1) Learn about the USA
2) Practise describing places
Teaching Important Points:
1.Train Ss’ listening ability
2.Improve Ss’ speaking ability
Teaching Difficult Points
1. How to improve Ss’ listening ability
2.How to help Ss’ carry out the task of speaking
Teaching Methods:
1.Listening –and –answering activity to help Ss go through with the listening material
2. Discussion to help Ss learn about the USA
Teaching Aids:
1. the multimedia 2. the blackboard
Teaching Procedures:
Step1 Lead-in
The United States of America (Warming up, listening and speaking) The statue of Liberty
The White House The Gold Rush Steam ship on the Mississippi
Step 2 Decide whether the following sentences are True of False.
1. New York is the largest state in the Us. F
2. Most state names come from Spanish or English. F
3. Atlanta is known as the “Big Apple”. F
4. The Constitution was written in 1779. F
5. There are 52 stars on the American flag. F
6. George Washington was the first American President. T
7.George .W. Bush is the president in U.S now. T
8.Cambridge university is one of the famous university in America. F
9. The first settlers arrived in North America about 30,000 years ago. T
10.The Mississippi River is the longest river in the world. F
Step3 Facts and Figures
Official Name: The united states of America
Capital city : Washington DC (population:572,859)
Country population: 296,000,000
Major cities: New York. Los Angeles .Chicago. Houston…
Languages: English , Spanish
Atlanta is the business center of the southeastern United States. It is a major center for national conventions and trade
The largest river of North America, with its major tributaries draining an area of approximately 1,200,000 square miles (3,100,000 square kilometres), or about one-eighth of the entire continent. The Mississippi River lies entirely in the United States. Rising in Lake Itasca in Minnesota, it flows almost due south across the continental interior, collecting the waters of its major tributaries .
Manhattan city, seat (1857) of Riley county and partly in Pottawatomie county, northeastern Kansas, U.S. The city lies where the Big Blue and Kansas rivers meet, there dammed to form Tuttle Creek Lake, on the northern edge of the rolling Flint Hills. The village was founded in 1855 when the settlements of Poleska and Canton were consolidated as Boston, only to be renamed Manhattan the next year
Bird’s Eye View Of Capitol Hill The capital city of the USA. Significant buildings include the Capitol, White House, and Library of Congress. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial are among the most famous of the city\'s more than 300 memorials and statues. The Smithsonian Institution is in Washington, as are numerous other cultural and educational institutions and foreign embassies. The economy is based on national and international political activities, scientific research, and tourism.
The United States consists of 48 contiguous(接壤的) states and the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii. In addition, the United States includes a number of outlying areas, such as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States, which are located on the Caribbean Sea, and the islands of American Samoa and Guam, located in the Pacific Ocean. The national capital is Washington, D.C., located along the banks of the Potomac River between the states of Maryland and Virginia.
The 50 U.S. states vary widely in size and population. The largest states in area are Alaska at 1,593,438 sq km (615,230 sq mi), followed by Texas, and California. The smallest state is Rhode Island, with an area of 3,188 sq km (1,231 sq mi). The state with the largest population is California (34,501,130, 2001 estimate), followed by Texas, and New York. Only 494,423 people (2001 estimate) live on the plateaus and rugged mountains of Wyoming, the least populous state.
Step 5 History of American Flag
Today the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.
USA Stars And Stripes Historical Flags
13 Stars (1777-1795) 15 Stars (1795-1818) 20 Stars (1818-1819)
21 Stars (1819-1820) 23 Stars (1820-1822 24 Stars (1822-1836)
25 Stars (1836-1837) 26 Stars (1837-1845) 27 Stars (1845-1846)
28 Stars (1846-1847) 29 Stars (1847-1848) 30 Stars (1848-1851)
31 Stars (1851-1858) 32 Stars (1858-1859) 33 Stars (1859-1861)
34 Stars (1861-1863) 35 Stars (1863-1865) 36 Stars (1865-1867)
37 Stars (1867-1877) 38 Stars (1877-1890) 43 Stars (1890-1891)
44 Stars (1891-1896) 45 Stars (1896-1908) 46 Stars (1908-1912)
48 Stars (1912-1959) 49 Stars (1959-1960) 50 Stars (1960 - Present)
NY disc. by French(Italian) explorer,1524. Manhattan bought from Native Americans for $200 ($24 ). NY capital of USA for one year; Washington DC is the capital of the USA today. 1920(1820 ), NY became largest city in the USA. Central Park: zoo, museum, boating lake.
Step 6 Listening
Listen to part 1 again and answer the following questions
1.Why do you think early settlers chose New York as a place for a new city?
New York is located on the coast, at a place where several rivers flow into the ocean. This makes New York a good place to build a city because ships can reach it and the rivers connect the city with the inland.
2.What are Native Americans angry about?
Native American are angry about the unfair treatment they receive in the past.Or the unfair business deal (buying Manhattan for $24)
Listen to part 2 and choose the best answers.
Listen to part 1 and part 2 again and try to finish the following table according to what you hear.
Year What happened in the year
1524 An Indian explorer discovered these islands.
1626 Manhattan was bought from local Indians.
1789-90 New York became the capital of the USA.
1820 New York became the biggest city in the USA.
1858 Central Park was created.
1892 The age of mass arrivals began.
Step 7 Speaking
There are four topics:
1.what does your hometown look like?
2.Describe a city in your province ,what does it look like?
3.Describe different parts of your province?
4.Whatdoes the landscape look like?Are there any hill,mountains,rivers,lakes,forests…?
A: Could you tell me where your hometown?
B: My hometown lies in xunwu country,Jiangxi province.
A: Could you describe it?
B: Yes,my hometown isn’t very large.it is located next to a river ,there is a middle school in the north of my hometown.
A:How wide is the liver?
B: It’s about 20 metres.
A: Is your hometown beautiful?
B: Yes, I think that my hometown is pretty.There are lots of trees and the buildings have different colours. In the morning,my hometown is very quiet and peaceful ,it looks like a paradise.
A:Very beautiful!could you take me to visit your hometown?
B:Of course,I’m glad to act as your guide.
Useful expressions
What does it look like? It looks like …How long /high/wide/tall is the…?It’s…meters long/wide/high/tall.There is…in the north.Where does it lie?
It lies in the east/west/north/west of…
Reading
Teaching Aims:
1.Learn and master the phrases
2.Train Ss’ reading ability
3.Help Ss learn about the American South
Teaching Important Points:
1.Improve Ss’ reading ability
2.Master the useful phrases appearing in the reading passage correctly
Teaching Difficult Points:
1.How to help
