高中英语 Unit1《Tales of the unexplained》教案2 牛津译林版必修2

Unit 1Tales of the unexplainedWelcome to the UnitDescriptionIn this section, students will be asked to talk about the following phenomena, including traces of UFO, real existences of Yeti and the Loch Ness monster, reasons for building Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid and disappearances of ships and planes in the Bermuda. All these have a common characteristic, that is, no evidences or proofs have been provided to explain the mysterious phenomena. Students are expected to make full use of resources and share their imaginative ideas with each other by participating in all the activities.Suggested teaching proceduresl Brainstorming1 ( before taking up the task)The teacher assigns students a task, that is, all of them are required to surf the net or refer to some reference books, in English or in Chinese to get some information about UFO, Yeti, the Loch Monster, Bermuda, Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid. The activity can be conducted like this:The topics we are going to deal with in our next period are not only very interesting and attractive, but a bit mysterious as well. They are beyond our knowledge. Even the advanced science and technology of today cannot offer satisfactory answers, so I recommend if wed like to discuss these topics, it is best for all of us to make preparations first, either by searching for information on the Internet or looking up background information in some books. Besides collecting information, you have to note down your answers. Itll be more convenient for you to report back your answers if you do so.2 ( focusing on the pictures ) a Ask students to read the instructions and focus on the six pictures and illustrations individually first. The teacher can arouse their interest by asking them the following questions: Do the six pictures have something in common? What is it? (unexplained; no satisfactory answers; mysterious; no evidences) Can scientists explain these phenomena? How do you feel about them? Are you a bit curious? b Ask students to think of as many expressions as possible to answer the above questions, encourage them to make up sentences and report back their answers. The teacher can share the following sentences with students. They are mysterious because no satisfactory answers have been offered to explain their reasons. Though these mysteries have puzzled people for a long time, people show great interest in them.People feel puzzled due to their mysteries.c Ask students to report back the information they have collected. As students have been required to prepare for the topics, their answers might be various. The teacher can vary the activities according to students responses. If possible, some answers students provide can be used as a prompt for a class discussion. For example: Teacher: What information have you got about UFO? Student A: . Teacher: Do you think student As introduction interesting? What about the information youve got? Is there something different? Student B: This activity can be conducted flexibly.d Ask students to have a discussion about the topics by exploring some other activities. In order to conduct them more conveniently, the teacher can arrange numbers from left to right, from top to bottom first. For example: (Picture 1) Have you ever read some reports about UFO in Chinese? Are you interested in it? Is it really from another planet? What does UFO stand for? For what reasons do you think UFO visits our planet?(Picture 2) Where is Himalayas? Whats the weather like there? Why do some people make great efforts to climb it? (hobby; dream; challenge themselves; make discoveries; overcome ) Yeti is reported to be half-man and half-beast, have you heard of it? Do you think some climbers disappearance have some connections with Yeti? (Pictures3, 4 and 6) Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Egypt are both cultural relics. Where is the Great Pyramid built, on the east coast of the Nile or on the west of it? What are its reasons? Do you think the Great Pyramid a wonder in the human history? How was the Great Pyramid built? I havent heard of Stonehenge or the Ness Monster. They are a bit new to me. What about you? Will you be interested in making discoveries about them when you grow up? (Picture 5) While talking about picture 4, the teacher can show a map to the students and point to them clearly where Florida and the Bermuda Florida are on the map. Are there any monsters in these areas? Why do ships or planes disappear in this area? Do you think it is too mysterious? Suppose there is a ship equipped with the latest scientific equipment and it can make contact with scientists on land at any time, do you think it will be possible to solve the mysteries? l Sharing information1 Pair students up first. Let different pairs focus on different questions. If possible, the first question can be adapted easily like this:Do you believe in UFOs? What may be the explanations of UFOs? Aliens from space without a doubt Military test craft without a doubtSome UFOs are alien, some are test craft UFOs are evidence of human space travel UFOs are neither alien nor test craft UFOs dont existEncourage students to express their agreements or disagreements about it.2 Ask different pairs to summarize their answers and then report them back.Sample answers1 Like any other intelligent and rationale person, I have a firm belief in UFOs. In fact, I have seen a few myself. UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object, that is, an object, apparently moving in the sky, that we cannot identify. However, if you ask me whether I believe spacecraft carrying visitors from outer space, I would say no. I do not believe it.2 The continent of Antarctica was discovered in 1818. A map known as the Piri Reis Map, a genuine document made in Constantinople in 1513, clearly shows the continent of Antarctica. How could this have been possible if Antarctica was not discovered until 300 years later? Antarctica was supposed to have been covered by ice for the last million or so years, but samples taken from sediment deep beneath Antarctica in 1949 revealed that great rivers had once flowed in Antarctica until about 6000 years ago.3 Im always interested in the stories of UFOs and aliens. And I hope I will have the chance to meet one some day. If it really happens to me, I will ask questions such as who or what are you? Where are you from? How long does it take to travel from your place to our planet? I will try my best to communicate with them, discovering what their life is like and why they come to the earth. Resources (Picture 1) The following is a description from a witness: The light was travelling west to northeast. They were saying it then changed direction from west to southeast. There was no colour, just bright light like a large spotlight. At first my husband thought it was a helicopter with a spotlight, but there was no noise. It seemed to move in a slow, steady speed. From my perspective it changed direction at the last moment. For more information, you can surf the following web-site: /geibdan/framemst.html (Picture 2) The Yeti has lived in the Himalayas as a mystery for many years. Known as the rock living animal in Sherpa, and as the abominable snowman in the west, the sightings of Yeti have been reported since the late 1800s. The following website gives you more information / (Picture 3) Loch Ness is a vast and beautiful body of water. Although Nessie was sighted as far back as the 6th century AD, it is the modern day sightings that have attracted the public imagination. For more information you can surf the following website : http:/www.lochness.co.uk/livecam/(Picture 4) The huge three-sided section of the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Florida, did not receive its famous nickname until 1964, but reports of strange happenings there, or nearby, have been recorded for centuries. The following website tells you more: /Tidings/myths/bermuda.html(Picture 5) Stonehenge is surely Britains greatest national icon, standing for mystery, power and endurance. Its original purpose is unclear to us, but some have guessed that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth god or goddess. For more information, you can surf the following website: /earthmysteries/EMStonehenge.html(Picture 6) The Great Pyramid of Khufu is a typical example of the knowledge and experience of all previous pyramids, and it is the only surviving member of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. The following website tells you more: /buildings/Great_Pyramid.htmlReading DescriptionThe article is a news story about a boys strange disappearance. Though a lot of efforts have been made to investigate the case, it still remains a mystery. How to read a news article is designed and presented. All the activities are involved with checking and enhancing students reading abilities. Students are expected to gain an overall understanding of the article and learn to read in different ways according to the type of the article.Suggested teaching proceduresl Lead-inAsk students the following questions by having them focus on the title of the article Boy missing, police puzzled. Does the title arouse your interest when you read it? Can you complete the title?From the title what information can you get? And what else do you want to know? For example:boy missing ( How / When / Where was the boy missing? ) police puzzled ( For what are they puzzled? / What are the police going to do with the boys disappearance and how?)Are you curious about why the writer uses a non-complete sentence as a title? Do you know its a feature of a news title? What are the other features of a news title?Can you guess what details may be covered in the following news story?l Reading comprehension1 Before asking students to skim the passage, let them look at the news photographs first and describe as much as possible what is happening in the photograph. And then let them find answers to the questions in A. Answers 1 The article is about a missing boy / UFOs and aliens.2 Justin Foster is missing. 3 No.2 Ask students to recall the question in Lead-in and ask them if they have got specific answers to “How / When / Where was the boy missing?” The teacher can guide students to pay attention to the first paragraph, as all the relevant information is in the first paragraph. Tell them the first paragraph gives the main topic and most important facts. The followings are all covered.When and where was the boy missing? What caused the boys sudden disappearance? How old was the boy? Why do people show interest in his disappearance? 3 Ask students to scan the article again and locate specific information according to C1 and C2. The first three questions in C1 check some background information about Justin while Questions 4 and 5 check students comprehension about aliens. C2 requires students to identify some details to support the main points of the story. Ask students to complete the exercises individually and check them as a class. If there are disagreements, welcome them. The teacher can ask students to distinguish between facts and opinions about Justin Foster.Answers C1 1 He lives in Dover, New Hampshire.2 He plays basketball and baseball.3 He has a sister.4 They were white.5 Mavis Wood has been taken.6 Sam Peterson was in charge of the case.C2Main pointsSupporting detailsJustin Foster went missing.Mrs Foster thought that Justin had stayed the night at a friends house.Mr Foster was surprised that his son did not tell anyone that he was staying out late.Justin Foster did not show up at the family lunch the next day.The police found that Justin returned home.Justins friends said that Justin headed home after playing basketball with them.Witnesses said that they saw Justin walking towards his home at 10.45 p.m.Kelly heard him put on his favourite CD.The boy was taken away by aliens.Kelly saw a large spaceship flying outside.Kelly heard Justin shout.Mavis Wood said that the aliens took her away so that they could do scientific research on her.4 Ask students to self-evaluate how well they understand and comprehend the article with the following exercise. This step is optional and the teacher can conduct it flexibly.At 8 p.m. _. At 10.45 p.m. _At 11 p.m., _. Justin Foster After 11 p.m., he was heard _.The next morning, he was found _.connection shape _shape _ its appearance colour _size _its inside _strange object (UFO) 5 Have students pay attention to the different features of each paragraph with the following activities. a Ask students to conduct a discussion about how they usually choose whether the news article is worth reading or not and what methods they use in their reading. The following question can be used to begin with the activity first.As is known to all, newspapers play an important part in our daily life. Whenever or wherever you are, you can be informed of the latest news by reading a newspaper. From your own experience, how do you usually select the news youd like to read, by taking a look at its title or by being attracted by its colourful pictures? Encourage students to express their own opinions and their reasons. b Ask students to tell the differences between the first paragraph of the article and the following paragraphs. The teacher can begin like this: Compared with the following paragraphs, does the first paragraph serve as the most important one in the article?c Ask students to read the Reading strategy of how to read a newspaper article. Tell students both the title and the first paragraph that is called the Lead play a key role in their understanding of a news article . 6 Ask students to complete D and E individually. The meanings of the words in D are not difficult for them to identify after students have read through the passage twice. E is a diary written by Kelly. It requires students to understand the letter first and then write down the missing words to make it meaningful.Answers D 1a 2d 3h 4b 5f 6g 7e 8cE (1)bad (2)favourite (3) aliens (4)creatures (5) nightmare (6) Justin (7) not (8) puzzled (9) witnesses (10) murderedl Post-reading activities 1 Ask students to retell the story according to the diagram on Page 8. The teacher can write down some key words or phrases on the blackboard or the overhead projector for students to refer to if they are in trouble.2 Ask students to give an ending to the story. Though the police have made efforts to investigate the case, how Justin was missing remained a mystery. Was he really seized by aliens or were there any other reasons? If time doesnt permit, the teacher can assign this activity as homework. The teacher can begin like this:All the people are concerned about Justins disappearance. What do you think might have happened to him? Was he in danger? If he were taken away by aliens, how would they treat him? All the endings are acceptable.3 Ask students to turn their attention to the questions in F. Let students do some speaking practice according to the sample. Resources1 Newspaper articles are often seen as shortened forms of news report that gives full information. The lead- the first paragraph of a news story plays the most important part in the understanding of the whole story. It is usually a one- or two- sentence summary of the particular event being reported, because so much information are usually put into a small space, and some complex sentences are generally used in the first paragraph.