Unit 4 Scientists Who Changed the World-Extended reading 教案-2025-2026学年高中英语译林版必修第三册

Language competence: Master key words and sentence patterns to understand and express the value of science.

Thinking quality: Cultivate critical thinking about the dual effects of science.

Cultural awareness: Understand the spirit of scientific exploration across cultures.

Learning ability: Develop autonomous and cooperative learning skills in reading and discussion.

Key points: Grasp the main idea and structure of the lecture transcript, and master core vocabulary like credit, apply and uncertainty.

Difficult points: Understand the logical connection between scientific value and moral choices, and express personal views in English.

1. Lead-in: Activate Prior Knowledge and Arouse Interest

The teacher starts the class by showing pictures of famous scientists (such as Newton, Marie Curie and Einstein) and asking two questions: “Which scientist has influenced you most? What do you think is the value of science?” Then, invite 2-3 students to share their answers in English. After that, the teacher makes a brief comment and leads to the topic of the extended reading: “Today, we will read a lecture transcript about the value of science, which will help us have a deeper understanding of the relationship between science and human life.”

Design Intention: This lead-in links the new lesson with students’ prior knowledge of scientists and the concept of science, which can quickly attract students’ attention and activate their learning enthusiasm. Asking students to express their views in English at the beginning helps to create an English-speaking atmosphere and lay a foundation for the subsequent reading and discussion activities. Meanwhile, it naturally introduces the core theme of the extended reading, making the transition from daily thinking to academic reading smooth.

2. Pre-reading: Preview Vocabulary and Predict the Text

First, the teacher presents the key vocabulary and phrases in the text on the screen, including credit (n. 赞扬，认可), apply (v. 应用，运用), uncertainty (n. 不确定性), devote...to..., put...at risk, to the credit of. For each word and phrase, the teacher provides the pronunciation, Chinese meaning and typical example sentences combined with the text context, such as “Scientific knowledge is an enabling power to do either good or bad—but it does not carry instructions on how to apply it.” Then, ask students to read the example sentences aloud to familiarize themselves with the usage of the vocabulary.

Next, the teacher shows the title of the extended reading “The Value of Science” and the author’s background (a scientist who worked on the atomic bomb during the war). Ask students to predict: “What do you think the author will talk about in this lecture? Will he praise the value of science or question it?” Let students discuss in pairs for 2 minutes and then share their predictions. The teacher does not give a correct answer immediately, but guides students to keep their predictions in mind and verify them in the reading process.

Design Intention: Vocabulary is the foundation of reading comprehension. Previewing key vocabulary before reading helps students reduce reading obstacles and improve reading efficiency. Combining vocabulary with the text context makes it easier for students to understand and memorize the words, and lays a foundation for their subsequent understanding of the text. Predicting the text content based on the title and author’s background can stimulate students’ curiosity and sense of participation, and help them form a purposeful reading habit, which is conducive to improving their reading comprehension ability.

3. While-reading: Comprehend the Text Step by Step and Cultivate Reading Skills

3.1 Skimming: Get the Main Idea

Ask students to read the text quickly (skimming) and answer two questions: ① What is the main topic of this lecture? ② How many values of science does the author mention? After students finish reading, invite several students to answer the questions. The teacher summarizes: The main topic of the lecture is the value of science, and the author mentions three values of science: enabling people to make all kinds of things, providing intellectual enjoyment, and bringing experience of ignorance, doubt and uncertainty.

Design Intention: Skimming is an important reading skill that helps students quickly grasp the core content of the text. By setting simple and direct questions, students can focus on the main idea during skimming, avoid getting bogged down in details, and improve their reading speed and ability to grasp the overall structure of the text.

3.2 Scanning: Locate Key Information

Ask students to read the text again (scanning) and complete the following table, which requires them to locate the key information about each value of science and fill in the specific content.

After students finish filling in the table, the teacher checks the answers with the whole class, corrects mistakes and supplements key points. For example, emphasize that “the first value” is related to practical application, and “the moral choice” is also important when using scientific knowledge.

Design Intention: Scanning helps students quickly locate specific information in the text, which is a practical reading skill in daily and academic learning. By completing the table, students can sort out the key content of the text clearly, deepen their understanding of the three values of science, and lay a foundation for the subsequent in-depth analysis of the text.

3.3 Intensive Reading: Analyze the Text in Depth

The teacher guides students to read the text intensively paragraph by paragraph, focusing on analyzing difficult sentences, logical connections and the author’s emotional attitude.

First, focus on the first paragraph: “When I was younger, I thought science would make good things for everybody. It was obviously useful; it was good. But then during the war I worked on the atomic bomb. This result of science was obviously very serious—it represented the destruction of people and it put our future at risk. I had to ask myself, ‘Is there some evil involved in science?’” The teacher asks: “What is the author’s attitude towards science at the beginning? How does his attitude change? Why?” Guide students to find the key words “useful, good” and “very serious, destruction, risk” to understand that the author’s attitude changes from affirming science to questioning it, because he witnessed the destructive power of science during the war. Then, analyze the rhetorical question in the paragraph, which reflects the author’s deep thinking about the value of science.