高中英语 Unit 2 Robots教案

Unit 2 Robots Ⅰ. 单元教学目标
Ⅱ. 目标语言
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Ⅲ. 教材分析和教材重组
1. 教材分析
本单元以机器人和科幻小说为话题，介绍了20世纪世界知名的科幻小说家Isaac Asimov写于1951的Satisfaction Guaranteed 和作者的生平。

通过本单元的教学，旨在让学生了解科幻小说最大的特征在于：它赋予了“幻想”依靠科技在未来得以实现的极大可能，甚至有些“科学幻想”在多年以后，的确在科学上成为了现实。

如Isaac Asimov1951年描述的机器人的部分功能已经被应用于现实生活和工作中。

在教学中，要鼓励学生敢于幻想，大胆创新，发挥自己丰富的想象力和创作力，写出独具特色的科幻文章。

Warming Up介绍了什么是机器人和不同种类及不同形状的机器人。

Pre-reading 通过讨论机器人是否像人类一样有自己的思维、是否有感情引出Isaac Asimov的科幻小说Satisfaction Guaranteed，为本单元的Reading做好了铺
垫。

Reading的课文是Isaac Asimov写于1951的科幻小说Satisfaction Guaranteed。

文中描述的机器人Tony是一个除去面无表情外，身材高大、相貌英俊、聪明机智的完美男人，仅三周的时间就使女主人坠入爱河。

Comprehending共有3个练习，练习1是关于克莱尔的情感变化，练习2是关于课文内容的5个问答题，旨在考查学生对课文的理解；练习3要求学生比较机器人Tony在physical, mental两方面与人的异同，与Pre-reading 部分的问题相呼应。

Learning about Language分为两部分，Discovering useful words and expressions 是本单元词汇练习题；Revising useful structures是本单元语法练习题，通过本单元的学习，要求学生熟练掌握不定式的被动语态。

Using Language分为两部分，Listening and speaking是Molly 和Kate 讨论Satisfaction Guaranteed的对话录音，要求学生根据对话内容学会运用表达自己观点的常用句型。

这部分教学内容还要求学生以机器人为话题，充分发挥自己的想象力，谈论机器人做家务的利与弊。

并且要求自己动手设计机器人，附上文字说明。

Reading, discussing and writing部分的内容是科幻小说家Isaac Asimov的生平介绍。

文章后附有练习题。

第一题要求学生根据时间线索了解在作者生命中发生的重要事件；第二、三题要求学生讨论Isaac Asimov的“机器人三定律”。

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2．教材重组
将Warming Up、Pre-reading、Reading与Comprehending整合在一起上一节“阅读课”。

把Learning about Language 和Workbook的USING WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS及USING STRUCTURES整合在一起上一节“词汇语法课”。

将Using Language的内容设计成一节包括听说读写在内的“综合技能课（一）”。

将Workbook的LISTENING和READING TASK设计为一节“泛读课”。

将Workbook的SPEAKING TASK, TALKING，LISTENING TASK 和WRITING TASK
整合在一起上一节“综合技能课（二）”。

3. 课型设计与课时分配
1st Period Reading
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2nd Period Language study
3rd Period Integrating skills (Ⅰ)
4th Period Extensive reading
5th Period Integrating skills (Ⅱ)
Ⅳ. 分课时教案
The First Period Reading
Teaching goals教学目标
1. Target language 目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
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fiction, desire, satisfaction, absent, alarm, alarmed, smooth, embarrass, sympathy, elegant, pile, scan, fingernail, absurd, haircut, accompany, curtain, cushion, carpet, paint, awful，affair, firm, firmly, declare, victory, envy, marriage, test out, ring up, turn around, leave alone
b. 重点句型
She felt embarrassed and quickly told him to go.
Claire thought it was ridiculous to be offered sympathy by a robot.
By the amused and surprised look on her face, Claire knew that Gladys thought she was having an affair.
2. Ability goals能力目标
Help students to learn about robots and science fiction.
3. Learning ability goals学能目标
Enable students to realize science fiction reflects scientific thought; a fiction of things-to-come based on things-on-hand.
Teaching important points教学重点
]
Enable students to grasp what Tony did to help Claire and how her emotion developed during Tony’s stay at her house. Help students to sum up characteristics of science fiction.
Teaching difficult points 教学难点
How Claire’s emotion developed during Tony’s stay at her house.
Teaching methods教学方法
Discussing, explaining, reading and practicing.
Teaching aids教具准备
Multimedia computer.
Teaching procedures & ways教学过程与方式
Step Ⅰ Warming up
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Deal with Warming Up. Present photos of different kinds of robots. Then ask them to say something about his or her favorite robot.
T: Good morning / afternoon, class!
Ss: Good morning / afternoon, Mr. / Ms ...
T: In this class we are going to learn about robots. Who would like to tell me what a robot is
S1: A robot is a machine.
T: What kind of machine
S2: A robot is a kind of machine that can do a variety of complex human tasks.
T: How can a robot perform human tasks
S3: A robot is controlled by a computer.
T: You are right. Then we can give the definition of a robot like this: A robot is a machine designed to do jobs that are usually performed by humans. Robots are programmed and controlled by a computer. Now look at some pictures. Divide them into different types and decide your favorite one.
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A list of movies about robots:
Short Circuit 2, The Iron Giant, Future world, Blade Runner, The Time Machine, Power Rangers Time Force — The End of Time (2001)
Step ⅡPre-reading
Ask students to discuss the questions in Pre-reading in groups. Students are encouraged to speak out their opinions freely, no matter what it is. Encourage students to use their imagination.
Possible answers:
1. You would find the robot in the first photo in a factory. It is an industrial robot that picks up, carries and moves loads.
The second robot is a robot dog. The robot dog is a toy that would be found in people’s home.
The third robot would be used as a surveillance tool that can travel over open terrain. It has a camera on its top at the front to feed back to the operators of the robot what lies in its path.
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2. There are many types of robots: industrial robots used in manufacturing; domestic robots such as vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers; entertainment robots such as toys and those in theme parks; robots used in toxic waste cleanup and in underwater and space exploration; surgical robots; bomb disposal robots and those that can detect landmines; airborne robots used to search for people (such as in an area affected by an earthquake).
3. Students’ own answers. All answers are correct.
Step ⅢReading
Deal with the reading part.
Scanning
Ask students to scan the text and find out what Tony looks like.
T: OK. I’m glad you had a heated discussion. Now I’d like you to meet Tony—a robot that looks exactly like a human being. He is a character in the science fiction Satisfaction Guaranteed by Isaac Asimov. Please read the text and find the answers to the following questions.
Show the following questions on the PowerPoint.
1. What did Tony look like
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2. What did Tony do to make Claire and her home elegant
Several minutes later check the answers with the whole class.
Suggested answers:
1. He was tall and handsome although his facial expressions never changed. His hair was smooth and black and his voice was deep.
2. Tony gave Claire a new haircut and changed the makeup she wore. He also suggested Claire buy new curtains, cushions, a carpet and paint for the house and new dresses for herself. He made improvements on the house so that the house looked very elegant.
Careful reading
Ask students to read the text carefully and then complete the table on Page 12.
Then discuss the comprehending questions on Page 12 in groups.
T: L et’s read the text carefully and then do the comprehending exercises on Page 12. Several minutes later check the answers with the whole class.
Suggested answers:
!
. He wanted Claire’s guests to see him and Claire together so that she would be envied by the women guests.
Tony prevented Claire from being harmed by making her feel good about herself. He helped her make her and her home elegant so that she would not feel like a failure. Tony had to be rebuilt because the company felt that they could not have women falling in love with a robot.
Students give their own answers.
Sentences:
How absurd, she thought. He was just a machine.
He held her firmly in his arms and she felt the warmth of his body. She screamed,
pushed him away and ran to her room for the rest of the day.
Then she remembered-Tony was just a machine.
She shouted “Leave me alone” and ran to her bed.
3.
T: From the development of her emotion, we can see Tony was designed as a Mr. Perfect. He is designed not to harm Claire or allow her to be harmed. This is one of Isaac’s three laws for robots. Later in this unit we will learn more about his three laws.
Characteristics of science fiction
T: As you know, the story was written in 1951. With the development of science, some of the functions performed by Tony have come true. From this story we can draw a conclusion: Science fiction is often based on scientific principles and technology. Science fiction may make predictions about life in the future. Please
remember these are some characteristics of science fiction. If you are interested, you may write short science fictions in your spare time.
Explanation
During this procedure, play the tape recording for students. Students will underline the difficult sentences. After listening to the tape, explain the text and deal with the language problems.
T: Now we will deal with some difficult language problems. Now I will play the recording of the text for you. Please make a mark where you have difficulties.
After listening to the recording, explain the difficult sentences to students. Before explaining the difficult points, students are asked to refer to the notes to the text on Pages 88-89.
T: Do you have any difficulties with the text
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S1:Could you please explain the sentence to us：She felt embarrassed and quickly told him to go.
T: Because Tony didn’t look like a machine at all, when Tony offered to help her get dressed, she was embarrassed, perhaps shy to get a “man” help her get dressed.
S2: How to understand this sentence: Claire thought it was ridiculous to be offered sympathy by a robot.
T: In spite of the fact that Tony looked so human, he was just a machine. So Claire thought it was foolish that Tony offered her sympathy. Do you have any other questions
Ss: No.
T: Maybe someday we will have robots that have feelings and can also think for themselves. Please remember science fiction reflects scientific thought; things-to-come based on things-on-hand. OK, that’s all for today. Don’t forget to surf the Internet to learn more about the great writer and his stories. Of course you will learn more about robots.
Step Ⅳ Homework
Remember the characteristics of science fiction.
Surf the Internet to learn more about robots and science fictions.
、
Surf the Internet to learn about Isaac Asimov.
The Second Period Language study
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
fiction, desire, satisfaction, absent, alarm, alarmed, smooth, embarrass, sympathy, elegant, absurd, haircut, accompany, curtain, cushion, carpet, paint, awful, affair, firm, firmly, declare, talent, obey, victory, envy, marriage, biography, explanation, divorce, chapter, navy, test out, turn around
b. 重点句型
Revise the Passive Voice (including the Infinitive)
2. Ability goals能力目标
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Enable students to use both the useful words and expressions and structures freely. 3. Learning ability goals学能目标
By doing related exercises in the textbook enable students to use both the useful words and expressions and structures freely.
Teaching important and difficult points教学重难点
The use of the passive infinitive.
Teaching methods教学方法
Explaining and practicing.
Teaching aids教具准备
Multi-media computer.
Teaching procedures & ways教学过程与方式
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Step ⅠRevision
Ask students to tell the characteristics of science fiction.
Step ⅡWord study
Deal with exercises about useful words and expressions. When doing Ex1 and Ex3 on Page 13, students may use an English-English dictionary so that they can understand the situations where the words are used.
Ex1 will help students to form the habit of thinking in English.
Ex2 will help students to master the useful words and phrases in context.
Ex3 will help students to learn more about word formation and use the words in proper situations.
After dealing with Ex3, point out words like alarmed are adjectives, when following the link verb be, it is used to describe a feeling. Sentences that have such structures are not passive.
T: Look at the following sentence: My mother felt alarmed when I had my hair coloured purple. If I use was to replace felt, the sentence will be: My mother was alarmed when I had my hair coloured purple. Is this a passive sentence
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Ss: No. Though the structure seems like a passive sentence, it is not. A passive sentence indicates a passive action while this sentence describes a situation when someone has the feeling of alarm. “Alarmed” is an adjective formed by v+ed.
T: Quite good. Please remember not all be + v +-ed /-en / -t sentences are passive. Step ⅢGrammar study
Go over the passive voice: be + v +-ed / -en / -t
T: Please give some examples of passive sentences.
S1: My homework was eaten by the dog.
S2: The toy is made by hand.
...
T: Good. Please remember the passive is formed with any time frame of the verb. Show the following on the PowerPoint.
to be + past participle
. The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
Research is now being done on a cure for this disease.
The game of Monopoly can be played by two to four players.
Reports on several new gun laws were being discussed.
My stereo has been stolen by a thief.
Go over the infinitive
T: In Unit 1 we’ve learned the infinitive. Please recall the functions of the infinitive. Ss: Except predicate, the infinitive can function as subject, object, predicative, attribute, adverbial and object compliment.
T: Today we are going to learn more about the infinitive—the passive infinitive.
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Explanation of the passive infinitive
to be + past participle
eg. to be given, to be shut, to be opened
When the grammatical subject of the sentence receives the action, we use the passive infinitive.
For example:
She hates to be laughed at. (others laugh at her→ she is laughed at by others)
I am expecting to be given a pay rise next month. (give me a pay rise→ I will be given
a pay rise.)
be to + passive infinitive (to be + past participle) is often used in notices and instructions.
Examples:
This cover is not to be removed.
^
The medicine is to be taken three times a day.
To be taken three times a day after meals.
These benches are not to be removed from the changing rooms.
No food of any kind is to be taken into the examination room.
Deal with Exx 1-4 on Page 14. Ask students to do the exercises one by one. Then continue with the exercises on the workbook. While dealing with Ex2 on Page 56, point out to students that “need to be done” has the same meaning as “need doing”. Before translating the sentences in Ex3, students should decide the key words and main structures first. After students have finished, show some students’ work on the projector or bulletin board on the computer, check their work with the whole class. Correct the errors if there are any.
Ask students to write down the sentences in Ex3 in their exercise books after class. Step ⅣHomework
Go over the key words and expressions.
Go over the grammar.
Do Ex3 on Page 56.
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The Third Period Integrating skills (Ⅰ)
Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
explanation, junior, navy, talent, chapter, divorce
b. 重点句型
It was when Asimov was eleven years old that his talent for writing became obvious.
A robot must not injure human beings or allow them to be injured.
2. Ability goals 能力目标
}
Enable students to express supposition and belief.
Learn to write a paragraph describing the new type of robot.
3. Learning ability goals学能目标
By proper language input, students learn to express supposition and belief.
Use their imaginations and write a paragraph describing the new type of robot.
Teaching important and difficult points教学重难点
Write a paragraph describing the new type of robot.
Teaching methods教学方法
Listening, discussing, reading and writing.
Teaching aids 教具准备
、
Multi-media computer.
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step Ⅰ Lead-in
Talk something about Isaac Asimov.
T: After we learned the short story by Isaac Asimov, I asked you to find some information about the writer. Now who would like to say something about him
S1: He is a Russian-born American writer.
S2: He has written popular works on science and the history of science, as well as a number of science fiction classics, including I Robot (1950), The Foundation Trilogy (1951-53).
S3: One of his famous quotes is “I write for the same reason I breathe — because if I didn’t, I would die.”
T: Thank you. Now I’ve come to understand why he could write around 480 books. Now let’s read his biography a nd learn more about him. When you read the text, please pay more attention to the timeline.
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Step Ⅱ Reading, discussing and writing
Deal with his biography
After students read the text, they are asked to do Ex 1 on Page 17. The timeline will help students to remember the events in his life.
After dealing with Ex1, ask students to work in groups to write a profile for Isaac Asimov. Several minutes later, present their work and correct the errors if there are
any. Then show a sample to students.
Sample profile:
Isaac Asimov, Writer / Chemist
Born: 2 January 1920
Birthplace: Petrovichi,
Died: 6 April 1992 (HIV infection)
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Best Known As: Prolific writer of popular science and science fiction
Isaac Asimov was born in the former Soviet Union, but grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He taught biochemistry at Boston University until he retired in 1958 to become a full-time writer. Asimov had been publishing short stories since the late 1930s, and in 1952 published his first novel. The author of the classic I Robot series and The Foundation Trilogy, Asimov wrote more than 400 books and won every major science fiction award. He also wrote popular books and essays on science and technology, earning him the nickname “The Great Explainer.”
Discuss his three laws for robots
Students are divided into different groups to discuss his three laws for robots. Several minutes later, ask some students to present their opinions to the rest of the class. Finally teacher may speak out his or her opinion.
A sample of teacher’s op inion:
Opinion for the three laws
Robots are tools for humanity. Without the three rules, they would become a danger to human beings. Without the three rules, perhaps they will kill us. Robots, so far, are strong. Robots have fast computational brains, and they might not have the capacity to understand things, but if they ever do, they’ll likely be better than us at it. If we don’t put laws, or rules, or mechanisms in place to ensure that we don’t create something that can destroy us, we’d be running a care less risk of destroying ourselves by negligence or omission, wouldn’t we
Opinion against the three laws
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Without the three laws, robots would eventually become more intelligent and physically stronger than their human creators. Rather than guiding and adjusting the robot towards good, ethical behavior, the Three Laws acts as a barrier to freedom, creating a free-will prison, an apt metaphor because, like the prisoner in a jail, the robot is confined to the behavioral steel and concrete walls of its mind. To imagine what this would like, think back to your childhood. At some point, you wanted something like a toy or piece of candy that your parents denied you. How did that make you feel Probably frustrated, angry, and trapped. Eventually you grew out of that because you understood the role of your parents better, but Three Laws robots don’t get to grow up. Their parents, the Three Laws, are always there, no matter how mature a robot is, saying ‘no’ to certain thoughts, engendering those same feelings you had as a child when your parents said ‘no’. Certainly no one deserves to be put in this situation forever; otherwise, robots might become depressed and wish for their own death (only, because of the Third Law, they probably can’t suicide). And perhaps the greatest sin anyone can commit is to create a being, human or robot, that wishes it didn’t exist.
Step Ⅲ Listening and speaking
Listening
Deal with the listening exercises. By doing Ex3, students learn to express supposition and belief. This exercise will lay a good foundation for Ex4.
T: OK, so much for Isaac’s biography and his three laws for robots. Let’s come back to his short story Satisfaction Guaranteed. How do you like this story
S1: I like the story very much. I wish to have a robot like Tony at my house.
T: You are not alone. Someone else wants to have such a Tony too. Now please listen carefully and then guess who she is.
Ask students to look through the questions before playing the tape. Play the tape again when necessary.
Discussing
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Students are asked to work in groups and imagine having robots in their houses to do the housework. Discuss what positive or negative effects the situation would be. Don’t forget to use expressions used to express supposition and belief. Students are given five minutes. Five minutes later, ask some students to present their ideas to the whole class. Encourage every student to use his imagination, because there’re no right or wrong answers, only different opinions. After students present their opinions, teacher speaks out his or her opinion.
A sample of teacher’s opinion:
-Positive effects
I think it is wonderful for people to have robots in their houses to do the housework. After a day’s work, when people get home, they can be really relaxed with everything prepared by their robots. A robot never gets tired. Nor does it complain. Life will be very easy and comfortable.
-Negative effects
Maybe people can enjoy a very comfortable life with the help of their robots. But at the same time I believe people will lose the ability to do housework. As time goes on, people cannot live well without a robot’s help. I think that kind of life would be terrible.
Writing
Students are asked to work in groups. First decide the purpose of the robot, then make a list of the abilities the robot has. Next draw a picture on a piece of paper and name its parts and explain what each part does. Finally write a paragraph describing the robot and what it can do. Show the following to help students to design their robots or print it out.
Tips on designing your robots
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For each robot that you build, you will have to choose options for six major robot
characteristics. Each characteristic gives rise to one or more questions. These are: Looks: What does the robot look like Is there a reason for it to look as it does Sensing: How does the robot “know” or figure out what’s in its environment If it were put in a different environment, would it be able to figure out this new environment Movement: How does the robot move within its environment If it were put in a different environment, would it still be able to move within this new space Manipulation: How does the robot move or manipulate other objects within its environment Can a single robot move or manipulate more than one kind of object Energy: How is the robot powered Can it have more than one energy source Intelligence: How does the robot “think” What does it mean to say that a robot “thinks” Not all robots have to have all six characteristics. For example, some robots don’t need to manipulate things, s o they have no manipulating characteristics. Some robots have more than one manifestation of a characteristic. For example, a robot may be able to sense its environment using both a vision system and sonar.
Things to Think About
Before designing your own robot, you might want to think about:
a. situations or tasks for which it makes more sense to use robots rather than humans.
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b. why it has been difficult to build robots that replicate human characteristics.
c. whether it will ever be possible to build a robot whose intelligence will be close to that of a person.
You may also want to:
a. list all the robots you know, whether from movies, television, literature, toys etc., and then think about why all these creatures are considered to be robots.
b. think about how you can tell if something is a robot. Is it by looks, behavior, or something else
c. ask how you might communicate with a robot. Would you use speech, press button, type words, make gestures Are these things different from what you’d do if you were talking to a computer
Students are asked to discuss first. If there is not enough time, they can finfish it outside class.
Step ⅣHomework
Write a paragraph describing a new type of robot.
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The Fourth Period Extensive reading
Teaching goals教学目标
1. Ability goals 能力目标
Learn about robots and their fight against landmines.
2. Learning ability goals学能目标
Help students to learn how robots are helping human beings in clearing landmines. Teaching important points教学重点
How robots are helping human beings.
Teaching difficult points教学难点
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How to improve students’ reading skills.
Teaching methods教学方法
Listening, reading and discussing.
Teaching aids 教具准备
Multi-media computer.
Teaching procedures & ways教学过程与方式
Step Ⅰ Lead-in and listening
T: Good morning / afternoon, class!
Ss: Good morning / afternoon, Mr. / Ms ...
#
T: What’s the topic of this unit
Ss: Robots.
T: Quite right. Let’s recall what a robot is.
Ss: A robot is a machine designed to do jobs that are usually performed by humans. T: A robot is a machine that performs a function, either to aid in everyday life or simply to entertain. Now look at the following pictures of robots and tell what each robot does.
Show the pictures on Page 54 on the PowerPoint.
After talking about what tasks each robot can complete, continue with the listening exercises.
Deal with the listening exercises on Page 54. Ask students to pay attention to the function of each robot.
Step Ⅱ Reading task
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While dealing with the reading material, ask students to pay attention to the reading skills.
T: From the interview, we learned some more functions of a robot. As we know robots are designed and built to do tasks that are dangerous, uncomfortable, or repetitive for humans. Today we are going to read a magazine article about landmines. First read this piece of news about landmines.
Show the following on the PowerPoint.
Three decades of war in Cambodia have left scars in many forms throughout the country. Unfortunately, one of the most lasting legacies of the conflicts continues to claim new victims daily. Land mines, laid by the Khmer Rouge, the Heng Samrin and Hun Sen regimes, the Vietnamese, the KPNLF, and the Sihanoukists litter the countryside. In most cases, even the soldiers who planted the mines did not record where they were placed. Now, Cambodia has one of the highest rates of physical disability of any country in the world. At the current rate of progress, it may take as many as 100 years to clear all the mines in Cambodia, and the UN estimates that with current technology, it will take nearly 1,100 years to clear all the mines in the world. T: This is the situation in Cambodia. Here and there are the mine signs. In spite of so
many warning signs, there are still many victims. Look at the following pictures.
Fast reading
Ask students to find the answers to Ex1 using fast reading skills.
T: From the above we can see clearing landmines is challenging. Luckily scientists and engineers have designed a robot to do the job. Now open your books at Page 57 and read the text quickly and then do Ex1.
:
Explain the two reading skills to students.
Scanning—reading very fast to find specific pieces of information. Skimming—reading very fast to find only the main ideas of a text.
Five minutes later check the answers with the whole class.
Careful reading
Ask students to read the text carefully and then do Ex1. Students will discuss the answers in groups first, and then check the answers with the whole class. Suggested answers:
The main topic is the role of robots in the fight against landmines. The title tells us that.
Natasha Wesley.
Someone using a metal detector to find landmines; the robot that can find landmines; some people who have lost their legs because of landmines.
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Chiba University. (Japan)
Afghanistan and Cambodia.。