1、 1 Unit 3 Festivals and customs Extended reading I. Learning objectives By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to: 1. learn the characteristics of a feature article; 2. summarize the article with their own words; 3. describe the Spring Festival vividly; 4. understand the meaning of home
2、 in China. II. Key competence focus 1. Learn the characteristics of a feature article. 2. Write a summary of the article. 3. Analyse the meaning of home in China. III. Predicted areas of difficulty 1. Write a summary of the article. 2. Understand the meaning of home in China. IV. Teaching procedures
3、 Step 1 Lead-in 1. T asks Ss the following questions and encourages them to give different answers. What is your favourite Chinese festival? Tell us something about it. Supposed answers: S1: I like the Dragon Boat Festival best. It falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. On that day, we mak
4、e rice dumplings and watch dragon boat races. It is celebrated in honour of Qu Yuan, a great poet living in the Warring States period of ancient China. S2: My favourite festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. All family members will co
5、me back home even if they live very far away. They will enjoy mooncakes and admire the full moon, which is considered to stand for family togetherness. (Various answers are encouraged.) 2. T asks Ss to look at the picture on page 40 of the textbook and answer the following questions: Which festival
6、is the picture about? How do you know that? (Its about the Spring Festival. The house is decorated with paper-cuttings and red lanterns. The family members, dressed in new clothes, are enjoying a big dinner with all sorts of dishes on the table.) 【设计意图：紧扣主题，用学生熟悉的话题作为预设教学目标的情境载体导入，激活学生已 有的知识和经验，营造轻松
7、活泼的课堂氛围。谈论的话题涉及课文内容，帮助学生预测课文 内容，也为课后作业介绍春节提供写作素材。】 Step 2 Title prediction T asks Ss to predict the content of the article. T: Can you predict what might be talked about in the article according to the title “A precious family dinner”? Why does the author consider the dinner to be “precious”? 2 【设计意
8、图：通过预测制造悬念，激发学生研读语篇的兴趣。】 Step 3 Global reading 1. T asks Ss to read the article and choose the best answer. T: How is the article organized? Please choose the best answer. The answer is D. You need to pay attention to the clues of time, place and feeling when you read. 2. T asks Ss to read the artic
9、le again and fill in the table. 【设计意图：引导学生通过获取、概括等思维训练活动，从宏观层面理清语篇结构，把握语 篇信息，培养学生查找和处理信息的能力，为概要写作做好语言和结构的铺垫。】 Step 4 Summary writing 1. T asks Ss to write a summary of the feature article with the help of the table. 2. T offers Ss a sample for their reference. 【设计意图： 引导学生根据所给图表和关键词进行概要写作。 概要写作集语言输入与
10、输出为 一体，是对语言、阅读、思维的综合考查，有利于培养学生的英语学科核心素养。在概要写 作过程中， 文本的阅读可以锻炼学生的学习能力， 对信息的整合可以培养学生的分类概括能 力和思维能力，用自己的语言改写可以提高语言应用能力。】 Step 5 Further reading T helps Ss learn the characteristics of a feature article. 1. T asks Ss to fill in the blanks and asks the following questions: What do you think of the descript
11、ion of the scene? The scene is vividly described, with a lot of details. What kind of tense does the author use? Why? The author uses the present tense to show what is happening in Luo Yans family to make readers feel as if they were on the scene. On the Chinese New Years Eve throughout China, the s
12、ame thing happens in other families. T: From this paragraph we can see the vivid description is one of the characteristics of a feature article. The author gives such a vivid description that readers can picture the scene and characters in their minds. 2. T asks Ss to fill in the blanks and asks the
13、 following questions: How does the family feel? They feel happy and excited. Can you find more sentences which show the feeling of the family? S1: I can find more sentences. For example, “During the five-hour trip, they chatted excitedly with each other, their minds full of thoughts about their swee
14、t home.” It shows a feeling of excitement. S2: I can give another example. “On their arrival, they find Luos parents eagerly waiting for them.” This sentence shows how eager Luo Yans parents are to see Luo Yan and his wife and son after such a long time of separation. T: Well done. As we can see, a
15、feature article is full of rich feelings. Because of this, readers will be involved in the story and sense how the characters feel. 3. T asks Ss to fill in the blanks and asks the following question: What does the last sentence of the feature article imply? S1: It implies that Chinese people are liv
16、ing a happy life and feel proud of their great country. S2: It implies that every familys happiness contributes to the countrys greatness and the countrys strength guarantees every familys happiness. 3 T: Very good. This is the last sentence in the article and it brings out the crucial point. There
17、are always some sentences which imply deep meanings in a feature article. They will show the theme and give readers a sense of identity. 【设计意图： 引导学生通过阐释、 分析等思维训练活动， 进一步研读语篇， 了解新闻特写 （又 称专题文章）文章的三个特点：生动再现场景和人物（画面感）；蕴含丰富情感（代入感）； 透视全局，升华主题意义（认同感）。】 Step 6 Critical thinking T gets Ss to discuss the follo
18、wing questions and present possible answers for their reference. What Spring Festival traditions do you observe? What are their meanings? I go back to my hometown, visit my extended family and get red packets! The Chinese New Year is a time of family reunion. The annual reunion dinner with members o
19、f my extended family is the biggest event of the festival. We eat Spring Festival cakes, or niangao, which symbolize increasing prosperity in each coming year. Red packets received from the elderly symbolize good luck and fortune. Why do the Chinese people attach so much importance to reunion during
20、 the Spring Festival? To brainstorm the answers, T may encourage Ss to think about the meanings of some Chinese idioms such as “three generations under the same roof”, “ A happy family will prosper.” etc. After Ss air their opinions, teachers can offer the possible answer for their reference. The an
21、swer to this question is deeply rooted in the traditional Chinese culture, which is characterized by a sense of family, or a sense of belonging. The concept of family has a great influence on the Chinese people, and three generations living under the same roof is good proof of a thriving family. Eve
22、n if family members live apart, they must get back home at the Spring Festival and bring new year greetings to the family elders. They tell the family about their experiences and achievements while away from home, feeling content that they can bring glory to the family. Family reunions are also good
23、 occasions when children learn about their cultural inheritance, who will pass it down to their own children after they grow up. Traditionally, there are ceremonies of offering sacrifices to ancestors and people exchange new year greetings with their relatives and friends. Brought up in this harmoni
24、ous atmosphere, children will naturally follow this tradition. Luo Yan says, “Home is where all family members are together.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Ss are encouraged to give different definitions of home. As a result, Ss may cultivate a good sense of family and learn to deal with family issu
25、es in a positive way. With the development of society, many extended families have been replaced with nuclear families. What problems might this cause? 【设计意图：引导学生通过思考和讨论中国人的价值取向，看到今日中国的发展、家庭格局 的变迁及随之而来的社会问题, 理解家庭的重要意义和传统节日对家庭文化的重要影响。 鼓 励学生运用语言表达自己的观点态度，培养其辩证思维能力，实现能力向素养的转化。】 V. Homework Write a short passage to the English newspaper of your school with the title “The Spring Festival in my home”, including the following points: What does the Spring Festival mean to your family? How do your family usually celebrate the Spring Festival?
