Russia offers free land to citizens

Topic:
        
The Russian government wants to give free land to some of its citizens.
      

Before reading:

       

General Knowledge:

• Can you find Russia on a map? What do you know about the geography of this country?

      

Speculate:

• The Russian government is giving away land in one of its eastern districts. What might be the purpose of this plan? Why might the land be available?

        
Click on the embedded link below to read the article and see photos on the PRI website. Word count: 558

         

Russia is literally giving away land for free  

After reading:

           

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• What problems might the Russian government be attempting to solve by implementing this program?
• Aleksandr Galushka said this plan will offer young people "a real chance for self-realization". What do you think he means? How might the plan accomplish this?
• What might be the pros and cons of participating in the government's plan? What are the advantages of this program for the Russian government?
• What are some strategies that the Russian government might use to promote this program and to encourage people to participate?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

       

Reflect and evaluate:

• What kind of person do you think is best suited to participate in the government's plan? What kind of people do you think would be successful in a venture like this? (Hint: you might want to consider things like personality or skills.)
• Which areas of your country are the least populated? Do you think a plan like this would help to revitalize those regions? Why or why not?
• In many countries, the percentage of people working in agriculture has decreased significantly. What are some factors that have contributed to this trend?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

            

Beyond the page:

• Do an online search to find out more about Russia's Far Eastern Federal District. Look for pictures of the landscape. Does this change how you feel about the government's plan?

           

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