Teaching Plan of Unit 4, Book 1 American DreamText A Tony Trivisonno’s American DreamTeaching Objectives:Students will be able to1. understand the main idea and the structure of the text;2. learn to describe a person by his/her characteristic features, together withsupporting details which demonstrate the features;3. master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text;4. conduct a series of reading, speaking and writing activities centered upon the themeof the unit if time and conditions permit.Time RequiredFive Class PeriodWarm-up ActivitiesI. Cultural focus1.American Dream: the belief of Americans that their country offers opportunitiesfor a good and successful life. For minorities and immigrants, the dream also includes freedom and equal rights.2.Immigrants: Apart from “native Americans”------Indians------who were living inNorth America when people first arrived there from Europe, all Americans have ancestors who were immigrants. In the U.S. the word immigrants is often used with a positive meaning. People are proud to say that their ancestors were immigrants who came with very little and built a better life for themselves.Most Americans have a clear idea of what life was like for the immigrants: they left home because they were poor and thought talent and hard work could take them from log cabin to White House.Once in the US, life was not easy. Many immigrants had to work for little money in factories where conditions were hard and dangerous and lived in crowded buildings. But slowly they improved their lives and many wrote home to encourage others to come.3.Depression days: the period of severe economic failure in most countries of theworld that lasted from 1929 until World War II. It began in the US when the New York Stock Exchange fell on 29 October 1929, known as Black Tuesday. Many businessmen and banks failed and millions of people lost their jobs. President Franklin D. Rooselvelt improved the situation with his New Deal policy, but the Great Depression was only ended by industrial production for the war.II. Warm-up Questions1.Ask Ss what their dreams are and how they plan to make them come true.2. A fter summing up the Ss’ answers, ask Ss how much they know about the American Dream and from what resources they are informed of it.3. let Ss listen to the taped interview with Dr. hertz and raise the following questions to check their understanding:__ What did American Dream mean to Dr. Hertz’s grandparents?__ Why does Dr. Hertz say that the American D ream is in one’s head and in one’s pocket?(Refer to P 81 of the Teacher’s Book for suggested answers)4. Ss do Cloze B in after-text exercises to have a better understanding of the AmericanDream; when they finish, they will discuss what they have filled in those blanks.5. B ased on the two activities, ask Ss’ opinions on the essence of the American Dream.6. Provide Ss with some background information about the American Dream before summing up and leading into the text by saying:Before we have heard a lot about the American Dream, and by now we know it means the belief that everyone can succeed as long as he/she works hard enough. Of course, we must realize that here success is narrowly defined as financial success. In this unit you will read how such a dream came true.Text ComprehensionI. Macro-reading1.Help the students understand the main idea and structure of the text.1.1. Ask the students about Tony’s American Dream to check if they have previewedthe text.--- Tony’s American Dream: To own a farm1.2. Ask the students to scan the text to circle all the time words, phrases or sentencesin this text. When they finish, ask them to report their findings.Then explain to the students that the story of this text is narrated according to time sequence.---The time phrases or sentences are:One evening, The next two days, Summer passed into fall, The months passed, One day, A year or two passed, After about two years, Sometime later, Then, During the war, After he passed away.1.3. Explain to the students that Tony fulfilled his American Dream step by stepand that the time phrases serve as transitions between steps. Then draw the students’ attention to Tony’s main steps towards his American Dream and ask them the following question:--- Refer to the time words/phrases/clauses you have just circled and tell what steps Tony have gone through in realizing his American Dream.1.4. Let the students know that they are to report what Tony achieved during thedifferent time intervals as they go through each step, which is defined by theappearances of time phrases.---The main steps:Step 1: Tony worked as a gardener at the author’s house (Gardener).Step 2: Tony got a job clearing snow at the author’s factory (Worker).Step 3: Tony learned to be a skilled worker (Skilled Worker).Step 4: Tony bought a house with the author’s help (Owner of a house).Step 5: Tony bought a farm and sent for his family in Italy (Farmer).Diagrams to Present the Main ContentTony’s American Dream (step by step)Part 1 : flat out of checks ----- as a helper at Mr. Crawford’s house (1-10)----- the job One evening the next two daysof clearing snow at Mr. Crawford’s factory (11-13)----- to be a skilled worker(14-16) the months passed one day----- buy a house (17-21) ----- buy a farm and send for his family (22-27)----- died,a year or two passed after about two yearsleaving a prosperous farm and children educated(28-29).Then ,during the warConclusion: not find American dream, but create it. (The writer’s reflections onTony’s American dream.)This story narrated according to time sequence.(these time phrases serve as transitions between each step)1.5. Ask one student to retell Tony’s life story in his/her own wo rds according to the key words and the pictures.1.6. Pair workArrange the students in pairs and ask the students to discuss tofollowing two questions based on the above activities:--- How many parts can this text be divided into and what is the main idea of each part?--- What is the main idea of the text?Part One (Paras1-29): It tells the story of Tony’s life, that is, with determination, and with help from the author, Tony realized his dream of having his own farm.Part two (Paras30-33): I t gives the author’s reflections on the story of Tony.The author thought about why and to what extent Tony had been successful.The main idea: Tony Trivisonno realized his American Dream through his own efforts2.Help the students understand the American Dream and its essence.2.1. Group workBreak into small groups and discuss the following questions. Later, ask some of the students to report the answers of their own groups to the class.--- What do you understand by the American Dream?--- What do you think is the essence of the American Dream?--- Can we have our own Chinese Dream someday? As college students of the new century, what should we do to make it come true?2.2. ConclusionIn any sense, Tony is ordinary, as is shown in the text. Nevertheless, he managed to realize his dream with his determination and hard work. And that isa good example of the essence of the American Dream.As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way. One will have more hopes, more choices and more opportunities if he has a dream in his innermost growing self, and sooner or later he will become successful with hard work and determination.Anyway, as is shown by the essence of the American Dream, we are to realize our own Chinese Dream and can build a better life in our country if we hold fast to the dream and always work for it.3. AnalysisThis text, like Text A in Unit 1, employs time words and phrases in narration. Time words and phrases serve as transitional devices by which an author switches from one event to another. The latter event may take place either before or after the former, which allows an author freedom in narration. For example, Text A in Unit 1 thus becomes a piece of narration interspersed with flashbacks. For another example, the author of this unit is able to keep his narration concise by simply recounting Tony’s steps towards success, since the time phrases make it unnecessary to squeeze in too many details about how he succeeded during each step.However, we are not saying that details are unimportant. Those details vital to the story development are carefully inserted into the text. For example, why is Tony’s faulty English sentences “l mow your lawn” repeated four times? That’s because it shows Tony’s determination in finding a job and his optimistic view that people wouldhelp a man who needed a job.Besides, does the author himself ever make a statement claiming Tony to be a good worker? No. he makes you infer from other people’s compliments(e.g., “my wife said he was very helpful”, the personnel department “said Tony was a very good worker”; “ I got a report that he had graduated as a skilled grinder”, when Tony died, people found “the farm green with vegetables, the little house livable and homey. There were a tractor and a good car in the yard. The children were educated and working, and Tony didn’t own a cent.”)Or consider the three instances where Tony’s physical appearance is described. They present an increasingly well-to-do Tony. Or, have you noticed that Tony had remained sta nding when he talked to Mr. Crawford until in Line 65 “we sat down and talked”? Tony’s social status improved enough to allow him to sit down with Mr. Crawford.II. Micro-reading1. Vocabulary (See Appendix 1)2. StructureS.+ Verb+Object+Adj.I went into my house unhappy.Follow-upI.Group discussion1. What is the author’s interpretation of the American Dream as illustrated in the story of Tony?2. Do you think integrity, determination and hard work can take everyone from log cabin to White House? Why or why not3. Do you have a dream? If you have, how do you try to fulfill it?II. Translation(See Appendix 1)1．I tried hard to squeeze a small sum of money as Tony’s wage, and every day Tony gave a thorough cleaning of my yard and did any little tasks我挤出一点钱作为他的周薪，每天，托尼打扫庭院，做些杂事。
