Unit 4 Inventions Section 4 Extending and developing competencies Focusing on culture 教学设计 2025-2026学年沪教版（2024）八年级英语上册

Unit 4 Inventions-Section 4 Extending and developing competencies-Focusing on culture This section of "Focusing on culture" in Unit 4 "Inventions" mainly explores the cultural aspects related to inventions. It will introduce students to some world - famous inventions from different cultures and their profound impacts on human civilization. Through reading materials, pictures, and discussions, students will understand how cultural background influences the emergence and development of inventions. For example, they will learn about the inventions in ancient China like the compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing, which not only changed the course of Chinese history but also had a far - reaching influence on the development of the world. Meanwhile, inventions from Western cultures, such as the steam engine in the Industrial Revolution, will also be covered. This section aims to broaden students' horizons, enhance their cross - cultural understanding, and stimulate their interest in the relationship between culture and invention. 教学目标 Students will be able to master key vocabulary related to cultural inventions, such as "compass", "gunpowder", "papermaking", "printing", "steam engine", "industrial revolution", etc. Understand important sentences and expressions used to describe the origin, function, and cultural significance of inventions, for example, "The invention of the compass in ancient China greatly promoted maritime exploration." Grasp the historical and cultural background knowledge related to the introduced inventions. 教学重难点 A. Teaching Key Points Key vocabulary and expressions related to cultural inventions. Understanding the main content of reading materials about cultural inventions and summarizing the important information. Using English to describe the process and influence of cultural inventions. B. Teaching Difficult Points Helping students understand the in - depth relationship between cultural background and the emergence of inventions, and how inventions, in turn, affect cultural development. Guiding students to express their unique views on cultural inventions clearly and logically in English during group discussions and writing. A. Vocabulary Invention - related vocabulary Compass (n.): An instrument containing a magnetized pointer that shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it. It was one of the great inventions in ancient China, which played a crucial role in navigation. Gunpowder (n.): A mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, used in fireworks, explosives, and firearms. It was invented in China and had a huge impact on the development of military and entertainment. Papermaking (n.): The process of making paper. The invention of papermaking in ancient China made information recording and dissemination more convenient. Printing (n.): The process or business of producing books, newspapers, etc. The printing techniques in ancient China, such as woodblock printing and movable - type printing, were important milestones in the history of human communication. Steam engine (n.): A machine that uses the energy of steam to produce motion. It was a key invention in the Industrial Revolution, which greatly promoted the development of industry. Industrial revolution (n.): A period of rapid industrial growth in the 18th and 19th centuries, characterized by the introduction of machinery and the development of factories. General vocabulary Promote (v.): To help something to happen or develop. For example, "The invention of the steam engine promoted the development of the manufacturing industry." Influence (n. & v.): The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself. "The influence of ancient Chinese inventions on the world is profound." Origin (n.): The point or place where something begins, arises, or is derived. "The origin of gunpowder can be traced back to ancient China." Significance (n.): The quality of being worthy of attention; importance. "The significance of the compass in maritime exploration cannot be overstated." B. Sentence Patterns Describing the origin of inventions The invention of... can be traced back to... (e.g., The invention of papermaking can be traced back to ancient China.) -... was first invented in... (e.g., The steam engine was first invented in the UK during the Industrial Revolution.) Describing the function of inventions -... was used to... (e.g., The compass was used to determine directions at sea.) -... enabled people to... (e.g., The invention of the printing press enabled people to spread knowledge more widely.) Describing the influence of inventions The invention of... had a profound/great influence on... (e.g., The invention of gunpowder had a profound influence on the development of military technology.) -... changed the course of... (e.g., The Industrial Revolution changed the course of human economic and social development.) C. Cultural Background Knowledge Ancient Chinese inventions The compass was invented in the Warring States period in China. At that time, people used lodestone to make a simple direction - indicating instrument. With the development of technology, the compass became more and more accurate and was widely used in navigation, which promoted trade and cultural exchanges between different regions. Gunpowder was initially developed by alchemists in ancient China when they were trying to make elixirs of immortality. Later, people discovered its explosive properties and began to use it in fireworks and weapons. Papermaking: Before the invention of papermaking, people in ancient China used materials such as bamboo slips, silk, and oracle bones to record information. Cai Lun improved the papermaking technique in the Eastern Han Dynasty, making paper - making more efficient and the paper more suitable for writing. Printing: Woodblock printing emerged in the Tang Dynasty in China. In the Song Dynasty, Bi Sheng invented movable - type printing, which was a revolutionary innovation in the history of printing. The Industrial Revolution in the West The Industrial Revolution started in the UK in the 18th century. The invention of the steam engine was a key milestone. It replaced manual labor with machine - powered production, which led to the establishment of factories, the growth of cities, and the transformation of the economic structure from an agricultural - based to an industrial - based one. 教学过程 A. Lead - in (5 minutes) Show students some pictures of world - famous inventions, such as the compass, the light bulb, and the computer. Ask them to name these inventions and briefly describe their functions. T: Class, look at these pictures on the screen. Can you tell me the names of these inventions? And what are they used for? Ss: The first one is a compass. It is used to show directions. The second one is a light bulb. It gives us light. The third one is a computer. We can use it to search for information, play games, etc. Then ask students: "Do you know which cultures these inventions originated from? And why do you think these inventions emerged in those cultures?" T: Now, think about which cultures these inventions came from. And try to guess the reasons why they were invented in those particular cultures. Discuss in pairs for one minute. After one minute, invite some pairs to share their ideas. B. Pre - reading (8 minutes) Present the title of the reading passage, "Cultural Inventions That Changed the World", and ask students to predict what the passage might be about based on the title. T: Here is the title of our reading passage today - "Cultural Inventions That Changed the World". What do you think this passage will talk about? Raise your hands and share your predictions. Ss may predict that it will introduce some important inventions from different cultures and how they changed the world. Teach some new words and expressions that will appear in the reading passage. Use pictures, examples, and simple explanations to help students understand. Show a picture of a compass and say: "This is a compass. In Chinese, we call it ' 指南针 '. It is an important invention in navigation. The word 'compass' has two's's. C - o - m - p - a - s - s. Repeat after me, compass." Do the same for other new words like "gunpowder", "papermaking", "printing", "steam engine", "industrial revolution", "promote", "influence", etc. For the word "influence", give an example: "The Internet has a great influence on our daily life. We can communicate with people far away, learn new knowledge, and shop online because of it. So, 'influence' means the effect something has on someone or something else." C. While - reading (15 minutes) Fast - reading Let students read the passage quickly to get the general idea. Then ask them to answer the following questions: What are the main inventions mentioned in the passage? Which cultures are these inventions from? After students finish reading, ask them to share their answers. T: OK, class. You have finished the fast - reading. Now, who can tell me the main inventions mentioned in the passage? S1: The compass, gunpowder, papermaking, printing from ancient China, and the steam engine from the Industrial Revolution in the West. T: Very good. And which cultures are these inventions from? S2: The first four are from Chinese culture, and the steam engine is from Western culture. Careful - reading Let students read the passage again carefully. Divide them into groups of four. Each group is assigned to analyze one of the inventions introduced in the passage. They need to find information about the origin, function, and influence of the assigned invention in the passage. For example, for the group analyzing the compass: Origin: It was invented in ancient China, in the Warring States period. Function: It was used to determine directions at sea, which was crucial for navigation. Influence: It promoted maritime exploration, trade, and cultural exchanges between different regions. Each group should fill in a form on the blackboard or a piece of paper about their assigned invention. After 5 minutes, ask each group to present their findings to the whole class. Group 1 (presenting about the compass): T: Group 1, it's your turn to share your findings about the compass. Group 1 representative: The compass was invented in ancient China, in the Warring States period. It was used to show directions at sea. Because of the compass, sailors could sail further and more accurately. It promoted trade between different countries and cultural exchanges around the world. D. Post - reading (12 minutes) Group discussion Pose a discussion topic: "Among these cultural inventions, which one do you think has the most significant influence on modern society? And why?" Let students discuss in their original groups. Each student in the group should express their opinion. The group leader needs to summarize the group's views. After 5 minutes, invite some groups to share their discussion results. Group 2: Group 2 leader: We think the invention of the Internet (although not in the reading passage, but related to modern society) has the most significant influence on modern society. In modern times, the Internet has connected people all over the world. We can communicate with friends and family far away in real - time, do business online, and access a vast amount of knowledge. It has changed the way we live, work, and study. T: Good. Although the Internet is not in our reading passage, your analysis is very relevant. What about other groups? Do you have different opinions? Group 3: Group 3 leader: We believe that the invention of papermaking has the most significant influence. Without papermaking, it would be very difficult to record and spread knowledge. Even in the digital age, paper is still widely used in many aspects, such as books, newspapers, and official documents. Writing practice Ask students to choose one of the cultural inventions they are interested in and write a short passage about it. The passage should include the origin, function, and influence of the invention. Remind them to use the words and sentence patterns they have learned in this class. Give students 5 minutes to write. Then ask some students to read their passages aloud. Provide feedback and praise for their good points and correct their mistakes gently. S3 (reading the passage about gunpowder): Gunpowder was first invented in ancient China. Alchemists were trying to make elixirs of immortality when they accidentally discovered gunpowder. It was initially used in fireworks, which brought joy to people's lives. Later, it was used in weapons. The invention of gunpowder changed the way wars were fought and had a great influence on the development of military technology. T: Very good, S3. You used the correct sentence patterns and your passage is well - organized. You just made a small mistake in the verb tense. It should be "Alchemists were trying to make elixirs of immortality when they accidentally discovered gunpowder." instead of "Alchemists are trying...". E. Summary and Homework (5 minutes) Summary Summarize the key points of this class with students, including the new words, sentence patterns, and the main ideas of the reading passage about cultural inventions. T: Class, let's review what we have learned today. We learned some new words like 'compass', 'gunpowder', etc. We also learned how to describe the origin, function, and influence of inventions using sentence patterns such as 'The invention of... can be traced back to...'. And we learned about some important cultural inventions and their great impacts on the world. Homework Ask students to search for more information about a cultural invention they are interested in and make a simple poster. The poster should include pictures, a brief introduction of the invention, and its influence. They can use the Internet, books in the library, or other resources. T: For your homework, I want you to make a simple poster about a cultural invention you like. You can search for information online, in the library, or from other sources. Include pictures, a short introduction, and its influence on the poster. We will share our posters in the next class. 教学反思 Positive aspects The lead - in activity effectively aroused students' interest in the topic of cultural inventions. By showing pictures of common inventions and asking simple questions, students were quickly engaged in the class. The group work during the reading and discussion stages promoted students' cooperation and communication skills. Students actively participated in group discussions, expressed their opinions, and learned from each other. The writing practice provided students with an opportunity to apply what they had learned. Through writing about cultural inventions, students could better master the relevant vocabulary and sentence patterns. Areas for improvement In the pre - reading stage, although teaching new words with pictures and examples was helpful, some students still had difficulty remembering the words. Maybe more interactive ways, such as word games, could be used to enhance students' memory. During the group discussion, some students were a little shy and did not express their opinions actively. In the future, more encouragement and guidance should be given to these students to make them more confident in speaking English. In the summary stage, the time was a bit tight. Some students might not have fully understood the key points. Next time, more time should be allocated to ensure that students have a clear understanding of the content learned in class. 2 / 37 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$