Warming up、Pre-reading、Reading、Comprehending教学设计及说课稿

A Lesson Plan of Legends of Ancient Greece, Unit 4 Book 11

Teacher:

Xia Zhi

Grade level:

Senior 3

Lesson title:

What Has Happened to Odysseus?

Period: Period 3 of Warming up, Pre-reading, Reading and Post-reading I.

Overview

This is the third period of the flipped lesson which covers “Warming up, Pre-reading, Reading and Post reading” in the unit 4, Legends of Ancient Greece, Book 11. It is about the Ancient Greek legends, especially focusing on the story “What Has Happened to Odysseus?” while Odysseus was on the journey home after the Trojan War.

This lesson is relevant to Iliad and Odyssey by the Greek epic poet, Homer. Based on the survey precious to this lesson, I knew the Greek legends were quite unfamiliar to the students. Besides, the story in the textbook is really long and challenging for them to read and understand. So I considered applying the flipped lesson and Project Based Learning, where the students explore the additional information about the Trojan War, learn to give a shadow play of the story “What Has Happened to Odysseus?” based on their understanding，practice hands-on skills, do the depth analysis, reflections and presentations of the Reading Section.

Therefore, this lesson consists of 3 periods. The first 2 periods are designed to prepare the students for their presentation and analyses in the third period. Period 1 will make up the sections of Warming up and Pre-reading, where the students acquire the fundamental knowledge by learning the useful words, reading the extra materials about the Trojan War and how to make a shadow play. In Period 2, the students strengthen the understanding of the useful words, finish the section of Reading and know the plot of the story, tell the character relations. Furthermore, they learn the techniques and standards for a performance and practice the shadow play.

As we know, Greece is the cradle of Western civilization. Greek legends open a window and offer a good way for our students to have a better understanding of European languages and western culture. This lesson is designed in Book 11, right before the students’ graduation for higher education. It will have an impact on the students’ intercultural competence in the future. The story different from our native culture will challenge our students to read and be a good opportunity for them to enhance the reading ability.

II.

Designed Results 1.

The learners will be able to understand the story, What Has Happened to Odysseus?

2.

The learners are able to use the techniques of critical thinking while reading.

a. Be able to find the truth by observing and analyzing the facts and opinions in the text.

b. Be able to build up their own opinions by reflecting and comparing the behaviors of different characters.

Through character analyses, students get to know what personalities make a great man. 3.

The learners are able to predict what will happen after the end of the story. III.

Challenges

1.

The topic of this unit unfamiliar to the students, who have little fundamental knowledge or previous experience for this lesson. 2.

It is quite hard to spice up and keep the students interested in the whole process of the lesson. 3.

The story develops with a great many new words in the passage. 4.

The story is pretty long for the students to read and process in one period.

5.

Critical thinking is high-level brainwork, which requires students’ strong integrating skills.

6.

As mentioned above, time management is hard for a 45-minute period. IV.

Assessment Evidence

1.

A. The learners can reply with correct answers to the questions in the competitive Jerky Game. B. The learners can present the story of this lesson by means of a shadow play in a right and appropriate way. C.

Except for the puppet players in the shadow play, the rest of the classmates can use Rubric, an assessment form, to examine their performance from different dimensions with active listening and depth reflection. 2.

The learners collect the effective facts to find the truth and give the answer to the question “Were Cyclops and Circe really friendly to Odysseus?” plus the reasons.

3.

By comparing the behaviors of different characters, the learners can tell that Odysseus was a great man and justify their opinion with reasonable facts.

4.

The learners can predict what would happen after the story based on the information they learned from this lesson. 5.

Using Pie Chart on the board to give points in the entire process of the lesson.

V.

Classroom Techniques

1.

Presentation. 2.

Competitions and games. 3.

Jigsaw reading. 4.

Problem solving. 5.

Project based learning. 6.

Creating a set of artistic products. 7.

Role plays. 8.

Storytelling. 9.

Visual Thinking. 10.

Using multi-media. VI.

Learning Plan Step 1: Lead in:

In the beginning of this period, put up a World Map and the Map of Mediterranean Sea to have students, the cultural beings, build a general view of the world including Chinese civilization and Greek civilization.

Invite a student to review the story according to the Map of the Mediterranean Sea. A representative student is required to briefly retell what they learned in the past 2 periods about the Trojan War and what Odysseus did before, while and after the war.

This step is to prepare the learners with the geographical information for understanding the plot of the story in Reading Section. Step 2: Jerky Game: This is a competitive game. The students are encouraged to answer the questions with different levels of difficulty. Each question serves as a key to enhancing the understanding the plot. The more difficult questions they can answer, the more points they can gain.

It is also an opportunity to pump up the students’ bravery while learning. Also improve their

emotional development.

Step 3: A Performance of shadow play.

(The teacher needs to organize the students to read and understand the story “What Has Happened to Odysseus?” in Reading Section and learn how to give a shadow play according to the given material before Period 3. They practice playing the puppets in their recess under the teacher’s direction.)

This is a group work. 3 groups of students will put on 3 shadow plays of the shout stories based on their understanding of the passage in Reading Section. All the performing groups are required to give an introduction of the character relationships in the very beginning of each play.

All the audience follow the presentation to build up the character relationships in Part 1 of their worksheets; Examine the play and give the assessment from different dimensions according to the Rubrics, the given standards in Part 2.

Step 4: Jigsaw Reading for the Question “Were Cyclops and Circe really friendly to Odysseus?”

The students need to find truth by collecting effective facts and determine whether Cyclops and Circe’s opinions on Odysseus make sense.

The teacher will set an example with two expressions describing a fact and an opinion. And let the students tell if a fact or an opinion is more reliable for our judgment. This acts as a step of scaffolding, which helps the learners be better prepared for the following task.

Then the students follow the instructions on the worksheet to read

two stories in two separate groups in search of the effective facts to find the truth to the question “Were Cyclops and Circe really friendly to Odysseus?”

Based on the text, the learners are advised to use the given model expression

“If there they were friendly, they should/ shouldn’t do … …” for their own explanation. Step 5: Problem Solving (Telemachus persuades Poseidon to believe Odysseus a great man and save his father, Odysseus.)

The teacher will give an additional tale

about Poseidon, the God of the Sea. (In this little story, Odysseus was cursed by Poseidon. It is closely related to Odysseus’ journey back home. If Poseidon believes Odysseus is a great man, Odysseus can be saved. Otherwise, Odysseus will be killed by Poseidon

in the sea.)

With the assignment on the worksheet, the students read

the text in groups again in search of Cyclops’ and Circe’s bad behaviors plus the reactions of Odysseus’ men. They compare their behaviors with Odysseus’ and prove Odysseus a great man.

Make a discussion

in groups to exchange ideas and draw a conclusion. And set it down on the worksheet. Have a role play presentation. One student will play Poseidon to decide Odysseus’ fate; Another student will play Telemachus to save his father, Odysseus, by persuading Poseidon to believe Odysseus is a great man. Step 6: Prediction Based on the steps through all the 3 periods, the students have been able to have a better understanding of the plot and what kinds of people the characters are in the story, especially Odysseus’ respectable personalities. Besides, they have known some additional information, including that different people were favored and supported by different gods and goddesses in ancient Greek legends.

The students are required to launch a prediction whether Odysseus could return home based on what they have learned.

This step also serves as a conclusion of this lesson for the students to integrate all they have learned

in this lesson. VII.

Reflection This is a great opportunity for me to combine Flipped Lesson with Project Based Learning together and apply them to the lesson in Book 11. In terms of the challenges mentioned above, I insisted on using scaffolding strategy to facilitate the students to reach.

Despite great efforts for designing and preparing this lesson, it is worth a try. Many things deserve reflecting deeply for improvement. First, I think it is a great idea to use a pie chart for assessment, which is visually direct. However, It is the assessment part that contains many little steps I can do better next time. If I put the Pie Chart on the top rather than behind the first blackboard, it will be more convenient for me to carry out the whole process of the in-class assessment.

What’s more, the Rubric was used to assess the shadow play. It has a series of standards as the guidance for the students to do the shadow play and for the audience to appreciate the play.

Regarding the improvement, I think it is critical to keep the key standards in mind to help with the students’ assessment. It also will be easier for a teacher to assess the students’ jobs and give them brief evaluations and conclusions.

Also, I should have stick to guiding the students to determine which group was the winner in the end of the competition of the shadow play. If time permitting, students can even start a debate for this determination to inspire their reflection.

I also realize a teacher really plays an important role for the growing-ups. They will follow us to imitate a lot. As an English teacher, I should take a lead to speak with more complete sentences instead of single words in communication. In the end of the class, it would be better to wrap up the class with what we could learn from Odysseus. Encourage the students to become a man like Odysseus who persevered in his attempts to reach home, regardless of the hardships. It could become the lighthouse to guide the students’ growth and enhance the emotional objectives in this class.

From Warming up to Post Reading, each step not only brought the students challenges but also many joyful experience for their reading, creating and thinking. I enjoy working with them. They learn to grow. I learn to help them grow better.