study
Frederic Chopin: Research, Video
Marie Curie: Research, Video, Book
Pope John Paul II: Research, Video
Robert Lewandowski: Research, Video
Play Polish Music
Find a Polish playlist on your favorite streaming service or listen to this collection of traditional Polish Slavic music or this playlist of the Best Polish Songs from 2022. *Note, I have not watched every video in this playlist to see if they are appropriate for children so I suggest just listening to the audio.
Learn Polish
The Polish alphabet has 32 letters so learning the alphabet and how to pronounce each letter is a great way to start learning Polish!
Fun Kids Learn has a variety of videos to teach children Polish words. Here is one about the names of colors.
This video is good for older students to learn some Polish phrases.
Duolingo is another free way to learn Polish.
Non-fiction Books About Poland
Fiction Books About Poland
Read alouds for younger children:
Upper Elementary:
Upper Elementary/Middle School:
Middle School:
High School:
Movies and TV Shows About Poland
Flavor of Poland is a show on PBS featuring a host that travels to different areas of Poland to learn about the food and local history and culture.
The Flying Machine (2013) incorporates Chopin’s music and is set partially in Poland. Available through IMDb TV.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) was filmed in Poland, Slovakia, and Czechia. Available to rent on Amazon.
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (2009) is for ages 7+ and tells the story of a social worker who was part of the Polish Underground in World War II. May be watched through Hallmark Movies.
For teens (each one is rated PG-13):
The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) is a ‘lighter’ movie about World War II and the Holocaust. It can be rented through Amazon.
Ida (2013) is set in Poland in 1962, but also travels back into World War II history. Available to stream through Amazon Prime.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008) is also about the Holocaust and is reported to be more heartbreaking than The Zookeeper’s Wife. It is available to rent through Amazon.
The Island on Bird Street (1997) is about a boy who hides during World War II while his family is sent to concentration camps. Available to stream through Amazon Prime.
“Go to” Poland
Explore a 360 degree view of many different places in Poland with Visit Poland Online.
Explore a few museums with Joy of Museums.
Talk a “walk” through Krakow with a tour guide.
What other activities have you used to learn about Poland?
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