"Conversations about important things" on October 5 — topic and program of the lesson

On Monday, October 5, Russian schools and colleges will host another lesson from the series "Conversations about important things." Younger students will talk about the power of the word and the role of a teacher, and students in grades 6-11 and college freshmen will get acquainted with the biography of the outstanding 19th century military commander Peter Kotlyarevsky. Izvestia reports on how the lesson will go.

"Conversations about important things" on October 5 — the topic of the lesson

The choice of topics this Monday is not accidental. In early October, the country celebrates Teacher's Day, and the conversation about the role of a teacher (mentor) will become central not only for younger schoolchildren, but also for students of the second and fourth courses of vocational education. The key idea will be that the teacher not only transmits knowledge, but also helps the child discover his abilities, teaches him to independently search for answers, make decisions and be responsible for his choices.

Special attention is paid to the topic "The power of the word. By Teacher's Day," attention will be paid to the power of human speech. Words alone can support a person in a difficult moment, give him confidence and help him not to give up his goal. Others, said thoughtlessly, can offend, make you doubt yourself, or lead to conflict. Therefore, students will be asked to think not only about what they are saying, but also about the consequences of their words.

This topic is especially relevant in the age of social media. Words published on the Internet can become accessible to a wide audience in a matter of minutes, so it is important to think about your statements and remember your responsibility for them.

Ilya Belyakov, a knight of the Order of Courage, Hero of Russia, Adviser to the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, and Irina Belyakova, a physical education teacher at Gymnasium No. 46 in Rostov-on-Don, will join the lesson in video interview format. They will talk about the role of a mentor, the importance of support, and how a teacher's words can influence a person's choice and future life path.

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Another theme has been prepared for students of grades 6-11 and first—year students of vocational education and training - "Pyotr Stepanovich Kotlyarevsky". During the lesson, teenagers will get acquainted with the biography of the outstanding Russian commander, the hero of the Caucasian War of 1804-1813, whom his contemporaries called "Caucasian Suvorov." It was his name that Alexander Pushkin mentioned in the poem "The Caucasian Prisoner", admiring the fearlessness of the military commander.

Using the example of Pyotr Kotlyarevsky's fate, schoolchildren will talk about patriotism, military duty and responsibility for the fate of the country. This topic partially echoes the first part of the lesson. Both programs are united by a conversation about human responsibility — for their words, decisions made, and the people who depend on them.

Classes are designed for 45 minutes. Methodological materials and lesson scenarios are posted on the official website of the Conversations about Important project.

"Conversations about important things" on October 5 — lesson program

In grades 1-4, the conversation begins with the question of why a person needs words and what can be done with them. The children will be asked to imagine a situation where several children are building a city out of sand together. To come to an agreement, they have to explain their ideas, listen to each other and look for a common solution. Then the children will discuss why some words help a person cope with failure, while others, on the contrary, make them give up.

In 5th grade, the conversation becomes deeper. The children will have to understand the difference between the expressions "say the word", "give the word" and "keep the word". Separately, they will talk about the fact that a teacher is a person whose words are listened to especially carefully, because he notices something in a student that he himself does not yet see. After watching the thematic videos, students will discuss the role of a teacher, the importance of support, and why a mentor's words can be remembered for many years.

In grades 6-7, the lesson will be dedicated to Pyotr Stepanovich Kotlyarevsky. Schoolchildren will learn interesting facts from the biography of the military commander, who began his service at the age of 10. The teacher will suggest thinking about what a person has to learn if he finds himself among adults early, and what helps to earn the trust of more experienced comrades. In the sequel, the guys will watch a video about the commander and complete a practical task "When the team depends on you."

In grades 8-9, students will consider Kotlyarevsky's fate through the prism of moral categories.: what makes a person choose a dangerous path at a young age, where does a feat begin — with an act or with a decision? Students will also be asked to discuss why responsibility for others does not necessarily end with the end of service. Then the teacher organizes the practical assignment "They're counting on you."

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High school students in grades 10-11 and first-year students of vocational education and training will consider the issues of fortitude, moral choice and personal responsibility through the biography of Peter Kotlyarevsky. Special attention will be paid to citizenship, loyalty to duty and willingness to be responsible not only for their own actions, but also for the people who trusted you, as well as for the fate of the country.

Students of 2-4 courses of vocational education and science together with younger students will talk about the power of words, but at a more adult level. The lesson will focus on the influence of speech on a person's mood, self-esteem, and decisions. As an example, they will discuss the story of Russian skier, Olympic medalist in Beijing Alexander Terentyev and his coach Yuri Borodavko, and also learn how the mentor's words helped the athlete not to give up training during a difficult period.

Thus, the content of the lesson varies depending on age, but the basic idea remains the same. Younger students learn to pay more attention to words and understand their impact on others. Teenagers analyze historical actions, responsibility for others, and the importance of personal choice. High school students and vocational students are moving towards a more independent understanding of mentoring, duty and responsibility.

"Conversations about important things" on October 5 — about the project

"Conversations about important things" is a series of extracurricular activities dedicated to the history, culture and geography of Russia, as well as topical topics from the daily life of schoolchildren. The project was launched by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation in 2022. Classes are held on Mondays in schools and colleges across the country.

The format of the project has changed since September 2026. The Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation abandoned the practice in which students from 1st to 11th grade discussed one common topic. The programs are now divided by age: the first topic is designed specifically for students in grades 1-5, and the second is aimed at teenagers and high school students in grades 6-11. Separate programs are also provided for students of vocational schools.

The previous lesson took place on September 28. For grades 1-5, it was devoted to the topic "Why should a person read?", and students in grades 6-11 talked about the Venerable Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna. A separate topic was prepared for students of the SPE — "How to manage time and keep up with everything?".