发布时间 : 星期二 文章Unit 8 Focus on Global Warming Teaching plan综合教程二更新完毕开始阅读6e0c3733f5335a8102d2207d
Unit 8 Focus on Global Warming
Teaching Objectives
1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
To help students to get to know about global warming and its causes; To help students to think about environmental problems and protection; To help students to learn to analyze the text;
To help students to learn the language in this text;
To help students to develop oral English ability and communicative competence.
Teaching Procedures
6) Lead-in activities
7) Cultural Backgrounds 8) Text analysis
9) Structural analysis 10) Language study 11) Exercises
Lead-in activities
Students enjoy an episode from The Day After Tomorrow and answer the following questions:
? What is going on? (The earth may be pushed into an ice age by global
warming.)
? In which aspect are we threatened by global warming? (Global warming
may make our climate go warmer and warmer and one day we will not be able to stand the heat and perish from the Earth if we don‘t do anything now to control it.)
Opening questions for discussion:
1) What do you know about global warming? What is the cause of global warming? 2) What changes could the greenhouse effect create in the Earth‘s climate? 3) Can you give some suggestions for tackling the greenhouse effect?
Cultural information Global warming
Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth?s near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. Most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century was caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, which results from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation.
An increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts. Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects include changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, species extinctions, and
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changes in agricultural yields.
Text I
Focus on Global Warming
John Weier
Global Reading I. Text analysis
1. From which perspectives does the text address the issue of global warming?
The text addresses the issue from three perspectives — the general public concern, its causes and consequences, and practical actions to tackle the problem. 2. What‘s the author‘s purpose of writing?
To raise people‘s consciousness of the potential dangers of global warming, and to suggest
some actions to combat it.
II. Structural analysis
1. Divide the text into parts by completing the table. Paragraphs 1-2 3-7 8-11 Main idea The author tells the reason why people are now increasingly concerned about global warming. The author traces the causes of global warming and discusses its consequences. The author puts forward some suggestions on what is to be done. 2. Figure out the sub-ideas in the second part.
1) the causes of the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Paragraphs 3 and 4)
2) the effect of such concentration on climate change (Paragraphs 5 and 6)
3) the potential threat of global warming to human health and survival (Paragraph 7)
Detailed Reading
Paragraphs 1-2 Questions
Why have people shown increasing concern about global warming? (Paragraph 2)
The answer lies in the second paragraph: it is a harbinger of what is to come — the threat to low-lying nations, change of rain and drought patterns, frequent hurricanes and intense El Ninos.
Paragraph 3
Please identify causes that lead to the rising concentration of greenhouse gases.
Paragraphs 4-5
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Questions
How does the rising concentration of greenhouse gases cause the change in climate? (Paragraph 4)
The rising concentration of greenhouse gases, which is primarily caused by high levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, is trapping excess heat (from the sun) and preventing it from leaving the Earth, hence creating global warming.
Paragraphs 6-7
Complete the following table with possible health damages caused by climate changes. Climate Changes slight increase in heat and rain moderate rise in sea level more intense rain and hurricanes hotter summers and warmer temperatures across the globe Health Damages an increase in vector diseases such as malaria threat to the coastlines of low-lying islands severe flooding and more deaths more cases of heat stroke and deaths; more hospital admissions for those with respiratory problems Paragraphs 8-11 Questions
1. What does ―adapt to those most likely to occur‖ mean? (Paragraph 9)
It means ―do things to get ourselves prepared for the situations that are most likely to occur.‖
2. What are the immediate actions that we should take? (Paragraph 8)
We should take such immediate actions as a) cutting our consumption of fossil fuels, b) using technologies to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, and c) protecting our forests.
3. What are the long-term policies that should be worked out? (Paragraph 10)
We should encourage people to use environmentally clean fuels and technologies, and stop the clear-cutting of forests.
Text II
The Villain in the Atmosphere
Isaac Asimov
Lead-in Questions
1. What, in your opinions, contribute to global warming? 2. What can we do to reduce the greenhouse gas emission?
Main idea
There is one gas present in the air we breathe that is essential to life. Unfortunately, one can have too much of a good thing and the growth in carbon dioxide threatens to warm up our planet to a dangerous extent. Isaac Asimov introduces us to this villain in
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the atmosphere, explaining how it works and what can be done about it.
Notes
1. About the author: Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) was a Russian-born American author and a professor of biochemistry, a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. For more information about Asimov, you can refer to Note 1, Unit 2 ―The Fun They Had,‖ Student’s Book 1.
2. Long Island (Paragraph 7): an island located in southeastern New York, U.S.A. It contains four
counties, two of which (Queens and Kings) are boroughs of New York City, and two of which (Nassau and Suffolk) are suburbs of that city.
3. Manhattan (Paragraph 7): Manhattan Island, in New York, is the largest part of the borough of
Manhattan, one of the five boroughs which form the City of New York.
4. New Jersey (Paragraph 7): a state in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions of the United States
5. Delaware (Paragraph 7): a state located on the Atlantic coast in the mid-Atlantic region of the
United States. It‘s the second smallest state (after Rhode Island) in the country.
6. Nile Valley (Paragraph 7): the Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. The Nile Valley is a canyon running 660 miles long with a floodplain occupying 4,250 square miles.
7. Nuclear fission (Paragraph 31): 核裂变 When a nucleus fissions, it splits into several smaller fragments. These fragments, or fission products, are about equal to half the original mass. Two or three neutrons are also emitted. The sum of the masses of these fragments is less than the original mass. This ―missing‖ mass (about 0.1 percent of the original mass) has been converted into energy according to Einstein‘s equation. 8. Nuclear fusion (Paragraph 31): 核聚变 Nuclear energy can also be released by fusion of two light elements (elements with low atomic numbers). The power that fuels the sun and the stars is nuclear fusion. Hydrogen bombs are also based on it. Compared with nuclear fission, nuclear fusion gives almost no radioactivity and results in no environment pollution.
Questions for discussion
1. Following the author‘s analysis, what is the key factor of the problem?
2. What do you think the author really wants to say when you read between the lines of the last paragraph of the passage?
Key to questions for discussion
1. The author seems to suggest that ―the villain,‖ i.e. what is behind the immediate causes of global warming, is humanity itself.
2. What the author really wants to say is that humanity should spend more time, work, and money to improve the environment rather than support competing military machines that can destroy us all.
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Memorable Quotes
Read the following quotes and try to tell the different perspectives from which they deal with environmental protection.
Guidance: The quotes warn against environmental pollution from the social and individual perspective. In the Summit on Climate Change held in Copenhagen in 2009, the Secretary-General said, ―The objective of the Summit on Climate Change … is to mobilize the political will and vision needed to reach an ambitious agreed outcome based on science ...‖ China has promised its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Now is the moment to act for the common cause. The opportunity and responsibility to avoid catastrophic climate change is in our hands.
1. The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.
— Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) was the 32nd President of the US.
Paraphrase: If a country destroys the earth, it would destroy itself.
2. Do no disorder to the earth lest you dishonor the spirit of man.
— Henry Beston
Henry Beston (1888–1968) was an American writer and naturalist.
Paraphrase: Do not bring disorder to the earth, otherwise you would bring shame to the name of man.
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