Unit 1 Great Scientists 整单元教案

Unit 1 Great Scientists
教材分析
Ⅰ教学内容分析
人类文明发展的进程同时也是科学技术发展的过程，而这一过程渗透了许多优秀科学家的心血。本单元主要话题是“科学家如何以探索、钻研、无畏的科研精神验证未知的科学真理”。
热身(Warming up)部分通过问答使学生回想起不同领域的科学家，了解科学家们对人类的贡献及其成果。
读前 (Pre-reading) 通过若干问题及讨论，使学生初步了解得出科学观点所需的过程。为完成阅读奠定基础。
阅读 (Reading) 部分介绍英国著名医生John Snow是如何通过考察、分析、探究的科学方法，发现并控制“霍乱”这种传染病的。通过阅读课文，使学生感悟科学家的周密观察、勇于探索、认真分析的科学精神，使学生了解科学发现的全过程具有其科学的严密性。
理解(Comprehending) 部分的练习一让学生给文章的主要信息排序已达到对文章的初步理解。练习二通过提问挖掘文章细节，使学生重温文章内容。练习三让学生写出文章的大意，进一步掌握文章内容。练习四让学生选择段落朗读，以流利的朗读表达文中的意思。
语言学习(Learning about language) 部分主要突出单元的重点词汇和主要语法项目的训练与练习，使学生对本课重点词汇与语法项目做到学以致用。
语言运用(Using language) 部分涵盖了听说和读两个部分。听的部分通过两个学生谈论科学家钱学森的故事，使学生了解科学家的生活经历，并通过回答问题训练学生的分析、解决问题能力。
说的部分通过学生分组讨论将来选择什么科学工作，需要什么样的教育、品格及经历来完成提问和应答的交际功能任务训练，也实施了对学生的德育教育。
读的部分讲述了哥白尼是如何发现太阳中心说的，并通过1、2小题帮助学生理解文章主旨大意，学会寻求解决问题方法，同时提高阐明自己观点的能力。
写的部分是要求学生根据阅读文章内容及提示给哥白尼写一封信，建议他尽早公布他的发现，以此来培养学生的收集信息、整理信息及传递信息的能力，体现了自做、自助和自悟的教学思想，改进学生的学习策略。
小结 (Summing up) 部分通过让学生回忆本单元所学内容，总结对其掌握的程度，培养学生概括总结能力。
学习建议 (Learning tip) 部分建议学生如何写好“Persuasive writing”，以培养学生的逻辑思维及写作能力。
趣味阅读 (Reading for Fun) 部分引用了一些科学领域中名人的名言，如爱因斯坦、爱迪生、牛顿等，旨在从另一个侧面让学生了解科学研究的方法和科学研究的真谛。
Ⅱ教学重点和难点
1. 教学重点
⑴ 本单元的生词和短语；
⑵ 过去分词作定语、表语；
（3） 学习描述人物的句型；
（4） 了解著名医生John Snow、哥白尼等科学家以及他们的作为和故事。
2. 教学难点
⑴ 过去分词作定语、表语；
⑵ 学习表示意愿、希望或建议的句型；
⑶ 学写persuasive writing.
Ⅲ 教学计划
本单元分五课时：
第一、二课时：Warming Up, Pre-reading, Reading & Comprehending
第三课时：Learning about Language
第四课时：Listening and speaking
第五课时：Reading and writing
Ⅳ. 教学步骤:
Period 1&2 Warming Up, Pre-reading, Reading& Comprehending
Teaching Goals: 1.To learn about John Snow.
2.To develop some basic reading skills.
3.To arouse Ss’ interest in learning about the sprits of scientists.
Teaching Procedures:
Step 1. Warming Up
Purpose: To arouse Ss’ interest in learning about scientists.
To ask Ss to prepare something for the great scientists ahead of time and share them with others.
1. Pair work
Ask Ss to tell their partners their answers to the following question and show some to the whole class.
What do you know about great scientists
2. Group work
Ss are divided into 3 groups to do the quiz and try to find out which knows the most.
Quiz Questions Answer
(1) Which scientist discovered that objects in water are lifted up by a force that helps them float
(2)Who wrote a book explaining how animals and plants developed as the environment changed
(3) Who invented the first steam engine
(4) Who used peas to show how physical characteristics are passed form parents to their children
(5) Who discovered radium
(6) Who invented the way of giving electricity to everybody in large cities
(7) Who was the painter that studied dead bodies to improve his painting of people
(8) Who invented a lamp to keep miners safe underground
(9) Who invented the earliest instrument to tell people where earthquakes happened
(10) Who put forward a theory about black holes
Suggested answers: (1) Archimedes (2) Charles Darwin (3) Thomas Newcomen (4) Gregor Mendel (5) Marie Curie (6) Thomas Edison (7) Leonardo da Vinci
(8) Sir Humphry Davy (9) Zhang Heng (10) Stephen Hawking
Step 2. Pre-reading
Purpose: To get Ss to learn about the stages in a scientific experiment
1. Group work
(1) Get Ss into groups of four and discuss what kind of experiment they have experienced and the stages of them. Ask some groups to show their views.
(2) Ask Ss to put the following stages into proper order.
Draw a conclusion Think of a method Collect results Make up a question
Find a problem Analyze the results Repeat if necessary
Suggested Answers: Find a problem→Make up a question→Think of a method→Collect results→Analyze results→Repeat if necessary→Make a conclusion
2. Pair work
Ask Ss whether they know about infectious diseases and tell the answers to their partners.
For example: flu
Bird flu
SARS
Step 3. Reading
1. Skimming
Purpose: To get Ss to have a brief understanding of the whole text.
The passage is written in order of the stages in an experiment, so ask Ss to scan the text and find the different stages.
Suggested answers:
① Find a problem:
John Snow was a well-known doctor in London … until its cause was found.
② Make up a question:
He got interested in the two theories … and soon the affected person was dead.
③ Think of a method:
He believed in the second theory but ……so severe that more than 500 people had died in 10 days.
④ Collect results:
He determined to find out why … It seemed the water was to blame.
⑤ Analyze results:
Next, John Snow looked into the source of the water for these two streets …that cholera was spread by germs and not in a cloud of gas.
⑥ Repeat if necessary
Soon the disease began to slow down…that polluted water carried the disease.
⑦ Make a conclusion:
To prevent this from happening again, …not to expose people to polluted.
2. Scanning
Purpose: To get Ss to have some details in the text.
(1) Read the text quickly and try to get some details from the text. Work in pairs and try to ask and answer questions from the text. Questions can be like these:
Q1. Who was John Snow
Q2. What did John Snow do when the serious cholera broke out
Q3. What were the two theories then
Q4. What was John Snow’s attitude towards the two theories
Q5. How did John Snow find the evidence for his theory
Q6. How did he solve the problem finally
Suggested answers:
A1. John Snow was a well-known doctor in London-so famous, indeed, that he attended Queen Victoria to ease the birth of her babies.
A2. John Snow wanted to use his knowledge to help solve this problem.
A3. The first suggested that cholera multiplied in the air without reason. A cloud of dangerous gas would float around until it found its victims. The second suggested that people absorbed this disease into their bodies with their meals. From the stomach the disease attacked the body quickly and soon the affected person was dead.
A4. He believed in the second theory but needed to prove he was correct.
A5. He gathered the information and marked a map where all the dead people had lived. And at last he found that all the dead people drank the polluted water from the river.
A6. To prevent this from happening again, John Snow suggested that the source of all water supplies be examined and mew methods of dealing with polluted water be found. And finally “King Cholera” was defeated.
(2) Since we have got the order of the seven stages, get Ss to write down the evidence or approach John Snow used in each stage. For example:
Paragraph Stages in an experiment
① Find a problem
② Make up a question
③ Think of a method
④ Collect results
⑤ Analyze results
⑥ Repeat if necessary
⑦ Make a conclusion
Suggested answers:
Paragraph Stages in an experiment Example in this investigation
① Find a problem What causes cholera
② Make up a question Which theory is correct
③ Think of a method Collect data on those who were ill or died and where they got their water.
④ Collect results Plot information on a map to find out where people died or did not die.
⑤ Analyze results Analyze the water to see if that is the cause of the illness.
⑥ Repeat if necessary Find other evidence to confirm your conclusion.
⑦ Make a conclusion The water is to blame. The source of all drinking water should be examined so that it is safe.
3. Listening.
Purpose: To train Ss’ listening ability.
Listen to the tape and follow it in a low voice.
4. Language points.
Purpose: To train Ss’ language capacity.
(1) attend vt & vi
① 出席；参加
He decided to attend the meeting himself.
② 照顾；看护
Which doctor is attending to (on) you
③ 伴随
The work was attended with much difficulty.
（2）absorb vt.
① 吸收
A sponge absorbs water.
② 使专心
The little girl was absorbed in reading a tale.
(3) severe adj.
① 严厉的；严格的
I think you are too severe on the boy.
② 剧烈的
(4) He has a severe pain in his leg.
(5) announce vt
① 发表、告知、宣布
The government announced its new economic policies.
② 宣布
His servant announced Mr and Mrs White.
③ 显示；预告
Warm sunshine announces the coming of spring.
Step 4. Post-reading
Purpose: To have a deep understanding of the text.
Group work
Let Ss Talk about the following questions. And present their opinions to the whole class.
1. What do you think of John Snow
2. Do you think him great enough
3. If you were he, what would you do
Step 5. Discussion
The text introduces public health medicine to Ss, which is less well-known area of medicine. With the arrival of SARS in China in 2003, we do have some knowledge of the effect of infectious diseases on our life and lifestyle.
Discuss with your partners in groups of six and tell us your views.
Step 6. Homework
Try to write a short composition about a familiar scientist.
Period 3 Listening and speaking (Using Language)
Teaching Goals: 1. To use the language points and grammar of this unit.
2. To develop Ss’ listening and speaking abilities.
Teaching Procedures:
Step 1. Leading-in
Purpose: To activate Ss and arouse them to talk about scientific subjects.
Show the pictures about the scientists and ask Ss whether they know them. And make sure they know some famous scientists in China.
Step 2. Warming Up
Purpose: To lead Ss to the topic of this unit.
1. Group work
The above pictures are all Chinese famous scientists. Let Ss talk about the stories of them. And they can also talk about other scientists in China. Get some Ss to present their stories to the rest of class.
2. Conclusion
All of them have made contributions to the development of Chinese science and technology. But do you know who the father of the Chinese space program is (Qian Xuesen)
Step 3. Pre-listening
Purpose: To help Ss learn about the context of the Listening part.
1. Pair work
Ask Ss to discuss the pictures with their partners.
2. Discussion
Discuss the following three questions and present your opinions to your classmates.
(1) How can you describe the space
(2) If we human beings go into the space, what are needed
(3) Suppose you are an astronaut, what kind of qualities are necessary
Step 4. While-listening
Purpose: 1. To get the main information in the Listening part.
2. To develop Ss’ listening ability.
3. To learn something from Qian Xuesen.
1. Listen to the dialogue, focusing on the subjects mentioned in the passage.
2. Listen to the tape and answer the questions.
Q1. What did Qian Xuesen study first
Q2. What experience did he get in America that was very useful for China
Q3. What was Qian Xuesen’s achievement when he returned to China from America
Suggested answers:
A1. Qian Xuesen first studied to be an engineer.
A2. In America he began to work on space rockets so that he was able to develop a space programme when he came back to China.
A3. When Qian Xuesen returned to China he set up a Space Institute to begin training people in how to design and build rockets.
3. Listen to the tape again and make sure the answers are right.
Step 5. Speaking
Purpose: 1. To develop Ss’ speaking ability.
2. To learn about the words for character description.
1. Pre-speaking
Purpose: To arouse Ss’ interest and get them to focus on the topic of the Speaking part.
Show the pictures again.
Pair work
Let Ss discuss in pairs and present how they achieved their success in their future scientific job.
What kind of words can be used
For your reference:
talent, intelligence, hard work, persistence, confidence, curiosity, enthusiasm, luck…
2. While-speaking
Purpose: To get Ss to talk about their favorite scientific jobs.
(1) Work in groups of four and discuss what scientific job each of Ss would like to choose in the future. The following questions and expressions can be helpful.
Questions:
What job do you want to do
What personality will be needed
What education will you need
What personality will be needed
How lone will the training take
What work experience would be useful
How will you prepare for this career
Expressions:
I always wanted to … because … I might find it difficult to … My greatest problem will be to … The experience I will need is … I need to practise …
(2) Act out the dialogue and show to the class.
When describe someone’s character, the following words can be used.
patient, creative, hard-working, co-operative, confident, brave, positive, pleasant, polite, determined, energetic, strict with …
Sample dialogue:
A: What do you want to do when you grow up
B: I want to build robots. I will have to do a physics and mathematics degree in china. After that I hope to go abroad to Reading University in England where you can study all about robots. There is a special cybernetics department there.
A: Why personality will be needed for that job
B: They have a lot of uses: for example, in making cars on a popular line or doing other repetitive jobs.
A: What personality will be needed for that job
B: I think I need to be patient for my ideas will take a long time to develop. I also need to be creative enough to have good ideas.
A: What experience will be most useful to you
B: I think technology and engineering projects. I hope to work in a factory in my holidays.
A: What kind of person makes a good inventor
B: I think someone who is happy to persevere at something and learns from his mistakes.
A: Thank you. I think designing robots sounds fun.
3. Post-speaking
Ask some Ss to give a speech to their classmates about their scientific jobs in the future
Step 6. Extension
Purpose: To make a conclusion from the Speaking part.
Discuss the questions below with your partners.
We know that a scientific job is challenging and difficult, but there are still many persons doing very well at their positions. What can you learn from them
Share your views with your classmates.
Step 7. Homework
1. Write a short composition to introduce Qian Xuesen.
2. Get on the line and find out more scientists and their stories.
Period 4 Learning about language
Teaching Goals: 1. To enable Ss to master some new words and expressions.
2. To get Ss to have knowledge of the grammar point: the past participle as the attribute and predicative.
Teaching Procedures:
Step 1. Free talk
If you have a special chance to meet with John Snow, what kind of questions will you ask
Step 2. word study
Purpose: To consolidate the new words and phrases in the text.
1. Choose the correct words to complete the following sentences
(1) John Snow devoted himself to ______ (science, scientific) research.
(2) He worked hard until he drew a _______ (conclude, conclusion) in 1854.
(3) The teacher drew a picture to make herself _____ (ease, easy, easily) understood.
(4) The boy needs one more stamp to make his collection _____(complete, completely).
(5) _____ (Apart from, Expect) that 10 dollars, I have another ten given by my mother.
Suggested answers: (1) scientific, (2) conclusion, (3) easily, (4) complete, (5) Apart from
2. This is a report on living conditions in England in the nineteenth century. Choose the correct verb or conjunction to put into the text. Each word may be used only once.
link…to blame expose…to test defeat reject absorb examine severe
In the twenty-first century, educated people find it difficult to believe that living conditions in the nineteenth century ______ people _____ serious illnesses. The reports of many doctors _____ illness ____ drinking polluted water. However, one hundred years ago people did not connect a disease to the environment. So they did not _____ the companies that supplied dirty water. The doctors found that the dirtier the water, the more _____ the illness. It was only later when people began to ______ the water and _____ its quality that they _____ the idea that cholera was ______ from the air. It was only when everybody began to attack the dirty conditions that cholera was _____ and was not a problem any more.
Suggested answers: expose; to; link; to; blame; severe; examine; test; rejected; absorbed; defeated
3. Sometimes in English we put the verb make with a noun instead of using a simple verb; for example, make a mistake instead of to mistake. Look at these simple verbs and make another construction using make+a+noun. Add two more of your own.
to telephone to decide
to plan to contribute
to speak to be noisy
to change to describe
Suggested Answers: make a telephone call; make a decision
make a plan; make a contribution
make a speech; make a noise
make a change; make a description
4. In English verbs like make are very active and useful. Apart from the construction mentioned above, you have also learned the following phrases. Can you make sentences with each of them
make a face make friends make money make one’s way to make phone calls make sure make up one’s mind make the bed \ make room for
For example:
1. The teacher asked us not to make faces in class.
2. I tried to make friends with my neighbor but he was too old and did not want to talk to me.
3. The best way to make money is to study hard and gain good qualifications.
4. If you make phone calls abroad it will cost you a lot of money so I should watch the number of calls.
Step 3. Grammar
1. Presentation
Purpose: To get Ss to tell the usage of the past participle.
A broken window a worried mother
By his disappointed appearance, he was not satisfied.
Ask Ss to find more examples from the Reading part.
(1)The past participle as the attribute
A well-known doctor
Ordinary people exposed to cholera
Thousands of terrified people
…
(2) The past participle as the predicative
he became inspired when…
he got interested in two theories…
…
2. Practice
Purpose: To get Ss to have knowledge of the grammar through exercises
(1) Complete the table with phases that have the same meaning.
Past Participle as the Attribute Past Participle as the Predicative
① terrified people ①
② reserved seats ②
③ polluted water ③
④ a crowed room ④
⑤ a pleased winner ⑤
⑥ ⑥ children who look astonished
⑦ ⑦ a vase that is broken
⑧ ⑧ a door that is closed
⑨ ⑨ the audience who feel tired
⑩ ⑩ an animal that is trapped
Suggested answers: ① people who look terrified
② the seats that are reserved
③ the water that is polluted
④ the room that is crowded
⑤ the winner who is pleased
⑥ the astonished children
⑦ a broken vase
⑧ a closed door
⑨ tired audience
⑩ a trapped animal
(2) Choose appropriate verbs to complete the following sentences, using the past participle. Explain the use of the past participle in each sentence.
Worry interest arrive frighten prepare continue concern
1 They were ______ to accept my idea.
2 I’ll be _____ to hear what he has to say.
3 The major said that he was ______ about the ______ rise of the water level in the river bed.
4 Recently ______ soldiers are helping to take the victims to safe areas from the flood.
5 Most of the newspapers seems to be ______ with pop stars.
6 He was ______ of going alone into the empty house.
Suggested answers: ① prepared ② interested ③ worried, continued ④ arrived
⑤ concerned ⑥ frightened
Step 4. Homework
1. Review the new words and phrases.
2. Review the use of the past participle.
Period 5 Reading and writing (Using Language)
Teaching Goals: 1. To develop Ss’ reading ability.
2. To develop Ss’ writing ability.
3. To get Ss to learn something about Nicolaus Copernicus.
Teaching Procedures:
Step 1. Warming Up
Purpose: To lead Ss to the topic and arouse their interest in Copernicus.
Ask Ss to discuss the questions below:
1. Who is the man in the left picture
2. What about the right picture
3. Do you know the relationship between them
Ask Ss to present their views.
Step 2 Reading
Purpose: To find some details in the text.
1. Ask Ss to discuss the following questions in pairs and answer them.
Q1. What made Copernicus confused
Q2. Why couldn’t he tell about his theory
Q3. What’s Christian’s view of universe
Q4. When did he first show his theory To whom
Q5. What’s his friends’ reaction to the theory
Q6. When was the theory published Why
Q7. What’s the evaluation of the theory
Suggested answers:
A1. His mathematical calculations led to the same conclusion: that the earth was not the center of solar system.
A2. He could not tell anyone about his theory as the powerful Christian Church would have punished him for even suggesting such an idea.
A3. They believed God had made the world and for that reason the earth was special and must be the center of the solar system.
A4. In 1515 he showed it privately to his friends.
A5. His friends were enthusiastic and encouraged him to publish his ideas.
A6. He did not want to be attacked by the Christian Church, so he only published it as he lay dying in 1543.
A7. Now people can see that there is a direct link between his ideas and the work of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
2. Group work
Divide Ss into three groups and discuss the following question. Ask every group to present their ideas.
If you were Nicolaus Copernicus, would you have hidden your theory for so many years Why
Step 3. Writing
Purpose: To learn to write a persuasive essay.
Write a short letter asking Copernicus to publish his ideas so that everyone can read them.
First you need to collect your ideas. For example:
He believes his new theory is true.
There are problems with the present theory.
He has done many years of observations to prove his new theory is true.
Science can not develop unless people publish their ideas.
Time will show if his theory is true of now.
Here is a plan:
Beginning: Tell Copernicus who you are and why you want him to publish his ideas.
Paragraph 1: Reason 1 and evidence.
Paragraph 2: Reason 2 and evidence.
Summing up: Ask him to think again about publishing his ideas.
One Possible version:
Dear Nicolaus Copernicus,
I am a student studying astronomy and I would very much like to read your new theory about the solar system. I hope you will publish it for several reasons.
I understand the problems with the present theory. The way the planets move is not what you would expect if the earth was the center of the universe. It is also odd that the brightness of some stars seems to change. So I agree with you that we need a new theory.
I know your observations have been very carefully carried out over many years. Now you must have the courage to publish them. Science can never advance unless people have the courage of their beliefs. I know you worry about what will happen if you publish your new theory. No matter how people oppose it, time will show if your ideas are right or wrong.
So I hope you will feel you can publish your new theory.
Yours sincerely,
***
Step 4. Extension
Purpose: To deepen what we have learned in the Writing part.
Let us compare a persuasive essay with a report, a description and a creative piece and then find similarities and differences between these kinds of writing.
Report Description Creative writing/story
Formal language with few adjective Vivid use of words with similes and metaphors Vivid use of language and more informal style.
No speech except quotations No speech except to help the description Speech to show feelings, reactions etc.
Not emotional Emotional to describe atmosphere Emotional to describe feelings
Only one main character No characters May have several characters
Factual Not factual but imaginative Imaginative but can be based on fact
Structured according to experimental method Not structured Beginning, middle, end
Past tense and passive voice Past tense Past tense
Step 5. Homework
Write a short composition about a scientist, his/her life, achievements and the key to his/her success.
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