Урок английского языка "Happy Birthday, Mr. President!"

Познавательный аспект: знакомство с фактами американской истории, связанными с президентами США, с тем, как американцы празднуют День Президента и чтят память своих президентов.

Развивающий аспект: развитие способности к сравнению, формулированию выводов на основе прочитанного и услышанного, способности к выбору выражений, адекватных ситуации и способности осуществлять продуктивные и репродуктивные действия.
Воспитательный аспект: помочь понять учащимся, каким должен быть политик в демократическом государстве, осознание реалий родной культуры и страны изучаемого языка.

Учебный аспект: совершенствование речевых навыков (диалогическая и монологическая речь), развитие умения читать (формирование грамматических навыков чтения), развитие умения воспринимать на слух (в записи) информацию в деталях.

Оформление урока:

1. Презентация, выполненная в Power Point.

2.Аудио запись текста для аудирования, гимнов России и США, песни “America The Beautiful”.

3.Портреты президентов: В.В.Путина и Д. Буша.

Ход урока

1. Звучит песня “America The Beautiful”. На фоне музыки два учителя начинают урок.

Teacher 1: In February, Americans celebrate President’s Day, which honors the birthdays of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and all other past presidents of the United States.That means when you get elected, there’s automatically a holiday honoring you- no matter how good you are at job.

Teacher 2: Two of America’s greatest leaders, G. Washington and A. Lincoln, were born in February. Until the 1970s, there were two holidays celebrated in the USA: George Washington’s birthday (February 22), and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (February 12).

In 1971, President Richard Nixon decided that one celebration would do and changed it into one federal holiday called President’s Day. So now American kids have only one day off school instead of two!

Teacher 1: Both presidents have been honored in different ways. G. Washington is still the only president to have a state named after him. The nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., also has his name. There are cities, towns, streets, schools, bridges, and parks named after both President Lincoln and President Washington.

Teacher 2: Both have famous memorials in Washington, D.C. Their portraits also appear on postage stamps, bills, and coins. Washington’s house in Mount Vernon and Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois, have been made into museums.

2. Аудирование текста:

Teacher 1: Americans are not afraid to show how they feel, and when the feeling is patriotism, they get up and shout about it. They like to read and hear about the heroes of American history. They enjoy patriotic songs like “America The Beautiful”. And the sight of their flag on important national occasions can bring tears to their eyes.

Teacher 2: Guys! Do you know who was the first American President?

-Who was elected the 44-th American President in November 2004?

-What kind of a person do you think the Americans expect their President to be?

-Why is it difficult to be a President?

-What are Americans proud of?

Now you’ll listen to the text “Wave the Flag, Mr. President” and check if your answers were right. But before it pay attention to the new words from the text. (Фонетическая отработка новых лексических единиц из текста, выписанных на доску).

(good family man-хороший семьянин, to persuade-убеждать, to carry out-выполнять, confident-уверенный, to wave- развивать, to keep the prices down-снижать цены, powerful-могучий, сильный).

Уч-ся слушают аудиозапись текста. Script of the text:

”Wave the Flag, Mr. President.”

Americans want to be proud of their President, as well as their country. They like him to be good looking, religious, and a very good family man. They want him to be strong, to be a good talker, and to be confident about the future. They expect him to keep the prices down at home and to keep the country looking powerful abroad.
A President has to make his job to look easy, and smile confidently when he speaks to the nation on TV. But in fact, his job is impossible one. He cannot do as much as he would like, or as the country expects him to do. He can make decisions, but he cannot always persuade people to carry them out.

One of the President’s biggest difficulties is that every decision he makes must also be approved by Congress. But Congress can, and quite often does, refuse to give its approval. A President who knows how to get Congress on his side is likely to be a successful President.

The United States government is of course more than the President and the Congress. It employs over 18,000, 000 people. Many Americans think there are far too many of them. “Don’t go by train,” they will tell you. “The railroad’s no good. It’s run by the government.” It’s not really surprising that so many people dislike government control. After all, many of their grandparents came to the States to get away from powerful governments, at home.

Dislike of government power doesn’t stop people from feeling patriotic though. It certainly didn’t stop the Californian who invented a flag-waving machine, so that people could show their feelings without getting tired.

Teacher 1: (контроль понимания прослушанного): Now let’s check up if you guessed right.

-What kind of a person do Americans expect their President to be?

-Is it difficult to be a President? Why?

-What are Americans proud of?

3.Teacher 2: Today we honor two great American Presidents: Abraham Lincoln, remembered for his belief in democracy and equality of all men, and George Washington, known as the “Father of his country”. (4 уч-ся было дано задание приготовить сообщения об этих президентах и выучить стихотворения).

Student 1: George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. When he was born, America was not a country yet. In belonged to England, a country across the ocean. People in America didn’t want to belong to England so they fought a war to become a separate country. G. Washington was an American general in the war. America won the war and picked a new name for itself: the United States of America. G. Washington was elected to be its first president.

A legend is told about Washington as a boy. Young George had a new hatchet and with it he cut down a small cherry tree. When his father saw the tree, he was angry. “George,” he said. “Did you do that?” George was afraid to admit that he did.

But the boy decided to tell the truth. “Yes, Father,” he said, “I cut down the cherry tree with my hatchet. I cannot tell a lie.”

G. Washington’s father was proud of George for telling the truth.

Student 2: There is a song about G. Washington. American kids sing it on this holiday.

George Washington

One time there was a little boy
Who had a little hatchet.
He looked and looked around to find
A little tree to catch it.

At last he spied a cherry tree.
His father’s pride and joy,
He chopped it down, right to the ground.
My! What a naughty boy!

And then he heard an angry voice.
It sounded like a cymbal.
George knew he was in trouble great
And he began to tremble.

“Who cut this tree, my son did you?”
His father asked the question.
”Yes, it was I. I cannot lie.
I cut it with my hatchet!”

 

Georgie, Georgie, no, no, no.
Be careful what you do.
Hatchets can be dangerous
And you might get hurt too!

Student 3: Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12 in 1809. Things were different then. When Abe was a boy, he lived in a log cabin. A log cabin is a small house made out of logs cut from trees. His father cut down the trees and made the cabin.
There were no electric lights in the cabin because electricity hadn’t been invented yet. So young Aby read books by firelight. Abe’s family was poor. Often he went barefoot because he didn’t have any shoes.
When A. Lincoln grew up, he studied hard and became a lawyer. Then he was elected to be a law- maker. In 1861, A. Lincoln became the 16^th President of the United States.
During his presidency, A. Lincoln received several death threats, but he took very few safety precautions. He usually traveled without a guard because he thought that a president shouldn’t be shielded from the public. Lincoln was assassinated while talking to the public at the Ford Theatre. It happened in 1865.
Student 4: And this rap song is about Lincoln.
Lincoln Rap

Во время рассказа уч-ся демонстрируются слайды с портретами президентов, памятник Дж. Вашингтону и Мемориал А. Линкольна в Вашингтоне, DC.

4. Teacher 1: There are different ways how the Americans honor their Presidents. One of them is Mount Rushmore. (Слайд с изображением гор) You have hand-outs with the text. Scan the text in 3 min. and find the information to the questions :
-What is Mount Rushmore National Memorial?

-Who was the sculptor?

-How long did it take to complete the Mount Rushmore Memorial?

Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore is 6,200-foot mountain in the state of South Dakota. The faces of four American presidents-George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt- are carved into the mountain. These faces, known as the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, are the largest carved figures in the world.
The memorial is the work of the sculptor Gutzon Borglum. The state of South Dakota chose Borglum for the job because he was famous for huge statues. But, even for Borglum, this memorial was a challenge.
Borglum began work in 1927.The only way to get up the mountain was on foot or on horseback. And Borglum and his helpers had to make the trip hundreds of time just to bring up the equipment they needed.

Borglum had prepared a smaller model of the faces. Points were measured on the model, and then transferred to the mountain to show where to remove rock and how much rock to remove. Workers then used drills and dynamite to remove rock and create the faces. This work was, of course difficult and dangerous, especially in the cold weather.
The Mount Rushmore Memorial took 14 years to complete. Borglum died shortly before it was done. His son finished the work. Finally, in 1942, the memorial was opened to the public. People were amazed. The faces of the presidents looked so real, and they were about sixty feet high- as high as a five- story building.

Teacher 1: Now, please answer the questions above the text.

Look through the text again and find details.

Hand-out #1:

Circle the letter of the best answer.

Teacher 1: And now grammar task:

Hand-out #2:

Complete the sentences with the prepositions below.

Example: Borglum began work in1927.

1. Mount Rushmore is a mount ---------- South Dakota.

2. The faces ---- four American presidents are carved ----- the mountain.

3. The memorial is the work ---- Gutzon Borglum, who was famous ------ his huge statues.

4. His helpers carried equipment ----- foot and ---- horseback ----- the mountain.

5. They worked ------ 14 years.

6. The memorial was completed ---- 1941

5. Role-play.

Teacher 2: You know there are exchange programs between Russian and American schools. One of them is FLEX. Every year in September our students participate in the contest to win a chance to visit America and study one year there. Last year the student of your group Sergey Doroshev was selected as a semifinalist and is going to compete in the last round.

Imagine that he returned and his American friends are on exchange visit in our school now.

Example: Russian S1: I’m Tatyana Sergeeva. The Russians are proud of their great country, people, traditions and symbols: Red Square, the Kremlin, and the Spasskaya Tower. (демонстрируются слайды с названными достопримечательностями Москвы). These symbols have deep roots in Russian history. I’d like to learn what symbols of the American nation are?

American S2: There are many national symbols in America. One of the most popular is the American flag. It’s called the “Stars and Stripes.” The flag has 13 stripes and 50 stars, one for each state. There are many rules for the flag: for example, you should display it only during the day, and you should fold it in a special way. In some schools there is a flag in each classroom, and children stand on front of the flag every day and say the “Pledge of Allegiance”.

A. S3: Another symbol of the nation is the White House. It’s the official residence of the US President. The White House is situated at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, the capital of the USA. American Presidents have been living and working in the White House for over 200 years. Besides other famous symbols are: the Great Seal of the USA, the Statue of Liberty, Liberty Bell, Uncle Sam and the motto “In God We Trust”. (демонстрация слайдов)

R. S2: My name is E. Usov. Russia is a presidential republic. Every four years we elect our president. A person who is 35 years and older, is a Russian citizen, and have lived for 10 years in the country can become a president. In 2004 V. V. Putin was elected a President for the second term. (слайд с портретом Путина) Who can become a president in your country?

A. S4: According to the US Constitution, a president must be elected every four years. To become a US president, you must be 35 years and older, be a US citizen born in the USA, and have lived in the USA at least 14 years. You can serve only 2 terms. This means you can be president twice. This became law in 1951. Before that, the law was different. In fact, Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1933 was still president when he died in 1945.

R. S3: I wish we had such holiday in our country. I think American children are glad to have one holiday more. What does holiday mean for them?

A. S5: On President’s Day lots of American kids write letters to the President. It usually takes 6-8 weeks to get a reply, but it’s worth waiting. Each kid will get a packet from the President with a sticker that says, “I wrote to the President and he wrote back”, a booklet about the history of the White House plus lots of pictures and posters. So everyone is excited, especially the parents.

Teacher 1: What would you write to the American President if you wanted to congratulate him?

( 2-3 письма заслушать: это было домашнее задание уч-ся)

Teacher 2: Dear guys! We’ve just learnt about one American holiday more. I’m sure you remember our previous celebrations of Thanksgiving Day, Halloween and others. We hope you have learnt much interesting information about American way of life. Thanks to everybody for the work.

We live in different countries, speak different languages but in one thing we are the same: we are proud of our nations, traditions and leaders.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Presidents!

Звучит гимн России, а затем гимн США.