Unit I Ways of Learning

Teaching Objectives

• Students will be able to:• Grasp the main idea and structure of the

text;• Appreciate the difference between

comparison and contrast, as well as different ways to compare and contrast;

• Master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text;

• Conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related.

Teaching Set-up

• Text A• Pre-reading:• Warm-up activities Unit I Ways of Learning.ppt• Background information• Text prediction• While-reading:• Text organization• Writing strategies• Language points• Related exercises

• Post reading:

• Useful expressions

• Questions for discussion

• Text B

• Background information

• Language points

• Assignments

Warm-up activities

I. An interesting class activity---a practical experiment

Suppose two children are given hula hoops---a toy they are unfamiliar with.

• Hula hoop

• Angela is given a hula hoop with instructions on how to use it.

• Jonathan is given a hula hoop but no instructions.

Question 1: What kind of outcomes do you expect?

Result:

• Angela learns to keep the hula hoop in motion by keeping her body in certain ways.

• Jonathan explores the hoop and invents some ways to play it. For example, he may find that the hoop is big enough to step through. He then balances the hoop between two objects and practices kicking a ball through the hoop.

Question 2: How do you comment on these two outcomes?

suggested answer: Both outcomes are good. Angela learns a useful play skill. Jonathan uses his hoop in a different, yet equally playful way.

Question 3: Which one do you think is better in developing children’s creativity?

And what conclusion can you draw from this experiment?

• In fact, we can’t arrive at a definite conclusion about which is better.

• Angela, followed the directions given, will have a skill that she can use anytime she wants to move her body in that specific way. But the outcome is limited to having followed directions and mastered a particular skill.

• Jonathan, on the other hand, had the experience of exploring and discovering an item he was unfamiliar with. He used what he learned about this circular-shaped object to solve a problem of his own and incorporated the hula hoop as an innovative solution to help him do something that he wanted to do---kick a ball through a target. Jonathan learned he could use his observation and exploration to learn about new objects.

• II. A survey:• Do you agree with the following statements?• 1. Play is the best way to learn.• 2. Children are naturally curious, inspired, motivated

learners, but sometimes the enjoyment of learning can get lost in the pressure to “succeed” in formal education.

• 4. Parents are the most important instructors to the children, so they should give as much guidance as possible.

Background information:

• Western education:• It is generally true that western methods are more

student-centered, expecting students to discover things for themselves rather than relying on their teachers to tell them. An extreme version of the student-centered approach can be seen at Summerhill, a school in England established by the educationalist A.S.Neill. There children have complete freedom to decide what they’re going to learn and which lessons they’ll attend. If they wish they need not attend any at all.

• Mainstream education in England is far more strict, demanding that children attend lessons and follow a national curriculum. This curriculum and the importance of achieving good exam results tend to reinforce a more teacher-centered approach, as both teachers and students find the pressure of time leaves less opportunity for an exploratory approach to learning.

Text prediction:

• With the activities we’ve done, can you predict what the text is mainly about and what does the author start his writing with?

While-reading:

• I. Text organization:• An essay is usually divided into 3 parts, and

how many parts are there in this text?Structure of the text:

Introduction of the topic by an incident/anecdote

Elaboration by comparison and contrast

Conclusion by a suggestion

Parts lines Main Idea

I 1-32 An anecdote: the Chinese staff helped Benjamin to place the key.

II 33-97 The author’s thoughts about different approaches to learning in China and the

west.

III 98-102 In the form of a question, the author gives a suggestion of a more rational approach.

Text analysis:

Q: There’re several ways to introduce a theme. What are they?

A beginning is where the topic is introduced, so it can be a. a directly stated sentence ；b. a story or an anecdote ；c. a question or a series of questions ；d. a quotation from a person or a magazine etc. ；e. a surprising fact or statistic ；f. An idea or situation opposite to the thesis.

Q: How does the author introduce the topic in this text?

In this text, the author introduces the topic by the key-slot anecdote.

Look through the first 5 paragraphs to answer the following questions:

• Where and when did the incident take place?• Jinling Hotel in Nanjing, Spring 1987.• Who are the main characters in this incident?• The author, his wife Ellen, their son Benjamin, hotel

staff.• What’s the incident mainly about?• What can we see from their different attitudes towards

Benjamin’s action?• People in the western countries and in China have

different ways of learning.

• Western way Chinese way

Question for part I:

• Please sum up the contrast between the attitude of the couple and that of the hotel staff toward Benjamin’s efforts in inserting the key into the slot.

• 1)the couple: let him explore and enjoy himself.

• 2)the hotel staff: held his hand and taught him how to insert the key correctly.

Part II

• The body is where the topic is developed and there’re many ways to develop it, such as cause and effect, comparison and contrast etc.

• You can organize comparison and contrast through 2 major ways:a. One-side-at-a-time method/linear method

• b. Point-by-point method/zigzag method

• Q: scan the first sentence of both para. 6 and para. 7 to decide on what method of comparison and contrast is used here?

• One-side-at-a-time method.• Q: Sum up the contrast between Chinese western ways

to learn to fulfill a task.• The Chinese: show a child how to do sth., or teach by

holding his hand.• The westerners: teach a child to rely on himself for

solutions to problems.

• Question: Read from para. 11 to para. 13 and decide which method of comparison and contrast is used?

• Point-by-point method.• What are Chinese and westerners attitudes

toward creativity and basic skills?• Chinese: giving priority to developing skills at

an early age, believing creativity can be promoted over time.

• Westerners: putting more emphasis on fostering creativity in your children, thinking that skills can be picked up later.

Part III conclusion

• There’re many ways to conclude an essay:• A. restating the main points previously

mentioned;• B. proposing a solution;• C. quoting from some book or person;• D. predicting future developments;• E. making a suggestion in the form of a

question.

• Q: How does the author end this text?

• The author ends this text by making a suggestion in the form of a question. (Can we gather, from the Chinese and American extremes, a superior way to approach education, perhaps striking a better balance between the poles of creativity and basic skills?)

II. Language points:

• Difficult sentences:

• 1.Because of his tender age and incomplete understanding of the need to position the key just so, he would usually fail.

• Because of his younger age and incomplete understanding of the need to position the key carefully to fit into the narrow key slot, he would usually fail.

• 2. In the best Chinese tradition, they were ba zhe shou jiao –so much so that he would happily come back for more.

• In the best Chinese tradition, they were ba zhe shou jiao- to such an extent that he would happily come back to learn more.

Words and phrases:

• attach

• not in the least

• critical

• in retrospect

• apply

• priority

• evolve

• valid

1. attach: fasten or join (one thing to another)

attach sth. to sth.Scientists discovered they could measure

wind speed by attaching a wind meter to a kite and sending it up.

Attached to this letter you will find a copy of the document you asked for.

To attach great importance to sth.a school attached to Shandong University

2. not in the least: not at all

• I am not in the least touched by the Marilyn Monroe kind of beauty.

• Ann did not seem in the least concerned about her study.

3.critical:

• 1) very important• Environmentalists say a critical factor in

the city’s pollution is its population.• Your decision is critical to your future.• 2) very serious or dangerous• In the car accident yesterday, ten people

were killed and five people are still in a critical condition.

• be critical of sth.: find fault with

4. In retrospect: on evaluating the past; upon reflection

• The young man knew in retrospect that he should have married his first love.

• In retrospect, I wish that I had chosen biology as my major.

5.apply:

• 1) be relevant (to sb. / sth.); have an effect apply to sb. / sth.The new pension arrangements won’t

apply to people born before 1960.

• The advice given by the professor only applies to some of the college students.

• 2) write a letter or fill in a form in order to ask formally for sth.

apply for sth. / apply to do sth.

• How many jobs had you applied for before you were offered this one?

• We went to the sports clubs so often that we decided that we might as well apply to join.

6.priority:

• 1) sth. that one must do before anything else• -Being a qualified teacher is her first priority. • -Earning enough money to maintain his family is

a high priority. • 2) sth. that holds a high place among

competing claims• -The school will give priority to English and

computer studies. • -The proposals deserve support as they give

priority to the needs of children. • **prior to: before

7. evolve: (cause to) develop gradually

evolve into / from

The story evolves into a violent tragedy.

Popular music evolved from folk songs.

8. valid: based on truth or sound reasoning

• -It is valid to consider memory the oldest mental skill.

• -Scientific theories must be backed up with valid evidence.

• invalid

Post Reading

• Useful expressions:• 1. 被系在。。。上 be attached to• 2. 探索行为 exploratory behavior• 3. 偶尔 on occasion• 4. 父母的责任 parental duties• 5. 揭示，阐明 throw light on• 6. 最终目的 an ultimate purpose• 7. 要做得动作 desired action• 8. 所希望的结果 a desirable outcome• 9. 关键 critical point • 10. 育儿观 a value of child rearing

• 11. 弥补某种错误行为 making up for a misdeed

• 12. 回想起来 in retrospect• 13. 善意的 well-intentioned• 14. 前来帮助某人 come to sb’s rescue• 15. 极其熟练地，温和地 • with extreme facility and gentleness• 16. 使用于 apply to• 17. 发展到 evolve to • 18. 发展创造力 promote creativity• 19. 值得追求的目标 worthwhile goals

• Proverbs and quotations:• 1. There’s no end to learning.• 学无止境。• 2. What’s learned in the cradle is carried to the grave.• 摇篮里学到的东西终身受用。• 3. Questioning is the door to knowledge.• 提问为通向知识之门。• 4. No man ever yet became great by imitation.• --- Samuel Johnson, • British lexicographer and writer• 模仿不成大器。• -- 英国词典编纂者，作家塞缪尔。约翰逊

Exercises:

• Please decide whether the following statements are true or false.• 1. Benjamin was worried that he couldn’t put the key into the slot. (

)• 2. In the Chinese staff’s opinion, the parents should guide Benjamin

to insert the key. ( )• 3. The author and his wife didn’t care whether Benjamin succeeded

in inserting the key into the slot. ( )• 4. For the westerners, learning should take place by continual

careful shaping and molding. ( )• 5. Chinese teachers hold the opinion that skills should be acquired

as early as possible, while American educators think that creativity should be acquired early. ( )

• Reference answers:• 1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. T

• Questions for discussion:

• 1. What do you think is more important, creativity or basic skills?

• 2. How do you comment on the learning methods you used in high school?

• 3. Are you employing new learning methods helpful to the study of college course?

Text B Children and Money

• Background Information• Students all around the world think it great to

have some money in their pocket. But how much do they get?American kids and pocket money

•   In the US, a little pre-school kid may get a dollar or two, but older children get more. A lot of American parents give pocket money to their children, but their children have to do chores.         Most American children think having pocket money will help them to understand money better.

• British children and pocket money

•    In Britain, kids in primary school get 4 or 5 pounds each week. When they enter middle school, they get about 9 pounds. In London, children get 10 pounds every week, children in Scotland get 8 pounds, and children in Wales get the most, about 13.5 pounds! Also, British boys get a little more pocket money than girls.

• Like kids in the US, British children do chores to earn their pocket money. That’s why British children know a lot about spending money. 7% of them spend less than ￡ 1 each week, 22% spend between ￡ 1 and ￡ 5, and 20% spend over ￡ 5 each week. What do they buy with their money? Most of them spend it on sweets, crisps and chocolate.

Words and phrases:

• 1. account: 1) arrangement made with a bank to pay in or take out money;

• e.g. open an account in a bank• 2) description• e.g. Your account of the story is different from your friends’.• take… into account.: take… into consideration• e.g. When judging my achievements, please take my recent illness

into account.• on account of: because of someone or something• e.g. She can’t work much on account of the children.• Account for: to be the reason why something exists or happens

是。。。的原因，引起，导致• e.g. A number of factors account for the differences between the

two scores. • to form, use, or produce a particular amount or part of

something 占，占据• Repeat purchases account for 73% of our sales.

• 2. intend to do…: have in mind as a purpose or plan

• e.g. What do you intend to achieve in English study in the first semester?

• be intended for: to be made, done, or said for a particular purpose or person

• e.g. The posts are intended for students who have recently completed a first degree in biology.

• 3. access: the right or opportunity to have or use something

• access to : e.g. Access to up-to-date financial information is important to our success.

• Vt. To get to and enter a place• e.g. The road is closed but can be

accessed by emergency vehicles.• Accessible/inaccessible

• 4. keep track of : follow the development of; keep in touch with

• e.g. We need a system to keep track of all our expenses.

• 5. on demand: when demanded

• We can’t make the cosmetic surgery available on demand. 我们无法一经要求就进行整容手术。

Assignment:

• Please write an essay with the title: Ways of living: in the urban area or in the rural area based on the pictures below with no less than 120 words, making use of comparison and contrast.

•