Unit 4 Journey Across a Vast Land-Reading and Thinking 教案-2025-2026学年高中英语人教版选择性必修第二册

Unit 4 Journey Across a Vast Land-Reading and Thinking 内容导航 This passage mainly describes the author’s train journey across Canada with his cousin, presenting the magnificent natural scenery of Canada from east to west, including forests, lakes, mountains and plains. It also reflects the cultural characteristics and geographical features of different regions, conveying the author’s love for nature and the beauty of the vast land. 教学目标和重难点 1. 教学目标 Language Competence: Students will master key words and phrases related to journey and scenery, and understand complex sentences about description and feeling, improving their ability to read and express descriptive passages. Cultural Awareness: They will learn about Canada’s geographical environment and cultural customs, fostering cross-cultural understanding and respect. Thinking Quality: Through analyzing the structure of the passage and the author’s emotional changes, students will develop logical thinking and critical thinking skills. Learning Ability: They will master reading strategies such as skimming and scanning, and cultivate the habit of independent reading and cooperative learning. 2. 教学重难点 Key Points: Mastering key vocabulary (e.g., vast, scenery, surround, astonish) and phrases (e.g., take a train trip, be surrounded by, catch sight of); understanding the main idea and structure of the passage; learning to use descriptive language to express scenery and feelings. Difficult Points: Grasping the logical connection between paragraphs and the author’s emotional changes in the journey; understanding the implied meaning of some sentences; applying the learned vocabulary and sentence patterns to practical writing and expression. 教学过程 Step 1: Lead-in (Warm-up and Activation) The lead-in aims to arouse students’ interest in the topic, activate their prior knowledge related to journeys and Canada, and lay a foundation for the subsequent reading. First, the teacher will show students a set of pictures about Canada’s famous scenic spots, such as the Rocky Mountains, Lake Louise, Niagara Falls and the Canadian Shield. While showing the pictures, the teacher will ask some guiding questions to interact with students: “Have you ever been to Canada? What do you know about Canada? What kind of scenery do you think you can see in Canada?” After students share their opinions freely, the teacher will make a brief summary: “Canada is the second largest country in the world, with a vast land and abundant natural scenery. Today, we will follow the author’s footsteps to take a train journey across this vast land and experience its unique beauty.” Then, the teacher will present the title of the passage “Journey Across a Vast Land” and ask students to predict the content of the passage based on the title: “What do you think the passage will talk about? Who will take the journey? What places will they pass by?” This link not only stimulates students’ curiosity but also helps them form a preliminary understanding of the passage, laying a good foundation for the reading process. Step 2: Pre-reading (Vocabulary and Background Introduction) Before formal reading, it is necessary to help students master key vocabulary and understand relevant background knowledge, so as to remove obstacles in reading. First, the teacher will list the key vocabulary and phrases in the passage on the blackboard or PPT, including nouns (scenery, continent, plain, mountain range, glacier), verbs (surround, astonish, approach, flow), adjectives (vast, spectacular, remote, diverse) and phrases (catch sight of, be covered with, in the distance, take advantage of). For each word and phrase, the teacher will explain its meaning, pronunciation and usage, and give example sentences related to the topic of the passage to help students understand and remember. For example, when explaining the word “vast”, the teacher can say: “Vast means very large in area, size or amount. The passage says ‘journey across a vast land’, which means the land is very large. We can also say ‘a vast desert’ or ‘a vast ocean’.” Then, the teacher will organize students to do a quick vocabulary exercise: match the words with their meanings, or fill in the blanks with the correct words and phrases, to check whether students have mastered them. Next, the teacher will briefly introduce the background knowledge of Canada: Canada is located in North America, bordering the United States to the south and the Arctic Ocean to the north. It has a variety of geographical features, including mountains, plains, lakes, forests and glaciers. The train journey across Canada is one of the most famous journeys in the world, which can let people enjoy the magnificent natural scenery of the country. In addition, the teacher will also introduce the main characters in the passage: the author and his cousin Wang Kun, who take a train from Toronto to Vancouver to experience the beauty of Canada. This background introduction helps students better understand the context of the passage and the author’s journey. Step 3: While-reading (Comprehension and Analysis) The while-reading step is the core of the teaching process, which aims to help students understand the main content, structure and details of the passage, and improve their reading ability. This step is divided into three parts: skimming, scanning and careful reading. First, skimming. The teacher asks students to read the passage quickly (within 3-5 minutes) and answer two questions: 1. What is the main idea of the passage? 2. What is the route of the author’s journey? After students finish reading, the teacher will invite several students to share their answers, and then make a summary: The main idea of the passage is the author’s train journey across Canada with his cousin, describing the beautiful scenery along the way. The route is from Toronto to Montreal, then to Lake Superior, the Canadian Shield, the Rocky Mountains, and finally to Vancouver. Skimming helps students grasp the overall framework of the passage and form a general understanding of the content. Second, scanning. The teacher asks students to read the passage again, this time focusing on finding specific information, and complete a table about the places the author passed by, the scenery they saw and the author’s feelings. The table is as follows: Places Scenery Feelings Toronto CN Tower, Lake Ontario Excited Montreal French-style buildings, St. Lawrence River Interested Lake Superior Clear water, surrounded by forests Astonished Canadian Shield Ancient rocks, lakes, forests Amazed Rocky Mountains Snow-capped mountains, glaciers, wild animals Spectacular, shocked Vancouver Coastline, mountains, beautiful scenery Satisfied, happy After students complete the table, the teacher will check the answers with the whole class, and ask students to read the relevant sentences in the passage to confirm the information. This link helps students grasp the key details of the passage and improve their ability to find specific information quickly. Third, careful reading. The teacher asks students to read the passage carefully, sentence by sentence, and analyze the key sentences, logical structure and the author’s emotional changes. First, the teacher will select some key sentences in the passage for analysis, such as “We were astonished by the vastness and beauty of the land before us.” This sentence expresses the author’s feeling when seeing the vast land of Canada, and the word “astonished” highlights the author’s shock at the beauty of the scenery. The teacher will ask students to think: “Why was the author astonished? What does this sentence show us?” Then, the teacher will analyze the structure of the passage. The passage is a narrative passage, which is organized in the order of the journey. It can be divided into three parts: the beginning (Paragraph 1-2) introduces the purpose and start of the journey; the middle (Paragraph 3-7) describes the scenery and feelings along the way; the end (Paragraph 8) expresses the author’s satisfaction and feelings after the journey. The teacher will ask students to find the topic sentence of each paragraph and analyze the logical connection between paragraphs, helping students understand the overall structure of the passage and the author’s writing ideas. In addition, the teacher will guide students to pay attention to the author’s emotional changes throughout the journey: from excited at the beginning to interested in Montreal, then to astonished at Lake Superior, amazed at the Canadian Shield, shocked by the Rocky Mountains, and finally satisfied and happy when arriving in Vancouver. The teacher will ask students to discuss: “What causes the author’s emotional changes? How does the author express his feelings in the passage?” Through discussion, students can better understand the author’s emotions and the theme of the passage. Step 4: Post-reading (Consolidation and Application) The post-reading step aims to help students consolidate the knowledge learned, apply the key vocabulary and sentence patterns, and improve their comprehensive language ability. This step includes three activities: group discussion, language practice and writing. First, group discussion. The teacher divides students into groups of 4-5, and gives them a discussion topic: “If you have a chance to take a train journey across Canada, which place do you want to visit most? Why? What kind of scenery do you expect to see there?” Each group discusses for 5-10 minutes, and then each group sends a representative to share their opinions with the whole class. The teacher will make comments on students’ answers, encouraging them to use the vocabulary and sentence patterns learned in the passage. This activity not only consolidates the knowledge learned but also improves students’ oral expression ability and cooperative learning ability. Second, language practice. The teacher designs some exercises to help students practice the key vocabulary and sentence patterns. For example, 1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the given words (vast, astonish, surround, catch sight of). 2. Rewrite the sentences using the phrases learned (e.g., “We saw a beautiful lake in the distance.” → “We caught sight of a beautiful lake in the distance.”). 3. Translate the following sentences into English (e.g., “当我们看到那片广阔的森林时，我们感到非常惊讶。” → “When we saw the vast forest, we felt very astonished.”). After students finish the exercises, the teacher will check the answers and explain the key points and common mistakes, helping students master the usage of vocabulary and sentence patterns. Third, writing. The teacher asks students to write a short passage (about 100 words) about their own journey experience or a journey they want to take, using the vocabulary and sentence patterns learned in the passage. The teacher will give some guiding questions: “Where did you go / do you want to go? What scenery did you see / do you want to see? How did you feel / will you feel?” Before writing, the teacher can invite students to share their ideas briefly, and then students start writing independently. After writing, students can exchange their passages with their deskmates and make comments on each other’s writing. The teacher will select some excellent passages and some passages with common mistakes to comment on, helping students improve their writing ability. Step 5: Summary and Extension First, summary. The teacher will lead students to review the content of the passage and the knowledge learned in this class. The teacher will ask students: “What did we learn today? What is the main idea of the passage? What key vocabulary and phrases did we master? What reading strategies did we use?” Through reviewing, students can consolidate the knowledge learned and form a systematic understanding of the class content. Then, extension. The teacher will introduce some additional information about Canada, such as its culture, customs, famous cities and food, to enrich students’ knowledge and expand their horizons. For example, the teacher can say: “Canada is a multicultural country, with people from all over the world. Its official languages are English and French. Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, famous for its beautiful scenery and comfortable environment. In addition, Canada is also famous for its maple syrup and ice hockey.” In addition, the teacher will assign after-class tasks: 1. Recite the key vocabulary and phrases learned in this class. 2. Read the passage again and retell the main content in your own words. 3. Finish the writing task and polish your passage. 4. Search for more information about Canada and share it in the next class. These after-class tasks help students consolidate the knowledge learned and extend their learning beyond the classroom. Step 6: Blackboard Design The blackboard design is clear and concise, highlighting the key points of the class, helping students review and remember the knowledge learned. The blackboard is divided into four parts: 1. Title: Unit 4 Journey Across a Vast Land - Reading and Thinking 2. Key Vocabulary and Phrases: vast, scenery, surround, astonish, catch sight of, be covered with, in the distance 3. Main Content: Journey route: Toronto → Montreal → Lake Superior → Canadian Shield → Rocky Mountains → Vancouver; Main theme: The beauty of Canada’s vast land and the author’s love for nature. 4. Key Sentences: We were astonished by the vastness and beauty of the land before us. As we traveled westward, the scenery changed dramatically. Through the above teaching process, students can not only master the key knowledge of the passage but also improve their reading, speaking, listening and writing abilities, and cultivate their four-dimensional key competencies. The teaching process is student-centered, focusing on interaction and practice, making students actively participate in the class and improve their comprehensive language ability. 1 / 1 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $