Unit 1 Festivals around the world
Teaching aims
Target language
harvest celebration religious ancestor Mexico feast agriculture energetic custom
2. Ability goals
After this class, students will be able to know about the earliest festivals with reasons for them and four different kinds of festivals that occur in most parts of the world.
After this class, students will be able to learn some English expressions and phrases about festivals.
3. Teaching difficult points
Students may know about the way of comparing and making conclusions of different festivals.
Help the students learn about foreign history and culture by reading about festivals.
4. Teaching important points:Talk about four kinds of festivals.
5. Teaching methods :Fast reading, task-based teaching method &group discussion
6. Teaching aids: A computer, a projector, PPT , crayon, and reading materials
Teaching procedures 教学过程
Step1 Lead-in
1. Greetings.
2. Enjoy a video, named “Coco”
Step2 Reading
Task 1 Read the passages by each group and complete the task requirements
Task2 Show time
Step3 Conclusion
The teacher lead the students to find out the similarities about the four festivals.
Task1: Discuss with groups and ask students to talk about the similarities.
Task2:The teacher make a conclusion such as time ,origin ,activities………
Task3:The teacher ask a question “you want to initiate a festivals, what elements will be needed”
Step4 Consolidation
Students need to read a short passage about Stephen Hawking, and then create a festival consisting of the elements that they have summarized in step3.
Step5 Homework
Write an invitation by using the information about the festivals that students have learned.
Festivals and celebrations
Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere since ancient times. Most ancient festivals would celebrate the end of cold weather, planting in spring and harvest in autumn. Sometimes celebrations would be held after hunters had caught animals. At that time people would starve if food was difficult to find, especially during the cold winter months. Today's festivals have many origins, some religious, some seasonal, and some for special people or events.
Festivals of the dead
Day of the Dead
Some festivals are held to honour the dead or to satisfy the ancestors, who might return either to help or to do harm. In Mexico, people celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 1st (All Saints Day) and 2nd (All Souls Day). On this important feast day, people eat food in the shape of skulls and cakes with "bones" on them. They offer food, marigolds (万寿菊)and gifts to the dead. While it's strange for most of us to accept the fact that "death" and "festivities(欢宴)" can go hand-in-hand. But Mexicans have the beliefs that the souls(灵魂) of the dead return each year to visit with their living relatives - to eat, drink and be happy. Just like they did when they were living. Death is part of life. This is a representative of the Mexican spirit and tradition, which says: "Don't take anything lying down even death!"
Task: Make a poster(海报) to introduce this festival to your classmates.
Festivals to honour people
the Dragon Boat Festival/ Duanwu Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. It is a traditional holiday observed annually over 2000 years in China in memory of Qu Yuan, an ancient Chinese patriotic(爱国的)poet. Dragon boat racing and eating Zongzi are the major customs of the festival. In some regions in China, people also wear a perfume pouch(香囊), tie five-color silk thread(五色丝带),hang mugwort leaves(艾草叶) on their doors and drink realgar wine(雄黄酒).
Task: Do a performance to introduce this festival to your classmates.
Harvest Festivals
Thanksgiving Day
Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events. people are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter and the agricultural work is over. Thanksgiving Day is on the 4th Thursday in November. It is a very important festival in the United States. And it is also most closely connected with the earliest history of the country. The story goes back to the beginning of the America. A boat filled with religious people settled in the New World. But the first winter in the New World was difficult. It is too late to grow crops. However, in the following spring, local Indians taught them how to grow corn and how to hunt fish. They were so appreciated to the Indians that they gave the Indians many food to show their thankfulness. Family usually planned a big dinner months ahead. On the dinner table, people will find a roasted turkey, corn, pumpkins and other varieties of food.
Task: Do a presentation to introduce this festival to your classmates.
Spring Festivals
Japan’s Cherry Blossom Festival
The most energetic and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and to the coming of spring. From 1912, when the governor of Tokyo presented to Washington 3000 cherry trees as a symbol of peace. In Washington some folk groups initiated(开创) to hold the Cherry Blossom Festival. Cherry is the national flower of japan. Japanese people think that life is short, as bright as alive. Moreover, the cherry blossoms are warm, pure, noble, and after the winter it was first brought news of spring. Therefore, the government of Japan each year from March 15th to April 15th called " Cherry Blossom festival ". the family and friends sit under the cherry trees and go out to prepare their own lunch box , drinking champagne(香槟酒) or Japanese sake(日本清酒), talking cheerfully and humorously.
Task: Do a presentation to introduce this festival to your classmates.
Extension material
Read the material and create a festival for famous people
Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England on 8th January, 1942 and died on 14th March, 2018. He is probably the world's most famous scientist after Albert Einstein. It was at the age of 20 that Hawking had motor neuron disease(运动神经元病),Doctors said he would die before 23. As a matter of fact, the doctors were wrong – he didn't die. Hawking is an expert on black holes. He has put his whole life into digging into the beginning (and the end) of the universe.
He has received many awards and prizes for his work over the years. This includes winning the Albert Einstein Award. It is the highest achievement in theoretical physics(理论物理学). “I have had the disease for most of my life,” Hawking once said. “Yet it has not stopped me from being successful at my work.”