Unit 3 Conservation-Lesson 1 The Sixth Extinction 教案-2025-2026学年高中英语北师大版选择性必修第一册

Unit 3 Conservation-Lesson 1 The Sixth Extinction 教学目标和重难点 教学目标 It develops students’ language ability to express extinction-related content, cultivates cultural awareness of ecological protection, improves thinking quality through logical analysis, and enhances learning ability via autonomous and cooperative exploration. 教学重难点 Key: Master core vocabulary about extinction, understand the text’s structure and main ideas. Difficulty: Analyze the causes/consequences of the sixth extinction and express personal views on ecological protection logically. 教学过程 Step 1 Lead-in Begin the class by showing several pictures of extinct animals such as dodo, passenger pigeon and Pyrenean ibex. Ask students to observe and share what they know about these creatures. Invite volunteers to talk briefly about why these species disappeared. Then play a short video clip about the changing number of wild species on Earth over the past century. After watching, raise two guiding questions: What changes have taken place in the number of living things on our planet? What might be the driving forces behind these changes? Encourage free expression and record key words on the board. Connect students’ answers naturally to the topic of mass extinction, and tell them that today we will explore a serious global issue—the sixth mass extinction. This step activates prior knowledge, arouses ecological concern, and creates a focused learning atmosphere. It helps students connect real-life cases with the text theme, laying a foundation for formal reading. Step 2 Pre-reading Present key vocabulary and phrases from the text, including extinction, species, wipe out, volcanic eruption, asteroid, global warming, endangered, conservation, background extinction rate. Explain meanings with simple examples and context, and guide pronunciation and collocation. Ask students to match words with definitions and make simple sentences to strengthen mastery. Introduce basic background: Earth has experienced five mass extinctions over hundreds of millions of years, mostly caused by natural disasters. Tell students the text focuses on the sixth extinction, mainly driven by human activities. Briefly explain text type—expository writing with clear structure, including facts, data and analysis. Teach basic reading strategies: skimming for main idea, scanning for specific details, identifying cause and effect. Let students predict content by looking at the title and pictures: What might the writer talk about in the text? What opinions will be put forward? This step removes language barriers, provides background, equips strategies, and makes reading targeted and efficient. Step 3 While-reading Activity 1 Skimming for general idea Ask students to read the text quickly. Tell them not to focus on difficult words but to grasp the core message. After reading, pose three questions: What is the main topic of the text? What are the natural causes of the first five mass extinctions? Why do scientists believe we are facing the sixth mass extinction? Invite students to share answers and summarize together. Conclude the text introduces five natural mass extinctions, points out the sixth is human-induced, explains its speed and harm, and calls for conservation action. Highlight the clear cause-effect and problem-solution structure. Activity 2 Scanning for detailed information Divide students into groups and assign different tasks. Ask them to read carefully and underline key information. Task 1: List natural causes of past extinctions. Task 2: Find human activities causing the sixth extinction. Task 3: Locate data about species extinction speed. Task 4: Identify consequences of mass extinction. Groups share findings, and organize information on the board. Guide students to compare natural and human-caused extinction rates, emphasizing human activities speed up extinction hundreds of times faster than the natural background rate. Help students understand that high extinction rates damage ecosystems and threaten human survival. Activity 3 Deep comprehension and critical thinking Raise analytical questions for whole-class discussion. Why does the author say human activity is to blame for the sixth extinction? What will happen if three-quarters of species die out? Why should humans care about other species? Encourage students to use text evidence and express personal views. Guide them to realize the close link between human survival and biodiversity. Lead them to think critically: Is economic development more important than species protection? How to balance development and conservation? Let students debate briefly, respect different opinions, and guide rational, responsible viewpoints. This step trains reading skills, deepens understanding, develops critical thinking, and enhances ecological awareness. Step 4 Post-reading Activity 1 Language focus and consolidation Extract key sentences and analyze structure and usage. Review difficult words and reinforce collocations. Design gap-filling and sentence-making exercises using target vocabulary. Let students finish individually then check in pairs. Correct mistakes and emphasize usage to improve accuracy. Activity 2 Text structure and summary Guide students to sort out the structure: introduction of mass extinctions, natural causes, sixth extinction’s human causes, data and consequences, solutions and appeal. Ask students to write a short summary in their own words, including main idea, causes, effects and suggestions. Invite volunteers to share and evaluate for clarity and completeness. This helps grasp logic and improve summarizing skills. Activity 3 Group discussion and creative expression Divide into groups to discuss: What can we do to stop the sixth extinction? What can individuals, schools and communities do? Encourage combining text ideas and real life. Groups list practical actions, such as reducing pollution, protecting habitats, saving resources, raising awareness. Ask each group to design a short conservation slogan or a 3-sentence appeal speech. Let groups present, and praise creative and practical ideas. This step promotes output, applies knowledge, cultivates cooperation, and strengthens responsibility. Activity 4 Role-play and real-life connection Set a scenario: Students act as environmentalists, journalists, biologists or policymakers to discuss species protection. Each role states opinions and proposes measures. Guide using learned words and sentences. After role-play, ask: What will you do in daily life to protect wildlife? Let students share personal pledges. This connects language learning to real life, improves practical communication, and turns awareness into action. Step 5 Summary and Extension Lead students to review key points: main content, causes and effects of the sixth extinction, useful expressions, and conservation solutions. Emphasize that everyone can help slow extinction. Assign layered homework: Read the text again and retell to family. Collect one endangered species case and write a short report. Design a small conservation poster with English slogans. Recommend related books and videos to expand knowledge. Encourage continuing attention to ecological issues and practicing green living. End the class by stressing that protecting species is protecting ourselves, inspiring long-term ecological responsibility. 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 $