Unit 1 Part A Integrated CourseText A Learning, Chinese-StyleTeaching Objectives Students will be able to:1 Grasp the main idea ( that it would be ideal if we can strike a balance between the Chinese and the Western learning styles) and structure of the text ( introduction of the topic by an anecdote- elaboration by comparison and contrast- conclusion by a suggestion);2. have a good command of the commonly-used structures 3. know how to use the key words and phrases;4. appreciate the difference between comparison and contrast, as well as different ways to compare and contrast ( point-by point method or one-side-at-a-time method).5. conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit.Time Allotment4 periods Difficult Points and Focus1. Key words and phrasesattach，initial，insert，neglect，investigate，accomplish, principal, extreme, apply, evolve, promote, superior2. Difficult Sentences1) Because of his tender age and incomplete understanding of the need to position the key just so, he would usually fail.2) and to throw light on Chinese attitudes toward creativity.3) He may well get frustrated and angry4) “teaching by holding his hand”so much so that he would happily come back for more.5) young Westerners making their boldest departures first and then gradually mastering the tradition; Teaching Approacheslecture, questions and answers, discussion, etc. Teaching Contents1. Before Reading: ( T can have anyone of the alternatives ) alternative one: Discussiona. Read the following materials:1) Nan Nan is a student at the Beijing No.4 Middle School. He is a good student, of good character and fine scholarship. At primary school he was voted the “three-goods” student ( morally, intellectually and physically) for six consecutive years. Nan Nan told the reporter, “Since early childhood, my mothers most frequent exhortation has been to seize every minute to study. She would repeat it several times a day.”2) All Chinese senior middle school students, no matter how gifted, endure intense pressure to gain the highest possible academic scores.3) Well-off families often send their children to study abroad to avoid the pressure of the college entrance exam. b. Based on the above materials, students then discuss with each other. c. Teacher invites some students to summarize in English about the present education system in China from their own perspective. Also they can talk about their own learning experience, their own feeling or attitude towards that. Or they can share their hope or wish for the education system in China. alternative two: Warm-up Questions1) If you find a two-year-old boy is trying to put a key into a box, will you help him immediately? 2) Can you recall how your parents taught you in your childhood? Did they like to teach you by holding your hand?3) Which way did you prefer when you were in trouble with one of your toys in your childhood, turning to your parents for help, or exploring by yourselves?2. Background Information1) Education in the West: There is no common agreement in the West concerning the best method of education. A variety of views can be found among parents, teachers and students. Indeed, it might be argued that it is this very existence of contending points of view that is characteristic of Western education. This can be seen as far back as in the work of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who encouraged his students to question everything, even their most fundamental beliefs. Yet even then there was no general agreement that this was the best way to teach. Socrates, after all, was condemned to death by his fellow citizens for corrupting the morals of the young by his way of teaching. Many later periods of Western history were no more tolerant of encouraging students to challenge traditional beliefs: Darwins theory of evolution, for example, was for a time banned from schools in some American states on the grounds of religious belief. Much of the current debate over education surrounds the extent to which learning should be teacher-based or student based. Which of the two should decide what should be learned, how it should be learned, and when it should be learned? Comparing Western and Asian methods of learning it is generally true that Western methods are more student-centred, expecting students to discover things for themselves rather than relying on their teachers to tell them. An extreme version of the student-centred 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 are going to learn and which lessons they will 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 cur