Unit 8 CreativityL Teaching ObjectiveTheoretically based on College English Syllabus (1999); College English Curriculum Requirements (2004), and the students9 actual command of English and the content of the prescribed teaching materials taken into consideration, this course is intramural, namely, an intramural course for non-English majors for a four-term duratio n.lei Background KnowledgeCreativity is important to the human being. Without it, we would have no any development. "Being creative^ means thinking wildly, thinking of thinks that are beyond the normal people's idea, solving problems in unusual way and thinking and doing things, surpassing the tradition and custom・ The human being, the ordinary people as well as the scientists and inventors have great creativity. Generally speaking, creativity does not necessarily require sophisticated skills or great intelligence. The creative process often relate to intuitive perception, "lateral thinking冷and experimentation by trial and erroi;In our daily life, we can find a lot of stories and examples about creativity. For instance, teachers don't like the students who are "naughty" but perhaps creative. Parents generally hope their children to keep quiet and obeyed instead of following their own thoughts and ideas, which probably present the children^ creativity in their body and mental.Chinese are creative・ Since ancient time, our fathers had "Four inventions^ which have been influencing the Chinese history, including the world history till today. Only because of great creativity of Chinese, the world benefits a lot from it.②Linguistic KnowledgeWords z boundary, dismiss, mask, practically, sacrifice, scorn, vital, agenda, appoint, attendant, container, encounter, hesitation, intervene, kindergarten, manual, mere, rear, rectangular, tease, vicinity, withdraw, audience, desirable, discern, dominant, enhance, illuminate, incident, primary, principal, relevant, reliance, retrospect, subsequent, ultimate,Expressions and Collocations:involve.••in, sacrifice …for, be up to…,for the sake of, not in the least, on occasion, time and again, feed back, proceed to, to the point13 Language SkillsListening, ability to take notes while listening to tape・Speaking,ability to talk about the subject with convincing and reasonable argument freely.Reading, fast reading of passages of the same kind.Writing, ability to rewrite texts in simpler form.1.4 Learning Strategies-trainingStudents are motivated to do all kinds of classroom activities, with the help and guidance of the teacher occasionally. Participation and cooperation is of paramount importance,hence should be encouraged and emphasized・2.Key Points and Difficult Points2.1Key PointsWords or collocations related to “creativity”2.2Difficult PointsAs far as language is concerned, difficult words and expressions are frequent in such texts. It is not easy for average students to grasp what each text is about.3.Pedagogical ApproachesStudent-centered and task-based, interaction between the teacher and the learner and among learners- Teacher's interpretation is of paramount importance.4.Teaching ArrangementThis unit will be finished within 6 periods in the classroom teaching/learning: 2 periods are for listening and speaking; another 2 periods for passage reading; the last two periods for story telling and story making.Periods 1&2 Listening and SpeakingL Teaching Content and GoalsTeaching ContentPreparation (pl95)Listening-Centered Activities (Listening 1, 2 ps 196-7)GoalsAfter these two periods, students are to be able to be freer to understand passages in difficult language related to the topic of "creativity：2<lClassroom Teaching/learning DesigningCreativity is a rather vague ability that usually implies originality and imagination. Although one normally associates creativeness with artists and poets, people of all ages can demonstrate creativity in a wide variety of ways.A child can create an imaginary village from an odd assortment of sticks and stones.A factory worker can solve a complex mechanical problem in an inventive fashion.An advertising agent can think up an inexpensive and humorous way to reach a new clientele.As a general rule, creativity does not necessarily require sophisticated skills or great intelligence. The creative process often involves intuitive perception、"lateral thinking- and experimentation by trial and error. In other words, a creative person might guess at a possible solution, pull in comparisons from totally unrelated fields, and accept mistakes as a normal part of problem-solving. Are there situations or attitudes that inhibit or prevent creativity?Teachers who regard energetic and inquisitive children as ”naughty” probably discourage creativity.A boss who feels threatened by employees questioning old ways and who calls suggestions a "nuisance” is not favoring creativity in the workplace.Parents who expect their children to draw or paint like great masters will not tolerate "messy” or n ugly n artwork・Education — Chinese and Western— involves learning skills and acquiring a body ofknowledge in many fields- This aspect of education does not enhance creativity which is generally considered to be one of the key aims of Western education.Certainly since the 1960s in the United States, Canada and Australia increasing efforts have been made to integrate strategies into the educational system that help children to learn H by doing'； by u hands-on H class work and by special ^projects11.All of these student-centered activities are designed to teach children to draw conclusions from their own observations or from those of their group and especially to learn how to research a topic on their own.Science fairs and science Olympics encourage middle school and high school students to invent all kinds of things.Children are also expected to ask questions and to work independently at a very young age.Creative writing classes allow children to write short stories and novels. The quality may be questionable、but the aim is to give students total freedom to experiment.An educational system that fosters creativity presupposes the positive value of individualism. Cultures that stress collectivism and group solidarity may not place great importance on individual expressions of creativity.Societies or institutions based on a hierarchical distribution of power may regard individual creativity as irrelevant and destabilizing.Strategies that encourage children to experiment and think for themselves are often criticized because they slow down the learning process and the acquisition of skills. In other words, they are considered to be inefficient. Certainly they do imply a tolerance for guess work, errors and imperfection・PreparationWhat is creativity?Directions: Discuss in groups what is meant by "being creative^. First, each member writes a definition for it. Then discuss your definitions in your group."Being creative^ means one can think of things that others cannot. “Being creative^ means one can solve problems in a simple and original way. "Being creative" means one can think and do things in an unusual way.Sample answersBeing creative is not limited to scientists or artists. Actually, ordinary people also do creative work in their lives. It is carried on all the time by amateur inventors who find new and more convenient ways of doing everyday things. For example, the paper clip was invented by a man who kept losing his paperwork. Thanks to his own invention, he，s now very well organized・"Being creative^ means thinking wildly/thinking of things that are beyond the normal peopled idea./ solving problems in unusual way./ thinking and doing things surpassing the tradition and custom・"Creativity^ means original ideas."Creativity^ means unusual way of approaching a problem.“Creativity" means go beyond norm, tradition, custom, etc."Creativity" even means wild thinking.The Four Great InventionsChina's long history has seen some extremely important inventions emerge （丿呂丿戍人most noticeably gunpowder, paper making, printing and the compass, which, in the words of Roger Bacon, changed the whole appearance （夕卜观）and status （匸青形）of things in the world.China was the first country in the world to make proper pape匚Paper made during the Western Han Dynasty （202 BC-16 AD） has been found in Gansu Province, Xian and other places in Shaanxi Province as well as Xinjiang. A further development of paper is credited to （把 .......... 归给）Cai Lun of the Eastern Han （25-220）. He used plant fiber such as tree bark, bits of rope, rags and worn-out fishing nets as raw materials （原材料）.In 105, Cai presented the first batch of paper made under his supervision （管理）to the Han emperor, who was so delighted that he named the material "Marquis Cai's paperEastern Han Dynasty paper found in Wuwei, Gansu, in 1974 carried words which were still clearly decipherable （可判读的）• Thin, soft, and with a smooth finish and tight texture （质地），this paper is the most refined and oldest paper discovered to date.Before paper was invented, the ancient Chinese carved characters on pottery （陶animal bones and stones, cast them on bronzes, or wrote them on bamboo or wooden strips and silk fabric. These materials, however, were either too heavy or two expensive for widespread use. The invention and use of paper brought about a revolution （革命）in writing materials, paving the way for the invention of printing technology in the years to come.The invention of gunpowder was no doubt one of the most significant （冇意义的）achievements of the Middle Ages in China. The correct prescription （扌旨示）for making gunpowder with niter, sulfur and carbon was probably discovered in the ninth century. In fact, in his book, Ge Hong in the third century records the procedures （无呆序）for making a kind of mixture that could be ignited （点燃）• After the Tang Dynasty （618-907）, things took a much faster course as gunpowder was already used in simple hand-grenades （手扌留弹）which were thrown by a catapul匚In 1126, Li Gang, a local official, recorded how he ordered the defenders （防卫者）of the city of Kaifeng to H fire cannons11 at the invading （侵袭）Nuzhen tribal people, inflicting （造成）heavy casualties on the invaders.The first prescription for gunpowder appeared in 1044, much earlier than the earliest （1265） gunpowder-making instructions recorded in Europe・ By the Song Dynasty （960-1126）, gunpowder was in extensive （广泛白勺）use. Weapons made with it included rifles and rockets. The Song army also used a kind of flame thrower which involved packing gunpowder into bamboo tubes. The earliest picture of a European cannon shows that it bears a striking similarity （类彳以处）to Chinese cannon of 1128.About 1230, the Song army had cannon powerful enough to breach （扌『破）city walls.A bronze Chinese cannon cast in 1332 is the oldest one in the world extant today ・ Many bronze and iron cannons have been unearthed （掘出）in China, most of them bearing inscriptions （题字）dating them to between 1280 and 1380・On the basis （基础）of printing using carved blocks in the Tang Dynasty, Bi Sheng of the Northern Song Dynasty invented movable type printing in the 1040s, which ushered （宣告）in a major revolution in th e history of printing・Bi's printing consisted of four processes: making the types, composing the text, printing and retrieving （重新得至U） the movable types. According to Dream Stream Essays, Bi Sheng carved individual （个别的）characters on squares of sticky clay, then baked them make clay type pieces. When composing a text, he put a large iron frame （扌匡架）on a piece of iron board and arranged the words within the frame. While one plate was being printed, another plate could be composed・ After printing, the movable types were taken away and stored for future use. Movable type printing has a very important position in the history of printing, for all later printing methods such as wooden type, copper type and lead type printing invariably （不变地）developed on the basis of movable clay types. Bi Sheng created movable type printing more than four hundred years earlier than it was invented in Europe・According to ancient records, natural magnets （磁铁）were employed in China as direction-finding devices （设计）.This led to the first compass, called a sinan （south-pointing ladle） during the Warring States Period （战国时期）.In the Han Dynasty compasses consisted of a bronze on which 24 directions were carved and a rod （棒）made from a natural magnet. Such devices were in use until the eighth century ・In the Song Dynasty, Shen Kuo described the floating compass, suspended （悬挂）in water, a technique which minimized （将减至lj最少）the effect of motion on the instrument. This enabled the compass to be used for sea navigation （航彳亍）for the first time. The invention of the compass promoted maritime （海上白勺）undertakings, and its use soon spread to the Arab world, and thence （从那时起）to Europe.China's four great ancient inventions made tremendous contributions （贡献）to the world's economy and the culture of mankind. They were also important symbols （象征）of China's role as a great world civilization （文化）.Tsai Lun, is the inventor of pape匸He lived and served as an official at the Chinese Imperial Court at the Han Dynasty in China at about 1800 years ago. In or about the year 105 A.D., he presented Emperor Han Ho Ti with samples （样品）of paper. Chinese records do mention and credit Tsai Lun with the invention of paper. His name is well known in China.Tsai Lun was a eunuch （太监）.Because he was an officer, he had the access （通路）to lots of resources, including money and human resources, for papermaking research. He was promoted （晋升为）by the Emperor for his invention and became wealthy （富冇的）.Later he got involved in palace intrigue （诡计）,which led to his downfall （衰败）• Finally he ended his life drinking poison.It's hard to imagine how the world would be like without pape匸In China, before Tsai Lun, books were made of bamboo, which were heavy and clumsy （笨扌出的）•Some books were made of silks, which were very expensive. In the West at that time, books were made of sheepskin or calfskin. Tsai Lun improved the technology of making paper from sesame fiber. He used recycleable (可循环再利用的)materials such as bamboo, tree skin and shabby cloth to make paper. The technique of papermaking was kept as a secret for five centuries in China. In 751, some Chinese papermakers were captured by Arabs, and later paper was produced in the Middle East. The arts of papermaking gradually spread and in the twelfth century the Europeans learned the arts from the Arabs. Paper became the most common writing material in the West- Today, paper is the most commonly used materials in human life, not just as a medium (媒介)of communication. Tsai Luns contribution to civilization is priceless (极贵重的)！Creativity and inventionsDirections: Discuss in groups the following list of inventions and describe how they represent creative ways of doing everyday things- In your discussion, you might consider first the things they replaced・Sample answersThe typewriter replaced pens and pencils, which enabled people to write much more quickly and neatly.The calculator replaced mental calculations, table and the abacus. The results are more accurate, the problems can be finished more quickly, and complex operations with large sums a\can be solved easily.The light bulb replaced candles, lamps and torches. Electricity can be used at any time of the day or night conveniently. With electric lights, people can do business actively instead of relying on sunlight or moonlight, etc.The ballpoint pen replaced pen and ink. It is more convenient, easy too carry and often neater without causing much trouble, e.g. making your paper dirty with ink.The refrigerator replaced other ways of preserving food or something else, which enables people to keep vegetables and other foods fresh for many days without worrying the food getting rotten.2>4Whafs my lineDirections: The following drawings are composed of English letters which spell the names of the six occupations listed below・ Look closely at the drawings and match them with their appropriate occupations.1)actress 2) waiter 3) artist 4)butcher 5) banker 6) actor2>5Listening centered activities2.5.1Listening 16.1The Informality in American ClassesDirections: Listen to the passage and decide which is the best answer to each of the questions.What is NOT the feeling of foreign students in American classrooms?shocked B. embarrassed C. afraid D・ uncomfortableWhat is Professor Edward Johnson sometimes called by his students?A. Professor Johnson EdwardC. Mr. JohnsonD. Professor EdwardA. They do not respect them.B. They admire them very much.C. They can openly criticize them.D. They usually do not obey them.④ How would a foreign student feel if he tried to imitate the behavior of American students?How can this problem be solved according to the passage?Return to their homeland. Talk about it with their classmates. TapescriptWhen students from other countries come to the United States, they aresometimes shocked at the informality in American college and university classes. For example, American professors do not dress up and they generally call students by their first names. Students can speak out in class, where they do not even need to raise their hands. In addition, in many schools, students can drink coffee, tea, juice, or soft drinks during classes.Foreign students can usually get used to these differences easily. However,two examples of American informality are very difficult for some foreign students to understand. First, students sometimes call their teachers by their first names. Instead of calling a teacher M 匚 Smith or Professor Johnson, they call them Tom or Barbara. In some countries, it is not possible for students to "first-name^ their teachers.Second, American students sometimes criticize the ideas of their teachers. They might also give their teachers suggestions about changing something in the class- In many countries, students cannot openly criticize their teachers or classes.Thus, some foreign students feel shocked, embarrassed, and uncomfortable in American classrooms. They have two choices. One, they can imitate the behavior of the American students. But in this case, they might feel uncomfortable anddisrespectful. Two, they can continue to follow the customs from their homecountries- But in this case, the American teachers and students might think that the foreign students are too formal or too quiet.What is the solution to this problem? There is no easy answer. However, time will help to solve the problem, because foreign students will become accustomed to the new behavio 匚(269 words)2.5.2 The Power of ColorWords You Need to Know for Listeningoutfit ［服装］套装 endocrine gland 内分泌腺 hormone 激素 adrenalin 肾上腺素 spectrum 光谱 enhance 增进 reflective 反射的 violet 紫色 enliven 使有生气 intuitiveness 本能Directions: Listen to the passage and fill in the table with the information you get from the recording.A. Disrespectful B. Polite. C- Easy. D. Relieved.A. There is no answe 匚D, Time will help.Wouldn't it be great if changing your mood was as easy as changing your outfit? Well, according to physiologists, it is一when you use the power of colo匚Here's how it works: When you see a color, your brain sends a chemical message to your endocrine glands, which release the appropriate hormone into the bloodstream. So for instance, if you wear red, a color the brain finds exciting, it sends a signal to the adrenal glands to pump adrenalin into the body which, in turn, puts you in the mood for love. °Blue, which is on the cool end of the spectrum, has a calming effect on the nerves. Wear blue if you want to keep you cool during a busy day with the children, or to wind down and de-stress after work. By contrast, orange creates a joyful atmosphere and focused activity.Also, yellow is a cheerful color reminding us of summer days, and it aids in decision making.White, however, enhances brain power and a reflective mood. Violet is also a color which stimulates the mind toward creative thought. As well, it increases intuitiveness. Green is a relaxed color of spring time buds on trees, like spring time it also enlivens tired muscles. (203 words)Homework1.1Every student is to retell the stories in listening 1, 2 after class to yourroommates.1.2Every student is required to have memorized all the new words in this unit beforenext class, which is a mus匸Periods 3&8 In-Class ReadingLTeaching Content and GoalsTeaching Content1 .Warming-up exercise: Enriching your words power (p6)2.In-Class ReadingWhy the Tortoise's Shell Is Not Smooth (p9-15)GoalsAfter these two periods, students are to be familiar to some vivid myths or legends, and able to make and tell stories of the same kind skillfully and convincingly. In the meantime, some expressions and collocations are valuable.2<Classroom Teaching/Iearning Designing2Warming up exercise:Ten minutes for revision of the previous periods before today's new task.2Pre-reading questions1 ・ Did your parents ever let you make decisions when you were young? What do you think of your parents' practice?Sample:No. They made the decisions and I obeyed・ If I did not obey, I would be punished. They meant well and wanted to teach me the right moral values and not to make mistakes. But sometimes I think they should have let me discover things by myself. I think that children are very clever and should be encouraged to make some decisions by themselves-2. Did your parents allow you to speak to guests who came to your house? How did you feel if you were not allowed to?Yes. I could talk freely with the guests of our family. If I had not been allowed to speak to them, I would have felt like a little child or an outsider even though I was not really young, and I would not have felt like part of the family.23 language point1)boundaryn.边界，范围bound v.束缚，限制【联想记忆】boundless adj.无限的，无穷的bounds n.限界，范围，止境【例彳|J 】There is no boundary to human knowledge.人类知识没有尽头。
