Unit 4 Astronomy: the science of the stars
三、单元预习任务（Pre-unit task）
1. 根据本单元教学目标和要求，了解本单元话题和任务，充分做好课前预习工作。
2. 预习语言知识，包括词汇表里的词汇和扩展词汇，掌握词义、发音、词性以及其基本用法。鼓励学生勤查字典。
3. 多渠道（如报刊、杂志、网络等等）查阅并了解与本单元话题有关的背景知识和材料。
第一课时前：
1、 根据教学目标和要求，了解本课时的话题和任务，预习课文的语言知识，包括
词汇表里的词汇和短语，以及课外提供的扩展词汇，掌握词义、发音、词性以及基本用法。鼓励学生勤查字典。
2、 预习阅读材料，掌握文章的中心思想和基本脉络。
3、 通过报刊、杂志、网络等途径，多渠道查阅并了解与阅读材料相关的信息资料
和背景知识，做好充分的课前预习工作。 （学生可以通过以下问题来自我检查预习情况） Questionnaire:
1.What does astronomy deal with?
2.What do we call people who study astronomy? 3.How did the universe come into being? 4.Can you name the eight planets?
5.Do you know the solar system in the universe? What is it made up of？ 6.How did life come into being on the earth? 第二课时前：
1、 复习阅读课文，预习所给的词汇、相关星球知识等材料； 2、 预习Using language.
第三课时前：
1、 预习所给的词汇，和相关知识。 2、 查找并阅读一篇关于黑洞的文章。
第四课时前：
1、预习语言点和语法点。
第五课时前：
1、 复习上一课时所学的语言点和语法。
2、 通过本单元的输入，罗列写故事的写作方法。
四、教学安排(Teaching arrangements)
本教学安排根据“LARA教学原则”，对教材进行大胆的删除（L – leave out）、 修补（A – Amending）、替换（R – Replace）、增添（A – Add），灵活的将教材为我所用。新教材在选材和教学活动的设计上充分考虑到学生年龄特征和他们生理和心理发展的需要；在采用话题、功能、结构相结合的教学方法的基础上，设计了“任务型”的活动；对英语语言知识和技能训练作了系统的安排，循序渐进，循环反复，有利于学生构建知识系统；注意
培养创新精神，提高实践能力。但新教材也应与学生的实际相结合，我们不能全盘照搬。同时在教学过程中，为了对教学有个即使的反馈和有效的改进，我们还进行了“形成性评价”。 本单元的语言技能和语言知识几乎都围绕“The science of the stars”这一中心话题设计的。我们根据本单元实际情况对教材的课时安排作了一些调整，尤其是学生用书(Student’s Book)和作业本(Workbook)有机结合。整个单元的备课思路是这样的： 从天文学谈到地球（地球上生命的起源，如何去保护地球）----其他星球及太空物质（月球及黑洞）----去太空旅行的目的，可能会碰到哪些困难，需要做哪些准备---科学家进行探索需要准备什么以及需要怎样的素质。因此，具体安排是这样的： Period one: Warming up and reading Period two: Using language and reading(wb)
Period three: Listening, talking, listening and writing Period four: Grammar Period five: Language Point
这样要说明的是我们在第二三课时教学中，特别穿插了对写作的辅导，符合了先输入后输出的教学理念。
五、教学步骤 (Teaching procedures)
Period 1 Warming up & Reading
Step 1 Warming up & lead in 1. Talk about science subjects Step 2 Reading
1. Get the Ss to go through Paragraph 1 on P 25 and find the answers to the following questions
Qs: ① What did the earth look like after the “Big Bang”? (a cloud of energetic dust) ② How did the earth change afterwards? (…combine into a solid ball) ③ What happened to the ball? (explode…make the earth’s atmosphere) ④ How did the water begin to appear? （cool down）
⑤ Did water stay on the other planets or satellites? (disappear)
⑥ Water was important for the beginning of life. How did water make life
develop? (dissolve harmful gases into …)
T: With water, life began and developed on the earth. How did life develop through
history?
2. Make the Ss read paragraphs 2-3 and finish the following chart. A cloud of dust →a solid ball →presence of water →small plants grow on the water→ shellfish and other fish appear →plants begin to grow on dry land→ insects and amphibians appear→ retiles appear →dinosaurs appear→ mammals appear Q: Why was it necessary for plants to grow before animals? (Plants provided oxygen for animals to breathe.)
3. Retell
Suppose you are Dr. … who studies astronomy. You are invited to give a speech to the school students about the development of life on “Earth Day” (April 22nd). Good morning/afternoon. I am Dr…. I am greatly honored to be here to give you a speech about the development of life”. … 4. Let the Ss read paragraph 4 and think over the problems caused by humans to the earth.
T: Earth is home to us the living things. We ought to take good care of it. Do we human beings look after the earth well? What problems have been caused by humans to the earth?
(air/water/earth pollution, global warming, desertification, endangered wildlife…)
Step 3 Activities
1. Activity 1: We make our home earth in danger. If we still keep doing damage to the earth, we will be homeless one day. It is time we took action and protected it. Discuss in groups “ How to protect our earth and make it a better place to live on?”
2. Activity 2: Suppose you are to design an activity for your school on Earth Day, which is intended to call on teachers and students to protect the earth. Work in groups and choose a reporter of your group to report your work. The following points should be included in the report of your activity. ? What the activity is about ? Why the activity is designed
? When and where to do the activity ? Who takes part in the activity ? What to be done in the activity ? …
Step4 Homework:
1. Search the Internet for the information of the development of life. 2. Read and learn good words, phrases or structures from Reading.