unit 5 meeting your ancestors单元教案

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Unit 5 Meeting your ancestors
Ⅰ. 单元教学目标
技能目标Skill Goals▲Take about archaeological evidence and knowledge ▲Practice giving opinions and describing objects▲Learn about the present perfect continuous tense▲Write a descriptive paragraph
Ⅱ. 目标语言
功 能 句 式 Practice giving opinionsI think that we should... because...I suggest we...If ..., then maybe we ought to...Perhaps we should /could...We must ask for help from...What if... Describe objectsIt seems likely / unlikely that...It looks like...It could be... because...How large do you think it is Is there any... on the... It may/might have been used as/for..
词 汇 1． 四会词汇Alternative, starvation, tentative, accuracy, interrupt, acute, assume, regardless, mat, quilt, beast, centimeter, sharpen, ample, messy, primitive, botany, analysis, seashell, ripen, category, significance, somehow, systematic, spit, delete, album, scratch, academy, receptionist, onion, kindergarten, skateboard, yogurt, radioactive, division, melon, wrinkle, pulse, applaud, howl, accelerate, spear, arrest, dizzy, hammer, gay, skilful, punctuation2． 认读词汇household, Pharaoh, archaeology, archaeological, archaeologist, ornament, centimeter, scraper, bead, botany, botanical, analysis, seashell, category, systematic, yogurt, radioactive, chronological, punctuation, artifact3． 词组regardless of, cut up, look ahead, be similar to, look ahead, date back4． 重点词汇identify, tentative, interrupt, assume, ample, preserve, specific, applaud, accelerate
结 构 现在完成进行时的用法
重点句子 1. I’m sorry to interrupt you but how could they live here P382. We have been excavating layers of ash almost six meters thick, which suggests that they might have kept the fire burning all winter. P383. Yes, indeed, as the botanical analyses have shown us, all the fields around here used to be part of a large shallow lake. P394. That’s why they are called hunters and gatherers. P395. Worried about the preparations for her feast, Lala quickly turned for home with her collection of nuts, melon and other fruit. P436. If only she had looked ahead and planned better! P437. Lala accelerated her walk up the path to the caves fearing that there might be wild beasts lying in wait for her. P43 8. He chose one large stone and began to use it like a hammer striking the edge of the scraper that needed sharpening. P43
Ⅲ. 教材分析和教材重组
1. 教材分析
本单元以General knowledge of archaeology and Anthropology as well as history为话题，通过学习周口店洞穴北京人遗址、埃及古墓等古代文明，使学生了解一些考古学及人类发展变迁历史等方面的知识；激发学生热爱人类、热爱历史、热爱考古的兴趣，进而使学生懂得保护文化遗产的重要意义。通过对一些古文物的识别、鉴定和描述，使学生学会鉴别、描述事物（考古现象）特征的方法。
1.1 Warming Up 给出了四幅图片，要求学生通过识别、描述古代中国、希腊、埃及的文物，使学生了解古代文明在人类社会发展史上的重大意义.
1.2 Pre-reading 要求学生能从不同侧面比较、描述现代人和北京人的不同之处，为Reading 部分的学习做好准备。
1.3 Reading 是一位考古学家和来参观周口店北京人遗址的英格兰学生之间的一段对话。 要求学生通过阅读对话，了解周口店北京人在衣食住行、使用工具上的特点；了解古人类惊人的生活和创造能力。
1.4 Comprehending 共设计了三部分习题。第一题是根据课文回答问题；第二题要求学生在理解课文的基础上，结合生活实际，写出北京人在居住、使用工具和衣着方面与现代人的三个不同之处；第三题训练学生的概括和写作能力。要求学生通过分析归纳考古学家的介绍，写出关于周口店考古工作所经历的三个阶段的相关情况，并利用这些信息写一篇关于周口店洞穴的介绍。
1.5 Learning about Language分词汇和语法两部分。其中Discovering useful words and expressions 中第一题要求学生运用所给词汇的适当形式填空；第二题要求所给短语完成句子。通过这两个练习使学生掌握本单元的描述性语言。Discovering useful structures 在引导学生体验、探究、归纳现在完成进行时的基础上进行任务型巩固训练。第一题要求学生在Reading中找出含有现在完成进行时态的句子；第二题要求学生通过合作学习，练习现在完成进行时态的用法；第三题要求学生在特定的语境下灵活运用现在完成进行时态。
1.6 Using Language 部分以Discussing为主要训练方式，训练学生的综合语言运用能力。第一部分Listening and discussing 要求学生在听取关于考古工作者是如何使考古资料的准确性得到保证的录音材料的基础上，先完成两个任务（Fill the layers in the “wastepaper basket” diagram; fill in the chart about he methods archaeologists use to date bones and how those methods work），了解利用地下岩层和放射二氧化碳可判断骨头的日期，然后利用这一知识来判断任务3中建筑物图片的考证顺序。第二部分Reading 是一篇关于石器时代古人类的生活纪事。要求学生在阅读文章的基础上，分析文中人物Lala与Dahu的工作类别；讨论男女之间在古代社会中已经存在的不同社会分工并完成表格；并能运用恰当的形容词来描述他们的行为特征。第三部分Speaking and wring 给学生展示出从三星堆遗址中出土的四件文物的图片，要求学生在描述、鉴别的基础上讨论这些文物可能的用途并给介绍三星堆文化遗址的导游手册撰文介绍这些文物的相关情况。
1.7 LEARNING TIP 帮助学生学会用多个形容词来描述人或物品。
2． 教材重组
2.1 将Warming Up, Using Language中Listening and discussing, Speaking and writing中的speaking, Workbook中LISTENING, TALKING, LISTENING TASK和 SPEAKING TASK整合在一起，上一节听说课。
2.2 将Pre-reading，Reading和Comprehending整合在一起，上一节阅读课。
2.3 将Learning about Language和Workbook中USING WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS以及USING STRUCTURES 整合在一起，上一节语言学习课。
2.4 将Using Language中Reading和Speaking and writing中的writing以及LEARNING TIP整合在一起，上一节综合实践课(Ⅰ)。
2.5 将Workbook 中READING TASK 和WRITING TASK整合在一起，上一节综合实践课(Ⅱ)。
3. 课型设计与课时分配
1st period Listening & speaking
2nd period Reading
3rd period Language study
4th period Integrating skills (Ⅰ)
5th period Integrating skills (Ⅱ)
Ⅳ. 分课时教案
The First Period Listening & speaking
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language 目标语言
a. 重点词汇和知识
archaeology, accurate, radioactivity, chronological, excavation, identify, alternative, household, date back to
b. 交际用语
Practice giving opinions and describing objects
I think that we should... because...
I suggest we...
If..., then maybe we ought to...
Perhaps we should / could...
We must ask for help from...
What if...
It seems likely / unlikely that...
It looks like...
It could be... because...
How large do you think it is
Is there any... on the...
It may / might have been used as / for...
2. Ability goals 能力目标
Enable the students to talk about archaeological evidence and knowledge and learn to describe people and practice giving opinions.
3. Learning ability goals 学能目标
Help the students learn how to give opinions and describe objects.
Teaching important & difficult points 教学重难点
Learn to describe objects and give opinions.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Listening and cooperative learning.
Teaching aids 教具准备
A tape reorder, a projector and a computer.
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step Ⅰ Lead-in
Lead-in by talking about the ancient civilizations.
T: Good morning, boys and girls! You must have learned history in the past years, haven’t you
S: Yes.
T: Have you ever heard “Four Great Ancient Civilizations”
S: Yes, they are Ancient China, Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt and Ancient India.
T: What do you know about them
S1: In Ancient China, we have “Four Great Inventions”. They are the compass, printing, gunpowder and papermaking, of which we are proud, and which, in the words of Roger Bacon, “changed the whole appearance and status of things in the world.”
S2: China was the first country in the world to make paper. Paper made during the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-16 AD) has been found in Gansu Province, Xi’an and Shaanxi Province as well as Xinjiang. A further development of paper was credited to Cai Lun of the Eastern Han (25-220). He used plant fiber such as tree bark, bits of rope, rags and worn-out fishing nets as raw materials. In 105, Cai presented the first batch of paper made under his supervision to the Han emperor, who was so delighted that he named the material “Marquis Cai’s paper”.
S3: Before paper was invented, the ancient Chinese carved characters on pottery, animal bones and stones, cast them on bronzes, or wrote them on bamboo or wooden strips and silk fabric. These materials, however, were either too heavy or too expensive for widespread use. The invention and use of paper brought about a revolution in writing materials, paving the way for the invention of printing technology in the years to come.
S4: The invention of gunpowder was no doubt one of the most significant achievements of the Middle Ages in China. The correct prescription for making gunpowder with nitre, sulphur and carbon was probably discovered in the ninth century.
S5: Bi’s printing consisted of four processes: making the types, composing the text, printing and retrieving the movable types. According to Dream Stream Essays, Bi Sheng carved individual characters on squares of sticky clay, and then baked them to make clay type pieces. When composing a text, he put a large iron frame on a piece of iron board and arranged the words within the frame. While one plate was being printed, another plate could be composed. After printing, the movable types were taken away and stored for future use. Movable type printing had a very important position in the history of printing, for all later printing methods such as wooden type, copper type and lead type printing invariably developed on the basis of movable clay types. Bi Sheng created movable type printing more than four hundred years earlier than it was invented in Europe.
S6: According to ancient records, natural magnets were employed in China as direction-finding devices. This led to the first compass, called a sinan (south-pointing ladle) during the Warring States Period. In the Han Dynasty compasses consisted of a bronze on which 24 directions were carved and a rod made from a natural magnet. Such devices were in use until the eighth century. In the Song Dynasty, Shen Kuo described the floating compass, suspended in water, a technique that minimized the effect of motion on the instrument. This enabled the compass to be used for sea navigation for the first time. The invention of the compass promoted maritime undertakings, and its use soon spread to the Arab world, and thence to Europe.
S7: China’s four great ancient inventions made tremendous contributions to the world’s economy and the culture of mankind. They were also important symbols of China’s role as a great world civilization.
S8: Ancient Egypt is famous for pyramids and mummy.
S9: Olympic games grew out of Ancient Greece. Besides, Ancient Greece is well known for its art, architecture and myth.
S10: Ancient India is known for its culture of Buddha.
T: Excellent! I’m very happy that you’ve known so much about Four Great Ancient Civilizations. Today, we will talk about some other cultural heritage.
Step Ⅱ Warming up
Deal with the Warming Up part.
T: Now turn to page 37 and look at the pictures. What can you see in the pictures
S: Some cultural relics from Ancient Greece, China and Egypt.
T: Good. Now try to identify these pictures. Discuss what they may have been made of and explain their use. Can you think of the alternatives we would use today
The students are given 3 minutes to discuss. 3 minutes later, let the students give their opinions.
S1: The first picture is an oil lamp. I think it might have been made of bronze. It was used to get light. But now we get light by using electricity.
S2: It is called “Bianzhong”. I guess it was made of bronze, too. It was used to play music. Today we use other musical instruments, such as violin, piano and guitar.
S3: The third one is Stone Axe, which is certainly made of stone. It might have used to scrape and cut up things. Today we can use steel axe.
S4: The last one is a burial mask of Pharaoh. It was made of gold and used to protect the face of Pharaoh; and the mask enabled the spirit to recognize the body. I think we never use masks when a person dies. But now we use masks to play or give performance.
…
T: Now I can give you some suggested answers. Look at the screen.
Show the following.
Its name What it wasmade of Its use Today’s alternatives
1. Oil lamp Bronze Get light electricity, wind
2. Bianzhong Bronze Play music Piano, violin andguitar
3. Stone axe Stone Scrape and cut up things Axe made of other materials, for example, steel
4. Pharaoh mask Gold Preserve the face or enable the spirit to realize the body Nothing
Step Ⅲ Speaking
Talk about Sanxingdui Ruins with the students.
T: We have looked at some cultural relics of Ancient Greece, China and Egypt above. Do you want to know more about Chinese cultural relics
S: Yes.
Then show the pictures on page 44. Tell the students they were found during an excavation in the Sanxingdui Ruins.
T: What do you know about Sanxingdui Ruins
S1: I know that Sanxingdui Ruins are found in Sichuan Province.
S2: They are famous for gold masks, bronze wares, jade tablets and sacred trees.
S3: And half human and half-animal masks. There is Sanxingdui International Mask Festival at the start of the May Day holiday.
S4: It is believed that Sanxingdui was the capital of the ancient “Shu culture” of the Sichuan area, previously believed to be 3,000 years old. A metropolis of its time, covering about three square kilometers, Sanxingdui had highly developed agriculture, including wine-making ability, ceramic technology and sacrificial tools and mining.
T: Good, Sanxingdui Ruins are very important cultural relics for us Chinese and even the whole world. Some 100 years ago, Sanxingdui in today’s Sichuan Province was nothing more than a typical rural area, and just 20 years ago its significance was not fully known. But in 1929 when a farmer found some jade, he unwittingly opened the door of an unknown culture between 3,000 to 5,000 years old. But what no one could have expected was that this particular discovery would rewrite Chinese history. The area whose name means “three-star mounds” in English is not a place foreigners who aren’t archeologists would know to visit. And little is left for the common person to see but some ancient objects and many reproductions. Many objects at first seem somewhat commonplace for old cultures until you realize that the people making these objects were those living at the beginning of Chinese civilization. Now suppose you work in a museum, your job is to describe the objects as they are brought to the museum. Look at the pictures and discuss about these objects.
Show the following on the screen. Give the students three minutes to discuss.
1. Guess what they are.
2. Discuss what these objects were possibly used for.
3. Describe these objects. You should include:
a. The name of the site where the four objects were found and their possible dates;
b. A description of each including appearance, shape and a guess about the material it was made of;
c. What we can learn from these objects about the people who lived then.
After a few minutes.
T: OK, so much for discussion. First look at the questions on the screen again. What are the answers
S1: In my opinion, the first one looks like a tree. It might be made of bronze. Also, it might be used to offer sacrifices to gods or ancestors.
S2: I think the second picture is an animal-face image. It might also be made of bronze. It might stand for authority.
S3: It looks like a bird. I think it could be made of bronze and it might be an ornament.
S4: It may be a pottery pot, which is used to contain boiled water or wine.
T: Well done. Your guesses sound reasonable. Look at the screen. These are what I have found about these things.
Show the following.
1. bronze sacred tree 442×802- 52kb.
2. bronze animal-face image 520×364-55kb.
3. bird-shaped ornament 1s500×815-50kb t1.
4. pottery pot 579×924-170kb.
Deal with the SPEAKING TASK.
T: Above are objects in ancient China. Now let’s turn to a picture of ancient Egypt. Turn to page 84. Read the instructions and discuss the painting and then fill in the chart in Part 1.
A sample dialogue:
S1: What can you find in the painting
S2: I can find some people are sitting on low stools, served by someone.
S1: Yes. In the lower part of the picture, someone is holding a plate with meat of poultry. And on the table there are other kinds of food.
S2: Look. There hang some clothes on the wall. They had to take off clothes when having dinner.
S1: I agree. And we can see that their meals are arranged well. Maybe the soup must be first served, and then comes the meat.
S2: Do you find someone dancing
S1: Yes. Maybe they are watching the dancing while eating.
…
Ask the students to read their answers.
Evidence from the wall painting
FoodArrangements for the mealClothesHygieneEntertainmentPeople Someone is holding a plate with goose meat in itSomething like soup are served first, then another one presents the meat ...Clothes are hanging on the wallThe room is clean and they took off clothes when eating. Someone is dancing Some are sitting on the tools and served by others who dress differently.
Then go on with Part 2. Ask the students to show their conclusion after discussion.
A description of ancient Egyptian life:
The few furnishings in the ancient Egyptian home were simple in design. The most common piece of furniture was a low stool, used by all Egyptians including the pharaoh. And someone was dancing for them while they are eating. Perhaps there was music too. It is reasonable to assume that the people sitting on the stools in the painting were of higher social positions.
As we can see from the painting, there hung some clothes on the wall. It seems that they should take off clothes when having dinner. We think they were doing well in hygiene.
Our evidence suggests that the ancient Egyptian people were very particular to their food and clothes, and paid great attention to hygiene.
Step Ⅳ Listening
Give the students one minute to scan the questions first.
T: Now, tell me what you have learnt from the tape
S1: I’ve known the methods that archaeologists use to date bones. They’re layers in the ground and radiocarbon dating.
S2: Besides, each layer looks different as they are uncovered, so we can tell where one layer starts and another finishes.
S3: All living things have carbon in their bodies. When they die, the carbon will relive at a certain rate. Archaeologists can use radioactivity to tell how old the remains are.
T: Good. Now please listen to the recording and fill in the diagram and the chart.
Check the answers with the class. Then ask the students to do Part 3.
Sample answers:
I think the chronological order is B-C-A. I reached the conclusion by looking at the layers on the ground. From the picture, we can see B has no layers, which suggests it is built primitively; C has thin layers of ash, which suggests the building is built a bit later than B. A has the thickest layers, which suggests that the ground has been developing for many years and building A is built later than C. So my chronological order is B-C-A.
Listening task
T: After we learned some archaeological knowledge, let’s look at something about ancient Egypt. Now turn to page 81, you are given three minutes to discuss the first question: what did the ancient Egyptians believe
Three minutes later, let the students show their discussion.
S1: According to the picture, I think the ancient Egyptians believed that the physical body had to be preserved to allow a place for their spirit to dwell in the afterlife. Because of this, mummification was performed to preserve the body.
S2: Egyptians believed that the body was the link to a spiritual existence in the afterlife. The body was mummified so the spirit could get needed food and drink in the afterlife. In case the body was destroyed or damaged, magical spells were placed on a statue of the deceased so the spirit could continue to have their needs met.
…
Sample answers:
The Egyptians believed that death was simply a temporary interruption, rather than complete cessation, of life, and that eternal life could be ensured by means of like piety to the gods, preservation of the physical form, and the provision of statuary and other funerary equipment. The Name and Shadow were also living entities. To enjoy the afterlife, all these elements had to be sustained and protected from harm.
Then play the tape and ask them to finish the rest exercises. Give the students several minutes to finish the listening exercises on page 78. Several minutes later, check the answers with the students.
T: After listening, we know that the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang is a magnificent archaeological site. Then as an individual, what can you do to help preserve important cultural sites like this
S1: As individuals, we should learn first something about these cultural sites and then how to protect them. With these knowledge, we can do something useful.
S2: As an individual, I think we can do nothing but study hard. And when we travel, we can help preserve these cultural sites. For example, not throwing away rubbish, or not writing or cutting the statues.
…
T: OK, well done. We know that all kinds of cultural relics are important to us. They provide us precious historical information and real objects, which tell us the life of ancient people. Thanks to our ancestors, we can enjoy their great creativity and valuable gifts left to us. As a young generation, you should study hard and make up your mind to do something to help preserve these cultural sites.
Step Ⅴ Homework
Ask the students to find some information about Zhoukoudian Caves.
The Second Period Reading
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language 目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
archaeology, tentative, accuracy, excavate, interrupt, ornament, assume, regardless, sharpen, cut up, scrape, ample, primitive, preserve, bead, botany, botanical, analysis, specific, seashell, specifically
b. 重点句型
I’m sorry to interrupt you but how could they live here
We have been excavating layers of ash almost six meters thick, which suggests that they might have kept the fire burning all winter.
Yes, indeed, as the botanical analyses have shown us, all the fields around here used to be part of a large shallow lake.
That’s why they are called hunters and gatherers.
2. Ability goals 能力目标
Enable the students to tell the differences between modern people and Peking man and learn how Peking man lived their lives.
3. Learning ability goals 学能目标
Help the students learn how to tell the differences between modern people and Peking man and learn how Peking man lived their lives.
Teaching important points 教学重点
Talk about Peking man in Zhoukoudian Caves.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
How to express oneself clearly and correctly.
Teaching methods教学方法
Listening, reading and discussion.
Teaching aids 教具准备
A tape recorder, a projector and a computer.
Teaching procedures & ways教学过程与方式
Step Ⅰ Revision
Check the homework.
The students will show their information about Zhoukoudian Caves in the following steps.
Step Ⅱ Lead-in
T: In the last period, we learned about the life of ancient Egypt. But what about the life of ancient Chinese Look at the picture on page 37, and guess what it is.
S: It is a skullcap.
T: Can you guess whose skullcap it may be
S: Peking man’s skullcap.
T: Yes, you are right. Now you are given 3 minutes to discuss and imagine what Peking Man might have done and used thousands of years ago. Then compare it with the life of modern people.
3 minutes later.
S1: Peking Man might have lived in caves of rocks and trees, while modern people live in modern buildings which are huge, like boxes with flat roofs, sharp corners and glass walls.
S2: Peking Man might have used natural furniture made of stone or wood, while modern people use beautiful furniture with lots of ornaments, mostly made of wood or other special materials.
S3: Peking man might have got entertainment from nature or family get-together, while modern people can have a good time by watching TV, surfing the Internet and traveling.
S4: Peking man might have eaten natural food, such as nuts and fruits. However, modern people eat a good variety of cooked food, which is healthier.
S5: Peking man might have worn clothes made from animal skins, while modern people wear clothes made from special material, such as cotton and wood.
Then show the following.
Modern people Peking man Accuracy
Place for living Modern architecture, which is huge, like boxes with flat roofs, sharp corners and glass walls. Caves Very accurate
Furniture Beautiful furniture with lots of ornaments mostly made of wood or other special materials. Natural furniture made of stone or wood. Accurate
Entertainment Watching TV, surfing the Internet and traveling. Enjoy the nature or family get-together. Inaccurate
Food A good variety of cooked food, which tastes delicious. Natural food, such as nuts and fruits. Accurate
Clothing Clothes made from special material, such as cotton and wood. Clothes made from animal skins. Accurate
T: Now do you know where we can find the Peking man sites
S: In Zhoukoudian Caves.
T: Yes. Let’s visit Zhoukoudian Caves with a group of students from England. Now listen to the dialogue between an archaeologist and these students.
Step Ⅲ Reading
After listening.
T: Now tell me what you have known about Zhoukoudian Caves
S1: Zhoukoudian is a small village situated about 50 km southwest of Beijing. The Peking Man Site is just on the west side of Zhoukoudian Village.
S2: In December 1929, a Chinese archaeologist named Pei Wenzhong discovered a complete skull of “Peking Man” on Dragon Bone Hill northwest of Zhoukoudian, in the southwest suburbs of Beijing. Later, archaeologists unearthed 40-odd individually fossilized skeletons of “Peking Man”, male, female, old and young, all at the same site. Zhoukoudian, therefore, became the most common site for human remains with the most abundant fossils in the world. The discovery pushed the history of Beijing’s civilization back to some 600,000 years. These fossilized remains prove that “Peking Man” was primitive man in an evolutionary process from ancient ape to modern man, and is the ancestor of the Chinese nation.
S3: In 1987, the Zhoukoudian caves were listed as one of the world cultural heritage sites.
…
T: Yes. Zhoukoudian is a relic of primitive culture, 48 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, where Longgushan (dragon skeleton mountain) is standing. Several decades ago, local farmers mined lime-stone in Zhoukoudian, came upon some bone fossils and called them “the Dragon Bones”. Zhoukoudian became known as “Dragon Bone Mountain”. Drugstores purchased the bones as a medical ingredient. The news about the “magic bones” drew attention of scientists. In 1929 these lime-stone caves became world famous with the discovery of a skull and two teeth dating back 200,000 to 500,000 years. They were named Peking Man. But the fossils were lost during World War II. Many of the implements used by those early humans, and bones of animals they hunted are on display at a museum near the site of the discovery. With the steadily increased number of visitors from all over the world, Zhoukoudian has become a scenic spot of Beijing. Now read the dialogue aloud please.
Skimming
This is an individual work. Ask the students to skim the text and write down what the text is about and the three stages of the archaeologist’s part of the dialogue.
T: First, I’d like you to skim the dialogue and then write down what the text is about and the three stages of the archaeologist’s part of the dialogue.
Two minutes later, check the answers with the whole class.
S1: An archaeologist is showing a group of students from England around the Zhoukoudian Caves and telling them something about the Caves.
S2: Stage 1 is about homes of Peking man in Zhou-koudian Caves, where they live, how they keep warm, cook food and scare wild animals away.
S3: Stage 2 is about tools Peking man used and clothes they made.
S4: Stage 3 is about the appearance of Peking man. And living conditions.
Scanning
Ask the students to read the text and get the main idea of the dialogue. And then ask them to write down the three ways in which the life of early people differs from modern ones. Ask them to work in pairs and discuss the question.
Sample answers:
Homes: Peking man lived in Zhoukoudian Caves of rocks and trees.
Tools: They used needle that was made of bone sharpened stone tools and scraper made by stones.
Dress: They wore clothes from animal skins and they also wore necklace made from seashells or animal teeth.
Careful reading
Let the students read the passage again and answer the following questions.
Show the questions on the screen.
1. Why have the English students come to the Zhoukoudian caves
2. Where did early people live
3. How did early people keep warm
4. What did they use for doors
5. What did they eat
3 minutes later, check the answers.
Step Ⅳ Post-reading
Ask the students to fill in the chart on the life and habits of Peking man on page 37 and compare it with the list they made in the pre-reading. What differences are there
Give the students 3 minutes to discuss their conclusion. Then check the answers.
Sample answers:
There are many similarities. But Peking Man also constructed fires by which they kept warm, cooked food and scared wild animals away. They used needles made of bone. Besides, they wore necklace made of animal bones or shells. They took part in trade activities. And they killed animals for food.
…
Explanation
During this procedure, the students will listen to the recording again and underline the difficult sentences. Then the teacher will explain the text and deal with language points.
T: Now listen to the dialogue again and underline the language points you think are difficult to understand.
After listening to the text, explain some difficult sentences.
T: Do you have any difficulties with the text
S1: I find the sentence “You must be aware that it’s here that we have found evidence of some of the earliest people who lived in this part of the world.” is difficult to understand. Would you please explain it to us
T: The structure is a bit complex. “Aware” is an adjective, meaning having knowledge or understanding. “It’s here that we...” is to emphasize “here”, so we use sentence pattern “it’s...that...”“Who lived in this part of the world” is an Attributive Clause, which is introduced by the Relative Pronoun “who”. Because “the earliest people” is used as Subject in the Attributive Clause, we use “whom” to lead the Attributive Clause.
S2: How to understand the sentence “yes, indeed, as the botanical analyses have shown us, all the fields around here used to be part of a large shallow lake”
T: It means: The botanical analyses have been specifically showing us that all the fields around here used to be part of a large shallow lake. “As” is used to introduce the Attributive clause.
…
Step Ⅴ Summary and homework
T: Today we learned about Zhoukoudian Caves and the life of Peking Man. Do you think it is important for us to know about them Why
S1: Yes, the following fact shows that it is very important: Zhoukoudian Caves were formally inscribed on the “World Heritage List” in December 1987 at the eleventh session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The inscription of the Peking Man Site on the World Heritage List confirms the exceptional and universal value of the cultural site, which requires protection for the benefit of all humanity. The site is therefore not only of China, but also of the world as a whole.
T: Good. Now today’s homework: 1) Go over the text; 2) Write a brief introduction to the Zhoukoudian Caves.
The Third Period Language study
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language目标语言
Grammar: Present perfect continuous tense.
2. Ability goals 能力目标
Enable the students to use the present perfect continuous tense.
3. Learning ability goals 学能目标
Help the students learn how to use the present perfect continuous tense.
Teaching important & difficult points 教学重难点
How to use the present perfect continuous tense.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Explanation and practice.
Teaching aids 教具准备
A projector and a computer.
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step Ⅰ Revision
Check the homework. Let some students read their work.
A sample version:
A brief introduction to the Zhoukoudian Caves
Zhoukoudian is a small village situated about 50 km southwest of Beijing In 1928, Dr C. C. Young, a famous Chinese paleontologist, and Wenzhong Pei, a young Chinese geologist joined the excavation. Two lower jaws of Peking Man were unearthed in this year. To make the excavation more successful, Dr Weng and Dr Black established “Cenozoic Research Laboratory” in 1929. The Peking Man Site also provides the more precise scientific data for the study of the evolution, behaviour. On the western side of Zhoukoudian Village, there are two parallel hills. The one on the east is lower and called Dragon-bone Hill. Zhoukoudian is a relic of primitive culture, 48 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, where Longgushan(dragon skeleton mountain) is standing. Several decades ago, local farmers mined limestone in Zhoukoudian, came upon some bone fossils and called them “the Dragon Bones”. Zhoukoudian became known as “Dragon Bone Mountain”. Drugstores purchased the bones as a medical ingredient. The news about the “magic bones” drew attention of scientists. In 1929 these limestone caves became world famous with the discovery of a skull and two teeth dating back 200,000 to 500,000 years. They were named Peking man.
The historical and cultural value of the Zhoukoudian site has been acknowledged by its listing as a World Heritage Site in December 1987 at the eleventh session of UNESCO.
Step Ⅱ Lead-in
Ask the students to point out the sentences that contain the structure as in “We have been excavating here for many years...”
Sample sentences:
1. We have been finding the bones of tigers and bears in the caves and we think these were their most dangerous enemies.
2. We have been excavating layers of ash almost six meters thick, which suggests that they might have kept the fire burning all winter.
3. Yes, indeed, as the botanical analyses have been specifically showing us, all the fields around here used to be part of a large shallow lake.
T: What is the same structure in these sentences
S: “have/ has been doing...”
T: Yes, in this unit, we will learn “have/has been doing sth.” That is the present perfect continuous tense.
Step Ⅲ Explanation
Present Perfect Continuous
[HAS / HAVE] + [BEEN] + [V+ing]
Examples:
I have been waiting here for two hours.
She has only been studying English for two years.
Note: When you are using a verb tense with more than one part such as Present Perfect Continuous (has been studying), adverbs often come between the first part and the second part (has only been studying).
Use 1 Duration from the Past until Now
T: We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. “for five minutes”, “for two weeks”, and “since Tuesday” are all durations which can be used with the Present Perfect Continuous. Look at the following examples.
Show the following.
They have been talking for the last hour.
She has been working at that company for three years.
James has been teaching at the University since June.
Use 2 Recently, Lately
T: You can use the Present Perfect Continuous without a duration such as “for five minutes”, “for two weeks”, and “since Tuesday”. Without the durations, the tense gives a more general meaning of “lately”. We often use the words “lately” or “recently” in the sentence to strengthen this meaning. Now read these examples.
Show the following.
Recently, I have been feeling really tired.
She has been watching too much television lately.
Mary has been feeling a little depressed.
Important
T: Remember that the Present Perfect Continuous has the meaning of “lately” or “recently.” If the Present Perfect Continuous is used in a question such as “Have you been feeling alright ”, it suggests that the person looks sick or unhealthy. A question such as “Have you been smoking ” suggests that you can smell the smoke on the person. Using this tense in a question suggests you can see, smell, hear, or feel the results of the action. It is possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrectly.
Important: Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs
T: It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. To express the idea of Present Perfect Continuous with these exception verbs, you must use Present Perfect. Here are some examples.
Show the following.
Sam has been having his car for two years. (Not Correct)
Sam has had his car for two years. (Correct)
Active / Passive Present Perfect Continuous
Examples:
Recently, John has been doing the work. (Active)
Recently, work has been being done by John. (Passive)
Note: Present Perfect Continuous is rarely used in its passive form.
Step Ⅳ Consolidation
Show these exercises on the screen.
1. Hi, Tracy, you look tired.
I’m tired. I ____ in the living room all day.
A. painted B. had painted
C. have been painting D. have painted
2. There is so much snow these days, isn’t there
Yes, it ____ for a few days.
A. was snowing B. has been snowing
C. had been snowing D. snowed
3. Although these scientists ____ on the project for nearly four years, I don’t know how long it will last.
A. have been working B. had worked
C. were working D. are working
4. Now that she is out of job, Lucy ____ going back to school, but she hasn’t decided yet.
A. had considered B. has been considering
C. considered D. is going to consider
5. The little boy is dirty from head to foot because he ____in the mud all morning.
A. has played B. is playing
C. has been playing D. was playing
Key: 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B 5.C
Step Ⅴ Practice
Ask the students to work in pairs, and take turns to read the statement and turn it into a question using the present perfect continuous tense.
1. S1: Sam has just finished learning to fly an airplane on six-month course. (How long)
S2: How long have you been learning to fly an airplane, Sam
2. S1: He swam till he felt very tired. He has just stepped out of the swimming pool.(How along)
S2: How long has he been swimming in the swimming pool
3. S1: Sally and Zhou Xin have been busy all day.
(What)
S2: What have Sally and Zhou Xin been doing all day
4. S1: They have argued each other for years about the best way to grow potatoes. (What)
S2: About what have you been arguing with each other for years
5. S1: Jail Yang uses a particular kind of washing powder and his clothes have always been clean and soft. (What)
S2: What kind of washing powder have you been using to make your clothes clean and soft, Jail Yang
Step Ⅵ Homework
Word study exercises are assigned as homework. Students are asked to finish them after class. And ask the students to learn useful words and expressions by heart and practice them. Finish exercises 1 and 2 on pages 40 and 79.
The Fourth Period Integrating skills(Ⅰ)
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
look ahead, accelerate, arrest, dizzy, relief, eyebrow, cheekbone arrowhead, axe, division, affection, affectionate, patient, skilful, exhausting
b. 重点句型
If only she had looked ahead and planned better!
She could see her mother and aunts preparing the meat of deer and pig over the five.
2. Ability goals 能力目标
Enable the students to describe the life of early people.
3. Learning ability goals 学能目标
Help the students learn how to describe early people’s life.
Teaching important & difficult points 教学重难点
Enable the students to know more about the early people’s life and describe it.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Task-based teaching method, reading and discussion.
Teaching aids 教具准备
A recorder, a projector and a computer.
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step Ⅰ Revision
Check the homework. Ask the students to recite some useful words and expressions.
Step Ⅱ Lead-in
T: In the previous period, we learned something about the life of Peking man. Peking Man life is part of our ancient ancestors. What about the general ancestors’ life Now turn to page 43 and look at the pictures and think what these early people are doing
S1: Some are preparing food.
S2: One is making tools by sharpened stone tools and scraper.
T: Good. From the picture, we can learn something about early people’s life. Now read the passage and find out what the life was like.
Step Ⅲ Reading
Play the tape for the students to listen. At the same time, the students are asked to find the answers to the following questions.
1. Which jobs did Dahu do
2. Which jobs did Lala do
3. Who works cooperatively and who does tasks alone
4. Who does the most dangerous tasks
5. Where does the danger come from
After listening to the tape, the students discuss the above questions in groups and then try to find the answers to the above questions.
Sample answers:
1. To make tools, to catch fish, to cut up the meat, to scrape the fish, to welcome the guests.
2. To collect nuts and fruit, to prepare the meat over the fire.
3. Both men and women work cooperatively. For example, Lala’s mother and aunts were preparing the meat of deer and pig over the fire. Men do tasks alone.
4. Men do the most dangerous tasks.
5. The danger comes from the wild animals.
Step Ⅳ Post-reading
T: From the reading passage, we can see that long ago men and women had quite separate responsibilities. In groups discuss what the possible work division was between men and women at that time.
After a few minutes, check the answers.
Sample answers:
Men’s tasks: making tools, fishing, making fire, protecting the family from wild animals, cutting up meat.
Women’s tasks: collecting nuts and fruit, making and sewing clothes, looking after baby, preparing food, doing housework.
T: Now look closely at the tasks above and discuss which adjectives best describe each of them. Give your reasons.
Sample answers:
adjectives best describe the women:
caring, affectionate, safe, co-operative
adjectives best describe the men:
protective, dangerous, patient, individual, exhausting
S1: The fact that when Lala sat down abruptly, she was scooped up by her sister shows women were caring. Women were safe because they usually stayed inside the caves preparing food over the fire.
S2: When men went out fishing and hunting, women stayed inside preparing food. So they were both co-operative.
S3: When Dahu went back with fish over his shoulder, and took the stone scrapers from Lala, he smiled and went outside the cave. From Dahu’s behavior, we can infer men were affectionate.
S4: From the descriptions about Dahu, such as “carried”, “smiled”, “looked carefully”, “went to a corner”, “pulled out more tools”, “chose one large stone”, “began to hit...”, we can see men were patient, and often did individual work. They did so many things and their work was dangerous and exhausting.
…
T: Good work. We often use adjectives to describe things and people. If we have two or more adjectives, how can you arrange these adjectives Look at the following exercise:
Show the following.
What surprised him most happened ____ Sunday morning.
A. in a cold rainy B. on a cold rainy
C. in a rainy cold D. on a rainy cold
T: Which will you choose If there are more adjectives, what will be the order Now look at the following chart.
Show the following.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Size Shape Color Origin Material Use
A Short Slim Black British Girl
A Small Blue Chinese Serving Dish
For example:
a nice long new black British plastic pen.
some beautiful little red flowers.
Practice:
1. (2004江苏32) The ____ house smells as if it hasn’t been lived in for years.
A. little white wooden B. little wooden white
C. white wooden little D. wooden white little
2. (2004辽宁22）John Smith, a successful bus businessman, has a ____ car.
A. large German white B. large white German
C. white large German D. German Large white
3. (2005北京23）This ____ girl is Linda’s cousin.
A. pretty little Spanish B. Spanish Little pretty
C. Spanish pretty little D. little pretty Spanish
4. (2004浙江24)____ students are required to take part in the boat race.
A. Ten strong young Chinese
B. Ten Chinese strong young
C. Chinese ten young strong
D. Young strong ten Chinese
After a few minutes, check the answers together.
Key: 1. A 2. B 3. A 4. A
Step Ⅴ Homework
Practice using two or more adjectives to describe the Sanxingdui Ruins objects on page 44.
The Fifth Period Integrating skills(Ⅱ)
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language 目标语言
重点词汇和短语
hint, hut, archaeological discovery, seal, marvelous, insignia, intestines
2. Ability goals
Enable the students to write two paragraphs solving two archaeological problems.
3. Learning ability goals
Help the students learn how to write two paragraphs solving two archaeological problems.
Teaching important points 教学重点
How to write two paragraphs solving two archaeological problems.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
Learn to solve two archaeological problems.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Listening, writing and discussion.
Teaching aids 教具准备
A recorder, a projector and a computer.
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step Ⅰ Revision
Check the homework. Ask the students to show their work.
A sample version:
The first picture is Bronze Sacred Tree. The whole height of the sacred tree is 395 cm. There are three kinds of fruit on every branch, including peaches. The sacred tree in Sanxingdui symbolizes Fishing and Room, which is considered to be connected with the Heaven and the Earth.
The second one is Bronze Animal-face Image and the third one is a bird-shaped ornament.
The faces are almost the same: all with sword-shaped eyebrows, chestnut eyes, towering noses and open mouths; but the hairstyles are different from each other. Some busts are bald, while others wear a crown; some have hair coiled up and some wear hair clasps; but all are lively. So many bonzes are sure to be a collection of worshiped images, representing people of imperial of leaking groups. They reflect the character of the ancient Shun society in which gods and humans are considered to be connected with each other, and also politics and relation.
The bonze animal sculptures of dragons, snakes, biers, chicks, are vivid. They reflect the ancient Shun people’s ideology that all things have spirits and show their sincerity to gods. Among them, the sincerity to birds is the core. Biers, such as Cinching, You, Day, etc, are the names of several ancient Shun dynasties. Biers are regarded as the symbol of the sun.
The last one is a pottery pot, which is 579×924, 170Kb. It is used to contain water or wine.
Step Ⅱ Listening and reading
First ask the students to read the passage and work out the answers to the questions in Part 2 on page 83.
T: Howard Carter was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist. He was most famous as the discoverer of KV62, the tomb of Tutankhamun. On November 4, 1922 Carter found Tutankhamen’s tomb, by far the best preserved tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. Now read about it and find out the answers to the questions on page 83.
Sample answers:
1. The room or burial chamber with the king’s body contained boxes of all shapes and sizes. One held the king’s body and had his name on it, so they knew whose tomb it was.
2. Because they found the marvelous collection of treasures in the tomb, but did not know anything about it.
3. This was very significant as it was clearly a tomb of somebody important, and it had not been robbed.
Ask the students to listen to the recording and fill in the chart in Part 1.
After listening to the tape, the students have 2 minutes to scan the passage and then fill in the chart. 2 minutes later, check the answers.
Sample answers:
Object Material Colour Decoration
The statues of the king … Strange
Shoes Gold …
Boxes … Beautifully painted
Royal insignia Gold …
Lahars … Decorated with the headof animals and gods
Flowers … …
Vases … Decorated with somebeautiful
Chests … White flower designs
Seat … Golden …
Cart Gold … For the Pharaoh
Then let the students discuss how to secure and protect the site.
T: Now do you think how can we protect the site
Give the students several minutes to discuss this problem. When the class discussion is over, vote on the best ideas for securing and protecting the site.
Possible ideas for securing and protecting the site:
1. Remove the rubbish.
2. Don’t throw things round the site.
3. Encourage others to protect the site.
T: OK. So much for this passage.
Step Ⅲ Writing
T: Now turn to page 85 and look at the pictures and questions below them. First discuss these questions below the pictures.
Three minutes later, check the discussion.
S1: The order should be BAC.
S2: The earliest pyramid is B, which is called step pyramid. It was built during the Third Dynasty (2800 B.C.). Step pyramid is generally considered the first tomb in Egypt to be built entirely of stone anywhere in the world.
S3: The second is A. It was built in about 2,550 B.C., King Khufu, the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty, commissioned the building of his tomb at Giza. According to archaeologists, the top of the Khufu pyramid is in a way ripped off, which is in common with the first picture. Then the third one is the third picture. It is called bent pyramid, which was built for Khafre, the fourth pharaoh of the fourth dynasty. The bent pyramid at Dahshur shows us that the ancient Egyptians experimented a lot with the slope of the pyramids. In the middle of construction the builders must have decided that the slope of the building was too steep to continue. Thus, the top half of the pyramid has a different slope.
S4: The pyramid had sloping sides so that the dead pharaoh could climb to the sky and live forever.
S5: The pyramid represented the rays of the sun.
…
T: Now you can write two paragraphs giving your ideas and your opinions as the information tells you to do.
Several minutes later, let some students read their writings.
A sample version:
I think the chronological order of bulling the pyramids is B-A-C. The earliest pyramid is B, which is called step pyramid. It was built during the Third Dynasty (2800 B.C.). Step pyramid is generally considered the first tomb in Egypt to be built entirely of stone. The second is A. It was built about 2,550 B.C., King Khufu, the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty, commissioned the building of his tomb at Giza. Then the third one is C. It is called bent pyramid, which was built for Khafre, the fourth pharaoh of the fourth dynasty. The bent pyramid at Dahshur shows us that the ancient Egyptians experimented a lot with the slope of the pyramids. In the middle of construction the builders must have decided that the slope of the building was too steep to continue. Thus, the top half of the pyramid has a different slope.
All the three pyramids come to a point at the top. As its name suggests, step pyramid is a series of six levels of stone decreasing in size as they ascend to about 200 feet (60 meters) in height. Egyptologists have developed many theories about why the tombs of the early pharaohs were built in the pyramid shape. Variable reasons are possible: the pyramid represented the first land to appear at the beginning of time — a hill called Ben-Ben，ｔhe pyramid had sloping sides so that the dead pharaoh could symbolically climb to the sky and live forever ａｎｄ　ｔhe pyramid represented the rays of the sun.
Step Ⅳ Homework
Ask the students to summarize what they have learned in this unit and preview the next.
附 件
文化背景知识
The Peking Man World Heritage Site at Zhoukoudian
Zhoukoudian is a small village situated about 50 km southwest of Beijing. Embraced by a chain of mountains from the northwest and rolling hills from the northeast, the village opens to the vast Huabei plains. One half kilometre north, one finds a narrow pass leading to a basin. Baerhe stream wriggles out of the pass and flows down south. It passes then to the west of Zhoukoudian and finally drains into Liulihe about 10 km south of the village. The Peking Man Site is just on the west side of Zhoukoudian Village.
The exposure of sedimentary strata around Zhoukoudian is quite extraordinary, especially those of the Pliocene and Pleistocene, and therefore attract geologists to visit the area. On the other hand, the area also bears rich Ordovician limestone with which the local habitants make lime. It is by quarrying the limestone that local habitants find, in some fissures, the so-called Dragon Bones, which scientists call fossils.
Within the research framework of the laboratory, Father Teilhard de Chardin, an eminent French paleontologist, and C. C. Young studied the fossiliferous deposits at Zhoukoudian and divided them into 10 layers in 1929. And the most important discovery of all was made on the 2nd of December in 1929. It was in a branching cave where a fissure crosses the main cave that Pei found the first and almost complete skullcap of Peking man in the red sandy clay, which is equivalent to the 10th layer in the main section. The discovery attracted great attention from scientific circles. The two human-like teeth found before were not enough to convince everyone that they belong to Peking Man, but the skullcap gave more anatomical proof and was much more convincing. An important Paleolithic site, this site was first excavated in 1927, in a cave on Dragon Bone Hill at Zhoukoudian, southwest of Beijing. In 1929, skull fossils of Peking man were discovered here, providing concrete evidence for the existence of primitive man in the Beijing area and marking a mile-stone in the history of paleo-anthropology. So far, a total of 6 skulls, 15 pieces of lower jaw-bones, 157 teeth and numerous other bone segments from the bodies of about 40 humans have been excavated, providing concrete data for the study of the evolution of pre-historic biology and the development of pre-historic culture.
The study of geological strata indicated that Peking man lived about 700, 000 to 200,000 years ago. The average brain volume of these people was 1,088 ml (the average for modern people is 1,400 ml). And it is estimated that their average height reached 156 cm for males and 150 cm for females.
Peking Man was among the first human beings to learn how to use fire, and could hunt large animals. Their average life expectancy was short; it is estimated that 68.2% of them died by the age of 14, and only 4.5% lived up to 50 years.
Fossils of primitive men living 20,000 years ago were excavated in 1930 near the top of Dragon Bone Hill, and were named Upper Cave Man fossils. In 1973, fossils of New Cave Man were discovered.
New Cave Man was believed to have lived in the period between Peking man and Upper cave Man, suggesting a continuity of development.
Unmasking Sanxingdui Ruins
Some 100 years ago, Sanxingdui in today’s Sichuan Province hadn’t seemed to anyone anything more than a typical rural area, and just 20 years ago its significance was not fully known. But when a farmer hollowing out a just-dug ditch in 1929 found some jade he unwittingly opened the door on an unknown culture between 3,000 to 5,000 years old. Perhaps it’s not so startling in itself that an accidental strike of the hoe would unearth ruins as new archeological sites from China’s rich history are being discovered almost every day. But what no one could have expected was that this particular discovery would rewrite Chinese history by unearthing a culture contemporary with the first civilizations of China but that had left no clues in historical records, that seemingly disappeared without a trace and which left artifacts never before discovered elsewhere in China.
The discovery of the jade, which the family thought to keep secret at first, later brought archeologists, though one of them have predicted in the 1930s that this might be the capital of the ancient Shu kingdom, they still might have been startled by another accidental discovery by workers at a brick factory in 1986. Two sacrificial pits were filled with gold masks, bronze wares, jade tablets, elephant tusks and sacred trees — and they opened a world of mystery. The discovery pushed back the date of the bronzeage in China and yet the objects made were unlike any made in any other period of Chinese civilization with the creation of human-like figures and faces particularly unique.
They left experts asking what the purpose of the objects was, where the culture came from, why there was no mention of it in historical texts and how such an ancient culture, at the origin of Chinese civilization, could be so advanced. Theories abound, but whatever the answer, the unique part-human, part-animal masks have become the symbol of Sanxingdui and of the mysterious culture. So recently the local government invited some foreign journalists to participate in the opening of the Sanxingdui International Mask Festival at the start of the May Day holiday.
The area whose name means “three-star mounds” in English is not a place foreigners who aren’t archeologists would know to visit and little is left for the common person to see of the actual ruins but some ancient objects and many reproductions showing off this advanced culture are on display in the local museum. The more we learned about the mystery behind what was dug up, the more intriguing and important this site seemed. Many objects at first seem somewhat commonplace for old cultures until you realize that the people making these objects were those living at the beginning of Chinese civilization. It is believed that Sanxingdui was capital of the ancient “Shu culture” of the Sichuan area, previously believed to be 3,000 years old. A metropolis of its time, covering about three square kilometers, Sanxingdui had highly developed agriculture, including wine-making ability, ceramic technology and sacrificial tools and mining was commonplace.
This discovery enables an overall picture of early society, which have diverse origins in China, and perhaps somewhat a rethink of just how “primitive” a primitive culture is. It’s not too late to visit the Sanxingdui International Mask Festival and these ancient ruins, fast becoming one of the top-promoted tourist sites in China. The festival is being held near Guanghan, only some 40 kilometers from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, already a popular destination for those wishing to see the giant panda or Sichuan’s beautiful spots. According to local officials, the festival lasts for 300 days from May 1.
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