differences.

Period two Reading

Teaching aims:

1. To help Ss bring their personal experience into the discussion of festivals.

2. To exercise the Ss prediction skills.

3. Enable Ss to know the earliest festivals with reasons for them and four different kinds of festivals that occur in most part of the world.

4. Enable to matter some English expressions and phrases about festivals.

Teaching procedures:

Step 1. Pre-reading

Continue the theme of the Warming up section by moving the discussion to a more personal level.

Questions: What festivals or celebrations do you have in your city or town? What part of a festival do you like best-the activities, the music, the sights, the food or the people who visit?

Step 2. Reading

Show some pictures and words to help Ss to understand the text. Listen to the text carefully.

1. Para 1

Ancient festivals were associated with seasons of the year, fertility, survival and fear of the unknown. The ancient people did not understand scientific reasons for seasonal change, the migration of animals, birth and death and relied on what they thought they could do to bring back the sun in winter, bring rain and ensure the fertility of the people and the crops. Many religions today celebrate their festival days on or about the times of the old festivals.

Question: Why would people celebrate at these three times of the year?

2. Festivals of the Dead:

Many societies believe that the dead can influence their lives for good or evil? To honour one's ancestors also