教材分析
Warming Up provides two activities to spark students' interest in the topic.Of course，before the class，the students must have gathered some information to make preparations for this class.Many kinds of their favorite sea animals are presented in their vivid pictures.Students are encouraged to introduce them using some new expressions such as at an aquarium，on a snorkelling trip.
Pre－reading is designed to further stimulate their interest in the topic of the unit.Meanwhile，students may have some basic information about the text.
The reading passage Old Tom the Killer Whale tells about two anecdotes witnessed by the writer himself.The teacher can first get students to skim the text for the characters in the two anecdotes and get the main idea of each anecdote.Then let them scan for further understanding.In order to let students pay attention to the writer's vivid description，the teacher can ask them to do a blank－filling exercise in pairs to find out some key verbs and verb phrases.Having done this，students must have had a very clear understanding of the whole hunting and saving process.To make their understanding easier，the teacher should deal with any language problems while they are reading.And then underline some useful words and expressions.
For further thinking，students are expected to work in pairs or groups.They will discuss the problems and work out the answers cooperatively，choosing a reporter in their group.Students will think actively，so various answers are possible.
To consolidate the contents of the reading passage，students should be required to retell the passage in the name of Old Tom or the baleen whale or James with as many key words as possible.
At the end of the class，by holding a debate，the teacher can arouse students' interest further as well as make them aware of the relationship between man and animals and the importance of banning whaling.
三维目
知识目标
1．Get students to learn the useful new words and expressions in this part：anecdote，annual，witness，accommodation，shore，opposite，yell，pause，telescope，teamwork，dive，depth，lip，urge，abandon，shark，relationship，help...out.
2．Let students learn about several different types of whales，especially the killer whales.
能力目标
1．Enable the students to learn to talk about their favorite sea animals.
2．Develop students' reading ability by learning to read about the killer whales and let them learn different learning skills.
3．Develop their creative thinking ability.
情感目标
1．Arouse students' great interest in sea animals.
2．Make them aware of the relationship between man and animals and the importance of banning whaling.
3．Develop students' sense of cooperative learning.
教学重点
1．Reading comprehension to the text.
2．Learning more about the killer whales and understanding the relationship between the killer whales and the whalers.
3．Important words and expressions.
教学难点
1．The relationship between the killer whales and the whalers.
2．Develop students' reading ability.
教学方法
1．Individual，pair and group work.
2．Task－based teaching and learning.[来源:Zxxk.Com]
3．Quiz，discussion，blank－filling，retelling，debate.
教学工具
A computer and a projector.
教学过程
Step 1 Warming up
1．Ask some students to show some pictures of their favorite sea animals and introduce them to the class.The introduction should cover these aspects：
·The English and Chinese name of your favorite sea animal.[来源:Z§xx§k.Com]
·Where did you find it?
·Some features of it，its distribution，or living condition.Anything about it is welcome.
·Why do you like it?
Sample introduction：
①My favorite sea animal is dolphins(海豚)．I found them at an aquarium this summer holiday.Dolphins are very meek(温顺的)．Neither as timid animals in virgin forests who run away immediately they discover a stranger，nor as beasts in remote mountains who bare fangs and brandish claws the moment they encounter a person，dolphins are always friendly with people.Dolphins and human beings have been on friendly terms all along.
I like dolphins，because dolphins are truly intellectual.They can even imitate some people's voice after a period of training.Yet，dolphins have intelligence different from common animals.The volume and mass of their brain are among the most considerable in the animal world.Up to the present moment，scientists have two different views on animals' intelligence：one is that of all animals，chimps are the most intellectual and capable；another is that chimps are no more capable of studying than dolphins，and it is probable that dolphins are more intellectual than chimps.Therefore，some people consider dolphins as “wizards in the sea”．
When mentioning dolphins，people will probably speak highly of their supernormal intelligence and ability.In that aquarium，it is common that dolphins are giving a wonderful performance by following the trainer's instructions.They seem to be capable of understanding what mankind expresses and taking actions according to the instructions.At present，the majority of people marvel at dolphins' supernormal intelligence as a kind of sea animal.But to what extent can dolphins' intelligence and ability achieve？It remains to be probed and researched.
②My favorite sea animal is tropical fish(热带鱼)．I found them on a snorkelling trip.I was attracted by its colorful appearance.In the half an hour's trip from the shore，I found coral reefs，tropical fish and other marine life.Excitedly，I bought some fishes home.It was my first time to raise tropical fish.One month ago my friend told me that tropical fish are easier to raise than the golden fish.Her words let me think of another friend of mine.He is raising tropical fish.I am feeding four categories of tropical fish.Two black marry，eight peacocks，another two fishes，although I don't know their names，are the most beautiful.The peacock is the smallest and isn't colorful as I have seen in other places before.My friend told me they will be beautiful when they grow up.So I put the eight peacock fish into a small fish jar.I observes them every day and is expecting them to be bigger and more colorful.Two of the four big tropical fishes have died including the beautiful one.Perhaps the beautiful fish's life is fragile.If it is true，then I don't expect the small peacocks to turn beautiful.I shouldn't be so greedy to want both.That they just have strong life is enough for me.
2．The teacher show the picture of a killer whale and do a small quiz about it.
(1)What's the Chinese and English name of this whale?
虎鲸Killer whales
(2)Can you match these whales with their Chinese and English names？(Show students some pictures of different whales.)[来源:学§科§网Z§X§X§K]
baleen whale 须鲸 sperm whale抹香鲸
blue whale 蓝鲸 white whale白鲸
(3)Which of these kinds of whales can grow to be the largest?
Blue whales 蓝鲸(about 21－
(4)Humans have been hunting whales for more than __A__ years.
A．2000 B．
(5)Will the killer whales attack people and eat them？ No.
(6)Does a female killer whale give birth to a baby whale or lay eggs？ Give birth to a baby whale.
(7)What does a newly－born baby killer whale feed on？__C__
A．Small sea animals. B．Sea plants. C．Its mother's milk.
(8)Do the killers belong to the family of dolphins or whales？ Dolphins.
(9)Male killer whales have a life expectancy of __B__ years，while females can live as long as __D__ years.
A．40－50 B．50－
(10)Killers are highly social animals that travel in groups called pods(群)．Pods usually consist of __A__ whales.
A．2－50 B．20－
(11)How many sounds can a killer whale make？ 62 sounds.
(12)Are killers endangered species and in need of conservation？ No.
(13)The killer whales are sometimes called the “__A__ of the sea” because they are both very fierce.
A．wolf B．dog C．tiger
Step 2 Pre－reading
1．Read the words in Pre－reading on Page 19 quickly and fill in the form.
|
Writer |
An old man called Clancy |
|
Occupation |
·A whaler |
|
Style |
·Anecdotes |
|
Time |
·At the beginning |
|
Place |
· |
|
What happened |
·The killer whales helped the whalers catch a baleen whale. |
Step 3 Skimming
1．Glance through the two anecdotes and use one sentence to get the main idea of each anecdote.
Main ideas：
Anecdote one：The killer whales helped the whalers to catch a baleen whale.
Anecdote two：Old Tom saved a whaler James.
2．Fill in the blanks with the names of the roles in the text.
(1)______was 16 years of age when he went to work at the whaling station.
(2)______orderd Clancy to go to the boat as there was a whale out there in the bay.
(3)______was swimming by the boat showing the whalers the way.
(4)______told Clancy that they would return the next day to bring in the body of the whale.
(5)______was carried by the waves further and further away from the whalers.
(6)______knew that Old Tom would protect James.
Suggested answers：(1)Clancy (2)George (3)Old Tom (4)Jack (5)James (6)Red
Step 4 Scanning
1．Read these two anecdotes carefully and find out some verbs or verb phrases to do the blank－filling worksheet.
Anecdote one：
There was perfect cooperation between the whalers and the killer whales.
Before the hunt
The killers' action：Threw_itself out_of the water and then crashed_down again.
Swam_by the boat，showing the whalers the way.
Circled back to the boat, leading the whalers to the hunt.
The whalers' reaction：A whaler yelled out. George ran ahead_of_ clancy.Clancy raced_after him.
They jumped_into_the boat with the other whalers and headed_out into the bay.
During and after the hunt
The killers' action：A pack of killers are throwing_themselves on top of the whale's blow－hole to_stop it breathing；some others are stopping it fleeing_out to sea.
The killers started racing_between the whalers' boat and the whale，just like a pack of excited dogs.
Within a moment or two，the whale's body was dragged_down_into the depths of the sea.
The whalers' reaction：The man in the bow of the boat aimed a harpoon at the whale and let it go to hit the spot.
Started turning the boat around to go home.
Anecdote two：
The dangers facing James：
(1)He was washed_off_the boat and was carried_away_by rough waves.
(2)There was a shark out there.
The help offered by Old Tom：
(1)Old Tom wouldn't_let_the shark near.
(2)Old Tom firmly held James up in the water.
2．Reading aloud and underlining expressions.
Students read the text aloud to the tape and underline all the expressions in the text.Put them down into their notebooks after class as homework.
Suggested answers：
Collections：at the time，witness sth.with one's own eyes many times，sort out my accommodation，in time to do sth.，crash down，yell out，ahead of，flee out to sea，aim at，let sth.go，be dragged swiftly down into the depths of the sea，in the meantime，have a good feed on sth.，be carried further and further away，be firmly held up in the water
3．Reading，identifying and settling.
Students skim the text once again and identify the difficult sentences.Let them try analyzing the structures of the difficult sentences and discuss them among their group members.They may also turn to the teacher for help.
·...George didn't like being kept waiting...
·...I could see a whale being attacked by a pack of about six other killers.
·Being badly wounded，the whale soon died.
·...I could see he was terrified of being abandoned by us.
Step 5 Discussion
After the students read the passage，ask them to discuss the following questions in groups and then report to the class.
1．Why has the killer whale got the name Old Tom?
2．Do you like killer whales？Why or why not?
Suggested answers：
1．Old Tom is a person's name.In my opinion，the reasons why the killer in the text is called so may be two.For one thing，the killer that showed the whalers the way to the hunt and saved James must be a male killer whale because Tom is a man's name.For another，the whalers called it Old Tom，just as they were calling a man.That is to say，the whalers treated it as their dear friend.In the meantime，the killer itself must be very friendly to the whalers and helped them a lot in hunting in the sea.In return，the killer can get part of the baleen whale as its food.So to some extent，the whalers and killers are depending on each other.They cooperated well and lived in harmony with one another.
2．I like killer whales because when James fell off the boat，the killer whale not only protected him from being drowned but also wouldn't let the shark near.They are so clever and friendly to human beings.What's more，they worked as a team，which should be learned by us when we are working.
I don't like them.Though they are clever and friendly to us，they are too fierce.To my great surprise，they should eat the flesh of another whale.I could hardly believe it.I have never heard of one animal killing his families and even eating their meat.How pitiful it is!
Step 6 Further－thinking
1．What else do you think is amazing in the story？Show your evidence.
2．What is an anecdote?
Suggested answers：
1．I think it is so amazing that we human beings should use one animal to attack or hunt another animal even his own family members，just like dogs that help hunters hunt animals.
I think that the killer will return the body of the baleen whale instead of keeping it or eating it up is very amazing.But I guess the killer whales are just fond of the taste of the baleen whale's lips and tongue.Or they just want to share it with the whalers in return for their cooperation.
2．According to the text，as far as I am concerned，an anecdote must be an exciting or amazing story.
Step 7 Consolidation[来源:学科网]
Ask students to retell the passage with the help of their worksheet.
1．Please retell either of the two anecdotes in the name of Old Tom，the baleen whale or James.Your anecdote should at least consist of two paragraphs：
Paragraph one：about the writer，time，place and what happened
Paragraph two：detailed information about the anecdote
For reference：
In the name of Old Tom
I am Old Tom，a killer whale.I live in the southeastern ocean of Australia.Enormous as I am，I never harm or attack people.Instead，I always help the whalers catch baleen whales.At the beginning of the 20th century，it was I and my companions who assisted the whalers in hunting a huge baleen whale.And later，I did save James from being drowned.
On that day，when I found a baleen whale nearby，I quickly threw myself out of the water and crashed down again.As soon as they saw this and headed out to the hunt，I swam by the boat，showing them the way.Usually we work as a team—a pack of about six of us killers.Some threw ourselves on top of the whale's blow－hole to stop it breathing.And those others stopped it fleeing out to sea.At last，we succeeded in catching it.In the meantime，we enjoyed the lips and tongue of the baleen whale，leaving the rest of it to the whalers the next day.
One day，James was washed off the boat.The sea was rough.The waves were carrying him further and further away.Worse still，I saw a shark swimming around.From James's face，I could see he was terrified of being abandoned by others and attacked by the shark.But I wouldn't let the shark near.When they approached him，I had been holding him up in the water for half an hour.
I do hope you could witness them with your eyes.And most importantly，you should learn from us—“work as a team”！
In the name of the baleen whale
I was a pitiful baleen whale. I once lived in the southeastern ocean of
On that day，I was found by a killer whale called Old Tom nearby.He quickly threw himself out of the water and crashed down again.As soon as the whalers saw this and headed out to the hunt，he swam by the boat，showing them the way.Usually the killers work as a team—a pack of about six of them.Some threw themselves on top of my blow－hole to stop me breathing.And those others stopped me fleeing out to sea.At last，I was worn out and had no luck.I was badly wounded by a harpoon.I did nothing wrong.Why did they want to kill me？Later，I was dragged down into the depths of the sea，having had my lips and tongue eaten.I was sent back to the whalers the next day.I really hated the killers.If they hadn't helped the whalers，I could have fled out to sea to enjoy my rest life.
In the name of James
I am James，a whaler.I live on the southeastern coast of Australia.At the beginning of the 20th century，I was saved by Old Tom，a killer whale.
Believe it or not，the killer whales can not only help us hunt but also save people when they are in danger.One day，Old Tom found a baleen whale nearby，it quickly threw itself out of the water and crashed down again.As soon as we saw this and headed out to the hunt，it swam by the boat，showing us the way.Usually the killers work as a team—a pack of about six of them.Some threw themselves on top of the baleen whale's blow－hole to stop it breathing.And those others stopped it fleeing out to sea.At last，we succeeded in catching it.In the meantime，the killers enjoyed the lips and tongue of the baleen whale，leaving the rest of it to us the next day.
Another day，I was washed off the boat.The sea was rough.The waves were carrying me further and further away.To make matters worse，I saw a shark swimming around.I was terrified of being abandoned by others and attacked by the shark.But to my surprise，Old Tom wouldn't let the shark near.When my companions approached me，I had been held up in the water by Old Tom for half an hour.
This experience left a deep impression on me.I really appreciated Old Tom.It was it that gave me a second life.
Step 8 Debate
The last whaling station in Australia closed in 1978.Whales are now an endangered species and protected by an international ban，but some countries oppose the ban.In groups discuss the reasons for and against banning whaling.
Step 9 Homework
1．Write down the useful new words and expressions，then learn them by heart.
2．Write down an anecdote in the name of Old Tom，the baleen whale or James.
