一、教学目标

1. Students can find the answer to the migration of animals, especially the monarch butterfly.

2. Students can learn more knowledge about the monarch butterfly, such as the way of their migration.

3. Students can read the passage quickly and get the main idea of the passage by skimming.

4. Students can find some specific information by reading the passage carefully.

5. Students’ awareness of protecting nature and animals can be cultivated and strengthened.

二、教学重难点

Teaching key points:

Students can make use of the reading skills to understand the passage and complete the tasks that the teacher sets for their learning.

Teaching difficult point:

Students can adopt the reading skills, such as skimming and scanning when they are reading other passages in the later study.

三、教学过程

Step 1. Lead-in

The teacher shows students a video about different animals. And this video is about some typical animal actions like bees’ circle dance, ants moving. Then the teacher asks students what other typical phenomena of animals they have met before. One minute will be given for their discussion and then the teacher can collect some results from their discussion.

Step 2. Pre-reading

The teacher asks students to look at the pictures and the title on the book and guess what the passage is mainly about. After the students mention butterflies, the teacher makes a supplement about the background information of the special kind of butterfly—monarch butterfly.

Step 3. While-reading

Skimming

Students read the passage quickly and divide the passage into three parts and then find out the main idea of each part.

Part one, paragraph one: the phenomenon of animals’ migration.

Part two, paragraph two-three: the migration of monarch butterflies.

Part three, paragraph four-five: the trouble that monarch butterflies are faced with.

Scanning

Activity 1: T or F

Students read the passage again and find if the sentences on the PowerPoint are right or wrong. If it is right, mark a “T” after it. If it is wrong, mark an “F” after it.

1. Every winter, millions of these beautiful insects with fine black and orange wings begin a long and difficult journey. (F)

2. These two pieces of information—the time of day and the point where the sun is in the sky —allow the butterfly to determine the way to go. (T)

3. Its population has crashed by as much as 80 percent in the last few years. (F)

Activity 2: Answer questions

Students read the passage again and find the answers to the questions on the blackboard.

1. What information is mentioned in this passage that can help the monarch butterfly find their way?

2. What serious trouble are the monarch butterflies faced with now?

3. What is the main reason that has caused the falling of the monarch butterfly’s population?

Intensive reading

The teacher lets students discuss the attitude of the author towards the monarch butterfly’s future.

Step 4. Post-reading

Students discuss if they can think out more measures to save and protect the monarch butterfly.

Measure one: we can suggest to the concerned organization that the monarch butterfly should be on the list of endangered animals.

Measure two: we can create more natural areas that can supply the butterfly with a suitable living environment.

Measure three: we can hold some public speech about the monarch butterfly protection to arouse people’s awareness.

Step 5. Summary

Students summarize the main idea of the passage and the teacher emphasizes the reading skills.

Step 6. Homework

Students can search some information on the Internet about different animals’ migration and make a list of ten endangered animals. They can share their research with each other in the next class.

四、板书设计