Unit 2 Crossing limits
I．单元教学目标
技能目标Skill Goals ▲Talk about exploring the world▲Practise judging situations and making decisions▲Review the predicate▲Write a persuasive essay
II．目标语言
功能句式 Expressions to judge situations and make decisions:a. Expressions used to judge situations:1. From my understanding, I find it possible that…2. In my opinion, nobody has the right to…3. For the sake of…, I believe…4. In respect for…, we should…5. Everything has two sides, but I …6. By no means should we sacrifice people’s life in the name of science…b. Expressions used to make decisions:1. It’s hard to decide… however, 2. Take everything into consideration, I …3. In spite of…, I still believe…4. I am likely to think… because…5. My choice will be…
词汇 1. 四会词汇evaluate, various, key, origin, equip, puzzle, wealthy, Asian, African, ambassador, wander, motherland, existence, accurate, navy, treasure, command, royal, embassy, zebra, volunteer, radium, dam, suggest, accomplish, sickness, unable, sacred, refer, aircraft, arise, evidence, chairman, praise2. 认读词汇Christopher Columbus, endeavor, Marco Polo, spice, Ceylon, Arab, westernmost, Roman, empire, rhinoceros, horn, Shanga, awareness, fleet, symbolic, sum, horizon, navigation, Korea, the Himalayas, Sherpa, Tibet, honesty, dedication, ideal, technological 3. 词组in the name of, in exchange for, set sail, in return, bring up, apart from, refer to, run out 4. 重点词汇various, key, wealthy, accurate, wander, suggest, accomplish, arise, praise
语法 Review the Predicate:1. A team of scientists discovers an important ancient grave near the village of native people. 2. I was reading a book about Marco Polo when you called.3. We can send robots equipped with cameras and other tools to do observations for us.4. The world map was a great puzzle to people of early civilizations.5. A small bronze statue of lion has been found in the Swahili town of Shanga.
重点句子 1. Trade and curiosity have often formed the foundation for mankind’s greatest endeavor. 2. The Arabic contacts to the African coast led to the next meeting between black people and a Chinese.3. The contacts between China and Africa over the centuries had led to the awareness of each other’s existence, but still no accurate maps of the countries around the Indian Ocean existed.4. In the years between 1405 and 1433, seven large treasure fleets sailed westwards on voyages of trade and exploration.5. The fleet made several expeditions before the exploration was stopped, probably for economic reasons.
III.教材分析与教材重组
1． 教材分析
本单元的话题是Crossing limits，话题涉及的历史和地理知识庞杂，给学生理解文章带来了较大难度。Pre-reading, Reading和Post-reading部分涉及了许多背景知识，这会给学生精读文章带来障碍。Warming Up, Listening和Integrating Skills部分涉及到Exploration话题的空间跨度很大，因此解决好中外、过去和现在Exploration的关系可以促进学生理解话题--跨越极限。Speaking和Writing以判断和劝诱为主题，旨在通过理解和学习话题，发展学生理解观点和形成自主判断，促进学生的自主决策能力。
1．1 WARMING UP 以４位中外航海家的图片为引线，引出了本单元人物和话题。４个任务设计层层深入，首先由人物事迹逐渐导向单元话题--Exploration。最后一个任务把话题引向具体的单元话题的目标语言。
1．2 LISTENING包括Pre-listening, While-listening和Post-listening三个部分。Pre-listening的目的是培养学生听前预测的能力，这就使得听的过程目的性很强。Post-listening的两个任务设计各有侧重，任务１强调对听力内容的整体理解，任务２则侧重对话题思想的理解，重在培养学生解决问题的能力。整体上来看，Listening的设计旨在培养学生预测、选择、判断和深层加工信息的能力。
1．3 SPEAKING 部分包括三个Situations。三个Situations都是以科学发现和探测为主题，提出问题情境，旨在培养学生对问题情境的判断能力和运用语言解决问题的能力。问题的情境设计具有思辨性特征，学习者只有对问题情境的深刻理解，才能做出准确的判断，在此基础上形成决策。
1．4 READING部分包括Pre-reading, Reading 和Post-reading三个部分。 Pre-reading以Silk Road为主题，输入背景知识，促进学生对Reading的深刻理解。Reading讲述了海上丝绸之路开辟的背景、发展和繁荣，文章的后半部分重点记叙了郑和下西洋的过程和意义。Reading的主题内容明确，此主题是培养学生民族自豪感的好材料。Reading的语言材料不难，但是由于文章所记叙的内容时间跨度很大，关系略显复杂，学生不易把握文章的结构。教学中处理好背景知识输入和读懂文章整体结构的任务设计，就基本可以很好地完成教学任务。Post-reading是对Reading内容的熟练和主题的拓展，最后一个任务升华了主题。这些任务设计都要求学生跨越段落寻找信息，因此教学设计中要适当补充和重新设计Tasks，以使得大多数学生都能读透文章。
1．5 LANGUAGE STUDY 分词汇和语法两部分。其中，Word study的前两个练习序列性很强，两个练习设计注重词性拓展和运用。任务中基本涉及到本单元重点词汇和常见词汇，但是对学生而言，仅依靠这样两个任务设计是不能够达到熟练的目的，因此应该适当的在Homework或者Integrating Skills部分运用恰当的任务设计来达到使学生能够熟练运用这些词汇的目标。Word Study的第三个练习训练学生在语境中运用词汇的能力，材料内容补充了本单元话题的背景知识。Word Study基本上呈现出了本单元的重点词汇，任务形式以训练为载体，强调了语言知识的运用能力，因此教学中要细处理。Grammar 则分成两个Parts. Part 1要求学生要学会识别和判断Predicate；Part２强调了Predicate在语篇中的运用。由于是复习内容，所以两个Task的内容设计显得简单，可以适当补充一些Tasks来强化学生在写作过程中准确运用Predicate的能力。
1．6 INTEGRATING SKILLS分为2部分：Reading 和Writing。Reading记叙了中外Pioneers爬越珠穆朗玛峰的过程，文章的语言内容不难，不会对学生构成整体的阅读障碍，但文章中涉及到的一些细节知识需要学生细读才能准确把握，因此可利用本篇阅读材料重点培养学生细节理解能力。阅读材料后的四个任务设计都是围绕细节理解展开，任务设计采用口头回答和Paraphrasing的形式，目的是训练学生的口头表达能力。Writing部分的内容以阅读材料为背景，以爬山是否应该带氧气为主题形成讨论，分为两种观点。题目设计同前面Speaking话题相同，训练学生的思维辨析能力，提高其运用笔头形式表达观点的能力。写作要求学生要拓展话题，了解更多的Mountain-climbing事实或实例来支持观点。因此写好文章的关键重在于事例和事实的采集、整理和分析。
1．7 Tips的主题内容是阅读指导，指导学生对于不同文体和主题的阅读材料要选用不同的阅读方法。阅读策略训练一直都是阅读指导的重点，因此可选用报刊选载、小说和科技说明文来指导学生利用Tips的建议阅读，强化阅读策略训练。
1．8 Checkpoint 2是本单元语言知识的反馈和强化。分为谓语形式和单元话题词汇与句式复习两个部分，此项内容可以作为反馈练习来强化单元知识。
2． 教材重组
2．1 教材的Warming Up和Listening两部分内容相关性很大，Warming Up的材料不仅可以导出单元话题，而且可以利用Warming Up的内容为Listening铺垫必要的语言准备。Workbook部分的Listening practice可以被用来补充更多的单元信息和训练学生的听力能力。因此可以整合这3部分内容，上一节听力课。
2．2 Speaking的内容以Exploration为题，重在培养学生运用思维辨析、判断和决策的能力，组织语言材料的难度较大。但可以借助Warming Up的内容和听力材料为辅助材料，运用Mind-Map教学策略来帮助学生收集材料，降低难度，上一节口语课。
2．3 Pre-reading, Reading和Post-Reading三个教学环节序列性很强，互为补充。Integrating Skills的Talking部分同教材Reading部分内容有很大相关性，整合这4个环节，可以设计一节文化背景输入→阅读→读后反思→读后讨论的流线形精读课。
2．4 LANGUAGE STUDY重在语言知识复习和强化，教学中通过合理设计任务，分类组合，设计一节以语言训练为载体的语言知识学习课。
2．5 INTEGRATING SKILLS 的Reading的内容相对简单，但是在单元教学中作用很大。其内容不仅是对单元话题的拓展，也是对后面写作内容的铺垫。通过精处理，拓展话题理解，训练语言知识，就可以起到承前启后的作用。
2．6 INTEGRATING SKILLS 部分的写作设计是对单元话题的总结。语言的输出方式以Essay载体，以单元主题为话题，既呼应了SPEAKING，又升华了主题。
2．7 Work book 的Integrating Skills分为Reading和Writing两部分内容，Reading的内容同教材部分Reading的内容的文章结构有相似之处，都是对历史事件和历史人物的记叙和评价；Writing以Essay writing 为主题，呼应教材Speaking和Writing部分。因此可以这两部分为载体，上一节综合实践课来强化本单元读写技能的实践运用。
3． 课型设计与课时分配（经教材分析，根据学情，本单元可以用7课时教完）
1st Period Listening
2nd Period Speaking
3rd Period Reading
4th Period Language study
5th Period Extensive reading
6th Period Writing
7th Period Integrating skills
IV.分课时教案
The First Period Listening
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language 目标语言
重点词汇和短语
explore, exploration, discover, discovery, face risks, face challenges, modern means, equipment
2. Ability goals 能力目标
Enable students to learn that exploring in the past and present are quite different.
3. Learning ability goals 学能目标
Enable students to learn how to compare between the past and present exploring.
Teaching important points 教学重点
Enable students to fully understand the “problem-solution” part in Warming Up and Listening materials.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
By training listening strategies of prediction and doing shorthand, enable students to form a good habit of listening.
Teaching methods 教学方法
1. Team work learning
2. Task-based learning
Teaching aids 教具准备
A projector and some slides
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step I Revision (Give reading materials before class)
T: First, let’s check your homework to see how well you have prepared for the class. Now please do the quiz.
Quiz:
1. Who was the first person that mapped the Indian coast?
2. Who was the first person that discovered the “New World”?
3. Why did Abel Tasman sail along the coast of Australia and many islands in the Pacific Ocean?
4. What was James Cook’s purpose of his voyage?
Key:
Zheng He
Columbus
Tasman was to answer questions about the nature of the geography of Pacific Ocean regions during his exploration.
Cook was chosen by the Royal Society of London to undertake a scientific journey to Tahiti to observe and document the event as the planet Venus passed between the earth and the sun. His secret task was to find new landmasses in the south.
StepⅡ Warming Up
Task one: World map exploration
T: Look at the map and tell me how many continents there are in the world. What are they?
Show a world map through slide.
S: There are seven continents in the world. They are Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, North America, South America and Antarctic.
T: Observe the map carefully and find their separate positions. Tell me which ocean separates Asia from Oceania, and which separates Europe from America. Then tell me which oceans we have to cross if we take the shortest route from China to the east coast of Africa by sea.
S: The Pacific Ocean separates Asia from Oceania and the Atlantic Ocean separates Europe from America. We have to cross the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
Task two: Discuss and answer
T: Work in pairs and discuss the following question?
Question: What were the dangers and challenges that explorers had to face in the past while exploring the world? You can find answers in your reference handout or recall them from your memory.
S: There were a lot of dangers that made their exploration difficult. First, they had to struggle against big storms, icebergs and great rocks that lie unnoticed in the sea. Second, they may easily get ill without fresh vegetables on board. Third, they had to fight against pirates and unfriendly natives.
Task three: List words and expressions
T: Since we have known a lot about exploration at sea, now please recall the words and expressions we just used in talking about exploration. You can also think out these words and expression by using mind-map strategy.
Students recall the words by using mind-map strategy and make the following list.
Item Language
Words with the meaning exploration and discovery Make a discovery, expedition, explore the unknown, exploration
Purposes and experiences in the course of an expedition Do scientific research, map the coast, find a new landmass, discover an island, hit a rock, meet with storms, fight against the natives, land, hide in a harbor
Transport and communication set out for, set sail for, on board, by sea, on deck, by radio, by flag language, by telephone
Step III Pre-listening
Task one: Prediction
T: Now we are going to hear an interview between a reporter and a professor about exploring in the past and at present. Before listening, please think what sort of questions the reporter will ask and list at least three questions.
S: He may ask the following three questions. 1. What communicating tools did they use in the past? 2. How did they store enough fresh water? 3. How did they deal with sickness in the course of exploration in the past?
T: If the reporter raises the above questions, what examples will the professor give to answer the questions?
S: He may give an example of a great explorer and explain the questions.
Task two: Question and answer
T: What modern means can explorers make use of today?
S: They can send messages by radio and take pictures with advanced cameras in space travel. They can also use robots and other advanced equipment to accomplish some dangerous tasks.
Step IV While-Listening
Task one: Listen for the first time and fill in the chart
T: In the tape you are going to hear the differences of communication and transport used in the past and at present. Listen to the tape and fill the chart of exercise 2 on page 11.
Students listen and do the excercise.
Task two: Do shorthand
T: Listen to the tape for the second time and fill in the chart below. Before that you had better read the questions of exercise 3 carefully.
Students listen to the tape and do shorthand.
Risks in the past
Solutions for modern explorers having no map
Similarities between the past expeditions and trips to Mars
Step V Post-listening
Task one: Discussion
T: Exploration means advancement. It was Armstrong’s first step on the moon that enables people to know what the real moon is like. Meanwhile, explorations are not without dangers and challenges. Recall your early experiences or choose one topic from the teacher’s list to discuss what dangers or difficulties you may have in the course of exploration. Work in groups of four and list all the possible dangers or difficulties. After that, please find out possible solutions to the problems.
Teacher’s list:
Situations Exploring an uninhabited (无人居住的) island
Going through a cave
Discover a special plant
Students discuss in groups and try to find out possible solutions.
S: Take exploring an uninhabited island as an example, we may meet the following dangers and difficulties and we have found out possible solutions to them, as is shown in the below.
Dangers and difficulties Solutions
We may meet with big waves on the voyage Prepare a boat strong enough and listen to weather forecast before hand
We may get lost in the island Take a compass and make marks along the way
We may find it difficult to make meals Prepare enough food and fresh water and take some matches
We may be attacked by the snakes Prepare a safe sleeping bag and some medicines
Step Ⅵ Listening practice
Task one: Choose the best answers
T: Listen to the tape for the first time and do exercise 2 on page 153.
Students go through the requirement before listening and listen to get the answers.
Task two: Listen and answer questions
T: Listen to the tape for the second time and do exercise 3 on page 153.
Students go through the requirement before listening and find answers to the questions.
Step VII Homework
Task one: Use the following words to make short phrases (eg: evaluate-evaluate the situation)
Words and expressions: evaluate, various, make a decision, in the name of, solve the energy problem, be rich in, take possession of, damage, disturb, available
Task two: Interview some of your classmates and find out if they would like to take part in “A Trip to an Uninhabited Small Island”. Then write a small passage showing different opinions and their reasons. At the end of the passage, you should express your own reason and opinion.
Sample key:
Yesterday I made a survey among my classmates to see if they would like to take part in a trip to an uninhabited island. Their opinions are divided.
About 60% of the students agree to take apart in the exploration. Some believe that exploration will build up their courage. Some girls think the exploration will make their experience richer. And most students are curious about it and take it a good chance to test their ability of independence.
About 40% of students disagree with the idea. The main reason is that it is too dangerous. The rest of the students take no interest in such activities.
From my point of view, I think life means to experience. And we can be more independent only when we take a positive attitude towards everything. Therefore, I will take part in it.
The Second Period Speaking
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
evaluate, various, make a decision, in the name of, solve the energy problem, be rich in, take possession of, damage, disturb, available
b. 交际用语
Expressions used to express opinions:
From my understanding, I find it possible that…
In my opinion, nobody has the right to…
For the sake of…, I believe…
In respect for…, we should…
Everything has two sides, but I …
By no means should we …
From my point of view, …
2. Ability goals能力目标
a. Enable students to properly express ideas and opinions.
b. Enable students to collect facts or examples to support their opinions.
3. Learning ability goals学能目标
Teach students learn how to express their opinions and ideas in daily life.
Teaching important points 教学重点
Learn to collect enough information for speaking by brainstorming.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
How to prepare for a debate.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Task-based learning
Debating strategy
Co-operative learning
Teaching aids 教具准备
A projector and some slides
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step I Revision
Task one: Read and review the words and expressions
T: First let’s check your homework and read the following phrases.
evaluate the situation, various solutions, make a decision, in the name of the Chinese emperor, solve the energy problem, be rich in all kinds of resources, take possession of the land, damage the relic, disturb the sleeping child, everything is available
Students read and consolidate the words and expressions.
Step II Lead-in
Task one: Get familiar with the topic
T: Read the third topic of Speaking on page 11 and find what is talked about in the situation.
Students read the third situation carefully and find the topic.
S: The topic should be: Can We Use Robots to Take the Place of Human Beings?
Step III Language preparation
Task one: Collect information (brainstorm)
T: After knowing what the topic is, let’s find enough information to carry out our talk on the topic. Now please look at these questions and show your opinions.
Questions:
1. Can robots do all the jobs that human beings can do?
2. Can human beings live like robot on the planet of the Mars?
3. Why didn’t the scientists of the USA send robots instead of Armstrong and his two co-workers to the moon?
4. What possible dangers will human beings meet on the Mars?
5. Is the sacrifice worth doing for the sake of scientific advancement?
6. Are there any space disasters that you have known?
Sample keys:
1. No. Robot can not completely replace the work of human beings.
2. No. Human beings can only live in certain environment with air, water and proper weather, while robots can live in extreme conditions.
3. Because robots couldn’t meet the requirements of scientist at that time.
4. Lack of air and the weather is extremely cold or hot on the surface of the Mars. (All of these may endanger people’s lives.)
5. Science means sacrifice, so it is worth doing for the advancement of science.
6. Russian spaceship crashed and killed several astronauts.
Task Two: Present opinions
T: Work in groups (four in one). Each student presents your opinions to the other three. You are required to use the following phrases in the box below.
1. From my understanding, I find it possible that…2. In my opinion, nobody has the right to…3. For the sake of…, I believe…4. In respect for…, we should…5. Everything has two sides, but I…6. By no means should we sacrifice people’s life in the name of science…
Students express their opinions to their group members.
Task Three: List examples or facts
T: Work in pairs and list your reasons to support your opinions. You can do the practice following the sample below.
Sample:
In my opinion, robot can not replace human’s work because of the following reasons. First, … Second, … Third, …
Step IV Discussion and oral practice
Task one: Discussion
T: Work in groups again (four in one). The group leader counts the positive and negative opinions in your group. Then the whole group vote to decide to take only one opinion as your group’s opinion (positive or negative).
Students work in groups and make a decision.
Task two: Collect information
T: Work in groups and try to collect enough information for a debate. You had better list as many examples as possible.
Students work together as a team to collect enough information for a debate.
Step V Debate
Task one: Presentation
T: Now the whole class will be divided into two large groups. One is to take the positive stand and the other is to take the negative stand. Those who take the positive stand will be in group A. And those who take negative stand will be in group B. Next you should take the following process to do the debate. Look at the chart below and see what the whole process is.
Process Ⅰ
1. Each group chooses a representative and a sectary to do shorthand.
2. The representative from group A (positive group) presents the entire group’s opinions and reasons.（each student is limited to 1 minute）
3. The representative from group B (negative group) presents the entire group’s opinions and reasons.（each student is limited to 1 minute）
Students do presentation by following the process above.
Task two: Debate
T: Two groups debate with each other by using the examples and facts you have collected just now. But each debater has to be brief and come to the point.
Students debate with each other.
Process Ⅱ (the sectary do shorthand)
1. Debater A states opinion and presents examples or facts.
2. Debater B states opinion and facts to argue with debater A.
Task three: Conclusion
T: In the course of debate each debater did a good job. Now each group is required make a conclusion speech.
Each group chooses a person to make a conclusion speech.
Process Ⅲ
1. The representative from group A makes conclusion speech.
2. The representative from group B makes conclusion speech.
Sample conclusion speech:
Group A:
Science means to explore and research, while on the other hand, only those who are devoted to science can make great achievement in the scientific field. As part of scientific research, exploration is dangerous and it challenges people’s courage, endeavor and spirit to sacrifice. It was the braveness of the early explorers that made people discover “the New World”. But in their course of expeditions, many people lost their lives because of the storms, sickness and lack of fresh water. In space travel human beings are making progress day by day. But if there were no Armstrong, we would not know what the real moon is like. In conclusion, robots can help people do a lot of things, but they can not completely replace human’s courage and wisdom.
Group B:
Robots are ideal alternatives to replace human beings to accomplish the task on the Mars. First, the extreme condition makes it impossible for humans to land on it. Therefore, it is not ripe for human to land on the Mars. Second, lives are always valuable, and we should avoid unnecessary sacrifice since robots are perfect alternatives. We should make full use of it. Third, robots can do better jobs in photographing and data analysis. All in all, it is foolish to cause unnecessary deaths since we can avoid it.
Step Ⅵ Homework
Task one: Preview the following words
curious, wealthy, in exchange for, central position, ambassador, existence, accurate, exist, ripe, command, renew, expedition
Task two: Read the handout and remember as much background information of Reading as possible.
Reference: The other two topics can also be designed to follow the process below.
Language preparation
Discussion
Debate/solution
Design of topic 1:
Topic: Can space explorers of the future take possession of other planets or resources on those planets?
Language preparation:1. Can we use “first come, first served” principle in space exploration?2. Is space exploration very expensive?3. What should we do first if we colonize other planets?4. Will exploration lead to fierce competition among countries?5. Will opening up the planet spoil their natural appearance?6. Is it equal for all the countries on the earth if only a few countries can take possession of the planet just because they are the first to land on it?7. If so, will fierce competition cause wars?Keys:1. It is true, because there is no international law for us to adhere and we have to use natural principle.2. Yes, space exploration research costs a lot. And the first country has to invest large sums of money before they land on the planet.3. They have to spend great effort to open up it and make it possible for human beings to live in it.4. Yes. However, competition among those able countries may lead to greater progress.5. Yes, it surely will.6. No, it is unequal.7. Yes, it will cause wars just as it did when Europeans began their exploration on the sea.
Discussion: …
Conclusion speeches:Sample one: First come, first served. So I believe the first country who has reached the land has the right to take possession of the planet and its resources. For one reason, the first country has to invest large sums of money on the project on the research before they can send human beings to the Mars or other planets. It’s reasonable for the first country to make up for their expense. For another, if space explorers take possession of the land, it will take them great effort to open up and colonize it. If they are not allowed to take possession of the land, they will lack interest in the work. Lastly, if space explorers are encouraged to own the land, this will lead to competitions among countries. Thus space exploration will become prosperous and lead to greater discoveries.Sample two: The earth is ours, so are the planets of outside space. From the ancient time human beings had begun to explore the knowledge about the outside space and now we come to know more and more about space. We can’t make it if it were not for the world people’s joint endeavor. Without the accumulated knowledge from the ancient people of the world, the few developed countries would not make it possible to master the technology to land on the Mars. Therefore, it is the world people’s wisdom that makes today’s achievement. If the first country is allowed to take possession of the land on the Mars, it will not be fair other countries that don’t have the technology to explore space. Therefore, it is not right to take possession of other planets or resources on those planets. Besides, if the “owners” begin to open up these planets, they may destroy the natural beauty of these planets. Also it is possible that fierce competitions among countries may lead to wars as they happened before.
The Third Period Reading
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language目标语言
a.重点词汇和短语
curious, wealthy, in exchange for, central position, ambassador, existence, accurate, exist, ripe, command, renew, expedition
b.重点句子
Trade and curiosity have often formed the foundation for mankind’s greatest endeavor. (p12)
Over the next few hundred years, the Swahili kingdoms and the islands off the African coast developed into the world’s trading centre for ivory, spices, rhinoceros horns, shells, animal skins and sugar. (p12)
The Arabic contacts to the African coast led to the next meeting between black people and a Chinese. (p12)
In the eleventh century, the Africans made several voyages to the court of the Song Dynasty. (p12)
2. Ability goals能力目标
a. Enable the students to know Chinese contribution to world exploration in the 15th century.
b. Develop students’ ability of basic reading strategies of bottom-up and top-down.
3. Learning ability goals学能目标
a. Students will understand the great contribution Zheng He had done to the world, thus they may take these national heroes as example and follow them.
b. By using the strategies of bottom-up and top-down, students will learn to generalize and collect information.
Teaching important points 教学重点
The explorers’ great contribution to world trade and economy.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
Guide the students to pick out the main clue of the passage and the development method of the text.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Team work learning.
Task-based learning
Teaching aids 教具准备
A projector and some slides
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step I Revision
Task one: Check words and expressions
T: Let’s do a mini cloze test and see how well you prepared for the lesson. (show a slide)
Cloze test:
1. Trade and ____(好奇) have often formed the foundation for mankind’s greatest endeavor.
2. Marco Polo’s stories inspired Christopher Columbus and other European explorers to search for sea route to the distant, ____(富有的) Asian lands.
3. Silk from China found its way over land along the Silk Road to India, the middle east and Rome, ____(来交换) spices and glass.
4. Ceylon, with its ____(中央位置), was the place where Chinese merchants met with Arab merchants and heard about the westernmost lands.
5. Gan Ying, a Chinese ____(大使) went to the east Roman Empire over land.
6. The contacts between China and Africa over the centuries had led to the awareness of each other’s ____(存在).
7. Still no ____(精确的) maps of the countries around Indian Ocean ____(存在) before Zheng He.
8. By the beginning of 15th century the time was ____(成熟).
9.Under the ____(统帅) of Zheng He, the fleets set sail from the south China Sea across the Indian Ocean to the mouth of the Red Sea.
10. Zheng He ____(重建) relations with the kingdoms of the East African coast.
11. The fleets made several ____(远征) before the ____ (探险) was stopped.
Keys: curiosity, wealthy, in exchange for, central position, ambassador, existence, accurate, existed, ripe, command, renewed, expeditions, exploration
Task two: Know about Silk Road
T: Let’s see how much you know about Silk Road. Next please fill the following blanks with suitable words. (show a slide)
Students try to fill the blanks by recalling from memory or referring to the handout.
Exercise:
1. The Silk Road, which is regarded as the greatest ____ (东西贸易通道), was first traveled by Zhang Qian when he was sent on a diplomatic mission to the____ (西方地区) in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). The Silk Road was not only for____ (货物) but also for the transmission of ____ (知识和观点) between east and west.
Keys: East-West trade route, Western Regions, goods, knowledge and ideas
Step Ⅱ Lead-in
Task one: Know about great explorers
T: Today we are going to learn a lot about the great explorers in the world. Now let’s have a quiz to check your knowledge about them. Please look at the quiz and tick true or false after your reading. (show a slide)
Students look at the quiz and make judgment.
Quiz:
1. Zheng He was a great explorer of the Ming Dynasty. His expedition to the Indian Ocean was 87 years later than Columbus’s exploration to the Atlantic Ocean. (false)
2. Zheng He’s purpose of expedition was to make trade and show friendship to other lands while Columbus was to seek treasure. (true)
3. Marco Polo’s traveled from Italy to China and they stayed in the Ming court for a long time. After that, they wrote stories about their travels in the Far East. Europeans were so inspired by Marco Polo's accounts that they began searching for sea routes to China, Japan, and the East Indies. (false)
Step Ⅲ Pre-Reading
Task one: Background information input
T: Now please turn to page 12 and look at question 2 and 3 of Pre-reading. Discuss the two questions with your partner, and then I will call three students to come to the front to make three presentations.
Students discuss the two questions in pairs.
Ask three students to make presentations in the front.
Sa: In the Ming Dynasty, the passage to the west, where now the central Asia stands, was controlled by Mongols. When the Mongols’ court was overrun by the Ming government, the two powers were unfriendly to each other. As a result, it was almost impossible for the merchants or ambassadors to cross the passage to the west.
Sb: Gan Ying, a great explorer and ambassador of the Han Dynasty, took the route of the Silk Road over land to accomplish a mission given by the Han emperor. He reached many countries along the Silk Road, though he was not able to arrive at his estimated destination-Da Qin (the west Roman empire).
Sc: Zheng He, a national hero, was famous for his seven voyages across the Indian Ocean, which established China’s rule of the sea in 15th century.
Step Ⅳ While-Reading
Task one: Predicting according to the title (Top-down)
T: Please look at the title of the reading material (Reaching Out Across the Ocean) and guess who reached out across the ocean.
S: Maybe they were China and countries along the Indian Ocean.
T: Why did China reach out across the ocean?
S: They wanted to trade with western lands and show friendship to them.
Task two: Predicting according to the thesis sentence
T: Read the first paragraph carefully and answer the following questions.
Students read quickly and try to find information to answer the questions.
Questions:
1. What formed the foundation of mankind’s interest in exploration?
2. What was Columbus’s purpose of searching for the wealthy Asian lands?
3. Which ocean does the world “western ocean” refer to?
4. Guess who explored the Western Ocean before Columbus.
T: Now I will ask some students to answer these questions.
Sa: Trade and curiosity formed the foundation of mankind’s interest in exploration.
Sb: His purpose of searching was to seek treasure.
Sc: It referred to part of the Pacific Ocean west of Brunei and part of the Indian Ocean along the coast.
Sd: Many people explored the Western Ocean, among whom Zheng He was the most famous.
Task three: Predicting the main idea of the whole passage
T: Work in pairs and predict the main idea of the whole passage according to the title and the first paragraph.
S: My prediction is: The passage is mainly about the explorers from China and other lands who explored the Indian Ocean before Columbus.
Task four: Survey
T: Read paragraph 2 to paragraph 5 and answer the following questions.
Students read carefully and find the information to the questions.
1. In the Han Dynasty, who traveled over land to the East Roman Empire?
2. Between the Han and early the Tang Dynasty, Which part of Africa developed into the world trade centre?
3. During the Tang Dynasty which traveler wrote Record of My Travels?
4. Before the Song Dynasty which means of transport did Chinese travelers mainly use?
5. In the eleventh century, who made several voyages to the court of the Song Dynasty?
Keys:
1. In the Han Dynasty, Gang Ying traveled over land to the East Roman Empire.
2. Between the Han and the early Tang Dynasty, Swahili kingdoms and the islands off the African coast developed into the world trade centre.
3. During the Tang Dynasty Du Huan wrote Record of My Travels.
4. Before the Song Dynasty Chinese travelers mainly traveled over land.
5. In the eleventh century, the Africans made several voyages to the court of the Song Dynasty.
Task five: Generalize the main idea of each paragraph
T: Read paragraph 6 to paragraph 9 and generalize the main idea of each paragraph.
Students read paragraph 6 to paragraph 9 and try to get the main idea of each paragraph.
T: Since you have finished the task, I will call some students to tell which sentence showing the main idea of each paragraph.
S: In paragraph 6, the second sentence shows the main idea of this paragraph. From paragraph 7 to paragraph 9, the first sentences show the main idea of each paragraph.
Task six: Read and build the schema chart of the passage.
T: Read the whole passage again and build the schema chart as below.
Students read the whole passage and build the schema chart.
Schema chart
Title Reaching Out Across the Ocean
Thesis sentence Many great explorers made expeditions across the Indian Ocean long before Columbus, among whom Zheng He was the most prominent.
Main idea(before Zheng He) P2 China had contacts with countries along the Indian Ocean from the early time, and during ancient time explorers had begun to contact with each other.
P3 Between the Han and the early Tang Dynasty, Swahili kingdoms and the islands off the African coast developed into the world trade centre and attracted merchants from the world.
P4 During the Tang Dynasty, Du Huan, who traveled to many lands, wrote the book Record of My Travels.
P5 In the eleventh century, the Africans made several voyages to the court of the Song Dynasty.
Main idea(after Zheng He) P6 By the beginning of the fifteenth century the time was ripe for a grand meeting.
P7 In the years between 1405 and 1433, under the command of Zheng He, seven large treasure fleets sailed westwards on voyages of trade and exploration.
P8 Zheng He renewed relations with the kingdoms of the East African coast.
P9 The fleet made several expeditions before the exploration was stopped.
Step Ⅴ Post Reading
Task one: Questions and Answers
T: Look at Post-Reading part and answer questions of exercise one and two.
Sa: Traveling stories and trade made people know about far-away civilizations. Marco Polo’s stories inspired Christopher Columbus and other European explorers to search for sea routes to the distant and wealthy Asian lands. People of Han Dynasty knew about Africa through the mouth of merchants.
Sb: They are east, west, westernmost, eastern and so on. Theses words are used to suggest that the topic of the passage is the communication between the west and the east.
Task two: Fill in the chart
T: Read the requirement of exercise 3 and 4 carefully and fill in the two charts.
Key to exercise 3:
Period Name Way of travel Goods
Han Dynasty Gang Ying Over land Rhinoceros horns
From Han Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty Ivory, Rhinoceros horns, spices, shells, animal skins, sugar
Tang Dynasty Du Huan Over land and by boat
Song Dynasty By sea A bronze statue of a lion
Ming Dynasty Zheng He By sea Zebras, giraffes, Ivory, Rhinoceros horns, shells
Key to exercise 4:
Goods Africa Africa and Asia
Zebras √
giraffes √
Ivory √
Rhinoceros horns √
shells √
Task three: Paraphrasing (Exercise 5)
T: Paraphrase the phrases and sentences from the text in English using your own words.
Sa: The Africans left the African land and came for a visit to China by sea.
Sb: In the Ming Dynasty both China and the eastern coast countries became very prosperous, and there came the great need for state-to-state contact.
Sc: The part of ocean where the Red Sea meets the Indian Ocean.
Sd: For a short period of time, China held the power of sea for she had large navy, experienced sailors and an excellent admiral-Zheng He.
Task four: discussion
T: Read the requirement of exercise 6 of Post reading, and discuss it with your partner. After that I will call some students to show your opinions.
Students discuss with their partner and come to a conclusion.
Sa: The symbolic meaning is that by trading they built friendly relations. The peaceful communication led to the mutual understanding of each other beyond the basic knowing of each other’s existence.
Sb: Before the USA and China renewed their diplomatic relationship in the late 1970s, China invited the American table tennis delegation to visit China for a friendship match. After the event, the USA expressed her willingness to establish diplomatic relationship with China. Later the event was called Ping-Pang diplomacy.
Step Ⅵ Discussion
Task one: Read and discuss
T: Turn to page 154 and look at Talking. Read the short passage and find out the topic to be talked about.
S: The passage is about the development and influence of Zheng He’s achievement.
T: History develops in two ways, and different choices may result in different outcomes. Discuss with your partner and find out what are the two different outcomes. Then please raise some questions following the examples below.
Students discuss and think out different outcomes.
1. What if China was the first to discover Australia?
2. What if Chinese first settled in Australia and America before the westerners?
3. What if Chinese continued trade with the western world in a large scale after Zheng
He’s expedition?
4. What if Chinese began to run restaurants in Europe in 1800s?
5. What if in most part of the world people can speak Chinese?
6. What if Chinese set up Chinese clinics in Europe after Zheng He’s exploration?
Task two: Discuss and explore
T: Look at the second topic and find out more possibilities.
Students read the requirement and find more possibilities following the sample.
Possible answers:
1. If China had continued to sail further down the African coast, China might have discovered the way to the west Europe. Through continuous contact with the west, China could have established embassy relationship with the westerner.
2. If China had continued to explore to the south and across the Pacific Ocean, she might be the first to discover Australia and America. This way, Chinese might be the dominant language around the world.
3. If China had opened her door earlier as in 1400s, she might have suffered greater loss and have been invaded by the westerners earlier.
Step Ⅶ Homework
Do a project: Before the Song Dynasty, most of Chinese explorers went to other lands over land. But since the Song Dynasty, people began to seek routes to other lands by sea. Make use of the Internet or other resources to find out the reasons.
The Fourth Period Language Study
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
discover, original, equipment, correct, inspect, evaluate, possess, contribute, ignore, competition, existence, wealthy, accurate, royal
b. 语法
Review the predicate
2. Ability goals 能力目标
Review the predicate and let students be exact in the use of the Predicate.
3. Learning Ability Goals 学能目标
Teach students learn how to distinguish different types of Predicate and how to use them properly.
Teaching important points 教学重点
Different types of Predicate.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
By reviewing the predicate, get students to establish a sense of exactness in using the voices and tenses.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Team work learning
Task-based learning
Repetition and practice
Teaching aids 教具准备
A projector and some slides
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step I Revision
T: Good morning/afternoon. Homework first! Have you searched on the Internet or consult other sources? Who’d like to give us the reason?
Sample key:
The Silk Road was the most important route that connected Asian and European countries. It began to exert its function in the Han Dynasty. After the Tang Dynasty, it began to fall partly because the later courts in China were not strong enough. In Song Dynasty, her relationship with other minority governments was very tense, and they always made wars with Song Dynasty. Because of her weakness in power and the continuous wars, most Han people migrated to the south to seek a well-being life. As a result, the economic centre began to slowly transfer from the north to the south since then. During this period, the main passages to European countries were controlled by other minority powers and it was difficult for Song’s people to travel by road. The need to find a route by sea was urgent, thus the Sea Silk Road gradually took the place of the old Silk Road over land.
StepⅡ Word Study
T: Now please turn to page 14 and do exercise one.
After students finish the exercise, check the answers with the whole class.
T: Next, let’s look at exercise two. Before you do it individually, let’s read all the sentences and see what part of speech is needed in each blank. Then please fill in the blanks with the right form of the word.
After students finish the exercise.
T: Let’s check to see how well you have done it. Next we will move to exercise 3. Exercise 3 is a short passage about Zheng He’s voyage to the western Ocean. Choose the appropriate words or phrases from the box to fill in the blanks.
After students finish the exercise
T: Let’s check together.
Deal with exercise on workbook.
T: Please turn to page 156 and look at exercise 4 of Word Study. Translate the following sentences into English, using the phrases in brackets.
After students finish the exercise
T: Let’s check it one by one. The first one, any volunteer?
…
Step III Grammar Study
Task one: Underlining and explaining
T: Look at exercise 1 of Grammar on page 15. Please underline the predicate in the following sentences and explain what type of predicate it is.
Students underline the predicate in each sentence and distinguish what voice and tense is being used in each sentence.
Task two: Complete the passage with proper form of the verbs.
T: Exercise 2 is a passage about the height of the Silk Road in the Tang Dynasty. Try to get as much information as possible while filling in the blanks with the proper forms of words in the bracket.
Students finish the task in required time.
Task three: Complete the following answers by adding the Predicate.
T: Look at exercise 1 of Grammar on page 156. Work in pairs and complete the following answers.
Students work in pairs and finish the exercises.
Step IV Homework
Task one: Finish exercises 1 to 3 on page 155 and exercises 2 to 3 on page 157.
Task two: Preview Reading part of Integrating Skills.
The Fifth Period Extensive reading
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
conquer, accomplish, apart from, unable, survive, sacred, strength, expedition, contain, run out, aircraft, arise, attempt, evidence, praise
b. 重点句子
All that was left to be conquered was the “third pole”, the highest mountain on earth, Mount Qomolangma.
Climbing at such high altitudes requires great skill and is not without risk.
Sherpa’s strength skill, honesty and dedication have made them ideal companions on the mountain.
One of the first foreign expeditions to climb Mount Qomolangma arrived in Tibet in 1921, but at the time they had no idea what they were up against.
The Chinese made their first successful attempt in 1960.
2. Ability goals 能力目标
Enable students to learn about the exploring of the Mount Qomolangma home and abroad.
3. Learning ability goals 学能目标
Understand the real meaning of exploring and mountain-climbing and learn to challenge oneself in real life.
Teaching important points 教学重点
How to answer question 3 of Post reading.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
Generalize the whole passage by picking out key information.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Team work learning
Task-based learning
Teaching aids 教具准备
A projector and some slides
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step I Revision (Check homework-task one and two)
T: First I will check your homework. First, let’s deal with exercises on workbook.
Check the answers with the whole class.
…
StepⅡ Lead-in
Task one: Discussion
T: Before we study the passage, we will have a discussion. The topic is: What difficulties and dangers will a person face when he climbs Mount Qomolangma?
Students work in pairs and come to a conclusion.
S: The climbers will face the cold, thin air and low oxygen levels. Besides, continuous bad weather may endanger the climbers’ lives. Worse still, they may meet with snow collapse, which is fatal. Lastly, there will be no chance to survive if the oxygen runs out.
T: You are right. Even if there are so many dangers and difficulties, pioneers were courageous and many of them have conquered Mount Qomolangma.
Step III While-reading
Task one: Predict the content
T: Before reading the text, tell me what are needed to conquer Mount Qomalangma.
S: Besides all the necessary equipment and preparations, it needs the climber’s skill, courage, strong will and wisdom.
T: Look at the title and answer the questions.
Questions:
1. What does “going high” mean?
2. What is the passage going to talk about? The pioneers or the third pole?
Sa: In my opinion, going high means climbing the mountains.
Sb: I think the passage is going to talk about the pioneers.
Task two: Read and check information
T: Please read the first two paragraphs and answer the 3 questions of exercise 1 on page 17.
After a few minutes
Sa: “The third pole” means that Mount Qomolangma can be compared with the North Pole and the South Pole for its extreme conditions.
Sb: First, both the North Pole and the South Pole lie in the southernmost and northernmost points of the world, while Mount Qomolangma is the highest mountain in the world. Second, like the North Pole and the South Pole, people find it hard to conquer because its extreme conditions.
Sc: Tibet is rich in high mountains and to this point there are hundreds of mountains that can be called the third poles. All these mountains are high and difficult to conquer because of their extreme conditions.
Task three: Questions and answers
T: Read from paragraph 3 to paragraph 5 and answer the following questions.
1. Why can the Tibetans live at ease in such extreme conditions?
2. What makes Sherpas the most reliable guide in every attempt to climb Mount Qomolangma?
3. What might have been the possible reasons that made British expeditions fail in 1922 and in 1924?
4. Why could Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay make it to the summit of Mount Qomolangma?
5. How do you understand the sentence “Like winning in the Olympic Games, climbing a mountain such as Mount Qomolangma is a great personal achievement”?
6. After the first successful climbing, why did so many people still want to climb Mount Qomolangma?
Sample keys:
1. Tibetans can live at ease in such extreme conditions because they have lived in Himalayas for centuries and have adjusted to the conditions at such a height.
2. Sherpas’ strength, skill, honesty and dedication have made them the most reliable guide.
3. They were not prepared to many unexpected difficulties and they were not very familiar with Mount Qomolangma.
4. After World War Two, technological advances in clothing and equipment had been made and more was known about the mountain itself.
5. Mountain climbing itself means exploring human possibilities and every success proves the conqueror’s courage, endeavor and ability.
6. Different people represent different countries and different “number ones”.
Task four: Survey
T: Read from paragraph 6 to paragraph 7 and finish the following cloze.
Cloze:
The Chinese ___(首次成功攀登) in 1960. The team members ___(包括) Gongbu, Wang Fuzhou and Qu Yinhua. It was dark when they ___(到达顶峰). Thus they ___(没能够拍到照片) to produce evidence. On their return, they ___(被颂扬为) as national heroes. On May 27, 1975, another team ___(到达顶峰) of Mount Qomolangma from its northern side. Over the past 40 years, 29 other Chinese people___(已经攀登) Mount Qomolangma.
Keys: made their first successful attempt, included, reached the summit, were unable to take photos, were praised, arrived at the peak, have climbed
Step IV Scanning
Task one: Build the schema chart
T: You are required to build the schema char according to chart below.
Students scan the text and build the schema chart.
Sample chart:
Title
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
Keys:
Title Going High: the Pioneers of the Third Pole
P1 By the middle of 1920s, Mount Qomolangma remained to be greatest challenge for human beings.
P2 Climbing Mount Qomolangma was dangerous and it seemed almost impossible because of its extreme conditions.
P3 Sherpas prove to be the ideal guide since the first attempt.
P4 Though several attempt failed in 1920s, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made their first successful attempt to the summit in 1953.
P5 After the first successful attempt to conquer Mount Qomolangma, it remains man’s great challenges until now.
P6 The Chinese successfully reached the summit of it in 1960.
P7 Over the past 40 years, other 29 Chinese reached the summit for scientific research or sport.
Step V Post Reading
Task one: Paraphrasing
T: Please turn to page 17 and look at exercise 2. Explain the following phrases and sentences from the text in English. (pair work)
Sa: Going to Mount Qomolangma was regarded as difficult as going to the moon.
Sb: The death zone means that people find it almost impossible to live in the area.
Sc: They didn’t know what conditions were to be faced with.
Sd: English air refers to oxygen.
Task two: Questions and answers
T: Look at exercise 3 and 4, and find answers to the two questions.
Sa: In spite of the first successful attempt, there still exist many other “first attempts” to be proved and other scientific work to be done.
Sb: They left behind an iron container with the national flag and a portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong.
Step Ⅵ Homework
Task one: Recite the important sentences. (refer to Target Language)
Task two: Do a project.
Requirement: List the advantages and disadvantages that the Internet has brought to us by referring to the sample chart.
Sample chart:
Advantages
Disadvantages
Writer’s opinion
The Sixth Period Writing
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target Language目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
possibility, achievement, characteristic, argue, struggle against, have nothing to do with, rely on, natural process, compare, spoil, the use of technology, lower the value of, instead of spoiling, the value of
b. 交际用语
Expressions used to make decisions:
It’s hard to decide… however.
Take everything into consideration, I …
In spite of …, I still believe…
I am likely to think… because…
My choice will be…
2. Ability goals 能力目标
a. Enable students to master two kinds of useful strategies used in writing: Opinion → examples; Opinion → facts.
b. Get students learn to write a persuasive essay by following the following process: language preparation ( presenting opinions → list facts or examples) → writing → improvement.
3. Learning ability goals 学能目标
Learn how to write a persuasive essay by following a certain process.
Teaching important points 教学重点
By using stimulation strategy (language preparation), collect the needed sentence structures and words.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
Intensify students’ ability to use mind-map strategy to collect information.
Teaching methods 教学方法
a. Team work learning.
b. Task-based learning
Teaching aids 教具准备
A projector and some slides
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step I Revision
Check recitation of important sentences. (Homework-task one of the 5th period)
Check the project（homework-task two of the 5th period）
T: Every coin has two sides. Take the Internet as an example, it brought both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, it brought us a lot of benefits and has made our life more exciting. On the other hand, it has brought problems if people don’t make proper use of it. Like the Internet, technology brings us not only good, but also controversial problems. Hope you can make proper use of Internet in your daily life.
Sample keys:
Advantages 1. Since there is a lot of information on line, you can surf the Internet for any information you need in a short time without working hard in the library. 2. It is also very convenient to communicate with others by using the Internet.3. The Internet makes our life more colorful and exciting.
Disadvantages 1. There is some information on line that is not good for the students.2. Spending too much time playing games on line will not only have a bad effect on study but also do harm to our health.3. Cybersex and on-line gambling have become drugs for many lonely people.
Writer’s opinion Make proper use of the Internet and learn to separate good plants from wild weeds.
Step II Language preparation
Task one: Fact and conclusion
T: Look at the fact box and discuss with your partner. First get familiar with the two facts and try to think hard to find what opinion the two facts support. After discussion, please come to a conclusion and show different opinions that the two facts support.
Fact box:
1. The Tibetans have lived in the Himalayas for centuries and they have adjusted to the extreme conditions.
2. In 1924, two British men were lost when their oxygen ran out.
Students discuss with their partners.
T: Since you have discussed it for some time, you may have come to different opinions. Now you are required to use the following phrases to present your opinions that you have concluded from the two facts.
Expressions used to make decisions:It’s hard to decide … however.Take everything into consideration, I …In spite of …, I still believe…I am likely to think… because…My choice will be…
Sa: Mountain climbing is dangerous and climbers have to face a lot of other dangers besides the cold and thin air. But according to my knowledge, people can only survive above the death zone for a few days even with extra oxygen. In spite of fact that Tibetans have survived in such extreme conditions for centuries, I still believe it is almost impossible for the climbers from other regions to climb Mount Everest without extra oxygen.
Sb: Since Tibetans have lived in Himalayas for centuries. It is possible for other people to adjust to such high attitude if they follow a natural process of training. Take the fact into consideration, I think that two British men were lost because they were not well prepared before their climbing.
Task two: List facts and examples
T: Here is one topic for us to list the positive and negative examples or facts. “In space travel should we use robots to take the place of human beings?” Our class will be divided into two groups. Group A will list the positive examples or facts and group B will list the facts or examples to support the negative opinions.
Sa: I think we should use robot to take the place of human beings for the following reasons. First, robots can make the job easier. Second, robot will make the exploration safer without risking people’s lives. Third, robots do better job than human, because they can be more exact in collecting and analyzing data.
Sb: I think we should not use robots to take the place of human beings because space travel explores human’s possibilities. Space travel tests people’s courage, endeavor and ability. If we use robots we will become too dependent on them and lose courage in space exploration. Take Apollo’s landing on the Moon as an example, if it were not Armstrong and his co-workers, we would not know what the moon is really like.
Step III Pre-writing
T: Read the narrative part of writing on page 18 and try to get very familiar with what the two different opinions are. Then I will call two students to tell me what they are?
Sa: One opinion supports that the use of equipment spoils or lowers the value of human achievement in sports and exploration.
Sb: The negative opinion is that the use of equipment doesn’t spoil or lower the value of human achievement in sports and exploration.
List facts or examples to support the positive or negative opinion (pair work)
T: Work in pairs and list facts or examples to support the positive or negative opinion by using the mind-map strategy.
Students discuss and list facts and examples.
Student’s mind-map chart:
Task three: presentation
T: I will show two students’ works to the whole class. You can check if their examples or fact support their opinion.
Use two slides to show one positive chart and one negative chart.
Step IV While-wring
Task one: Write opinion sentences by following the chart.
T: Now please write at least three sentences showing opinions by following the chart.
Positive opinion
Negative opinion
Writer’s opinion(student)
After a few minutes
T: Next please write down the facts and examples to support your opinions. You are required to organize the passage by using a three-paragraph pattern.
Sample
Does the Use of Equipment Spoil or
Lower the Value of Human Achievement
With the advancement of social development, technology has become more and more important in every field of society. In science exploration, the use of all kinds of equipment has become so widespread that it causes heated discussion among people. Some experts argue that the wide use of equipment lowers people’s achievement in exploration. They believe that technology will take away the fun of risk in exploration. It is the fun which lies in exploration that continuously stimulates people’s curiosity about it. And the curiosity always impels the advancement of science development. Besides, in the course of exploration, there will be the unknown and challenges. All these that lie ahead test human’s courage and endeavor. If science exploration is too dependent on equipment, people will lose the pleasure of showing their courage and endeavor in exploration. Therefore, the use of equipment minimize people’s ability and makes people fell unable in face of the advanced equipment. And all the advancement achieved seems to be from the equipment, not by the effort of human beings.
On the other hand, some experts argue that, instead of lower human’s achievement, the use of equipment makes human achieve greater progress. With advanced equipment, many dangerous jobs will become safe and possible. What’s more, some equipment can make many kinds of work easier and faster. Owning to oxygen, the climbers made it possible to reach the summit of Qomolangma. Taking all these reasons into consideration, we can not walk faster in the field science exploration without the use of advanced equipment.
In my opinion, we live in a world with technology all around us. We can not avoid its influence in science exploration. Therefore, it is important to make proper use of equipment. In a word, all that can be done by human beings should be accomplished by human while all that are too dangerous and impossible should be fulfilled with the assist of equipment.
Step V Post-writing
Task one: Check and evaluation
T: Now let’s check and evaluate if we you have successfully accomplished your work. We will do it by following the three basic rules: 1. Grammar. 2. Examples/facts should support the opinions. 3. Use of transitional words.
Stude