Unit 6 Space and beyond
Period 1 Starting out & Understanding ideas
教学设计
( Teaching material analysis)
In the section “Starting out”, the video introduces the knowledge of the solar system; the timeline presents several important events in China's space history, which helps the students understand China's space development and achievements. The two activities aim to activate students' background knowledge and warm up for further learning next step.
In the part “Understanding ideas”, the passage relates the process of the Challenger shuttle crash, which has had a great impact on American space exploration and American people's psychology. However, human beings never stop their pace and determination of human space exploration.By doing different learning activities, students are expected to improve the abilities to deeply understand text and cultivate their own thinking ability.
(Teaching objectives & Core Competencies and Values for students)
1. Lead students to learn the knowledge of the solar system by watching the video and know China’s space achievements looking at the timeline.
2. Help students to focus on China’s space development and achieve and enhance the students’ a sense of national pride and great interest in space exploration.
3. Guide students to deeply understand the text and realize the will and quality of human beings in the process of space exploration to brave difficulties and go forward bravely.
4. Guide students to feel the emotional changes and the impact of the air disaster on people.
(Teaching focuses)
1. To learn more expressions about space explorations and use them to talk about the relevant topic.
2. To learn about the text type and its features to help understand the main idea of the text better.
3. To comb out the ideas mentioned in the text and find the evidence.
(Teaching procedures)
Step 1 Starting out
Activity 1
Watch the video and learn about the solar system.
Question1. How was the Sun formed
Question2. Where are the Asteroid Belt and the Kuiper Belt in the solar system
Question3. What else do you know about the solar system
Activity 2
Look at the timetable and talk about China’s space development and achievements.
Question1. Which of these spacecraft had a human on board when launched
Question2. What are the recent events in China’s space programme
Question3. What do you know about China’s future plans for space exploration
Step 2 Before reading
Activity 1
Have a quiz and learn more about space exploration.
1. The first satellite was launched by the USSR in ______________.
A 1945 B 1962 C 1957
2. The first person in space was _____________________.
A Robert Crippen B Yuri Gagarin C Neil Armstrong
3. The person to walk in space was __________________.
A Alexiei Leonov B William McCool C Yang Liwei
4. The first space station was Salyut Ⅰ, which was launched by _______________.
A the USA B the USSR C the European Space Agency
5. The first spacecraft to leave the solar system was _________________.
A Vostok 1 B Discovery C Voyager 1
Step 3 Fast reading
Activity 2 Reading comprehension
1. When people witnessed the first lunar landing on 20th July 1969, they felt_________.
A. Nervous B. Excited C. Sad D. Grateful
2. Why was McAuliffe’s space flight special
A. She was going to give a speech. B. She was the first civilian to go into space.
C. She was a space scientist. D. She was brave enough to go into space.
3. What can be inferred from McAuliffe’s space failure according to Paragraph
A. People no longer dare to try space flight. B. Space flight has certain risk.
C. People prefer to travel by air. D. No more civilians will go into space.
4. The Challenger’s sacrifice remind us that _________________________.
A. Man will live on the stars. B. Space exploration is too far away from us.
C. The lives of astronauts are too important. D. Man will continue to explore space.
Step 4 Further reading
Activity 3 & Activity 4
1. Choose the ideas mentions in the text and find the evidence.
A. People thought space travel was no longer dangerous.
B. Christa would have inspired lots of people if she hadn’t lost her life on board the Challenger.
C. People were determined to continue with the space program after the disaster.
D. The disaster proved we should use robots to explore space instead of people.
E. The shuttle was not reliable and should not have been used.
2. Complete the fact file on Page 64 using key information from the text.
Space shuttle Challenger disaster
Time: 1 1986 Place: Space Centre in Florida, USA Crew: 2 seven , including a teacher
What was special about the Challenger launch
What was the teacher’s mission on board the the Challenger
What was done in the three years following the disaster
Which shuttle followed the the Challenger, and when was it launched
Step 5 Post- reading
Think & share Think back about the content and share your view about the following questions.
1. What were people’s feelings before and after the the Challenger disaster
2. Would you like to go into space Give your reasons.
3. What language in the passage could you use to describe other events in space exploration
Step 6 Language appreciation
1. Millions watched that first lunar landing on black and white TV sets, their hearts in their mouths, aware of how arduous and hazardous undertaking it was.
[句式分析] “aware of how arduous and hazardous undertaking it was”作伴随状语,相当于承接性的并列句:and were aware of how arduous and hazardous undertaking it was. 其中“how arduous and hazardous undertaking it was”为感叹句充当aware of的宾语。
[尝试翻译] 数百万人通过黑白电视观看了第一次月球登陆,他们心惊胆战,意识到这是多么艰巨和危险的任务。
2. But there was never any doubt that manned flights would continue.
[句式分析] there was never any doubt that...意为“毫无疑问......”, that 引导同位语从句。同位语从句,指的是在复合句中充当同位语的从句,属于名词性从句的范畴,同位语从句用来对其前面的抽象名词进行解释说明。
[尝试翻译] 但载人飞行将继续下去,这一点毫无疑问。
3. The sacrifice of the Challenger calls to us, reminding us that we must continue to reach for the stars, no matter how distant they might seem.
[句式分析] 现在分词短语reminding us that...作伴随状语, 其中that引导宾语从句,no matter how引导让步状语从句,其结构为“no matter how + adj+ 主语+谓语+...”。
[尝试翻译] 挑战者号的牺牲召唤着我们,提醒着我们,无论它们看起来多么遥远,我们都必须继续追寻星星。
Step 7 Assignments
1. Review the basic usage of the new words and expressions learned in this period.
2. Read back and review the text type and features.
3. Writing a 60-word summary of the passage.