Module Four Carnival
Period One
Teaching content:
Introduction & Reading and Vocabulary
Teaching important points:
1.Learn some new words and phrases about carnival.
2.Help the students understand the passage and learn about carnival better.
3.Help the students learn some difficult language points.
4.Train the students` reading skill.
Teaching difficult points:
1.Help them make sense of the new words and phrases.
2.Help them improve reading ability and understand the passage better.
3.Help them master language points in this passage.
Teaching procedures:
Step 1 Lead-in
When we were children,we all looked forward to festivals.Why?Because festivals mean eating delicious food,wearing beautiful clothes,visiting relatives,getting red envelopes,doing what we want to do and so on.In a word,festivals mean happy time.This module,we will talk about the topic:Carnival.
Step 2 Introduction
1.Activity 2 on P31
Now please name some Chinese festivals and say when they are celebrated.
春节：The Spring Festival(Lunar January 1)
元宵节：The Lantern Festival(Lunar January 15)
清明节：Ching Ming Festival/Tomb-sweeping Day(Solar April 4-6)
端午节：Dragon Boat Festival(Lunar May 5)
七夕节：Double Seventh Festival(Lunar July 7）
中秋节：Mid-Autumn Festival(Lunar August 15)
重阳节：Double Ninth Festival(Lunar September 9)
除夕：New Year` Eve(Lunar December 31)
【清明节】
清明是我国的二十四节气之一。由于二十四节气比较客观地反映了一年四季气温、降雨、物候等方面的变化，所以古代劳动人民用它安排农事活动。《淮南子?天文训》云:“春分后十五日，斗指乙，则清明风至。”按《岁时百问》的说法：“万物生长此时，皆清洁而明净。故谓之清明。”清明一到，气温升高，雨量增多，正是春耕春种的大好时节。故有“清明前后，点瓜种豆”、“植树造林，莫过清明”的农谚。可见这个节气与农业生产有着密切的关系。
但是，清明作为节日，与纯粹的节气又有所不同。节气是我国物候变化、时令顺序的标志，而节日则包含着一定的风俗活动和某种纪念意义。
清明节是我国传统节日，也是最重要的祭祀节日，是祭祖和扫墓的日子。扫墓俗称上坟，是祭祀死者的一种活动。汉族和一些少数民族大多都是在清明节扫墓。
按照旧的习俗，扫墓时，人们要携带酒食果品、纸钱等物品到墓地，将食物供祭在亲人墓前，再将纸钱焚化，为坟墓培上新土，折几枝嫩绿的新枝插在坟上，然后叩头行礼祭拜，最后吃掉酒食回家。唐代诗人杜牧的诗《清明》：“清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。借问酒家何处有？牧童遥指杏花村。”写出了清明节的特殊气氛。
清明节，又叫踏青节，按阳历来说，它是在每年的4月4日至6日之间，正是春光明媚草木吐绿的时节，也正是人们春游（古代叫踏青）的好时候，所以古人有清明踏青，并开展一系列体育活动的的习俗。直到今天，清明节祭拜祖先，悼念已逝的亲人的习俗仍很盛行。
2.Activity 1 on P31
Next,we will learn about some foreign festivals.
Read through the given information to understand and try to match;Call back the answers and explain if necessary.
【Holi ['h uli] n.(印度的)胡里节】
胡里节，也叫“洒红节”、“色彩节”，是印度传统节日，也是印度传统新年。在印度，尼泊尔，苏里南，圭亚那，特立尼达，英国，毛里求斯和斐济等地都是重要节日。
“胡里节”原是庆祝春天，与创造和复始的行动有关，代表春分和谷物丰收。时间在每年的3月份，持续3—16天。在这一盛大的节日里，男人将全身涂上鲜艳的色彩，妇女则会穿上五颜六色的服装，头上裹着彩色的头纱，手拿竹竿“棒打男人”。
【Halloween [hæl 'i:n]n.万圣节前夕、万圣节】
万圣节(halloween)，10月31日。起始于天主教的11月1日的万灵日(All Saints' Day)，而前一天晚上，也就是10月31日，就叫万圣节。传说在11月1日那天是大人灵魂回来的日子，而10月31日则是小朋友灵魂回来的日子。在以前，All Saints’Day是来赞扬天主及其圣者。
3.Activity 3 on P31
Read through the questions to understand and try to answer;Call back the answers and explain if necessary.
4.Activity 4 on P31
Read through the given information to understand and check;Call back the answers and explain if necessary. Step 3 Pre-reading[Activity 3 on P32]
Read through the given information to understand and try to match the words with the meanings;Call back the answers and explain if necessary;Read out the words in the box aloud in class.
Step 4 While-reading
1.Fast reading[Activity 1 on P32]
Read through the passage quickly to get the main idea and check the topics it mentions OR match the main idea of each paragraph.
▲The main idea of every paragraph
Para1. People`s general imperssion of carnival.
Para2. The meaning of carnival and how it was celebrated in history.
Para3. Carnival in Venice and the problem it caused when people celebrated it.
Para4. The law about wearing masks.
Para5. The revival of the tradition of celebration carnival.
Para6. How canival is celebrated in Venice today and the feature of the carnival in Venice.
2.Careful reading[Activity 2 on P32]
Read through the passage carefully to get more details and then finish Activity 2 on P32.Call back the answers and explain if necessary.
nguage points【Ref:Notes to the text】
Go through the passage with the students together to explain some language points.