Education

359 Culture
Lesson:
Croatia
David Pennino
What do you know about Croatia?

• Directions:
• You have been handed a “KWL” (Know, Want to know, and
Learned) chart.
• Your task is to write down anything that you know about Croatia
in the K column and anything you would like to know in the W
column.
• Leave the L column blank for now.
Objectives
• By the end of this lesson,
students will be able to…
• 1. Identify one difference between
the Croatian school system and the
American one
• 2. Recall one fact about Croatian
history or culture
• 3. Theorize about how easy or
difficult it would be to assimilate
into Croatian society based on what
they’ve learned about the culture
Croatia’s Geographic Location
 • The capital city of Croatia is Zagreb
Croatia’s Capital
• Some major regions of Croatia include (but are
and Regions not limited to): Slavonia, Dalmatia, Istria
Flag of Croatia
Timeline of Croatia’s History
500s-600s AD: Slavic 925 AD: Tomislav unites 1102 AD: Croatia enters 1102-1918: Croatia is
tribes like the Croats and the Croatians under a into a personal union with ruled by several different
Serbs migrate into the single, centralized the Kingdom of Hungary foreign powers
western Balkans kingdom
Timeline of Croatia’s History
1945: Yugoslavia becomes
1919-1941: Croatia is part 1941-1945: Yugoslavia is a socialist dictatorship
of the Kingdom of Serbs, occupied and partitioned under the leadership of
Croats and Slovenes by the axis powers Josip Broz Tito
Croatian Independence from Yugoslavia
• Croatia declared its
independence from
Yugoslavia in 1991,
was recognized by
the international
community in 1992
• The Croatian War for
Independence lasted
from 1991 to 1995
Croatia Post-Independence
• Croatia has had a growing economy since independence and currently has an HDI of 0.83
• Croatia became a member of NATO in 2009 and the EU in 2013
What is the Culture of Croatia like?

• Croatia is a majority-Catholic country, with more than 85% of Croats adhering

to the Catholic faith
• Croats are very family-oriented people. It is common for children to live with
their parents well into adulthood or until they are married off
• Croatians tend to be very direct when talking to people and can come across
as assertive and abrupt during conversations. Keep in mind that they are not
trying to be rude; this is simply how people converse in Croatia.
What is the Culture of
Croatia like?
• The Croatians value their independence
very much, so don’t question it!
• While the Croatian language may be very
similar to the Serbian language, DO NOT
confuse the two countries or peoples.
Their cultures are very different.
• The šahovnica (red/white checkerboard
look) is an important national symbol of
Croatia, and you will see it often!
Croatia’s
Education System
• Croatia’s education system has the following
levels:
• Preschool education/nursery (0–6-year-
olds)
• Primary education (7–14-year-olds)
• Secondary education (15–19-year-olds)
• Could be at Gymnasium (general
education system)
• Could be at a vocational education
and training (VET) program

Izidor Kršnjavi elementary school in Zagreb, Croatia

VET Programs in Croatia
Higher Education in Croatia
• Croatia has a binary higher education system. Students looking to
enroll in higher education can choose between:
• University studies: have programs that develop students’ scientific, artistic
and professional knowledge in a single or interdisciplinary field of science
• Professional studies: have programs that develop students’ professional skills
in order to prepare them for the labor market
 Potica – A Croatian Treat
Potica is a sweet tasting rolled-up nut bread eaten in Croatia and
neighboring countries
Making
Potica
Making Potica
• This is what it looks like when
it comes out of the oven
Croatian “Breakfast”
A Gregorich (and Pennino) family tradition
Croatian Licitars
• Colorful heart
decoration made of
sweet honey dough
• NOT for eating
• Given to a significant
other or loved one
What have you learned about Croatia?

• Directions: please take out your KWL charts we looked at before. Take a few
minutes to write down anything you learned about Croatia in the L column.
• Questions for the class: how easy or hard do you think it would be to
assimilate into Croatian culture? How easy or hard do you think it would be
for a Croatian to assimilate into American culture?
 Visual: lots of maps and graphics used to support visual learners

Auditory: the slideshow is presented verbally so auditory

learners can listen and follow along

Learning Conceptual: students learn about different concepts related to

Croatian history, culture, education (i.e. partisans, sahovnica,

Styles binary education system)

Spatial: a graphic showing a map of the Croatian education

system is handed out to students so that spatial learners can see
“how it works”

Creative: students engage in a cultural emersion activity via a

craft that they have to make themselves, something creative
learners may benefit from
References
• Bills, J. W. (2018, September 18). 11 Things You Should Know About Croatian Culture.
Culture Trip.
• Halak, Ž., & Romic, D. (2016). Binary Higher Education System In The Republic Of Croatia
With Emphasize On The Professional Higher Education. European Scientific Journal.
• Ministry of Science and Education. (n.d.). Higher Education System. Study in Croatia.
• Roser, M. (2014, July 25). Human Development Index (HDI). Our World in Data.
• World Population Review. (n.d.). Human Development Index (HDI) by Country 2022.
World Population Review.