I. Brief Statements Based on the Unit
The activities of this unit, including Warming-up, Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing, center on the subject－news and the media, which are connected with our life closely. It provides the students an opportunity to learn the language in using it.
By talking about news and the media, the students get more knowledge about them－not only know about the important parts they play in learning about the world, but also the ways they are written and made. The students must be very interested in this subject. This way, they can learn the language points easily and freely. They will not only learn some useful words and phrases about news and the media, but also learn to express opinions.
Besides, the study of the Grammar－the Past Participle can help the students use the language more exactly. By finishing each task provided in the textbook and the workbook, the students' skills to use language can be well developed.
Ⅱ. Teaching Goals
1. Talk about news and the media.
2. Practise expressing opinions.
3. Learn about the Past Participle (1): used as Attribute and Predicative.
4. Write a comparison paragraph.
Ⅲ. Teaching Time: Four periods
IV. Background Information
1. RADIO
In ancient times the only way that men could send messages from village to village was on foot. When men learned to use the horse, communication became much quicker. However, compared to the modern world communication was still quite slow. Many parts of the world had no knowledge of events in other places. Later, the post was introduced and horse riders carried letters. This meant that communication was further improved. Horses drawn coaches could move people from town to town in quite a comfortable way. At the beginning of the last century the steam train was invented and for the first time really fast communication became possible. Not only could letters be sent easily from one part of a country to another, but travel was made easy, too. At about the same time, steam ships helped communication between countries.
The invention of the telegraph in the middle of the last century further increased the speed at which messages could be sent. In this system electrical signals, in code, are sent along metal wires. These signals travel so fast that they could go nearly eight times round the world in one second. A special device is needed to send the code. At the other end another device is used in order to receive the code. By this method messages can be sent over distances of several hundred kilometres. With the invention of the telephone the human voice could be sent over long distances. Because of this the telephone system replaced the telegraph for quick communication over long distances. The telegraph is still used, however, by newspapers in order to send news and for other purposes too.
At the beginning of this century radio was invented and in a few years communication was again improved. The main difference between radio and telephone is that radio uses no electrical signals which travel long distances along wires. Instead invisible waves, moving at the same speed as electrical signals, are used. A few years ago there were not many radio stations in the world. Today there are many hundreds of radio stations broadcasting in different languages and in all countries. The invisible radio waves can easily travel from one country to another. This means that listeners in one country can listen to programmes broadcast from another country. In this way information travels from country to country. Radio is often used by policemen to communicate with one another. In addition, police forces in one country can communicate with those in other countries in order to catch criminals. Ships at sea use radio so that they know exactly where they are. Aeroplanes use radio for the same reason and this makes it easier for them to find their way from place to place.
In the modern world there are many methods of communication. As well as radio there is television, for example. This enables information in the form of a picture to be broadcast from one place to another. Radio is often used as part of a telegraph system where distances are very large. Of the many modern methods of communication, radio probably remains the most important.
2. How the Program Is Broadcast?
We turn on the radio and a program comes to us from a broadcasting station miles and miles away. We know that words and music themselves haven’t traveled all that distance through space, but something certainly is bringing the program from the station. What is this silent carrier?
The answer is radio waves. We can not see radio waves or feel them or even hear them. In fact, nobody knows exactly what they are. But we do know that they are made by electricity, and we have learned how to use them.
At the broadcasting station people talk or sing, instruments (樂器) play, doors slam(砰) ,and all of these make sound waves. The sound waves reach the microphone, and here they are changed into electricity. Then from a tall tower called the broadcasting aerial (天線) ,electricity sends radio waves. The waves travel in every direction, and some of them reach our radio aerial. Now a wonderful thing happens. The radio waves start an electricity current (電流) in our aerial like the one that was first made in the broadcasting station. Finally, the loudspeaker in our set changes electricity into sound, and we hear the program.
The First Period
Teaching Aims:
1. Learn and master the following words and phrases:
media, reliable, fire, face, difficulty, elect, go up, burn down, injure
2. Practise expressing opinion using the following:
What do you think of…?
What's your opinion?
Why do you choose…?
Perhaps…is more important.
I would rather choose.…
I don't think we should choose…
Maybe it would be better to choose…
Our readers want to know about…
3. Talk about news and the media.
4. Train the students' listening and speaking abilities.
Teaching Important Points:
1. Master the useful words and expressions appearing in this period.
2. Train the students' listening and speaking abilities by talking about news and the media.
Teaching Difficult Points:
1. How to help the students understand the listening material exactly.
2. How to help the students finish the task of speaking.
Teaching Methods:
1. Listening-and-answering activity to help the students go through the listening material.
2. Individual, pair or group work to make the students finish each task.
Teaching Aids:
1. a tape recorder
2. a projector
3. the blackboard
Teaching Procedures:
Step I Greetings and Lead-in
T: Good morning/afternoon, class.
Ss: Good morning/afternoon, Miss/ Mr. X.
T: Sit down, please. Being the members of the society, we all cares for/about what happens around us or even what happens at home and abroad. How can you do so?
Ss: By reading newspapers and magazines, watching TV programmes, listening to the radio.
T: Are there any other ways? Think it over.
Ss: By a website.
T: Yes. It’s also a way to learn about the world. What do you call these things which help us know about to the world?
Ss:新聞媒體
T: In English, we call it news media. Today we'll begin to learn Unit 2 News media (Bb: Unit 2 News media). First, let's learn the new words in this period. Look at the screen.
(Teacher first asks some students to read the words on the screen. Correct the Ss' mistakes in prononciation. Then teacher gives brief explanations. At last, let the Ss read and remember them for a while.)
Step Ⅱ Warming up
T: Well, now please open your books at Page 9. Warming up first. Look at each of the pictures and tell me which kind of news media it shows?
Ss: The first picture shows a website; the second one shows radio; the third one shows TV programmes; the fourth one shows magazines; the fifth one shows newspapers.
T: Quite right! Now, please work in groups of four and discuss the five questions below the pictures. A few minutes later, I’ll cotleet your answers. OK?
Ss: OK.
T: You can begin now.
(A few minutes later. )
T: Are you ready now?
Ss: Yes.
T: Which group would like to talk about the first question? Choose one member of your group to answer the question.
S1: I think TV is the most reliable among the news media. TV consists of a series of lively consecutive pictures. For the people who want to know what is exactly happening, a picture responds better to offer the truth of a fact than the mere words upon a page. It can offer an unique function of seemingly on-the-spot feeling, which is not available to the other media.
T: The second question?
S2. I think TV programmes are easy for most people to understand. Radio, can only be heard and sometimes can’t be picked up clearly. Newspapers and magazines are only useful for people who can read. Websites have many different pages, but you should be careful to read some of the pages. who can read. Website have many different pages, but you should be careful to read some of the pages.
T: The third question?
S3 : I will check other sources.
T: The fourth question?
S4: Every morning, the newspaper chief editor and the journalists discuss the main events of the day. Reporters are then sent to cover the events. They usually do some interviews and then check the information. They must work very fast. Later in the day, everything is put together at the news desk. Then the editors read the stories and make any necessary changes and choose a good title for each story. At last, they print them quickly and deliver them. Making a magazine is more or less the same as making a newspaper. But the articles in a magazine are more like stories, which are written by all kinds of writers. Magazines are not published as quickly as newspapers.
T: The last question?
Ss: News broadcast, newspaper, magazine, radio programme, website, report, reporter, editor, interview, write articles…
Step Ⅲ Listening
T: Next, let's come to the Listening. We are going to listen to two parts of conversations. The first part is an interview; the second part is a dialogue. Now, look at Exercise 1: Listen carefully to what is said and tick the information you hear in each part. If necessary, I'll play it twice. (Teacher begins to play the tape, and checks the answers after listening. Then ask the students to finish the rest of the tasks. )
T: OK. Now, please listen to each part once again and then work in pairs to talk about the questions in Exercises 2,3,4 and 5. Are you clear?
Ss: Yes.
(Teacher allows them enough time to talk about the questions. Then ask some students to say their answers.)
Step IV Speaking
T: Well, now it's time for us to be the editors of a newspaper. Here is a list of ten things that happened today. Look at the screen. (Teacher shows the screen and read through the list to the whole class.)
200 people died in an earthquake in Turkey.
China beat Brazil 5-1 in football.
France elected a new President.
Three children from your city were killed.
Someone robbed a bank in Shanghai.
Food prices are going up.
A house in your town burned down. Nobody was injured.
2 000 people in your city were happy today and moved into new buildings.
A Chinese scientist has invented a new car engine that does not pollute the air.
There is a rumour that a large company wants to build a factory in your town:
(Bb :go up, burn down)
T: Now, you've known the ten things, but you only need to report five of them. So, first decide which events you are going to put in your newspaper. Then give reasons for your choices and compare with your classmates. Work in groups of four or five. And the following expressions on the screen can help you with your dialogue. After a while, I'll ask some of you to act out your dialogue.
(Teacher shows the screen. )
What do you think of'…?
I would rather choose.…
What's your opinion?
I don't think we should choose…
Why do you choose…
Maybe it would be better to choose…
Perhaps… is more important.
Our readers want to know about….
(Teacher goes around the Ss and checks their work. If necessary, teacher may join in them. ) Sample dialogue:
A: Hello! How is everything going? Have you finished your work?
B: I'm very busy today. I've chosen five events among ten things that happened today to report in our newspaper. But I'm not sure whether I made the best choices. I need your advice.
C: Tell us more about your choices.
B: The first event I chose is "France elected a new President". It is an important event these days. I think it may have a great effect on international affairs. The second is "There is a rumour that a large company wants to build a factory in our town." What is your opinion?
A: I agree with your first choice, but why do you choose the second one? We should report something true to our readers, not rumours. Maybe it would be better to choose "A Chinese scientist has invented a new car engine that does not pollute the air." It shows our country's science advancement.
B: Good idea. Then I'd rather choose "2 000 people in our city were happy today and moved into new buildings. “ and” China beat Brazil 5-1 in football. “They are both exciting news. They also reflect the improvement of people's life and the achievement in sports.
D: I think you made a good choice. What about the fifth one? Have you decided yet?
B: I think two events are suitable. I really don't know which is more important. It is hard to choose. They are “Food prices are going up. “ and ”200 people died in an earthquake in Turkey.”
D: Perhaps the former is more important. Our readers want to know more about their life. And this thing is related to everybody's life.
B: It sound reasonable. Let's think them over. Thank you for your advice.
Step V Summary and Homework
T: Up to now, we've talked a lot about news media. By listening and speaking, we've become more familiar with news media. At the same time, we've learnt some useful words and phrases. You should remember them and practise using them freely and exactly. After class, please collect more information about news media and talk about them with your classmates. Besides, don't forget to preview the contents of the next period. So much for today. See you tomorrow V
Ss: See you tomorrow.
Step VI The Design of the Writing on the Blackboard
Unit 2 News media
The First Period
I : Five news media
website, radio, TV programme, magazine, newspaper
Ⅱ. Useful words and phrases
words., reliable, fire, face, difficulty, elect, injure
phrases., go up, burn down
Step Ⅶ Record after Teaching