The lesson plan Part A How to Avoid Foolish Opinions Unit 7, Book IV Reading New English Course 1g Department of foreign Languages Tsinghua University June25,2003
1 The Lesson Plan Part A How to Avoid Foolish Opinions Unit 7, Book IV Reading New English Course Yang Li Department of Foreign Languages Tsinghua University June 25, 2003
Table of contents Teaching objectives Teaching Methods A Brief Description of the class anguage Points Teaching Procedures 333346 Evaluation Appendix
2 Table of Contents Teaching Objectives 3 Teaching Methods 3 A Brief Description of the Class 3 Language Points 3 Teaching Procedures 4 Evaluation 6 Appendix 9
Teaching objectives i to help students learn the important words in this text to familiarize students with some commonly used prefixes to prompt students to identify the topic statement and the flow of the details Teaching Methods New English Course(Reading)is a course designed to help the students with their English language integrative skills. Though, as the name implies, the focus is mainly on reading skills, students will be guided to use the other skills- listening speaking, writing and translating unconsciously A Brief Description of the class Unit Name: Unit 7 Part A How to Avoid Foolish Opinions(Book IV Reading Time: 90 minutes(2 sessions) Place: Language Lab Student Level: Lower intermediate Language Points Words and Expressions prone, fatal, cautious, dogmatic, conviction, maintain, as to, on one's guard warrant,rid of, diminish, seek out, compare, subject to, conceal, seeing that, short of, cocksure wary of, superior, adjust to, conceit Prefixes super-, sub-, uni-, un-, in, de Grammar Subjunctive mood: Aristotle could have avoided..(L5) if I were writing a book ..(Ll1) he would have liked to undo the whole of.(L51)
3 Teaching Objectives ➢ to help students learn the important words in this text ➢ to familiarize students with some commonly used prefixes ➢ to prompt students to identify the topic statement and the flow of the details Teaching Methods New English Course (Reading) is a course designed to help the students with their English language integrative skills. Though, as the name implies, the focus is mainly on reading skills, students will be guided to use the other skills – listening, speaking, writing and translating unconsciously. A Brief Description of the Class Unit Name: Unit 7 Part A How to Avoid Foolish Opinions (Book IV Reading) Time: 90 minutes (2 sessions) Place: Language Lab Student Level: Lower Intermediate Language Points: Words and Expressions: prone, fatal, cautious, dogmatic, conviction, maintain, as to, on one’s guard, warrant, rid of, diminish, seek out, compare, subject to, conceal, seeing that, short of, cocksure wary of, superior, adjust to, conceit Prefixes: super-, sub-, uni-, un-, in-, deGrammar: Subjunctive mood: Aristotle could have avoided … (L5) if I were writing a book …(L11) he would have liked to undo the whole of … (L51)
by considering what Gandhi might have said.(L58-59) Paraphrases(sentences that students may find difficult) I should not commit myself until I had seen one.(L12) If an opinion. . that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do. (L2 1-24) The most savage controversies are those about maters as to which there is no good evidence either way.(L27-29) I found this very profitable in diminishing the intensity of insular prejudice (L39-40) This reflection should generate a certain caution. (L44-45) It is more difficult to deal with the self-esteem of man as man, because we cannot argue out the matter with some non-human mind.(L78-79) an guage skills to be Developed Scan texts Find topic statements Follow the sequencing of reasons Summarize and evaluate main points Brainstorm and learn prefixes to enlarge vocabulary bank Teaching Procedures: Narm-up Activities(8 min) Step 1: Ask students to discuss four statements with their partners(on ppt Append ix A)and work out What are foolish opinions according to them? What are the causes of people's foolish opinions? How to avoid foolish opinions? In this section students will be involved in their active communication with others, since the statements are light, they would not realize this activity is a TASK. If their answers are exactly the same with those in the text, I would
4 by considering what Gandhi might have said ... (L58-59) Paraphrases (sentences that students may find difficult): I should not commit myself until I had seen one… (L12) If an opinion …, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do. (L21-24) The most savage controversies are those about maters as to which there is no good evidence either way. (L27-29) I found this very profitable in diminishing the intensity of insular prejudice. (L39-40) This reflection should generate a certain caution. (L44-45) It is more difficult to deal with the self-esteem of man as man, because we cannot argue out the matter with some non-human mind. (L78-79) Language Skills to be Developed: ➢ Scan texts ➢ Find topic statements ➢ Follow the sequencing of reasons ➢ Summarize and evaluate main points ➢ Brainstorm and learn prefixes to enlarge vocabulary bank Teaching Procedures: Warm-up Activities (8 min) Step 1: Ask students to discuss four statements with their partners (on ppt1See Appendix A) and work out: What are foolish opinions according to them? What are the causes of people’s foolish opinions? How to avoid foolish opinions? In this section, students will be involved in their active communication with others, since the statements are light, they would not realize this activity is a TASK. If their answers are exactly the same with those in the text, I would
praise them for their careful prev iew; if not, that doesnt mean they did not preview, on the contrary, if theirs is different from those in the text, I would praise them for their independent thinking. Both will help me naturally lead the class into the next step Lesson Body (72 min Step 2: Summarize students' answers and introduce what we are going to study Russell,s How to Avoid Foolish Opinions Since Russell, the name, cannot be new to Chinese students, especially Tsinghua students, I will prompt to say what they know about the author, and then I will show them the ppt and summarize with a few word Step 3: Ask students to scan the text and find out the 5 rules to avoid foolish opinions First ask the whole class whether most of the paragraphs have topic statements. Since students are required to prev iew the text, this might not be difficult. Then ask them how many rules are suggested by russell and whai are they respective ly(in the text sequence). After that, I will affirm them by clicking the ppt If students did not tell in desired sequence, let it be and ask other students to say the missing one(s) Step 4: Extract examples and details for each paragraph/rule2 Have a careful study of Para. 2 to 6 (See Appendix A). Besides asking students to extract examples, ask them to identify language points such as useful words and expressions, useful yet somewhat new prefixes, difficult sentences, etc (See Appendix B for vocabulary and expressions and Append ix C fo prefixes). Be prepared to answer their questions on the text. If they fail to identify any above-mentioned points, I would point out the points myself and ask students to either make sentences with words and expressions or paraphrase Step 5: Identify the organization of the text Ask students to tell whether this essay is well organized and how they can demonstrate this
5 praise them for their careful preview; if not, that doesn’t mean they did not preview, on the contrary, if theirs is different from those in the text, I would praise them for their independent thinking. Both will help me naturally lead the class into the next step. Lesson Body (72 min) Step 2: Summarize students’ answers and introduce what we are going to study: Russell’s How to Avoid Foolish Opinions. Since Russell, the name, cannot be new to Chinese students, especially Tsinghua students, I will prompt to say what they know about the author, and then I will show them the ppt and summarize with a few words. Step 3: Ask students to scan the text and find out the 5 rules to avoid foolish opinions. First ask the whole class whether most of the paragraphs have topic statements. Since students are required to preview the text, this might not be difficult. Then ask them how many rules are suggested by Russell and what are they respectively (in the text sequence). After that, I will affirm them by clicking the ppt. If students did not tell in desired sequence, let it be and ask other students to say the missing one(s). Step 4: Extract examples and details for each paragraph/rule2 . Have a careful study of Para. 2 to 6 (See Appendix A).Besides asking students to extract examples, ask them to identify language points such as useful words and expressions, useful yet somewhat new prefixes, difficult sentences, etc. (See Appendix B for vocabulary and expressions and Appendix C for prefixes). Be prepared to answer their questions on the text. If they fail to identify any above-mentioned points, I would point out the points myself and ask students to either make sentences with words and expressions or paraphrase. Step 5: Identify the organization of the text. Ask students to tell whether this essay is well organized and how they can demonstrate this