Teaching Plan
Contents
I . Teaching Content
II . Teaching Objectives
III . Teaching Requirements
IV . Teaching Approaches
V . Teaching Focal Points
VI . Teaching Difficulties
VII . Teaching Procedures
Teaching Target : CLASS 0111
Contestant : Zhang Lei
Foreign Language Department
Date : December 1st , 2003
I . Teaching Content
The first section of Lesson Nine
Mark Twain
--- Mirror of America
II . Teaching Objectives
Enable students to become acquainted with the literary background of local colorism and Mark Twain’s life career.
Help students to obtain global information by means of comprehension questions on content and analyze the basic structure of the text.
Make students awaken to the essential theme of the text.
III . Teaching Requirements
Students are required to get familiar with Mark Twain’s
life career by looking through some materials before class and describe the author’s important role on international literary stage.
Let students figure out the general idea of the whole text, the way the author constructed the text and the rhetorical devices employed in the text.
Ask students to make commentary remarks on Mark Twain and write a summary of his life.
IV . Teaching Approaches
Arouse students’ enthusiasm to give brief descriptions first in order to cultivate their abilities into full play and then make a summary about their points of view.
Apply modern teaching methods by means of showing slides consisting of narration and precious literary photos from documentaries, networks & masterpieces.
V . Teaching Focal Points
A. Brief account of literary material and relevant information about Mark Twain.
B. Introduction of comprehension questions on content
a. Mark Twain---one of America’s best-loved authors
b. Life experience on Mississippi
c. Adoption of “Mark Twain” as his pen name
d. Mark Twain’s typical literary works
e. Financial difficulties & personal misfortunes
VI . Teaching Difficulties
Figures of speech
Alliteration
Euphemism
Personification
Metaphor
Hyperbole / Exaggeration in effect
Antithesis
Metonymy
Organization of the text
Detailed study of the text : Explain the italicized parts.
VII . Teaching Procedures ( 50 minutes )
Step 1 : Warming-up Activity ( 2 minutes )
Introduce the text by putting forward a question :
Who has brought about the most remarkable changes to international literary stage in the 19th century?
Answer : Mark Twain
Step 2 : Students are requested to present their literary information about Mark Twain and significant contributions he has made in literary field. ( 3 minutes )
Step 3 : Deduct student’s ideas combined with some
relevant literary background materials. (10 minutes )
Step 4 : Give brief replies to questions on content using students’ own words as much as possible. ( 5 minutes )
Step 5 : Explain the function of figures of speech and the purposes they serve . Then allocate the students a few minutes to pick them out from the text by showing examples. (10 minutes )
Step 6 : Illustrate how the text is composed. ( 5 minutes )
Step 7 : Explain the specific words & expressions.
(5 minutes)
Step 8 : Divide the students into groups and require them to participate in the discussion on commentary remarks of Mark Twain. ( 10 minutes )
The following aspects are expected to be covered in the discussion :
Summary of Mark Twain’s life career
Vogue of local color fiction
Characteristics of Mark Twain’s language
Mark Twain’s writing style & skills as a social critic and humorist
Mark Twain’s masterpieces
