Unit 4 Meeting the Muse-Starting out 教案-2025-2026学年高中英语外研版选择性必修第一册

Unit 4 Meeting the Muse-Starting out 内容导航 This section mainly includes two activities: watching a video about Leonardo da Vinci to learn his growth and inspiration sources, and understanding quotes from four famous artists. It introduces the topic of artistic inspiration, activates students’ prior knowledge, and lays a foundation for the whole unit. 教学目标和重难点 1. 教学目标 Language Ability: Master key words and expressions about art and inspiration, and improve listening and speaking skills. Cultural Awareness: Understand the artistic achievements of Chinese and foreign artists, respect cultural diversity. Thinking Quality: Cultivate analytical and divergent thinking through discussing inspiration sources. Learning Ability: Develop autonomous and cooperative learning habits, and master basic learning strategies like watching and discussing to lay a foundation for subsequent learning. 2. 教学重难点 Key Points: Grasp the key information about Leonardo da Vinci from the video; understand the meaning of the four artists’ quotes and express personal views. Difficult Points: Correctly understand the deep connection between artists’ life experiences and their inspiration; flexibly use relevant vocabulary and sentences to discuss the topic of artistic inspiration in oral communication, and avoid mechanical repetition of words. 教学过程 Step 1: Lead-in (Warm-up & Lead-in) Activity 1: Daily Talk & Visual Aids Display The teacher greets the students and starts with a daily talk: “Good morning, everyone. Today we are going to talk about a beautiful topic — art. Do you like art? What kind of art works do you usually see? Such as paintings, sculptures, music or dances?” The teacher encourages students to speak freely, and guides them to list different types of art forms and related simple words, such as “painting”, “sculpture”, “music”, “dance”, “artist”, “inspiration”. Then, the teacher shows pictures of famous art works on the screen, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker, and Yang Liping’s Peacock Dance. While showing the pictures, the teacher asks simple questions: “Do you know who created this work? How do you feel when you see it? Do you think the artist had special inspiration when creating it?” Design Intention: The daily talk and visual aids are used to create a relaxed English learning atmosphere, arouse students’ interest in the topic of art, and activate their prior knowledge and vocabulary reserve related to art. By showing familiar art works, students can quickly enter the learning state, lay a foundation for the subsequent video watching and quote understanding, and also cultivate their initial ability of art appreciation. Activity 2: Introduce the Unit Topic After the warm-up, the teacher writes the unit title “Meeting the Muse” on the blackboard and explains it simply: “‘Muse’ refers to the source of inspiration for artists in ancient Greek mythology. So ‘Meeting the Muse’ means finding inspiration for art creation. In this unit, we will learn about how famous artists get their inspiration and create wonderful works. Today’s Starting out section will help us open the door to this topic.” Then, the teacher briefly introduces the two main activities of this section: “Today we will finish two activities. First, we will watch a video about a great artist — Leonardo da Vinci, to learn about his life and how he got inspiration. Then we will read some quotes from four famous artists and discuss their meanings.” Design Intention: By explaining the unit title, students can have a preliminary understanding of the core theme of the unit — artistic inspiration, and clarify the learning objectives and content of this lesson, so that students can have a clear direction in the subsequent learning process and improve learning efficiency. Step 2: Activity 1 — Watch the Video and Finish Related Tasks Activity 1: Pre-watching Preparation Before playing the video, the teacher introduces Leonardo da Vinci briefly in English, focusing on his identity and representative works, to help students understand the background information: “Leonardo da Vinci was a great artist, scientist and inventor in the Renaissance. He created many famous works, such as Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He was full of curiosity about the world, which brought him endless inspiration. Now let’s watch a video about him and try to find some key information.” Then, the teacher puts forward clear watching tasks on the screen, which are divided into two levels to meet the needs of students with different levels: Basic Task: 1. What was Leonardo da Vinci interested in when he was young? 2. What are his famous works mentioned in the video? 3. Where did he get his inspiration from? Improved Task: 1. What kind of person was Leonardo da Vinci according to the video? 2. How did his interests help him create great works? The teacher asks students to read the tasks carefully and reminds them: “While watching the video, please take notes briefly, focus on the key information, and don’t miss important details. If you can’t catch all the information at one time, don’t worry, we will watch it again.” Design Intention: The pre-watching preparation helps students build a connection between their prior knowledge and the video content, reducing the difficulty of watching. The hierarchical tasks take into account the differences of students’ English level, so that every student can participate in the activity and gain a sense of achievement. Asking students to take notes can cultivate their ability of capturing key information and good learning habits. Activity 2: Watch the Video Twice The teacher plays the video for the first time at a normal speed, and students watch it and take notes according to the tasks. After the first playing, the teacher asks: “How do you feel after watching the video? Did you catch some key information? Which task do you think is easier to finish? Which one is difficult?” Then, the teacher plays the video for the second time, pausing at key points appropriately to help students catch the information they missed. For example, when the video mentions Leonardo da Vinci’s interest in nature and animals, the teacher pauses and prompts: “Please note that his interest in nature is an important source of his inspiration.” When the video introduces his works, the teacher pauses to let students record the names of the works. Design Intention: Playing the video twice is in line with the law of students’ listening comprehension. The first playing helps students get a general idea of the video content, and the second playing with appropriate pauses helps students capture key details, reduce listening pressure, and ensure that most students can finish the basic tasks. This design also reflects the teaching principle of “from easy to difficult”. Activity 3: Task Discussion and Check First, the teacher organizes students to discuss in groups of 4-5, share their notes and opinions, and solve the problems they encountered when watching the video. The teacher walks around the classroom, listens to the students’ discussions, and gives appropriate guidance to students who have difficulties, such as reminding them of the key sentences in the video or helping them sort out the information. After the group discussion, the teacher checks the tasks one by one. For the basic tasks, the teacher asks students to answer voluntarily, and corrects and supplements their answers. For example, when answering “Where did Leonardo da Vinci get his inspiration from?”, the teacher guides students to summarize: “He got inspiration from nature, animals, human life and his own curiosity.” For the improved tasks, the teacher invites students from different groups to share their views, and encourages them to express their own understanding. For example, when talking about “What kind of person was Leonardo da Vinci?”, students may answer “curious”, “creative”, “hard-working” and so on. The teacher affirms their answers and supplements: “He was not only a great artist, but also a man of great wisdom and perseverance. His curiosity and love for the world made him create many amazing works.” At the same time, the teacher sorts out the key words and expressions in the video on the blackboard, such as “curiosity”, “inspiration”, “create”, “masterpiece”, “nature”, “observe”, and explains their meanings and usage briefly with simple sentences, such as “Curiosity is the source of inspiration. We should keep curious about the world.” Design Intention: Group discussion can cultivate students’ cooperative learning ability and communication ability, and let students learn from each other. Checking the tasks can help the teacher understand students’ mastery of the video content, and timely correct and supplement the key information. Sorting out the key words and expressions can help students consolidate the new knowledge and lay a foundation for the subsequent oral communication and writing. Step 3: Activity 2 — Understand the Quotes and Discuss Activity 1: Present the Quotes and Learn New Words The teacher shows the four quotes on the screen, and introduces the four artists briefly: Richard Wagner (composer), Mo Yan (writer), Auguste Rodin (sculptor), Pablo Picasso (painter). Then, the teacher guides students to read the quotes aloud twice, and corrects their pronunciation and intonation. For example, pay attention to the stress of “inspiration” and “creation”, and the intonation of declarative sentences. Then, the teacher explains the new words and difficult expressions in the quotes to help students understand the meaning. For example: “‘Quote’ means a sentence or a passage taken from a book, speech or person. ‘Inspiration’ we have learned before, it means the power to create. ‘Perseverance’ means the quality of continuing to do something even when it is difficult.” The teacher explains each quote sentence by sentence, and uses simple English to paraphrase it to help students understand the deep meaning. For example, Richard Wagner’s quote: “Music is the language of the soul.” The teacher paraphrases: “Music can express our feelings and thoughts, just like the language of our soul.” Design Intention: Introducing the artists briefly helps students understand the background of the quotes. Reading aloud can improve students’ pronunciation and intonation, and enhance their sense of language. Explaining new words and difficult expressions can remove the obstacles for students to understand the quotes, and paraphrasing can help students grasp the deep meaning of the quotes, laying a foundation for the subsequent discussion. Activity 2: Group Discussion on the Quotes The teacher divides the students into the same groups as before, and assigns tasks to each group: Each group is responsible for one quote, discusses its meaning, and thinks about the following questions: 1. What does this quote tell us about inspiration or art? 2. Do you agree with the quote? Why or why not? 3. Can you give an example to support your view? The teacher gives students enough time to discuss, and walks around the classroom to guide them. For example, for Mo Yan’s quote, the teacher may prompt: “Mo Yan is a famous Chinese writer. His works are full of the characteristics of his hometown. Do you think his inspiration comes from his life experience? How does this relate to the quote?” During the discussion, the teacher encourages students to express their own views boldly, and guides them to use the key words and expressions they have learned, such as “inspiration comes from...”, “I agree with... because...”, “For example...”, “In my opinion...” Design Intention: Group discussion on quotes can cultivate students’ analytical ability and divergent thinking, and let students deeply understand the relationship between inspiration and art. Assigning different quotes to each group can make each student participate in the discussion more fully, and improve the efficiency of the activity. Guiding students to use the learned words and expressions can consolidate the new knowledge and improve their oral expression ability. Activity 3: Group Presentation and Class Discussion Each group selects a representative to present their discussion results to the whole class. The representative should first read the quote aloud, then explain its meaning, and finally share the group’s views and examples. After each group’s presentation, the teacher and other students can ask questions or supplement their views. For example, after a group presents Richard Wagner’s quote, the teacher may ask: “Do you think other art forms, such as painting or dance, can also be the ‘language of the soul’? Why?” Students can express their views freely, and the teacher guides them to summarize: “All art forms can express people’s feelings and thoughts, and they are all the language of the soul.” After all groups finish their presentations, the teacher makes a summary: “These four quotes from different artists tell us that inspiration comes from different sources — life, nature, curiosity, perseverance and so on. Art is closely related to our life, and everyone can find inspiration in life if we pay attention to it.” Design Intention: Group presentation can cultivate students’ oral expression ability and confidence, and let students learn from each other’s views. Class discussion can expand students’ thinking, deepen their understanding of the quotes and the theme of inspiration, and also create a positive learning atmosphere where students actively participate and communicate. Step 4: Consolidation and Extension Activity 1: Vocabulary Consolidation The teacher arranges a quick vocabulary exercise on the screen: Fill in the blanks with the key words and expressions learned in this lesson, such as “curiosity”, “inspiration”, “create”, “perseverance”, “quote”. 1. His ______ about the world made him become a great inventor. 2. Many artists get their ______ from nature. 3. She spent three years ______ a beautiful painting. 4. We need ______ to finish difficult tasks. 5. The teacher ______ a famous sentence from a book in the class. Students finish the exercise individually, then the teacher checks the answers and explains the usage of the words again. For students who make mistakes, the teacher gives timely guidance and helps them correct their mistakes. Design Intention: The vocabulary exercise can help students consolidate the key words and expressions learned in this lesson, and check their mastery. It is a simple and effective way of consolidation, which can help students master the usage of words in context. Activity 2: Topic Extension — Share Your Own Inspiration The teacher guides students to extend the topic to their own life: “We have learned about how famous artists get their inspiration. What about you? Have you ever had inspiration in your life? For example, when you are doing homework, drawing, writing or playing sports, have you ever had a good idea? Where did your inspiration come from? Please share your own experience with your partner.” Students communicate with their partners freely, and the teacher walks around to listen to their conversations, and encourages them to use the words and expressions learned in this lesson. Then, the teacher invites several students to share their experiences with the whole class, and affirms their sharing, such as “Your experience is very interesting. It shows that inspiration can come from our daily life.” Design Intention: Extending the topic to students’ own life can make the learning content more close to students’ reality, arouse their resonance, and deepen their understanding of the theme of inspiration. It also provides students with more opportunities to practice oral English, and improves their ability to use English to express their own experiences and views. Step 5: Summary and Homework Activity 1: Class Summary The teacher invites students to summarize what they have learned in this lesson: “Who can tell us what we have learned today? What key points have we mastered?” Students answer voluntarily, and the teacher supplements and sorts out: “Today we have finished two main activities: watching a video about Leonardo da Vinci to learn his growth and inspiration sources, and understanding quotes from four famous artists. We have also mastered some key words and expressions about art and inspiration, and discussed the theme of artistic inspiration. We know that inspiration comes from many sources, and we should keep curious and pay attention to life to find our own inspiration.” At the same time, the teacher emphasizes the core of this lesson: “The Starting out section is to help us open the door to the unit theme. In the following lessons, we will learn more about famous artists and their works, and further explore the mystery of artistic inspiration.” Design Intention: Letting students summarize the lesson can help them sort out the learning content, deepen their memory, and cultivate their ability of induction and summary. The teacher’s supplement and emphasis can help students grasp the key points of the lesson and clarify the connection between this lesson and the subsequent lessons. Activity 2: Assign Homework The teacher assigns hierarchical homework to meet the needs of students with different levels: Basic Homework: 1. Review the key words and expressions learned in this lesson, and copy them 3 times with example sentences. 2. Retell the main content of the video about Leonardo da Vinci in 3-5 sentences. 3. Read the four quotes aloud and recite them. Improved Homework: 1. Write a short passage (80-100 words) about your own inspiration experience, using the key words and expressions learned in this lesson. 2. Search for one more quote about art or inspiration, and write down its meaning and your own views. The teacher reminds students: “Please finish the homework carefully. The basic homework is to help you consolidate what we have learned today, and the improved homework is to help you expand your knowledge and improve your writing ability. If you have any questions, you can ask me in the next class.” Design Intention: Hierarchical homework takes into account the differences of students’ English level, so that every student can finish the homework according to their own ability and gain a sense of achievement. The basic homework focuses on consolidation, and the improved homework focuses on extension, which can help students improve their comprehensive English ability and lay a foundation for the subsequent learning of the unit. 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 $