Unit 15 We’re trying to save the manatees!
The Second Period
Ⅰ． Teaching Aims and Demands
1． Knowledge Objects
（1） Key Vocabulary
endangered, mangrove, swamp, habitat, aquatic feed, underwater, vegetation,
foot, weigh, pound
（2） Target Language
How big are manatees?
They’re about 10 feet long and they weigh about 1 000 pounds．
2． Ability Objects
（1） Train students’ listening ability．
（2） Train students’ speaking ability．
（3） Train students’ the ability of using grammar focus．
3． Moral Object
We must be fully aware of the importance of reducing pollution and protecting animals．
Ⅱ． Teaching Key Points
1． Key Vocabulary
endangered, mangrove, swamps, habitat, aquatic feed
2． Target Language
How big are manatees?
They’re about 10 feet long and they weigh about 1 000 pounds．
3． Structures
Present progressive
We’re trying to save the manatees．
Present
Manatees eat about 100 pounds of food a day．
Past with "used to"
There used to be a lot of manatees．
Passive voice
In 1972, it was discovered that they were endangered．
Present perfect
Some of the swamps have become polluted．
Ⅲ． Teaching Difficult Points
1． the target language
2． How to train students’ listening ability．
Ⅳ． Teaching Methods
1． Listening method to improve students’ listening ability．
2． Pairwork to make every student work in class．
3． Review, explanation, inductive methods
Ⅴ． Teaching Aids
1． A tape recorder
2． The blackboard
Ⅵ． Teaching Procedures
Step Ⅰ Revision
Check homework． Get some pairs to act out their conversations． When they work, the rest of students also guess what animals they are talking about．
Step Ⅱ 2a
This activity provides guided listening practice using the target language． Look at the picture． Ask, What can you see in the picture? （A manatee is in the water．）
Go through the instructions with the class． You will hear two people talking about manatees． Listen and draw a line between each word and its definition．
Read the sample answer． Then say, The word endangered means there aren’t very many of this animal left in the world． The manatee is endangered because there aren’t very many of these animals．
Play the recording for students the first time． This time students only listen to the recording carefully． Play the recording a second time． This time students draw lines between each word and its definition．
Check the answers with the class．
Step Ⅲ 2b
This activity provides listening practice u-sing the target language．
Go through the instructions with the class． Look at the headings in the chart and the blanks next to each heading． You will hear the same recording again． This time listen carefully to what both people say and fill in the blanks in the chart． Look at the sample answer． The two people on the recording are talking about manatees, so you write the word manatee after the words kind of animal in the chart．
Play the recording again． Get students to fill in the blanks in the chart． Check the answers with the class．
Step IV 2c
This activity provides guided oral practice using the target language． Look at the sample conversation in the box． Invite a pair of students to read it to the class．
SA : How big are manatees?
SB : They’re about l0 feet long and they weigh about 1 000 pounds．
Read the instructions aloud to the class． Each pair of students can make a conversation using information from Activities 2a and 2b． Let students work in pairs． While they are working, move around the classroom, checking the progress of the pairs and offering help as needed．
When students finish the work, ask one or two pairs to say their conversations to the class．
Step Ⅴ Grammar Focus
Look at the grammar focus box． Invite five students to read the statements to the class．
Put the class in five groups and ask each group to become "experts" in one of the verb tenses and presents a review of that tense to the rest of the class． Have the students explain what the verb tense is used for and then give some sample sentences．
Students can look back at the units where their verb tense was presented or practiced．
Present progressive: Reviewed throughout the book．
Present: Reviewed throughout the book
Past with used to: Unit 4
Passive voice: Unit 10
Present perfect: Unit 14
While the groups are working, walk around the classroom helping the students with their explanations and their sample sentences．
Ask one student of each group to show their work． As the students show their work, ask questions and correct any errors in their explanations or sentences．
（1） Present progressive: One form of the verbs that express action that continues over a period of time, also called Present continues tense． The structure is am/is/are+ -ing． For example: He is reading a story book．
（2） Present: It is used for indicating action that is usual and habitual． The form of the verb is do or does． For example:
I go to school by bike．
She does her homework every day．
（3）Past with used to: The structure of used to + inf． indicates a constant or-frequent practice in the past． For example:
I used to go swimming when I was a child．
（4）Passive voice: The form of the verb is be + p．p in the sentence． For example:
Our classroom is cleaned every day．
（5） Present Perfect: The from of the verb is have/has + p． p
For example:
I have already finished my homework．
Step Ⅵ Summary
In this class, we’ve learned some important words, such as endangered, mangrove swamps, habitat, aquatic feed． We’ve also learned the target language How big are manatees? They’ve about 10 feet long and they weigh about 1 000 pounds． At last, we reviewed some grammar we have learned．
Step Ⅶ Homework
1． Make conversations in pairs to review the target language．
2． Make five sentences to review the grammar focus．
Teaching Record:
The listening practice here is a little difficult for the Students to get all the details. As for the different use of the four tenses,I think more practice is necessary to emphasize them.