Lesson Plan for Around Our School
杭州外国语学校 谢慧萍
Teaching Material P 26, Reading, Unit 3 Around Our School,
Cambridge English for Schools Students’ Book One (See Attachment I)
Teaching Object Class 7(A) Junior Two, Hangzhou Foreign Languages School
Teaching Aims Criteria Notes
1. The main task (Outcome)
The students will be able to write a letter to Anne and post it on the blog, where Anne will be able to read. 这是本节课主要任务，其它活动都是为此做准备的。
2. Language Focus
(1) The students will be able to use the following words and pattern properly in given situations or their daily life:
flat; café; in the north/ south/ east / west of …
(2) The students will be able to describe the different locations of the buildings in their school, which is a boarding school, and activities concerned. 本单元主题是Around our school，所以学校的方位和附近环境描述是学习重点。语言要点就是根据这个定位，并结合学生实际解读、提取的。
3. Language Skills
The students will be able to find the places (in the jigsaw puzzle) according to the letter. 这个很生活化的活动可训练搜寻有效信息的阅读技能。
4. Learning Strategies
(1) The students will be able to guess and reason the presumption by the information collected from the reading of the letter. (认知策略)
(2) The students will be encouraged in groups to write back a letter about their school scaffolded with patterns from the text. (情感策略) 学习策略是在学习活动中得到体验的。因此根据学生学习能力的特点，把推测能力（认知策略）和合作能力（情感策略）的培养分别结合到阅读和写作活动之中。
5. Affection
The students will be able to focus their attention on the classroom instruction and performance. 初二阶段应该培养学生的学习意志，从单纯的兴趣过渡到有意识学习。
6. Culture
The students will be able to aware the precautions they might need to take while writing to a pen pal at the very beginning. 方位和环境描述、书信写作是语言层面内容，背后是文化知识和意识。所以在课堂活动中，要引导学生关注此类内容和活动。
Difficulties The students might find it short of time to construct a letter with a good logic order and in well-organized language. 初二写作训练刚刚起步，是难点。解决办法有三个：教师适当提供支架、组织小组合作学习和足够时间。
Teaching Aids Blackboard, Chalk, Computer, Overhead Projector,
Visualizer, Jigsaw Puzzles, letter paper, a treasure chest
Setting The students sit in four-member groups around desks. 这样的设计有利于学生的合作学习
Procedures & Activities
Teaching Procedures & Activities Learning Procedures & Activities Notes
I. Pre-task phase: to talk about the blog
The teacher is going to play the song Big Big World and open the website BBW to introduce them the blog and the theme “Big Big World”.
- Shall we sing a song together?
- Do we live in a big big world? How big is this world? But I say it is a small world after all. Why? Internet, emails, msn make the world small. Here is a blog. It’s our blog. We can see each other on holiday over this blog. ⑴The students are going to listen to and sing along with the English song Big Big World.
⑵They are going to have an interaction with the teacher, answering some questions.
⑶They are going to be encou- raged to talk about any blog they know.
⑷They read the blog together to warm themselves up for the following activities. 教师建立一个博客BB World，为课后教学构建平台，并以博客主题歌给学生热身，培养学习情感。活动形式以师生活动为主。
II. Task–introduction & Task–acknowledgement
The teacher is going to inform the students what they are going to do in this lesson and what their final outcome will be.
- A girl named Anne visited the blog and she left a letter. Are you interested in writing her back?
- In today’s class we are going to read her letter and write her a letter back. The students are going to be informed what they are going to do in this lesson and what their final outcome will be. At the same time they are going to be encouraged to size up the tasks, as well as themselves. 告知学生本节课的主要任务体现了师生民主平等，也有利于学生自主规划、主动参与活动。活动以教师讲解为主。
III. Pre-reading task: to predict the possible content of Anne’s letter
The teacher is going to help the students form the schemata by a discussion of the following question betweet partners.
- Before we open the letter, can you predict what she might write in her letter?
The teacher wirtes the following two patterns on the Bb if necessary to set up a scaffold before the pair work:
She will tell us …
She wants to know …
and takes down the possible guesses and also the questions on the blackboard after the pair work. 1. The students are going to predict the possible content of Anne’s letter.
2. The students are going to work in pairs. Each pair will either give a sentence to predict what she might write in her letter or will think of a question Anne may ask.
3. Some pairs of students are going to tell what they predict. 读前活动重点在于构建学生阅读图式，为下步阅读活动做好铺垫。在这个过程中，训练学生预测能力。在语言方面，如果学生有困难，教师提供一个“支架”。活动以自主和pair互动为主。
IV. While-reading task: to read for information needed
1. The teacher designs some questions to help the students pick out the things Anne talked about and questions she raised already, and to encourage them to reason some presumption.
- What did Anne write in her letter?
- What did she ask in her letter?
- What are the things she doesn’t talk about? Why not?
- Is this a first letter or not?
- What are the questions you think is polite to ask in your reply letter?
2. The teacher will go around the class to observe, help and monitor while the students work in pairs or in groups.
For reference:
Tips & Warnings for a first letter:
Remember not to share too much too soon. Wait until someone knows you before you air your family problems and secrets.
Use careful judgment when deciding how much information to share with a stranger. Always be cautious when it comes to revealing personal information.
http://www.ehow.com/how_13423_write-first-letter.html
The students are going to read the letter for information needed.
1. Through the text reading and their prediction comparing, in- divivually, the students are going, to read Anne’s letter and to pick out the things that she talked about in her letter and questions she raised already. Then they are going to have a class interaction to collect what thye pick.
2. They are going to have a discussion in pairs or in groups about what Anne didn’t refer to her letter and then to have a class interaction to collect their ideas.
3. They are going to have a further discussion in pairs or in groups about whether Anne’s letter is the first letter or not according to what they find she didn’t write.
4. They are going to work in groups to aware the precautions they might need to take while writing to a pen pal at the very beginning.
阅读本身是个信息输入的过程，应该是学生自主活动。教师的主要任务是搭建支架（如设计问题）提高学生阅读的效率，提供足够时间让学生自主阅读，设计话题诱发小组合作学习，同时教师提供必要的资源。因此这阶段活动主要以学生自主、合作为主，教师的责任以调控、评价、帮助等为主。学生的阅读活动从自己的预测（图式）与文本的互动开始，获取主要信息（Anne告知的和询问的），并通过学生间互动（小组合作），深入解读信息背后的文化知识（tips & warnings for a first letter）。
V. Post-reading tasks
Task one: a jigsaw puzzle 读后活动的主要目的是操练语言、拓展话题。为此，这里设计了三个任务，贯穿两条主线：语言和话题。
任务一主要通过完成jigsaw puzzle，让学生体验方位的表达。这一活动建立在文本理解的基础上，既要训练学生的scanning能力，又要引导他们关注有关语言的表达。活动以学生合作互动为主。
The teacher is going to help the students complete the jigsaw puzzle.
1. The teacher is going to give them the jigsaw puzzle and to organize the group work.
2. The teacher will go around the class to observe their group work, and help them if necessary.
3. The teacher will make some comment about their work.
The possible answers to the puzzle:
⑴ is the Teacher’s House
⑵ is the school
⑶ is the park
⑷ is the swimming pool The students are going to complete the jigsaw puzzle according to the information from the reading text.
1. They are going to to scan for the information needed and to work in groups to complete the jigsaw puzzle. They are going to give the reason why they put each piece in the particular place.
2. Some groups will be chosen to present how they work out the puzzle and why they put the piece in the place before the whole class, with the help of the overhead projector and the computer.
Task two: a treasure hunting game 任务二是一个寻宝游戏。在游戏前，教师要搭建一个“支架”，提供一些图片、地图和相关情景，并通过师生互动，帮助学生正确理解、操练、使用有关词语，为游戏活动的有效开展打好基础。在寻宝游戏活动中，学生一方面要思考、猜测，另一方面要积极使用语言表达自己的思考和猜测。这个任务主题已经脱离了文本，但训练的还是文本中语言，因此是属于半控制型活动。这样的拓展有利于学生运用相同语言，表达更广的类似主题。活动以学生小组合作为主，教师适当参与一些互动。
The teacher is going to organize a treasure hunting game.
1. The teacher is going to present some pictures and maps as a scaffold to help the students learn the new language points, like “flat”, “cafe” and “in the … of …”. The teacher will help the students with the pronunciation if necessary.
2. The teacher is going to organize a tresure hunting game,
⑴ telling them how to work:
- Work in a treasure hunting group! Discuss in groups where the treasure is? Who might find it? Why?
(2) giving an example as a scaffold for their language if necessary:
- I think the treasure is in the south of the town. It might be in the swimming pool. I will find it, because I go swimming there every day.
(3) presenting a finished jigsaw puzzle on PPT:
- Jigsaw puzzle is helpful in treasure hunting. Anne has hidden some treasure somewhere on this map.
(4) preparing a box of chocolate with a large piece of paper “Write and tell me about your town and school.”, as well as four candies for the winners.
For reference:
The big treasure is hidden in the café.
The places are “café, flat, swimming pool, museum, factories, library”
The other places will have an encour- aging sentence and four candies for the group. The students are going to hunt for treasure.
1. Before the game, they are going to learn some language points and to practise dscribing some maps with them.
2. They are going to work in groups to hunt for treasure in the jigsaw puzzle they have finished. And they will be encouraged to use the language points they have practised.
3. Some groups will be chosen to present before the whole class with the help of the overhead projector and the computer. If possible, team work is encouraged, that is, one student reports while another points out the place where they think the treasure is hidden.
Task three (main task): introduction of our school 任务三要求通过写信形式介绍学生自己学校的设施布局。这是一个“follow-in”活动，其主题内容进一步拓展，让学生有更多的自主、合作的空间。但是书信写作对于刚刚进入初二学习的学生来说有有一定难度，尤其是整个语篇的构建。为此，教师要搭建“支架”，提供给学生一个不完整的书信，帮助学生把注意点定位在方位的描述（这是本节课的重点），同时为课后的书写回信提供一个样本，降低难度。另外，教师要有意识规范小组活动，明确小组分工，提高合作活动的效率。这样除了能够培养学生合作学习的能力，也能降低任务的难度。第三个降低难度的措施是提供足够的活动时间。活动以合作学习为主。
The teacher is going to guide the students in letter writing.
1. The teacher is going to present a map of Hangzhou Foreign Languages School.
2. The teacher is going to tell the students how to group and what to do in the group work.
3. The teacher is going to provide an imcomplete letter to set up a scaffold to make the writing easier, if necessary.
The scaffolding pattern:
Dear Anne,
We live in Hangzhou! It is a … city in the … of …! …
… is in the … of the school. We like … there. Near the … is …. We …
… is in the … of the school. We often …there. There are …. Near the … is … We …
Write and tell us more about your _________.
Love _________
4. The teacher will leave students time to write a letter, go around the class to monitor their work, and offer any necesaary help.
5. The teacher will make some comment on Ss’ letters. The students are going to write a letter back to Anne about their own school.
1. The students are going to group themselves and to have different roles in each group activity.
Student A: a map designer
Student B: a secretary
Student C: a presenter
Student D: a commentator
2. They are going to read the map of their school and the map designer is going to mark the names of some places in English.
3. They are going to describe the locations of different buildings on campous and what they do there and decide what to write in the letter. The secretary is going to take some notes and to complete the letter together with partners in the group.
4. The presenter of the group chosen is going to read their letter to the whole class.
5. Some commentators are going to make some assessment on the letter.
VI. Homework
A letter writing task: The students will write a letter to Anne individually about their own town.
1. Draw an English map;
2. Write a letter and try to use the patterns and words learned in this class;
3. Polish the letter and put it into the computer;
4. Send the letter to our blog sayyourgrace.tianyablog.com, which Anne is going to read them. 课题作业是一个“further-up”任务，比读后活动中的任务开放。经过课堂的一系列任务活动，学生应该有能力完成这个任务。作业设计中的详细步骤目的在于降低任务的难度，培养学生良好的写作习惯。博客的建立不但建立了一个互动平台，而且也增加了时代的生活气息，拓展了学生的学习资源。
Blackboard Design
What Anne might write What Anne might ask
… … 板书设计力求重点突出，简洁明了，以吸引学生的注意力。
给Anne的回信
-- 第七届全国中学（初中）英语教学观摩课说课
杭州外国语学校 谢慧萍
《剑桥中学英语》采用全新任务型教学与生动的交互式学习模式；注重多学科的融通与多元文化的融合；注重学生听、说、读、写能力全面提高。这些特色都很好地体现了国家《英语课程标准》所倡导的诸多最新理念。第一册第三单元的教材设计充分体现了这些特点。它以“Around Our School”为话题，通过书信这个形式，帮助学生学习、掌握用英语表达方位的能力。
本节课的教学对象是刚刚进入初二阶段的学生。他们已经具备理解简单语篇、表达简单内容的能力，在英语语言知识方面，他们已经掌握大约500的词汇，也能使用完整的简单句和一般现在时态。但他们的认知能力、语言能力、语用能力等尚处于初一下水平。
基于上述教材与学生的特点，本节课设计的中心任务是给Anne回信。这个任务涉及的语言、技能、策略、情感、文化等五个方面教学内容贯穿整个课堂教学活动。学生在教师的引导下，通过自主、合作等学习活动，综合操练、实践体验、真实运用，最终达到以下教学目标：
1．语言目标
这阶段的学生基本具备用简单的英语词汇与句型描述周边环境的能力。但是，对于某些具体方位的正确描述，仍存在一定困难。 因此，本节课的语言目标定位在两个方面： 一是学生学会在具体的语言环境下使用“in the north/south/east/west of…、flat、cafe”等词语；二是综合使用此类功能语言，准确描述自己学校校园的环境。这个目标是完成中心任务的语言保证。
2．技能目标
本堂课的语言技能定位在阅读技能的培养。初二上的学生已经能够读懂一些简单语篇的主要信息。在此基础上，本课进一步强化学生read for information的能力。这种能力将会直接影响到本课中心任务的完成质量。因为写回信首先要读懂来信。
3．策略目标
学习策略的培养是提高学习效果的前提，又是需要在学习活动中得到体验的。有意识的在学生的学习活动中培养学习策略是本课的教学目标之一，具体通过阅读和写作活动分别训练他们的推测能力（认知策略）和合作能力（情感策略）。前者旨在提供信息获取资料，后者降低信息输出的难度，以确保中心任务的有效完成。
4. 情感目标
初二阶段应该培养学生的学习意志，从单纯的兴趣过渡到有意识的学习。初二伊始，教师就要有计划的在每堂课中培养学生的学习意志。本堂课的重点在于如何让学生在自主学习、小组合作、班级活动中集中注意力，以保证各项任务的展开与完成。
5．文化目标
本节课中，学生接触到书信文体。这种文体背后蕴含着一定的文化内容，例如给陌生人写第一封信时应该注意的事项。本课通过对于书信的阅读与回信的写作，培养学生有关这方面的意识。
上述五个目标需要通过完成七个任务得以实现。七个任务中一个是中心任务，即给Anne的回信，要求学生在课后完成。其余六个都是围绕中心任务设计的子任务，贯穿在以下的教学过程中：
任务一：to set up the blog
在课的开始，师生同唱Big Big World，目的在于引出博客话题。在谈论过程中，教师在学生心理与虚拟网络中搭建了两个“博客”。前者帮助学生热身，培养学习情感；后者为课后教学构建平台，拓展学生学习互动的渠道。
任务二：to predict the content of Anne’s letter
这是阅读前的常规任务，主要目的在于构建学生的阅读图式，为下步阅读活动做好铺垫。 在这个过程中，教师设计两大话题：she may tell about …；she may ask about …，诱发学生猜测，训练学生这方面的认知策略。同时教师搭建“支架”帮助学生解决语言方面的困难。
任务三：to read Anne’s letter
阅读是信息输入的过程，靠学生自主活动完成。教师的主要任务是搭建支架（如设计问题）提高学生阅读的效率，提供足够时间让学生自主阅读，设计话题诱发小组合作学习的动机，同时教师提供必要的资源。因此这阶段活动主要以学生自主、合作为主，教师的责任以调控、评价、帮助等为主。学生的阅读活动从自己的预测（图式）与文本的互动开始，获取主要信息（Anne告知的和询问的），并通过学生间互动（小组合作），深入解读信息背后的文化知识（tips & warnings for a first letter），为本课主要任务的完成做好准备。
任务四：a jigsaw puzzle
拼图游戏（jigsaw puzzles）是国外常见的儿童游戏。 这节课利用这种游戏，要求学生在文本理解的基础上体验方位的表达。这一任务，既训练学生的scanning能力，又引导他们关注有关语言。
任务五 a treasure hunting game
寻宝活动（treasure hunting games）是一个富有悬念的活动。在游戏前，教师搭建一个“支架”，提供一些图片、地图和相关情景，并通过师生互动，帮助学生正确理解、操练、使用有关词语，为游戏活动的有效开展打好基础。在寻宝游戏活动中，学生一方面要思考、猜测，另一方面要积极使用语言表达自己的思考和猜测。这个任务主题已经脱离了文本，但训练的还是文本中的语言，因此是属于半控制型活动。这样的拓展有利于学生运用相同语言，表达更广的类似主题。
任务六 introduction of our school
这是一个“follow-in”活动。此项设计拓展主题内容，使学生有更多自主、合作的空间，要求他们以书信形式介绍自己学校的设施布局。书信写作对于刚刚进入初二学习的学生来说有一定难度，尤其是整个语篇的构建。为此，教师搭建“支架”，提供给学生一个不完整的书信，帮助学生把注意点定位在方位的描述（这是本节课的重点），同时为课后的书写回信提供样本，降低难度。另外，教师有意识规范小组活动，明确小组分工，提高合作活动的效率。这样除了能够培养学生合作学习的能力，也能降低任务的难度。第三个降低难度的措施是提供足够的活动时间。
任务七 a letter back to Anne
这是一个“further-up”任务，比“follow-in”（读后活动）的任务开放。经过课堂的一系列任务活动，学生已基本具备准确描述方位的能力。但教师将之设为课后作业，主要是为了保证学生有足够时间完成该项任务。任务设计中的详细步骤，目的在于降低任务难度，同时培养学生良好写作的习惯。博客的建立不但建立了一个互动平台，而且也增加了时代的生活气息，拓展了学生的学习资源。
上述七个任务是一个任务链。任务一与任务二都属于准备型任务。前者的作用在于热身，后者帮助学生构建图式。两者都是为下一步的书信阅读任务服务。而书信阅读又是为了最后学生能够书写回信提供必要的信息与语言支持。任务四与任务五是书信阅读的拓展活动，主要解决话题的提升与语言的操练。任务六是“支架型”的活动，为最后的书写回信降低难度，使得不同层次的学生都能够独立完成“给Anne的回信”。
这是一个较为典型的任务型教学设计。 在课堂操作中，教师通过安排学生进行自主学习、对子交流、小组合作、班级互动等活动，突出学生的主体地位，让学生在各种活动中体验语言、实践语言、使用语言，完成各项任务，达到预设的教学目标。在这个过程中，教师扮演了多种角色，主要表现在调控、评价、帮助等方面。例如在学生各种活动中，教师注意观察、倾听，并根据所获得的信息做出必要的评估、调控、弥补、帮助等。同时，根据实际需要，也不排除讲解。例如在Task introduction阶段，教师通过简单的陈述，向学生介绍本课的任务。
通过这节课的教学，对于今后的课，可在以下方面进行进一步的实践。
第一、任务链的设置
要处理好主任务与子任务之间的关系，明确子任务为主任务服务，突出课堂教学的重心。同时，也要处理好各项子任务之间的关系，理顺任务与任务之间的逻辑顺序，做到各种活动前后的呼应，让学生对于活动有一个整体感。
第二、教学活动博客的设置
课堂是一个有限的互动空间。单靠四十五分钟的课堂活动，难以满足学生真实互动的需要。博客能够拓展互动平台，使之从课堂延伸到日常生活学习之中，大大提高了师生与生生互动的密度。使用博客平台需要注意的是：1. 学生认可该种沟通方式。2．学生可以获得途径上网。3．学生熟悉网络基本操作。4．教师参与维护博客运作。
第三、教师的角色定位
一堂课的成功与否教师是关键。 教师角色定位往往决定了课堂教学的模式是以教师为中心还是以学生为中心。任务型教学以课堂活动为主，需要足够的空间与时间。教师须改变传统的 “传授者”这一单一角色，要有多重身份的意识，并根据需要进行转换。这种身份的变化并非意味着教师的作用减弱，相反，任务型教学对于教师的要求更高。教师需要具备敏锐的观察能力、灵活的调控能力、有效的评价能力等。
对于一名反思型的教师来说，一堂课不仅仅是“一堂课”。它的意义在于促进教师自身发展，并为他人的研究实践提供案例。上述是本人对于这堂课的一些体会，供大家研究讨论。