1、Unit 4 Astronomy: the science of the stars单元要览类别 课程标准要求掌握的项目话题 Science of the stars; the development of life; space travel and gravityastronomy n. 天文学 exist vi. 存在; 生存system n. 系统; 体系 ; 制度thus adv. 因此; 于是religion n. 宗教; 宗教信仰 dioxide n. 二氧化物theory n. 学说; 理论 biology n. 生物学atom n. 原子 biologist n. 生物学家b
2、illion pron. （美）十亿puzzle n. 迷; 难题 vt. （使）为难globe n. 球体 ; 地球仪; 地球gravity n. 万有引力; 重力violent adj. 猛烈的 ; 激烈的; 强暴的float vt. （使）漂浮 n. 漂浮物carbon n. 碳 gentle adj. 温和的; 文雅的atmosphere n. 大气层; 气氛 physicist n. 物理学家unlike prep. 不同 ; 不像 climate n. 气候fundamental adj. 基本的; 基础的crash vt. 坠落harmful adj. 有害的 spaceship
3、 n. 宇宙飞船acid n. 酸 pull n. 拖; 牵引力chain n. 链子; 连锁 ; 锁链satellite n. 卫星; 人造卫星multiply vt. 增加 mass n. 质量; 团; 块; 大量词汇oxygen n. 氧 exhaust vt. 用尽; 耗尽solar system 太阳系 block out 挡住（光线）in time 及时; 终于 cheer up 感到高兴; 感到振奋lay eggs 下蛋 now that 既然give birth to 产生 ; 分娩 break out 突发; 爆发in ones turn 轮到某人 ; 接着 watch ou
4、t 密切注视; 当心; 提防短语carbon dioxide 二氧化碳 prevent. . . from 阻止; 制止1. What it was to become was uncertain until between 4. 5 and 3. 8 billion years ago when the dust settled into a solid globe. (be to do; what-clause as the subject)2. The earth became so violent that it was not clear whether the shape woul
5、d last or not. (so. . . that; it is/was not+adj. +whether-clause)3. What is even more important is that as the earth cooled down, water began to appear on its surface. (what-clause as the subject; that-clause as the predicative)重要句型4. It was not immediately obvious that water was to be fundamental t
6、o the development of life. it is/was (not)+adj. +that 5. So whether life will continue on the earth for millions of years to come will depend on whether this problem can be solved. (whether-clause as the subject; depend on+whether-clause as the object)功能 Instructions:Please pay attention to. . . Ple
7、ase check that. . . . You need. . .Dont forget to. . . Make sure that. . . . Watch out for. . .Youd better. . . You must/mustnt. . . Please look at. . .语法 Noun clauses as the subjectWhat it was to become was uncertain. . . . . it was not clear whether the solid shape was to last or not.教学重点 1. Get s
8、tudents to learn about the development of the earth and making a space trip.2. Have students learn some useful new words and expressions and let them learn effective ways to remember English vocabulary.3. Enable students to use the expressions of instructions correctly in daily life.4. Let students
9、learn the new grammar item: noun clauses as the subject.5. Develop students listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities.教学难点 1. Enable students to master the use of noun clauses as the subject.2. Let students learn to write a short article to show their problems and the ways to overcome them.
10、3. Develop students integrative skills.课时安排 Periods needed: 7Period 1 Warming up and readingPeriod 2 Learning about language: Important language pointsPeriod 3 Learning about language: GrammarPeriod 4 Using language: Listening and speakingPeriod 5 Using language: Extensive readingPeriod 6 Using lang
11、uage: Speaking and writingPeriod 7 Revision: Summing up and learning tipPeriod 1 Warming up and reading整体设计教材分析This is the first teaching period of this unit. At the beginning of the class, the teacher can lead in the topic of the unit by having a free talk with students about some famous scientists
12、 and what they have discovered. Then turn to Warming Up. It is intended to have students think about and then discuss these two groups of questions:1. In our solar system eight planets circle around the sun. What are they? Can you match the names with the planets?2. What interests you in astronomy?
13、Do you know any questions that astronomers are interested in?Pre-reading is to remind students that the origin of life on the earth is a question that interests astronomers and each religion and culture has its own ideas about how life began on the earth. The teacher should ask students what they kn
14、ow about these and then let them predict what kind of information will be introduced in the next part Reading.The reading passage titled HOW LIFE BEGAN ON THE EARTH provides students a brief introduction on how the universe developed and how life began on the earth. It provides a scientific backgrou
15、nd to any investigation into space and it is factual. Students are encouraged to preview the text and find out the useful new words, expressions and structures themselves. They should try to work out the meanings of the new words through the context. Then if necessary, they can look them up in the d
16、ictionary or turn to the teacher for help. Also encourage them to look at the pictures and read the title to guess what the text might be about. Then let them skim for the general idea, and scan for further understanding. In order not to let them feel much difficult, the teacher should deal with any
17、 language problems while they are reading. After reading, students are required to do the five exercises in the Comprehending to see how much they have understood the reading passage. The teacher can first let them work in pairs or in groups to find the answers cooperatively, and then check their an
18、swers with the whole class.To consolidate the contents of the reading passage, students should be required to retell the passage. In order to arouse the students interest, the teacher can hold a competition.教学重点1. Let students read the passage and learn about the development of the earth.2. Get stud
19、ents to learn different reading skills, especially the reading ability of understanding implied meaning of the author.教学难点1. Enable students to understand the passage and know about the development of the earth.2. Let students learn how to use different reading skills for different reading purposes.
20、三维目标知识目标1. Get students to learn the useful new words and expressions in this part: astronomy, system, religion, theory, atom, billion, globe, violent, carbon, atmosphere, unlike, fundamental, harmful, acid, chain, multiply, oxygen, exist, thus, dioxide, puzzle, solar system, in time, lay eggs, give
21、 birth to, in ones turn, carbon dioxide, prevent. . . from2. Let students learn about the development of the earth.能力目标1. Develop students reading ability and let them learn different reading skills.2. Enable students to know about the development of the earth.情感目标1. Train students interest in scien
22、ce and stimulate their love for astronomy.2. Develop students sense of cooperative learning.教学过程设计方案（一）Step 1 PresentationHave a free talk with students.1. Let students brainstorm the following questions:Who are our ancestors?Do you know what it was like before life appeared on the earth?Do you know
23、 how life began on the earth?Do you want to get more information?2. Tell students:Today we will learn something about how life began on the earth. Turn to Page 25. Lets come to Warming Up first.Step 2 Warming upLet students think about the following questions and then discuss them with their partner
24、s.1. In our solar system eight planets circle around the sun. What are they? Can you match the names with the planets?VenusEarthMarsMercuryJupiterNeptuneSaturn2. What interests you in astronomy? Do you know any questions that astronomers are interested in?Step 3 Pre-reading1. Get students to discuss
25、 the questions with their partners.1) The origin of life on earth is a question that interests astronomers. What do you know about it?2) Each religion and culture has its own ideas about how life began on earth. What do you know about them?2. Let them tell their stories. Encourage them to tell diffe
26、rent stories. If they dont know any, tell them some, for example, Pangu separated the sky from the earth, Pangu turned into a myriad of things, Nuwa made men, and so on.3. Ask them to read the title and look at the pictures. Predict what the reading will be about.Step 4 Reading1. Fast readingGet stu
27、dents to read the passage quickly and then write down the main idea for each paragraph and the whole passage in the following chart.HOW LIFE BEGAN ON THE EARTHParagraph 1Paragraph 2Paragraph 3Paragraph 4Paragraph 5The passageLet students look through the chart and then read the text silently. Three
28、minutes later, check the answers with the whole class.2. Intensive readingAllow students to read the passage carefully this time to get the important details, and then finish the following:1) Put the order of development of life into a timeline.(1) Insects and amphibians appeared.(2) Dinosaurs appea
29、red.(3) The earth became a solid ball.(4) Small plants grow on the water.(5) Reptiles appeared.(6) Plants begin to grow on dry land.(7) The earth was a cloud of dust.(8) Water appeared on the earth.(9) Shellfish and other fish appeared.(10) The universe began with a “Big Bang”.(11) Clever animals wi
30、th hands and feet appeared.(12) Mammals appeared.2) Choose the best answer to each question according to the text.(1) What is important for the beginning of life?A. The water on the earth.B. The earths atmosphere.C. The form of forests.D. Dissolving harmful gases.(2) Which of the following appeared
31、on the earth first?A. Insects.B. Reptiles.C. Amphibians.D. Shellfish and fish.(3) Which of the following statements is true?A. Water still exists on Mars.B. The earths atmosphere is made up of oxygen and nitrogen.C. The earth had dissolved the harmful atmosphere into the oceans and seas.D. Plants pr
32、ovide oxygen to the earth.(4) What is the passage mainly about?A. The appearance and development of life on the earth.B. The birth of the earth.C. Why dinosaurs died out.D. The fact that human beings caused global warming.Suggested answers: (1)A (2)D (3)D (4)A3. Reading and discussionRead the text a
33、 third time and then work in pairs to discuss the following questions.1) Why was the earth different from the other planets?2) Why did the plants grow before the animals came?3) Why is it wrong to show films with dinosaurs and people together?4) There used to be nine planets in the solar system. Rec
34、ently scientists have decided that one of them can no longer be considered a planet. Do you know the name of that planet? Do you know why they removed it?5) What problem is caused by human beings?(Let students have enough time to read the passage carefully and discuss the questions with their partne
35、rs. Encourage them to express their own ideas. )4. ExplanationHelp students analyze some difficult, long and complex sentences and guess the meaning of some new words. Encourage them to try to deal with the language points in the context.Discuss the following important sentences and phrases in the p
36、assage.1) What it was to become was uncertain until between 4. 5 and 3. 8 billion years ago when the dust settled into a solid globe.2) The earth became so violent that it was not clear whether the shape would last or not.3) They were in time to produce carbon, nitrogen, water vapor and other gases,
37、 which were to make the earths atmosphere.4) So whether life will continue on the earth for millions of years to come will depend on whether this problem can be solved.Suggested explanations:1) What leads a noun clause as the subject and when leads an attributive clause.2) Here “whether the shape wo
38、uld last or not” is a noun clause as the subject.3) Here “which were to make the earths atmosphere” is a non-restrictive attributive clause.in time: 1) sooner or later; eventually 2) in time (for sth. /to do sth. ): not lateI will see him in time.She will be back in time to prepare dinner.4) In this
39、 sentence, there are two clauses led by whether. The first one is a noun clause as the subject and the second as the object.to come: serves as attributiveShe is the last person to do such a thing.depend on: something might only happen or be true if the circumstances are right for itOur success depen
40、ds on whether everyone works hard or not.5. Reading aloud and underliningAsk students to read the passage aloud to the tape and let them pay attention to the pronunciation of each new word and the pauses within each sentence. Tell them to pick out all the useful expressions or collocations from the
41、passage while reading and copy them to the notebooks after class as homework.Collocations: on the earth, according to, a cloud of dust, so. . . that, whether. . . or not, in time, water vapor, cool down, on ones surface, allow. . . to do. . . , a chain reaction, millions of, on the surface of, be ab
42、le to, as well as, by doing. . . . , lay eggs, be different from, give birth to, spread all over the earth, in ones turn, prevent. . . from, as a result of, too. . . to. . . , depend onStep 5 DiscussionAfter reading the passage, let students discuss the following questions.1. Why do you think that h
43、umans are the cleverest animals on the earth?2. Do you believe that there is life on other planets? Why or why not?3. Do you think it is possible that one day people will move their houses to other planets?Step 6 ConsolidationAsk students to retell the passage with the help of the following.a cloud
44、of dusta solid ballpresence of watersmall plants grow on the watershellfish and other fish appearplants begin to grow on dry landinsects and amphibians appearretiles appeardinosaurs appearmammals appearStep 7 Homework1. Learn the useful new words and expressions in this part by heart.2. Read the rea
45、ding passage again and try to talk about how life began on the earth in your own words.设计方案（二）Step 1 Leading in the topicShow students a picture about solar system. Let them match the names with the planets.Step 2 Warming upEach religion and culture has its own ideas about the origin of life on the
46、earth. Let students tell different stories that they know.Step 3 Predicting by looking and discussing1. Look at the pictures and title of the reading passage and discuss in pairs what the passage might be about.2. Two or three students will give their opinions.3. Let them read the passage quickly to
47、 see if they are right.Step 4 Reading1. Give students 3 minutes, and ask them to skim the passage to get the general idea for each paragraph and the passage.2. Give students 5 minutes to read the passage carefully, and then answer the following questions.1) What was there on the earth before life be
48、gan?2) Why do scientists think there has never been life on the moon?3) Why did animals first appear in the sea?4) Why do green plants help life to develop?5) Why were mammals different from other animals?3. Give students 4 minutes to read the passage a third time. Encourage them to try to deal with
49、 the language points in the context. Give them some explanations if necessary.4. Listening and reading aloudLet students listen to the tape. Remind them to pay attention to the pronunciation of each new word and the pauses within each sentence. Then ask them to read the text aloud to the tape.Step 5 ExtensionLet students think about and discuss the following questions.1. Do you believe that there is life on other planets? Why or why not?2. Do you think it is possible that one day people will move their houses to other planets?Step
