Unit10TheJeaningofAmericaTeachingPlan

Unit10TheJeaningofAmericaTeachingPlan

Unit 10 The Jeaning of America

Teaching Points

By the end of this unit, students are supposed to

1)grasp some knowledge about the western

countries‘ traditions and cultures, esp. the

USA, British and so on.

2)generalize the main idea of Text I and collect some

knowledge about American

cultural symbols.

3)make full use of the new words and expressions in this unit

Teaching Procedures

1)lead-in activities

2)cultural background

3)Text analysis

4)structural analysis

5)language study

6)Exercises

Topics for pre-reading

1) Do you like blue jeans? Why?

2) What do you know about its origins?

Cultural information

1. Quote

Work banishes those three great evils: boredom, vice, and

poverty.

— Voltaire

2. Levi’s

Levi Strauss & Co. (LS & CO) is a privately held clothing

company known worldwide for its Levi‘s brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim,

Franconia, (Kingdom of Bavaria) to San Francisco, California to

open a west coast branch of his brothers‘ New York dry goods

business. Although the company began producing denim

overalls in the 1870s, modern jeans were not produced until the

1920s. The company briefly experimented (in the 1970s) with

employee ownership and a public stock listing, but remains

owned and controlled by descendants and relatives of Levi

Strauss‘ four nephews.

Text I

The Jeaning of America

Carin Quinn

Global Reading

I. Text analysis

1.From what perspectives does the text tell the story of blue

jeans?

The text tells the story of blue jeans mainly from two

perspectives: how blue jeans came into being and why they are

favored by Americans and have become a symbol of American

popular culture.

2.Why are jeans favored by Americans and have them

become an American symbol?

Blue jeans were favored first of all by the American working

class in the early days for its durability and toughness; then they

became favored by Americans in general, because they embody

the American ideal of equality. They are favored by bureaucrats

and cowboys, bankers and deadbeats alike. They draw no

distinction and recognize no classes.

II. Structural analysis

1.What type of writing is the text? And how is the text structured?

This is a piece of expository writing. The author recounts

some key facts related to the invention and popularization of

blue jeans by following the chronological order.

2. Based on the time phrases found above, divide the text

into parts by completing the

Detailed Reading

Paragraph 1

Question

How does the author prove that blue jeans stand for ―a

passion for equality‖? (Paragraph 1)

The author mentions that the pants draw no distinction and

recognize no classes. They are favored by people from all walks

of life, whether they are cowboys or bureaucrats.

Paragraphs 2-3

Questions

1. What kind of life did Levis Strauss expect in New York?

(Paragraph 3)

Levis came to New York and expected an easy life that would

enable him to make a fortune.

2. Why did Strauss decide to leave New York for the West?

(Paragraph 3)

Because Strauss was disillusioned by the ill-paid, dull routine work, so he decided to leave New York for the West to try his luck.

Paragraph 4

Questions

1. Was there any use of the canvas that Strauss brought to

the West? (Paragraph 4)

The canvas was of no use for its intended purpose (tenting),

but it could be used for making good sturdy pants.

2. What do you think led to Strauss‘ successful invention of

the jeans? (Paragraph 4)

Strauss‘ chance discovery of the miner‘s need and his

swift response to such a need led to the invention of the blue

jeans.

Paragraph 5

Questions

1. Did the miner, Alkali, demand copper rivets to be added to

his pants? (Paragraph 5)

Alkali did not demand his pants to be riveted. He only

demanded that something be done to make his pockets more

sturdy and durable.

2. What was the intended purpose of the tailor who added

copper rivets to the pants?

(Paragraph 5)

The tailor merely intended to pacify a mean-tempered miner

and had the pockets riveted as a joke.

Paragraph 6

Questions

1. How did Strauss' local company develop into an

international business?

2. How did blue jeans not only become popular among

Western labourers, but also win the favour of people from the