Урок английского языка "Праздники и традиции в США"

Ход урока

1. Организационный момент.

(На экране начало презентации (Слайды 1,2)(Приложение1).

T: Good morning, boys and girls! Today we'll talk about the national holidays, traditions in the United Slates of America. At the lesson some of you will tell us about Christmas Day, New Year's Day, St. Valentine's Day, about Easter, Mother's Day, about Independence Day in the USA, Thanksgiving Day and other holidays and traditions. As you can see our lesson is held with the help of computer. Look at the screen. Let's read and translate the information about American holidays.

2. Просмотр кадров презентации. (Учащиеся считывают информацию с экрана, чтение вслух) (Слайды 3-19) (Приложение1)

3. Ответы учащихся на вопросы учителя по просмотренным кадрам.

1) When do Americans celebrate Christmas?

2) What holiday do people celebrate on the 14^th of February?

3) What holiday is Irish in America?

4) What holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday in May?

5) When do people color eggs?

6) Why is Independence Day celebrated on July 4?

7) What holiday is one of the best holidays for children? Why?

6. Монологические высказывания учащихся.

T: Now let's listen to your reports. Let's begin with Christmas Day.

P1: Christmas Day is celebrated on the 25th of December. In America it's the most important holiday of the year. Christmas is a religious holiday and one of the happiest holidays of the year, because it is the day that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Americans prepare for Christmas weeks before. They buy gifts for family, friends and relations. Every family tries to have a Christmas tree, which is decorated with colored lights. They also hang little toys, sweets on the tree and they put presents under the tree. And they prepare special food and cookies. Christmas is a family holiday. People stay at home and spend the time with their families. People send cards or Christmas greetings to their friends. They wish their friends "Merry Christmas" and "A Happy New Year". Little children believe that when they are asleep Santa Claus comes to visit them with a big bag of toys. They often hang up large stockings to receive the presents. On Christmas morning children look into their stockings and see their gifts.

P2: New Year's Day celebrates the start of a new year. Americans celebrate New Year's Day on the first day of January, but people begin celebrating on December 31, New Year's Eve, the night before New Year's Day. They have parties through the night. The theatres, night clubs and restaurants are crowded. Many people watch the Rose Bowl football game on TV.

In Times Square, in New York, at a minute before midnight, a lighted ball goes down from one of the buildings.

T.: On the 14th of February the Americans celebrate Saint Valentine's Day. One of you will tell us about this holiday.

P3: Saint Valentine's Day is a day of love and friendship. It is celebrated among persons of all ages. On that day most people send "valentines", candy or roses to people they love. Valentines are greeting cards in the form of a heart, or they have hearts, the symbol of love, on them. A "valentine" may mean a special greeting card or a little present. It may also be the person who receives the gift. The greeting cards are often colored, have red trimmings and pictures of hearts. Flowers and candy are favorite presents which sweethearts send each other. It is a favorite day for parties, especially by young people.

T.: You know that the Americans celebrate Mother's Day in May and Father's Day in June. Now we'll hear about these holidays.

P4: Mother's Day comes on the second Sunday in May. This is a day when Americans honor their mothers. This day is called Mother's Day. It's a way of saying: "Thanks for being such a great Mom!"

Most mothers like to celebrate this day with the whole family. Many people send their mothers a card or a gift. Some people take their mothers to a restaurant for dinner. It is the custom to carry a red or pink flower, if one's mother is living. It is the custom to carry a white flower, if one's mother is dead.

P5: Father's Day comes on the third Sunday in June. Many people send their fathers a card or a gift. During the autumn, some colleges celebrate Dad's Day. They honor their fathers among the members and friends of the college.

T.: Now we'll talk about a great holiday, Easter.

P6: Easter is celebrated on Sunday in April or May. The week before Easter people color eggs. Little children believe that the Easter Bunny comes and leaves the eggs for them. That's why Easter candy is made in form of eggs, little chickens and rabbits. Eggs are the symbol of new life. Easter is a church holiday. Easter marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

T: Now we'll hear about the national day in America. It is Independence Day.

P7: On July 4, the United States celebrate Independence Day. It is the United States' birthday. It is called Independence Day, because on July 4, 1776 it was declared that the United States is free and independent from England. A group of Americans representing the thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America signed a document stating that these colonies had the right to be free and independent. This document is known as the Declaration of Independence. July 4 is celebrated by Americans as a national holiday, Independence Day.

P8: There is a building in Philadelphia which is called Independence Hall. Here the Declaration was signed. On the building is the famous Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell rang out in July 1776 in Philadelphia, when the Declaration of Independence was signed by Congress. The great bell rang out at every event of national importance until it cracked in 1835. Now the bell is on display in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, but it never rings. The bell weighs over a ton and it is 12 feet wide at the bottom.

T: There is a holiday in September. It is called Labor Day. What can you tell us about it?

P9: Labor Day is the first Monday in September. In 1869 the first labor union to defend workers' rights was started. Workers got the right to an eight-hour workday. Most people do not go to work on Labor Day. They have a three-day weekend. In some cities there is a parade. Some people go to the beach, and others have a barbecue or a picnic.

P10: There is a holiday in October. It is called Columbus Day. Columbus Day is the second Monday in October. On this day Americans remember Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer. He sailed west across the Atlantic to find a faster route to travel to Asia from Europe. On October 11, 1492, he reached some islands near North America. He thought he was in India and he called the people of the islands Indians.

T: Now we'll listen to the story of another holiday. The Celts believed that on this day ghosts walked the Earth and mingled with the living. At night people dressed up in costumes and tried to look like the souls of the dead. Children put on masks and went to the streets to beg. It was Halloween Day.

Today people, especially children, still wear costumes on this day and have masquerade parties.

P11. Halloween is one of the best holidays for children. It is the day or evening before All Saints' Day. American children celebrate Halloween on October 31. Children wear masks and colorful costumes. The most popular costumes are ghosts, witches and skeletons. They dress up in Halloween costumes and go out the streets to beg. They carry baskets and bags. The children walk door to door in the neighborhood and shout "Trick or treat! Trick or treat", meaning "Give us a treat or we'll play a trick on you". Most people give them treat - candy or fruit. People also decorate houses and schools in the traditional Halloween colors: orange and black. Popular decorations are ghosts, witches, skeletons, black cats and jack-o'-lanterns. The children scrape out a pumpkin and cut the eyes, nose and mouth. They light a candle inside the pumpkin to scare their friends. They set jack-o'-lanterns in the windows.

T.: You have listened to the description of some holidays and traditions in the United States. But there is a holiday which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is Thanksgiving Day.

P12: In the United States Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday. It is celebrated on the 4^th Thursday in November.

It was first celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrim Fathers, after their first harvest. Ever since the Pilgrims gave thanks for their survival in the new land in 1621. Most churches hold Thanksgiving services. Thanksgiving is a family day. It is customary for all members of the family to gather at the home of their parents. The family eats a large traditional dinner which will include turkey and pumpkin pie.

T: You have learned many interesting things about holidays in the USA. What do you want to ask about them?

8. Подведение итогов урока.

Thank you for the lesson. (Слайд 23) (Приложение 1).