Module 5  Great people and Great Invention

Teaching planModule FiveGreat People and Great Inventions of Ancient China

                          

Teaching Aims:

1. Knowledge and Skill

a. To make them know something about some great people and inventions in ancient China such as :Confucius, Mencius , Mozi and their teaching thoughts.

b. Enable the students to learn how to express their own opinions and how to give reasons.

c. Enable Ss to express their opinions about philosophers.

d. Learn how to describe a famous person in ancient China.

e. Grasp the usage of defining attributive clause.

2.Emotion and Values

a. Cultivate their awareness of culture and the sense of pride to the motherland.

b. To encourage the Ss to be active and cooperative in the class

3. Cross-cultural awareness:

a. Understand Chinese and foreign philosophers and their thought, culture, strengthen their awareness of culture.

b. Compare the Industrial Revolution in Europe and China, and enable them know the importance of creativity.

4. Character-building:

a. To arouse their curiosity of the great inventions both at home and abroad. And let them know the importance of being creative.

Difficulties and Importance:

a.  Use the expressions of giving reasons freely.

b.  Help the students understand the text exactly and retell the text in students’ own words.

b. Master the usage of attributive clause.

Teaching Method:

a. Task-based methodology 

b. Communicative Approach

Teaching Time:

Five periods:

Period 1 vocabulary and speaking

Function Giving a definition

Period 2 Reading and Vocabulary

Period 3 Grammar 1 Defining attributive clauses

Grammar 2 Defining attributive clauses: of whom, in which

Everyday English

Period 4 Listening and Vocabulary

Speaking

Period 5 Cultural corner

Writing

Teaching Procedures:

Period 1

Step 1. Warming up

Look at the pictures and answer the following questions. 

 

Q1. Who are they?

Q2. What is their life-long career?

Q3. How much do you know about them

and their teachings?

Suggested answers:

1. They are Confucius, Mencius, and Mozi.

2. They are private teachers.

3. Open question.

Step 2. Vocabulary.

Know the meaning of the following words and use some of the words to complete the gaps.

Equal  importance  look after   philosopher  philosophy  

Ruler  state        teachings  thinker    treat   war

In ancient China, private teachers traveled from state to s_______ explaining their p________ Confucius was the most important of the ancient Chinese p________ Confucius’s  t_________ influenced society for more than 2000 years. Other important t_______  included Mencius and Mozi. All three teachers believed in the  i_________ of kindness and good government. Mencius’s ideas were very similar to those of Confucius, but some of Mozi’s t_________ were very different. For example, he hated the idea of w_____ and believed that strong people should l_________ weaker people.

Suggested answers:

1. state  2. philosophy  3. philosophers  4. teachings  5. thinkers  6. importance

7. teachings  8. war   9. look after

Step 3 Read the passage above again and answer the following questions.

Q1. Which ancient philosophers were mentioned in the passage?

Q2. What did they all believe in?

Q3. In what way were Confucius’ ideas different from Mozi’s ideas?

Suggested ideas.

1. Confucius, Mencius, and Mozi.

2. They all believe in the importance of kindness and good government.

3. Mozi hated the idea of war and believed that strong people should look after weaker people.

Step 4 Read the following statements. Translate them into Chinese first and then tick the ideas that Confucius taught.

1. Man is born good

2. All human beings are equal.

3. The family is important. We are members of a group.

4. Treat others in the way you want to be treated.

5. People are more important than rulers

6. We should love all human beings.

Suggested answers:

1. 人之初性本善。

2. 众生平等。

3. 家庭重要，我们是群体的成员。

4. 以其人之道还治其人之身。

5. 民为贵，君为轻。

6. 我们应爱所有的人。

Confucius idea: 3, 4.

Step 5 Function Giving Reasons

a. Presentation:

I am tired today because I didn't sleep well last night.

The reason why I am tired today is that I didn't sleep well last night.

b. Explanation

How to give reasons?

…because …,The reason why …is(was) that…

c. Practice

7. we remember the ancient philosophers because their ideas are important.

8. I bought the book because it is about philosophy.

9. Mencius resigned because the ruler was not following his advice.

10. Mozi hated the idea of war because he thought people should not kill each other.

Suggested answers:

1. The reason why we remember the ancient philosophers is that their ideas are important.

2. The reason why I bought the book is that it is about philosophy.

3. The reason why Mencius resigned was that the ruler was not following his advice.

4. The reason why Mozi hated the idea of war was that he thought people shouldn’t kill each other.

Step 6. Discussion:

1. Choose two ideas in Step 4 that you agree with most. Write one or two sentences explaining why.

2. Say three things you know about Confucius.

3. Say what you know about Mencius and Mozi.

Homework:

1. To get more information about great philosophers in ancient China from other resources.

2. Preview the content of the passage in reading and vocabulary.