新编英语教程 6 Unit 12 教案

Unit Twelve

TEXT I

GRANT AND LEE: A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

Bruce Catton

Objectives: to make a table of all the contrasts and similarities between Grant and Lee and explain them;

to analyse the organization of this essay and learn the ways of comparison and contrast;

Pre-class work

1. Find some brief information about the following persons and events.

--- American Civil War

--- Ulysses S. Grant

--- Robert E. Lee

2. Try to answer the questions in Org. & Devl. , and Analysis.

3. Identify in the text as many contrasts and similarities between Grant and Lee as you can, and make a table of your own to show all these.

Contrasts in family background, in personality, in opinions on privilege, equality, past and future, what to fight for, etc.

Similarities as shown in LW 4, but try to explain.

Pre-reading Questions

1. Tell what you know about American Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee.

(Refer to the attachment copied from Encyclopedia Britanica.)

In-reading Discussion

Step 1The usual ways or the basic patterns to organize the comparison and contrast (Analysis)

1. Subject-by-subject pattern: A1, A2, A3,...... B1, B2, B3, ......

2. Point-by-point pattern: A1, B1; A2, B2; A3, B3; ......

3. Subject-by-subject plus point-by-point pattern: combination of 1 & 2. Step 2 Part division (Org.& Devl.)

--- Paras. 1-3: Introduction The purpose is to present the two generals for comparison and to put forth the significance of their meeting at Appomattox.

--- Paras. 4-12: Contrasts between Grant and Lee.

Subject-by-subject comparison (categories compared: background,

personality, notions of equality, privilege, past and future, what to fight for, etc.) Paras. 4-6: Lee; 7-8: Grant; 9, 11: Grant; 10: Lee; 12: Summary of the contrasts

--- Para. 13: Transition to link the section about the contrasts to the section about the similarities. The transitional word ‘yet’ and the concessional clause prepare the readers for the turn of direction. Their similarities are briefly mentioned in the last two sentences.

--- Paras. 14- 16: Similarities between Grant and Lee.

Point-by-point comparison (categories compared: tenacity and fidelity, daring and resourcefulness, ability to make peace)

Step 3 Contrasts between Grant and Lee in background, in personality, in underlying aspiration (para. 13) including opinions on / notions of privilege, equality, social structure, past and future, what to fight for, etc.

(Ask individuals to talk about the contrasts one by one while the teacher makes some necessary explanations of the difficult sentences in the text.)

1. tidewater Virginia:

(Note 3) a state in the South of America, known at that time for its large plantations and its slaveholding tidewater aristocracy.

2. Ohio: (note 8) a part of the Western frontier for those oppressed,

discontented, ambitious, and restive people who sought adventures and made fortunes in the West.