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Teaching Plan
Type: Module Lesson
Material: Three Days to See
Teaching Aids: Multi-media and blackboard
Instructor: Zhu Yun
Class: Class 12, Senior II, Jianping High School
Teaching Objectives:
Language Objectives:
1. To build up students vocabulary by reading and analyzing famous writings;
2. To train students to further develop their reading skills.
Emotional Objectives:
1. To cultivate students appreciation of the masterpiece;
2. To arouse students awareness of the beauty of nature;
3. To get students to learn to cherish people and things around.
Ability Objectives:
1. To develop students ability to guess meanings of words through the context;
2. To cultivate students spirit of cooperation with classmates.
Teaching Procedures
I. Presentation: Pre-reading
1. Test students awareness of the change of things around;
2. Give a brief introduction of Helen Keller.
II. Practice: While-reading
I)

Read and understand the first two paragraphs

1. Did Helen Keller think it was good or bad if people were stricken blind and deaf for a few
days at some time during his early adult life?
2. How do you know that? (Which word tells you?)
3. Why did Helen think it was a good idea for people to lose their ability of sight and hearing?


4. Did one of Helens friends observe anything when she returned from a long walk in the
woods?
5. What did she say in reply to Helens question?
6. Was her friend also blind (or was she normal)?
7. Which word tells you that?
8. What did she say about the seeing people?
9. How do you understand the sentence the seeing see little? Do you agree? Why?
10. How did Helen feel when saying How was it possible?
Then how did Helen feel the beauty of nature?
II) Read and appreciate the third paragraph
1. Students are required to read the third paragraph by themselves
2. Students are guided to appreciate the language
1) How can Helen feel the world ?
2) What are the things in nature she touches and feels? (a leaf, etc)
3) How does she touch and feel these things? ( find adv.)
4) How does she find these things when she touches the things in nature emotionally?
(what words does she use to describe them)
5) Can you illustrate her appreciation of nature by finding as many words as possible?
3. Students are invited to listen to the third paragraph and while listening try to feel Helens
appreciation of nature and optimistic attitude towards life.
4. Which sentence impresses you most? Tell us how you feel about the sentence.
III. Production: Post-reading
1. What can we learn from the passage?
2. Topic: Suppose you were told you would have only three days to see what would you do
during the last three days?
3. Conclusion
IV. Assignments
1. Practice reading the beautiful writing with emotion after class;
2. Write a review of the passage.

Three Days to See

2

I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf
for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more
appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.
Now and then I have tested my seeing friends to discover what they see. Recently I was
visited by a very good friend who had just returned from a long walk in the woods, and I asked her
what she had observed. Nothing in particular, she replied. I might have been incredulous had I
not been accustomed to such responses, for long ago I became convinced that the seeing see little.
How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing
worthy of note? I who cannot see find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. I feel
the delicate symmetry of a leaf. I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch,
or the rough shaggy bark of a pine. In spring I touch the branches of trees hopefully in search of a
bud, the first sign of awakening Nature after her winters sleep. I feel the delightful, velvety
texture of a flower, and discover its remarkable convolutions; and something of the miracle of
Nature is revealed to me. Occasionally, if I am very fortunate, I place my hand gently in a small
tree and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song. I am delighted to have cool waters of a brook
rush through my open fingers. To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more
welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. To me the pageant of seasons is a thrilling and
unending drama, the action of which streams through my finger tips.
Excerpt from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

Vocabulary
1. delicate: small and beautifully shaped; attractive and graceful
2. symmetry: exact likeness in size, shape , design, or structure between two halves or sides of
something; an effect of pleasing balance
3. shaggy: long and messy
4. velvety: pleasantly soft to touch; smooth and soft
5. texture: the way that a surface and material, etc feels when you touch it, and how smooth or
rough it looks; structure
6. convolution: folding or twisting
7. quiver: to make a slight trembling movement, esp. from fear or excitement
8. lush: (of a plant, esp. grass) growing very well, thickly and healthily
9. spongy: soft and full of holes, and sometimes wet
10. luxurious: very comfortable, beautiful and expensive
11. pageant: a colourful public procession, show, or ceremony