Unit 1 Our living planet Welcome to the unit & Reading (I) 教案-2026-2027学年高中英语译林版（2020）选修第一册

该教案聚焦海洋表层至底部的结构描述及说明文“作比较”技巧，通过亚里士多德名言赏析、地质奇观视频观看与讨论，搭建从已知自然奇观到未知海洋探索的学习支架，激活学生兴趣并导入阅读主题。 其特色在于借助思维导图梳理海洋各区域深度、条件及生物特征，结合视频直观呈现海底世界，通过问题链深化长难句理解，在Post-reading环节引导学生分析“作比较”写作手法，既提升语言能力（描述与表达），又培养思维品质（分析与比较），助力学生构建知识体系，也为教师提供清晰教学路径。

《英语》（选修·第一册） Unit 1 Our living planet Welcome to the unit & Reading (I) I. Learning objectives By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. describe the ocean in the surface-to-bottom order; 2. master the technique of “making comparisons” which helps readers understand a large figure; 3. develop an interest in exploring the ocean deep. II. Key competence focus 1. Describe the ocean by summarizing the main idea of each paragraph. 2. Master some techniques of the expository writing. III. Predicted area of difficulty 1. Understand the compound and complex sentences in the documentary transcript. 2. Summarize the basic information about the world beneath the ocean. IV. Teaching procedures Step 1 Lead-in 1. T asks Ss to appreciate a famous saying of Aristotle: In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous. T: Mother Nature is a great artist who creates masterpieces all over the world. 2. T asks Ss to watch a video and finish exercises on Page 1. (keys: movements; minerals; Australia) 3. T leads Ss to talk about geological wonders by answering the following two questions: • Which of these geological wonders attracts you most? Why? (Sample answers) I find China’s Zhangye UNESCO Global Geopark the most attractive. The various multicoloured folds of rocks appear to be hand-painted and remind me of a beautiful rainbow. I think it is amazing that nature has “painted” such a perfect picture and I am glad I can enjoy its beauty. Pamukkale in Turkey certainly captures my attention. The spectacular white steps really look like sweet and soft cotton candy—good enough to eat! I also find the “waterfall” of rock really fascinating: it looks like water, but it is actually formed from minerals. Pink is my favourite colour, so Lake Hillier in Australia attracts me most. The lake is extremely unusual and fascinating to look at. Besides, I am amazed that a microorganism is the reason for its stunning colour. Nature is truly full of beautiful surprises. • What other geological wonders do you know about? (I know of the Shilin UNESCO Global Geopark situated in Yunnan Province, China. The geopark conservation area contains 350 square kilometres of unusual karst formations that create a “stone forest”. It includes various karst shapes that look like tall pillars, swords, mushrooms and towers. This area was once covered by an ancient sea, and shells and bones of dead sea animals were deposited, which would one day become limestone. When the sea disappeared, the layers of limestone were exposed and eroded over time to form the amazing stone forest we see today.) 【设计意图：老师引导学生欣赏亚里斯多德的关于自然的一句名言，观看一段地质奇观的视频，完成welcome to the unit的听力练习，再分组讨论自己了解和喜爱的地质奇观，激起全班学生的兴趣，导入阅读环节。】 Step 2 Pre-reading T asks Ss the following questions: 1. What do you know about the world beneath the ocean? (The ocean covers around 71% of the surface of our planet. The world beneath it is vast and very mysterious. In fact, only a small percentage of the ocean below the surface has been explored and charted. However, the parts that we have explored contain interesting finds. We have found the Blue whale, which is the largest animal on the Earth. We have also found a 65,000-kilometre-long mountain range beneath the ocean, which is the world’s longest. There are many spectacular underwater volcanoes too.) 2. Would you dive to the ocean bottom if you had the chance? Why or why not? (Sample answers) Yes, I would. Not many people get to explore the ocean depths, so if I had the chance, I would take it. Considering that only a small percentage of the ocean below the surface has been explored and charted, I think my chances of discovering a new life form or something unusual and interesting would be high. Many mysteries above ground have already been discovered, so the ocean may be the final frontier that I would want to explore! No, I would not. Besides the obvious dangers of being in the ocean such as getting attacked by ocean animals, exploring the ocean depths may create some unknown ones too. The ocean has many unique ecosystems and exploring them recklessly could cause entire species to disappear. We have no idea how this would affect the rest of the planet. Besides, noise and light pollution, as well as poisonous chemical leaks, already creates problems for ocean life forms. So, until I know that humans have developed a very safe and eco-friendly method of exploring the ocean depths, I will keep my feet firmly on the ground. 【设计意图：学生描述自己了解的海洋世界，想象潜入海底世界的情景，激发对海洋的求知欲，为阅读文章做铺垫。】 Step 3 While-reading 1. T asks Ss to listen to the documentary transcript and divide it into three parts. Part 1 (para.1) Introduction Part 2 (paras.2-4) Main body Part 3 (para.5) Conclusion 2. T asks Ss to read Para 1 and fill in the blanks. We look upwards and wonder what lies beyond our planet. We send probes into the vastness of space to explore the unknown. We build space stations to advance our understanding of the universe. Our curiosity about outer space has remained unshakeable. Meanwhile, it is estimated that more than eighty per cent of the world’s oceans are unexplored. So, if we want to find exciting new life forms as well as undiscovered and unusual geological formations, the ocean is where we should also be looking. Then why don’t we dive to the bottom of a really deep ocean and take a long, close look beneath the waves? T: What’s the purpose of the first paragraph? Does it work? How? S: To arouse readers’ desire for the ocean exploration. It does work by using parallel structures and a rhetorical question. 3. T asks Ss to read Paras 2-4 and fill in the mind map. If possible, get Ss to watch a video about the ocean in the surface-to-bottom order after they finish this part. Major zones of the ocean Names Depths Conditions Life forms/Geological formations The open ocean the first 200 metres visible light much of the marine life such as dolphins, corals and seaweeds The twilight zone below 200 metres little sunlight no plant life, small filter feeders, hunters with telescopic, upward-pointing eyes The deep ocean past 1,000 metres no light, above freezing temperatures, huge pressure blind organisms, fish having both male and female organs The ocean floor the deepest point ---nearly 11,000 metres below sea level extreme conditions shrimps, remarkable organisms, vents, rock bridges While checking answers, T asks Ss to translate some of the original sentences and answer the following questions to deal with more compound and complex sentences: 1) What do small filter feeders do at night? They swim up to feed in the nutrient-rich waters above. 2) What proves “evolution helps both the hunter and the hunted in equal measure”? The fish most likely to be eaten have evolved to have thin bodies so that they are less easily seen from below. However, once they are captured, the hunters’ backward-curving teeth prevent them from getting away. 3) How do blind creatures in the deep ocean manage to survive? They depend on other senses such as smell and their ability to detect slight changes in water pressure to obtain food and avoid being caught. 4) Why do some fish have both male and female organs? Some fish have both male and female organs to increase the chances of reproduction, as fish are so scarce at these depths that it can be difficult for them to find a mate. 5) What has changed scientific opinion about the chances of there being life elsewhere in the universe? The discovery that life can exist in the extreme conditions on the ocean floor. 4. T asks Ss to read Para 5 together and find its relation to Para 1. Echo to highlight the key points: Para 1: So, if we want to find exciting new life forms as well as undiscovered and unusual geological formations, the ocean is where we should also be looking. Para 5: On our journey down, we have been fascinated by incredible geological formations as well as unexpected life forms that have become strangely adapted to their extreme environment. Rhetorical questions to impress readers: Para 1: Why don’t we dive to the bottom of a really deep ocean and take a long, close look beneath the waves? Para 5: With so much of the oceans left to explore, who knows what wonders still await us in the future? 5. T asks Ss to read the documentary transcript again and finish Part A1 on Page 4. (Sample answers) Para. 2: Much of the marine life lives in the open ocean, and small filter feeders and hunters live in the twilight zone. Para. 3: The deep ocean is home to the strangest creatures on the Earth. Para. 4: Shrimps and other organisms living around hydrothermal vents, and the Mariana Trench can be found on the ocean floor. Para. 5: More wonders beneath the surface of the ocean await to be discovered. 【设计意图：首先快速阅读了解文章结构。然后分段阅读处理细节：第一段采用课文内容填空的方式，阐明作者的写作目的（导入）及写作方法（平行结构和反问句）；二至四段为主体部分，利用思维导图让学生了解海底世界不同区域的名称、划分方式、生存条件、生物种类及地质构造，并设置问题链帮助学生深入理解长难句的含义，如果条件许可，插入一段网络上的短视频让学生直观感受海底世界的多彩和神奇。接着让学生齐读第五段，找出它与第一段的联系（首尾呼应）。最后再次浏览全文，概括每段大意，帮助学+生整体感知课文和积累描述海底世界的素材。】 Step 4 Post-reading T asks Ss to discuss the following questions in pairs. 1. Why does the author mention Mount Qomolangma when describing the Challenger Deep? Does the author give other examples like this in the documentary transcript? (Sample answers) The author wants to highlight how deep the Challenger Deep is. By comparing it to the highest mountain in the world, Mount Qomolangma, she helps readers visualize its depth. The author uses the technique of “making comparisons” in Paragraph 3 (Line 20) --- The pressures are huge and can be more than 100 times the pressure of the Earth’s atmosphere. It helps readers understand a large figure and even feel the great pressure beneath the ocean. 2. What are the advantages of exploring the ocean? (The ocean’s many unique life forms, habitats and geological formations not only help us better understand life, but also open up various opportunities for new discoveries and innovative solutions to existing problems. For instance, current discoveries of life forms in the ocean have scientists excited about the possibilities of life on planets that have extreme environments. Further exploration could lead to new medicines, food and renewable energy sources. Besides, monitoring changes in the oceans could help scientists learn ways to address changes in the environment, such as climate change. Exploring the ocean is also a good way to find out more about how the area beneath the Earth’s crust functions. This could lead to developing better early-warning systems for natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis.) 3. If you were to write an article about the world beneath the ocean, what other information would you include? (I would include some information on the plant life in the ocean, explaining what the common marine plants are, what they look like and where they can be found. I would also talk about the threats facing marine creatures and how we can better preserve their habitats. Finally, I would include information on how humans explore the ocean depths as well as the challenges they face in deep-sea exploration. For instance, manned submersibles have been sent to explore the deep ocean, but challenges of deep-sea exploration include the cold temperatures and high pressure of the ocean depths.) 【设计意图：读后环节设置三个开放性问题，掌握说明文中“作比较”的写作技巧，培养批判性思维，激发对海洋世界的探索欲望。】 V. Homework Give a brief introduction to the ocean deep within 100 words. 3 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $