First, ask some questions about great scientists. Second, ask all the students to try the quiz and find out who knows the most.
T: You know our life is closely related to science and scientists. We benefit a lot from them. Can you name out as many scientists as possible S1: Newton. S2: Watt. S3: Franklin. Sample answers:
1. Archimedes, Ancient Greek (287-212 BC), a mathematician.
2. Charles Darwin, Britain (1808-1882). The name of the book is Origin of Species. 3. Thomas Newcomen, British (1663-1729), an inventor of steam engine. 4. Gregor Mendel, Czech, a botanist and geneticist. 5. Marie Curie, Polish and French, a chemist and physicist. 6. Thomas Edison, American, an inventor. 7. Leonardo da Vinci, Italian, an artist.
8. Sir Humphry Davy, British, an inventor and chemist. 9. Zhang Heng, ancient China, an inventor. 10. Stepper Hawking, British, a physicist.
Step Ⅲ Pre-reading
Get the students to discuss the questions on page 1 with their partners. Then ask the students to report their work. Encourage the students to express their different opinions.
T: Now, class, please look at the slide. Discuss these questions with your partners. Then I’ll ask some students to report their work. Show the following on the screen.
What do you know about infectious diseases
What do you know about cholera
Do you know how to prove a new idea in scientific research What order would you put the seven in Just guess. Sample answer 1:
S1: Let me try. Infectious diseases can be spread easily. They have an unknown cause and may do great harm to people.
S2: People could be exposed to infectious diseases, so may animals, such as bird flu. S3: AIDS, SARS are infectious diseases. S4: Infectious diseases are difficult to cure. Sample answer 2:
S1: Cholera is caused by a bacterium called Varian cholera.
S2: It infects people’s intestines, causing diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps.
S3: The most common cause of cholera is people eat food or drink water that has been contaminated by the bacteria.
S4: Cholera can be mild or even without symptoms, but a severe case can lead to death without immediate treatment. Sample answer 3:
S1: I know sth. about it. First we should find the problem. Then, think of a solution. S2: We should collect as much information as possible. S3: Analyzing results is the most important stage.
S4: Before we make a conclusion, it is necessary for us to repeat some stages or processes. Sample answer 4:
S1: I think “Find a problem” should be the first stage. S2: “Make up a question” should follow the first stage.
S3: “Think of a method”, “Collect results” and “Analyze results” are after that. S4: Of course, before “Make a conclusion”, we should “Repeat if necessary”.
T: Well done! When we want to solve some problems, first we should find out the problem, do some research on it, prove your findings, and then make a conclusion. This is a scientific and objective way of researching. Now let’s see how doctor John Snow did his research.
Step Ⅳ Reading
Let the students skim the whole passage and try to work out the meanings of the new words and structures using context.
T: The effect of cholera in the nineteenth century London was devastating. Many people died without knowing the reason. It was doctor John Snow who saved the people. Please look at the screen. Let’s read the whole passage and find answers to the questions.
Show the questions on the screen. 1. What conditions allowed cholera develop
2. Why do you think people believed that cholera multiplied in the air without reason 3. What evidence did John Snow gather to convince people that idea 2 was right Sample answers:
S1: The dirty water made the cholera develop quickly.
S2: Because people could not understand its cause and could not get it cured. So people imagined that some poisonous gas in the air caused the deaths.
S3: He found that many of the deaths were near the water pump while some areas far away from the water pump had no deaths. So when people were asked not to use the water pump, the disease began to slow down. In this way, John Snow had shown that cholera was spread by germs and not in a cloud of gas.
Step Ⅴ Text analyzing
Ask the students to analyze the text in groups.
T: Please look at the chart on the screen. The chart shows that each paragraph of the text explains John Snow’s stages in his research. Please read the text and find out the general idea of each paragraph and match the stage with each paragraph. Discuss it in groups, and then report your answers. Paragraphs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sample answers:
S1: My group’s opinion is this: stage one “Find a problem” is expressed in paragraph one. The general idea is like this: John Snow wanted to find the causes of cholera. S2: Our answer is like this: paragraph two expresses the second stage “Make up a question”. The general idea is like this: John Snow wanted to prove which theory was correct.
S3: “Think of a method” is the third stage. And it is contained in paragraph three. The general idea is like this: John Snow collected data on those who were ill or died and where they got their water.
S4: The fourth stage “Collect results” lies in paragraph four. Its general idea is like this: John Snow plotted information on a map to find out where people died or did not die.
S5: Our group believe paragraph five contains the fifth stage of John Snow’s research.
Stages General ideas The general idea is like this: John Snow analysed the water to see if that was the cause of the illness. So this stage is to “Analyse the results”.
S6: The sixth stage is “Repeat if necessary”. It is contained in the sixth paragraph. The general idea is like this: John Snow tried to find other evidences to confirm his conclusion.
S7: The last paragraph is about the seventh stage “Make a conclusion”. Its general idea is like this: The polluted dirty source of drinking water was to blame for the cause of the London cholera.
Ask some students to put their answers in the chart. Paragraph 1 2 3 Stages Find a problem Make up a question Think of a method General ideas The causes of cholera The correct or possible theory Collect data on where people were ill and died and where they got their water 4 Collect results Plot information on a map to find out where people died or did not die 5 Analyse the results Analyse the water to see if that is the cause of the illness 6 Repeat if necessary Find other evidences to confirm his conclusion 7 Make a conclusion The polluted dirty source of drinking water was to blame for the cause of the London cholera
T: Now class. Can you tell me what style of the passage belongs to S1: I think it is a report.
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