高中上外版（2020）Unit 1 Nature精品第一课时学案

高中英语 上教版 高一年级 第一学期

必修二 第一单元

第一课时 学案（教师版）  

课题：Reading and interaction I: Blame your brain

课时学习目标：

         通过阅读, 了解青少年爱冒险的生理和社会原因；

         掌握与青少年冒险有关的词汇；

         探讨可能的解决方法。

I. Pre-reading

1. Look at the photos on pages 6 and 7 and discuss statements a-d with classmates.

1. Small children take more risks than teenagers.
2. Boys take fewer risks than girls.
3. Teenagers often take risks when they want to be part of a group.
4. Seventeen-year-olds take more risks than younger teenagers.

2. Look at the title and subheadings. Predict what the passage is about.

1. Studying the brain
2. Visiting a theme park
3. Taking risks

II. While-reading

1. Skim the text and identify the text structure

2. Deep reading

Read each paragraph and answer some questions.

Para. 1

Q: What’s the problem?

Many teenagers take more risks than children and adults.

Para. 2

(1)  What is the “wow” factor?

It is the feeling of pleasure we get when we take and survive a risk.

(2)  How do teenagers feel when they have taken and survived a risk?

They feel excited and amazed.

(3)  Why do teenagers take more risks than children and adults?

Dopamine levels in teenagers are sometimes lower than they are in children. This means some teenagers might need to take more risks to get the same “wow” factor.

dopamine: a brain chemical that causes the feeling of enjoyment.

Para. 3

(1) What are teenagers probably thinking of when they take risks?

They are probably thinking of nothing, as they “just feel like it”.

(2) Why does risk-taking happen to teenagers?

According to the scientists, the teenage brain goes through many physical changes, and some parts of it develop later than others. The last part to fully develop is the frontal cortex. This is the area of the brain which allows us to do things such as controlling feelings and making good decisions.

Para. 4

Pressure from friends =peer pressure

(1)  Why do teenagers suddenly take risks?

Because they want to impress their friends by showing off or fitting in.

show off: to try to impress someone with your abilities or possessions

e.g. He couldn’t help showing off on the tennis court.

fit in: to live, work,etc. in an easy and natural way with sb/sth

e.g. No matter how hard she tried, she just didn’t fit in.

(2) Are there differences between boys and girls in risk-taking?

Yes. Boys often take more risks than girls because they don’t want to look bad in front of their friends.

(3) Can you give some examples of boys’ risk-taking behaviors?

Not wearing seat belts, getting into an argument or fight, smoking and drinking.

Q: How can we distinguish the three causes?

The “wow” factor and “I just felt like it” are the biological factors.

“Pressure from friends” is the social factor, which can be changed.

Para. 5

Q: How can teenagers avoid taking risks?

-Try to make good choices and be independent.

-Don’t get pushed into doing things by friends.

-Get dopamine fix in lots of other exciting ways, such as roller coasters, skateboarding and surfing.

Q: Do you worry about taking risks?

There is no need to worry because we have reached 17. Our brain has reached the point where we can more easily make wise decisions.

III. Post-reading

Further thinking

Share your view within your group.

1. Have you ever been pushed into doing something wrong, dangerous or risky by friends?

2. Do you think it wise to do other exciting activities instead of taking risks?

IV. Assignments

1. Listen to the audio recording of the text and read the text at least twice.
2. Finish comprehension work 1&2 on P8 in the workbook.

Interaction

Have discussions in groups about the following question.

         Will you try to impress your friends by doing something risky?