B2 U3 A journey through the odyssey years
教学重点：
1. To have knowledge of Odyssey, Odysseus and the odyssey years 2. To understand and use the words, phrases, structures, rhetoric in the text
3. To be acquainted with the writing skills of a comparison/contrast essay 教学难点：
1. Apply the phrases and patterns
2. Writing paragraphs with the structure of a comparison / contrast essay. 教学过程：
Part I Warm-up
I. Knowledge of The Odyssey, Odysseus, and the odyssey years 1. Assignment Check
Students are going to share their assignments. Read our their reflection.
The assignment has to be given when students and the teacher last meet. Their last assignment is to:
Watch the movie The Odyssey and write a reflection. Thee reflection should includes:
? a short summary of the movie
? students’ feelings and ideas after watching the movie. 2. Brainstorming:
Question: What does the odyssey years may mean?
Answers for reference: Now the Odyssey has become a special term for an epic journey or great struggle as Odysseus, the main character in the epic poem, encountered repeated troubles and challenges when he left home and loved ones.
II. Comparison of you and your parents 1. Questions:
1) What is your understanding of “generation gap”?
2) Do you think there is a generation gap between you and your parents? Why do you think so? 2. Group work:
1) Think of the differences between you and your parents. 2) Make a summary of your discussion by filling in the following chart. 3) Share answers/ Aspects of differences Education You College education Your parents High school
3. Critical thinking
Discuss the following problems in groups.
1) Do you agree with the statement that the odyssey years could lead to self-discovery? Why or why not?
2) What might be the most significant personal effect caused by the delay in transition to adulthood?
3) How might parents look at the new trend and the delayed transition?
*These are open-ended questions. Allow students to freely express themselves and tell them to listen to the authors’ answers to these questions. And the class will re-discuss these three questions when we have finished our reading.
Part II Pre-reading
I. Quiz
1. Take the quiz by checking (√) whether the statements on Page 60 are true to you. And then you can judge which generation you belong to according to the grading criteria.
2. Question: Do you think the quiz kind of define some characteristics of you and your generation?
II. Main structure
Read the whole passage and divide the text into several parts. Fill in the blanks to present the main structure of the text.
*Pay attention to how the author makes a comparison between two different generations.
Part III While-reading
I.
Introduction Part
1. The structure analysis
1) Ask students to discuss in pair or in group
The introduction part is composed of two sections.
? Paragraph 1 describes that each age phase brings its own peculiar set of challenges.
? Paragraph 2 functions as a transition.
2) The teacher presents the writing skill
Transition creates a link or connection between the previous paragraph and the following one. In English, transition can be realized by using transitional words, sentences or paragraphs.
2. Questions for understanding
1) How do people divide our life stages (Para. 1)?
2) Why does the author say that each unique life phase brings its own peculiar set of challenges (Para. 2)?
3. Words, phrases and sentences
Give an intensive analysis of the new words (e.g. their origins, literal meanings & implied meanings), phrases and sentences.
* The teacher should help students to understand and think, instead of giving them the answers directly. Allow more time for students’ thinking and reflection.
II. Body part: the odyssey years: a newly added phase of life 1. Structure analysis
2. Questions for understanding
1) According to the author, what does “a norm” refer to (Para. 3)? 2) What are the so-called “odyssey years” (Para. 4)?
3) Why does the author think that odyssey years are “an unavoidable stage in reaching adulthood (Para. 4)? 3. Words, phrases and sentences
III. Body part: characteristics of the odyssey years 1. Structure analysis
2. Questions for understanding