The First Period Warming Up, Pre-reading and Reading
浙江省湖州二中 邵宁宁
教材分析
The part Warming up is made up of two parts: discussing and talking. The purpose is to get students get interested in the topic “disability”. The teacher first asks students to talk about people with a mental or physical disability to see how much they know about disabilities. Next, ask students to look at the pictures and read what these people have achieved even though they each have a disability. Finally, find out what disability they might be according to each description below the picture. Meanwhile, make sure students learn some useful new words and expressions in this unit.
Pre-reading provides a short passage about the family village. Ask students to read it and find out the purpose of the website. Make sure the students have a basic knowledge of the website for the disabled.
The reading passage “Marty’s Story” presents a story that although Marty is a disabled boy, Marty never feels sorry for himself and he leads a good and busy life. This is a key part of this unit. The teacher can first get students to skim for main ideas of each paragraph in the reading passage, and then scan for further understanding. In order to let students fully understand the passage while reading, the teacher should analyze the change of Marty’s feeling over time and next guide students to write a mini biography for Marty.
To consolidate the contents of the reading passage, the teacher will present more kinds of poems to students for appreciation.
三维目标
知识目标
1. Get students to learn the useful words and expressions in this unit.
(eyesight, ambition, disabled, beneficial, in other words, clumsy, adapt, microscope, out of breath, absence, stupid, fellow, annoyed, all in all, industry, tank, make fun of, encouragement, adapt to, be behind the others, all in all)
2. Help students to learn about disability and life of the disabled.
能力目标
1. Let students read the passage “Marty’s Story” to develop their reading ability.
2. Enable students to know that people with disabilities can also live well.
情感目标
1. By talking about disability and life of the disabled, make sure students can learn some positive stories of the disabled.
2. Help them understand more about how challenging life can be for the disabled.
3. Develop students’ sense of cooperative learning.
教学重点
Get inspired from positive stories of the people with disabilities.
教学难点
1. Develop students’ reading ability.
2. Help students understand the difficulties the disabled have to overcome.
教学方法
1. Task-based teaching and learning
2. Cooperative leaning
教学过程：
Step 1 Warming up
1. Warming up by discussing.
First ask students to talk about people with a mental or physical disability to see how much they know about disabilities. Then show some photos of people with disabilities. Students will be asked to discuss the following questions in small groups.
Do you know any famous people who are disabled?
What difficulties do they have to overcome in daily life?
What have they achieved?
Suggested answers:
Steven Hawking has a muscle disease, but he makes great contributions in science and put forward his theory about black holes.
Beethoven was deaf in one ear when he was 26 and totally deaf at the age of 35, but he was a great composer.
Helen Keller was deaf and blind, but she was a great writer.
2. Warming up by talking.
First, ask students to look at the pictures and read what these people have achieved even though they each have a disability. Next, work with partners to talk about what disability they might be according to each description below the picture.
Suggested answers:
Rosalyn is in a wheelchair. She has walking difficulty.
Richard has difficulty with eyesight, so he can’t read the questions or write the answers for his college entrance exams.
Sally has hearing problems (though not deaf as she can still understand loud speech in the cinema).
Gao Qiang was born with Down’s Syndrome, which is a mental disability. Some syndrome sufferers have made a good career as actors.
Step 2 Pre-reading
Ask students to read the passage about “Family village” in pre-reading carefully and find out the purpose of the website.
Suggested answers:
1. To give ordinary young people with a disability the chance to share their stories with others.
2. To inspire other disabled people.
3. To get non-disabled people to understand more about how challenging life can be for people with disabilities.
Step 3 Reading
1. Skimming
Give students 2 minutes; ask them to read the passage fast to fill in the blanks:
Sum up the main idea of each paragraph:
Paragraph 1: A ________ to Marty and his muscle disease.
Paragraph 2: How the disease _________.
Paragraph 3: Marty met a lot of ________ at school.
Paragraph 4: How his life has become _________.
Paragraph 5: The ______ of his disease.
Suggested answers:
Paragraph 1: A _introduction to Marty and his muscle disease.
Paragraph 2: How the disease __developed/ started_.
Paragraph 3: Marty met a lot of __difficulties__at school.
Paragraph 4: How his life has become __easier__.
Paragraph 5: The _advantages__ of his disease.
2. Scanning for detailed information.
Ask students to read the passage carefully to locate the detailed information.
(1) First ask students to read paragraph one and complete the chart below.
Disease
Difficulties
Motto
Suggested answers:
Disease A muscle disease that makes him very weak
Difficulties He is clumsy and can’t run or climb stairs as quickly as other people.
Motto To live one day at a time.
(2) Next read paragraph two and three and choose the best answer.
Why did the doctors cut out a piece of muscle from Marty’s leg?
A. Because they could cure the disease by cutting it out.
B. Because they wanted to use it as a specimen(标本).
C. Because they would transplant(移植) the new muscle.
D. Because they wanted to find out the cause of the disease.
Key: D
(3) Read paragraph four and answer the following questions:
What is Marty’s ambition?
What is Marty’s achievement?
What is Marty’s hobby?
Suggested answers:
Marty’s ambition is to work for a firm that develops computer software.
Marty invented a computer football game and a big company decided to buy it from him.
As well as going to the movies and football matches with his friends, he spends a lot of time with his pets. He has two rabbits, a parrot, a tank full of fish and a tortoise.
(4) Ask students to find Marty’s advice in paragraph five
Suggested answers:
Don’t feel sorry for the disabled.
Don’t make fun of them.
Don’t ignore them.
Accept them for who they are.
Encourage them to live as rich and full a life as you do.
Step 4 Consolidation
1. Ask students to read the whole passage and choose the best answers in pairs.
(1) Which of the following is false?
a. Although there are a few students who look down upon him, Marty never gets annoyed.
b. Marty leads a meaningful life and does not feel sorry for being disabled.
c. Marty only spends time with his pets and never with his friends.
d. Marty’s disability has made him more independent.
(2) From the passage we can infer that ______.
a. Marty asks others to feel sorry for him
b. Marty never loses heart
c. Marty is afraid of being made fun of
d. Marty will not accept any encouragement because he has grown stronger psychologically
Keys: (1) C; (2) B
2. Ask students to work together to write a mini biography for Marty according to the text.
My mini biography
Name:
Status:
Health:
Interests and Hobbies:
Ambition:
Motto:
Suggested answers:
My mini biography
Name: Marty
Fielding
Status: High school student
Health Developed a muscle disease at the age about 10, very weak, cannot do things like normal
people
Interests and Hobbies:
Enjoying writing and computer programming
Going to the movies and football matches when I am well enough
Spending a lot of time with my pets-two rabbits, five mice, a tank full of fish and a snake
Ambition: To work in the compute industry
Motto: Live one day at a time
3. Discuss in pairs to get the main of the passage by filling in the blanks.
The main idea of the story:
Though he is a _________ person, Marty never feels ________ for himself and he ________ his life.
Suggested answers:
disabled, sorry, enjoys;
Step 5 Discussion
1. Ask students to discuss the following question in small groups.
(1) How did Marty’s feeling changed over time?
(2) What kind of person do you think Marty he is? Can you use adjective words to describe him?
Suggested answers:
(1) The change of Marty’s feeling over time:
hopeful hopeless stupid not get annoyed good/ busy.
(2) We can see Marty is a optimistic/ brave/ independent/ strong-minded person.
2. Show a video of “QianShouGuanYin” to the students and encourage them to remember the famous saying: “Where there is a will, there is a way”.
Step 6 Appreciation
Ask students to read two poems for appreciation when facing obstacles in the future.
Facing obstacles (Two poems by Tom Krause)
The Heart of The strong
Strong is the heart that knows not the way
of comfort and ease while living each day.
Yet continues to believe from the depths of its soul
that the future is destined to silver and gold.
Strong is the heart whose yearning is waned
by storms in life filled with heartache and pain.
Yet still gives its all-everything that it can
in search of a dream-God’s ultimate plan.
When there is a victory-when battles are won
when burdens are lifted and bright shines the sun-
when struggling souls gather-where heroes belong-
they find in themselves-the heart of the strong.
Carry on
At times when you feel troubled
when your happiness is gone
look to the heart within you
for the strength to carry on.
In your heart you will find special virtues
such as faith and hope and love.
These gifts have been sent down to you
from a power up above.
It is faith that keeps the soul searching
for the joy the heart hopes for.
It is love that heals the spirit
making it stronger than before.
And if your heart be broken
if your strength should fade away
The power of these virtues
will still win out the day.
So remember when you are troubled
when your happiness is gone
look to the heart within you
for the strength to carry on.
Step 7 Homework
1. Retell Marty’s story according to the mini biography.
2. Surf the Internet to learn more about the life of disabled people.
The Second Period Language study
Teaching aims:
1. To learn the useful expressions and sentence structures in the reading.
2. To enable students to use language points both orally and in written forms.
3. To further get inspired from Marty Fielding.
Teaching procedures:
Step1 words and phrases learning
1. ambition n. 雄心，野心
Her ambition is to become part of the national team for the next Paralympics Games.
她的抱负是能够成为国家队的一员来参加下一届残奥会。
To be a good teacher has been her lifelong ambition. 做一名好教师是她终生追求的目标。
[拓展]
full of ambition 野心勃勃
achieve one’s ambition实现某人的愿望
have the ambition for sth 渴望得到某物
2. suitable adj. 合适的，适宜的
Although some may think the cinema is noisy, it is suitable for Sally’s condition.
尽管有人可能认为电影院里太吵了，但是它非常适合萨利的身体状况。
He has nothing suitable for a formal party. 他没有适合这样正式晚会的任何东西。
3.beneficial adj. 有益的
be beneficial to 对……有益处
[拓展]
benefit vt 使……受益
n 益处，优势；
benefit sb/ sth 对某人/物有益
benefit from/ by 从……中获得益处
be of benefit to… 对……有益
for sb’s benefit= for the benefit of sb 为了某人的利益
These birds are beneficial to man. 这些鸟对人有益。
We benefit a lot from daily exercise. 每天做操对我们很有益。
His mother lost her life for the benefit of her bank. 他母亲为了银行的利益献出了自己的生命。
4.in other words 换句话说
In other words, there are not many people like me. 换句话说，象我这样的人并不多见。
[拓展]
in a/ one word 总而言之
in word 在口头上；在表面上
have a word with sb 与某人说话
have words with sb 与某人吵嘴
keep/ break one’s word遵守诺言/失信
Have a word with Tom and see what he thinks. 和汤姆谈一谈，看他是怎么想的。
Please retell the story in your own words. 请用自己的话复述这个故事。
In a word, I didn’t like that car at all. 总之，我一点也不喜欢那辆小汽车。
5.adapt to 适应
We should adapt to the new environment as soon as possible. 我们应该尽快适应新环境。
6.cut out 切去；省略；停止做某事
I think I had at least a billion tests, including one in which they cut out a piece of muscle from my leg and looked at under a microscope. 我想我做过无数次检查了，包括有一次检查，他们从我的腿部切下了一小块肌肉，放在显微镜下观察。
You should cut out the second part of the article. 你应该筛掉文章的第二部分。
She tried to persuade me to cut out drinking. 她试图说服我戒酒。
[拓展]
cut down 砍倒；削减
cut in 插嘴；超车
cut off 切断……供应；中断
cut across/ through 抄近路；
cut up 切碎；
I wish she would stop cutting in on our conversation all the time.
我希望她在我们谈话中别插嘴。
My doctor has told me to cut down on salt. 我的医生告诉我减少盐的摄入量。
They had cut off aid to us. 他们已经中断对我们的援助。
7.out of breath 上气不接下气
They were both red in the face and out of breath. 他们俩都面红耳赤，气喘吁吁。
[拓展]
hold one’s breath 屏住呼吸
lose one’s breath 喘不过气来
take a deep breath做深呼吸
When entering the room, please hold your breath. 当进入房间时，请屏住呼吸。
8.all in all 总而言之
All in all, I have a good life. 总而言之，我生活得很好。
All in all, it had been a good success. 总而言之，那是个巨大的成功。
[拓展]
in all 总共
at all 根本；全然
above all 最重要的是
after all 毕竟；终究
Please don’t be angry with him, ----he is only 6, after all. 请别生他的气了，毕竟他只有六岁。
9.as well as 也；和
As well as going to the movies and football matches with my friends, I spend a lot of time with my pets.
除了和我的朋友一起去看电影和足球比赛之外，我还花很多时间和我的宠物在一起。
She had all her homework to do, as well as her looking after her sick father.
她除了要照顾生病的父亲之外，还要完成所有的作业。
[提醒]
as well as还可以用做连词，表示“和一样好”；另外，连接两个主语时，谓语动词和最前面的主语保持一致。
He plays the piano as well as his teacher. 他钢琴弹得和老师一样好。
Mr. Li as well as his students is going to the zoo tomorrow. 李老师和他的学生们打算明天去动物园。
10.in many ways 在很多方面
In many ways, my disability has helped me grow stronger psychologically and become more independent. 在许多方面，我身体的残疾使我的心理上变得更加坚强，更加独立。
My uncle has helped me in many ways.我叔叔在很多方面帮助过我。
11.make fun of 取笑
So don’t feel sorry for the disabled and make fun of them, and don’t ignore them either.
因此，不要感到残疾人可怜，或者取笑他们，也不要不理他们。
It is impolite to make fun of the disabled. 取笑残疾人是很不礼貌的。
[同义短语]
play a joke/ trick on sb = make a fool of sb = laugh at sb 取笑
Step2 Using words, phrases and patterns
1. Do exercise 1, 2 and 3 on page 4 in Learning about language.
Suggested answers:
Exercise one: ambition; absence; suitable; beneficial; annoyed; clumsy; firm; noisy; psychological; encouragement;
Exercise two: lap; annoyed; dictation; entry; microscope; outgoing; fellow; conduct;
Exercise three: in many ways; sit around; made fun of; adapt to; out of breath; all in all; cutting out; in other words;
2. Translate the following sentences into Chinese, pay attention to the words and expressions given in each sentence.
(1) As her eyesight failed she knew she would have to resign from the community health committee.
(2) She is famous in literature for her novel about the campaign to abolish slavery.
(3) Never mind about that software! We will repair it when we meet with the engineer from the company.
(4) Congratulations! The profit from selling those wheelchairs will be enough to buy six new benches for your school.
(5) It is my ambition to make sure that the disabled people in our neighborhood have access to all public buildings.
(6) I had wanted to clean out the basement in his absence, but unfortunately I didn’t have time.
(7) James carried his new fish tank carefully to the house, dreaming of how wonderful it would look full of colorful fish.
(8) The bench was hard to sit on, but it provided an excellent resting place for people after climbing the hill.
Suggested answers:
（1） 由于她的视力下降了，她知道她不得不从社区健康委员会辞职了。
（2） 她由于那本关于废奴运动的小说而享誉文学界。
（3） 不用担心这个软件！我们和那个公司的工程师见面后就会修好的。
（4） 恭喜！卖掉那些轮椅的利润足够为你们学校买六个新长椅的。
（5） 确保邻近的残疾人能够进出所有的公共建筑物是我的志向。
（6） 我本想在他离开的时候彻底打扫下地下室，但不巧的是我没有时间。
（7） 詹姆斯小心翼翼地把新鱼缸拿进屋子里，想象着装满五颜六色的鱼后它是多么的美丽啊。
（8） 这条长凳做着很硬，但是人们爬完山之后可以坐在上面好好休息一下。
Step 3 Consolidation
Ask students to retell the text after learning useful words and phrases patterns.
Step 4 Homework
1. Finish off the exercise 1 and 2 on page 48.
2. Go over useful words and phrases in the text.
Teaching period 3 Grammar
Teaching aims:
1. Students will be able to recognize the infinitives and know the exact meaning of them.
2. Students will be able to use these structures correctly.
Teaching procedures:
Step1. Revision
Ask several students to retell Marty’s story. Show Marty’s mini bio on the PowerPoint.
My mini biography
Name: Marty Fielding
Status: High school student
Health: developed a muscle disease at the age about 10, very weak, cannot do things like normal people
Interests and Hobbies:
Enjoying writing and computer programming
Going to the movies and football matches when I am well enough
Spending a lot of time with my pets-two rabbits, five mice, a tank full of fish and a snake
Ambition: to work in the computer industry
Motto: live one day at a time
Step 2 Discovering useful structures
1． 基本概念
不定式是动词的一种非谓语形式，没有人称数的变化，而且不能单独用做谓语，但仍旧有动词的特点，即可有自己的宾语和状语，构成不定式短语，是一种使用频率较高，考试经常考查的语法点。
2． 基本形式
主动形式 被动形式
一般式 to do to be done
完成式 to have done to have been done
进行式 to be doing /
完成进行式 to have been doing /
否定形式 not to do
疑问词+不定式 wh- to do
复合结构 sb to do/ for sb to do
3． 句法功能
不定式具有名词、形容词、副词的特征，在句中可以充当主语、表语、宾语、定语、状语和补足语，还可以有自己的逻辑主语，即for sb to do sth。
It is good to help others. (subject)
It is my ambition to make sure that the disabled people in our neighborhood have access to all public buildings. (subject)
My ambition is to work in the computer industry when I grow up. (predicative)
I don’t have time to sit around feeling sorry for myself. (attribute)
I am the only student in my class to have a pet snake. (attribute)
A big company has decided to buy it from me. (object)
My fellow students have begun to accept me for who I am. (object)
I have had to work hard to live a normal life. (adverbial)
Some days I am too tired to get out of bed. (adverbial)
We must call on local government to give financial assistance to disabled people. (object complement)
4． 不定式的时态与语态
根据需要，不定式可以有一般式（to do），完成式（to have done），完成进行式（to have been doing），进行式（to be doing），时态形式以及to be done和to have been done被动形式。
He didn’t allow us to go home early. 他不允许我们早回家。
He seemed to have seen the film. 他好象看过这部电影。
She is said to have been living in the city for six years. 据说她住在该城市六年了。
The boy pretended to be reading when his mother came in.
当他母亲进来的时候，小男孩假装在读书。
He is said to have studied abroad a few years ago. 据说他几年前在国外学习过。
The book is said to have been translated into many languages.
据说此书已被译成了多种语言。
[注意]
1. The following verbs are normally followed by the infinitive.
afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, care, choose, claim, come, consent, dare, decide, demand, deserve, determine, elect, endeavor, expect, fail, get, guarantee, hate, help, hesitate, hope, hurry, intend, learn, long, manage, mean, need, offer, plan, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, say, seem, tend, threaten, want, wish
For example:
I can’t afford to go to the pub.
He agreed to practice more.
You should learn to express yourself.
They managed to fix the problem.
2. Explanation of the Gerund and the Infinitive
Some words can be followed by either the infinitive or the -ing form. Please pay attention when there is no difference in meaning and when there is difference.
(1) Gerund and Infinitive (no difference in meaning)
We use the Gerund or the Infinitive after the following verbs:
begin He began talking.
He began to talk.
continue They continue smoking.
They continue to smoke.
hate Do you hate working on Saturdays?
Do you hate to work on Saturdays?
like I like swimming.
I like to swim.
love She loves painting.
She loves to paint.
prefer
Pat prefers walking home.
Pat prefers to walk home.
start They start singing.
They start to sing.
We use the Gerund or the Infinitive after the following verbs. There are two possible structures after these verbs. Gerund: verb + -ing
Infinitive: verb + person + to-infinitive
advise They advise walking to town.
They advise us to walk to town.
allow They do not allow smoking here.
They do not allow us to smoke here.
encourage They encourage doing the test.
They encourage us to do the test.
permit They do not permit smoking here.
They do not permit us to smoke here.
We use the following structures with the word recommend:
recommend They recommend walking to town.
They recommend that we (should) walk to town.
(2) Some verbs have different meanings. (When used with Gerund or Infinitive)
GERUND INFINITIVE
forget He’ll never forget spending so much money on his first computer.他永远不会忘记在第一台电脑上花费了这么多钱。 Don’t forget to spend money on the tickets.不要忘记用钱去买票子。
go on Go on reading the text.继续读这篇文章。 Go on to read the text.停下来读这篇文章。
mean You have forgotten your homework again. That means phoning your mother.你忘记做回家作业了，这意味着我要打电话给你妈妈。 I meant to phone your mother, but my mobile didn’t work.我打算打电话给你妈妈，但是我的手机坏了。
remember I remember switching off the lights when I went on holiday.我记得我去度假时把灯都关掉了。 Remember to switch off the lights when you go on holiday.当你去度假时，记得把灯关掉。
stop Stop reading the text.停止读这篇文章了。 Stop to read the text.停下来读这篇文章。
try Why don’t you try running after the dog? 你为什么不尝试跟着狗跑呢？ I tried to run after the dog, but I... 我竭尽全力跟着狗跑，但是……
Step 3 Drilling
Ask students to do Exe 2 on P5 and check with their partner then check together.
Keys: to have kept you waiting; to have forgotten; to buy and to send; to have finished; to have finished; to work..
Ask students to do Exe 3 and share their past experience in a group.
Keys: to have spent; To free; to see; to treat; to help pass; to abolish.
Step 4 Put into use
Ask students to translate the following sentences into English and pay attention to the use of the infinitive.
1．我忘了让你去社区服务中心了。
2．在检查机器之前关掉电源是很重要的。
3．我不知道哪儿能找到这种纽扣。
4．幸运的是，我们没有更多的活儿要做。
5．海伦很高兴到过中国20多个省、市。
6．她事业有成，现在最大的愿望就是结婚生子。
Suggested answers:
1. I forgot to ask you to go to the community service center.
2. It’s very important to turn off the electricity before you check the machine.
3. I don’t know where to find such a kind of button.
4. Luckily, we don’t have much more work to do.
5. Helen is very pleased to have travelled in more than 20 provinces and cities in China.
6. She has been very successful in her work, and now her greatest wish is to get married and have some children.
Step 5 Homework
Finish off the exercise 2 and 3 on P 49.
Teaching period 4 Using language Reading and Writing
A Letter to an Architect
Teaching aims:
1. Enable students to learn some useful words and phrases.
(assistance, companion, graduation basement, congratulate, all the best, accessible)
2. Enable students to offer congratulations and best wishes.
3. Enable students to write a letter of suggestion.
Step 1 Lead-in
Show pictures of a cinema, including inside and outside facilities and ask students to discuss what problems that people with disabilities sometimes have in a cinema.
(Divide students into different groups. Each member is encouraged to think actively and participate in the discussion. Make sure all students have their own opinions.)
Step 2 Reading.
1. Introduce Alice and her information to the students. Alice is a warm-hearted girl. She cares for the disabled very much. When she learned a new cinema is going to be built, she wrote a letter to make suggestions. Here is the letter that gives suggestions to an architect who is to design the new Bankstown cinema.
2. Skimming to find out what suggestions Alice gives in the letter.
(1) There should be adequate access for wheelchairs.
(2) It would help to fit sets of earphones to all seats, not just to some of them.
(3) The seats at the back should be placed higher than those at the front.
(4) For disabled customers, it would be more convenient to place the toilets near the entrance to the cinema.
(5) There are usually spaces specially reserved for disabled and elderly drivers.
3. Careful reading--Help students to analyze the letter so that they will learn how to write a letter of suggestion.
Ask students to read the text carefully and discuss the questions in groups in Ex3on Page 8.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph of the letter?
2. Why do you think the writer numbered her suggestions and used italics?
3. What is the purpose of the last paragraph of the letter?
Suggested answers:
1. To tell the reader the purpose of the letter.
2. The writer has used numbers and a title in italics for each paragraph to organize the ideas and to make it easier for the reader to understand and remember the five suggestions.
3. To finish the letter in a polite way and to put forward some reasons why the architect should consider the writer’s suggestions.
Step 3 Discussion
Discuss in groups and work together to write a format of a suggestion letter.
Suggested answers:
A letter of suggestion
A letter of suggestion normally has five parts.
1. The heading
This includes the address, line by line, with the last line being the date. Skip a line after the heading.
2. The greeting
The greeting always ends with a comma. The greeting should be formal, beginning with the word “dear”.
3. The body
Also known as the main text. Generally speaking, the body includes three parts. The first part (usually the first paragraph) tells the receiver that you are writing this letter to make suggestions on something, and the main part tells clearly what your suggestions are. The last part (usually the last paragraph) asks the receiver to consider your suggestions.
4. The complimentary close
This short expression is always a few words on a single line. The complimentary close begins with a capital letter and ends with a comma.
5. The signature line
Type or print your name. The handwritten signature goes above this line and below the close. The signature line and the handwritten signature are indented to the same column as the close. The signature should be written in blue or black ink. Skip from one to three spaces (two on a typewriter), and type in the signature line the printed name of the person signing the letter. Sign the name in the space between the close and the signature line, starting at the left edge of the signature line.
Step 4 Practice
Deal with Ex 4-6 on Page 9.
Ask students to work in groups and discuss how accessible their community is for people with disabilities. Then discuss ways in which their community could be made more accessible for disabled people. (This discussion will lay a good foundation for the writing.)
After the discussion, students are asked to write a letter of suggestion to the architect of a new building to be constructed in their area. In the letter they will suggest ways to make it more accessible for people with disabilities. While writing the letter, pay attention to the format of a letter.
Step 5 Homework
Write a letter of suggestion to the architect.
A sample letter:
Dear Mr Smith,
I read in the newspaper that you are the architect who is to design the new supermarket in our suburb. I am writing to ask if you have considered the matter of easy use of the supermarket by people in wheelchairs. In particular, I wonder if you have considered the following things:
1. Width of aisles. Can you please make sure that the aisles are wide enough to allow wheelchairs to pass through? In some supermarkets the aisles are so narrow that a person in a wheelchair cannot move along them easily.
2. Height of shelves. Can you please design shelves that can be reached by people in wheelchairs? In some supermarkets people in wheelchairs have to ask other shoopers to help them. This takes away their independence.
3. Lifts to other floors. Lifts could be in a places that people in wheelchairs can get to easily. It is very difficult if lifts are right at the back of the shop and people have to go up and down the shelves before they get to it.
4. Car parks. I hope you will leave some car spaces close to the front of the shop for people in wheelchairs. It is very difficult if they have to park a long way away from the shop and wheel themselves over tough ground to the entrance.
Thank you for reading my letter. I hope you will consider my suggestions. Disabled people should have the same opportunities as able-bodied people to shop independently and they should be able to do so with dignity. I am sure many people will admire your supermarket if you design it with good access for disabled people. The supermarket owners will also be happy as more people will be able to shop there.
Yours sincerely,
…