2 The Woods Were Tossing with Jewels.docx

2 The Woods Were Tossing with Jewels.docx

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2TheWoodsWereTossingwithJewels

LessonTwoTheWoodsWereTossingwithJewels

MarieSt.John

●Objectives

Studentswillbeableto:

1.understandthemultifoldimpactsofthewestwardmovementinexpandingtheterritory,shapingtheAmericannationalcharacterandtheAmericanlifestyle,aswellastheAmericanliterature；

2.grasptheessenceofindividualismandtraditionalvaluesasembodiedinthedailylifeofthosefrontiersmen（suchasindependence/self-reliance,courage,freedom,hardwork,simplelife,loveofnatureandloveoffamily,etc.）;

3.appreciatetheeasystyle,simpleyetvividlanguage;

4.compareindividualismandtraditionalAmericanvalueswithcollectivismandtraditionalChinesevalues;

5.masterthekeylanguagepointsandtypicalwritingtechniquesemployedinanarrativesuchasbuildinguptension,creatingsuspense,smoothtransition,planningtheplots,etc.;

6.conductaseriesofreading,listening,speakingandwritingactivitiesrelatedtothethemeoftheunit.

●Timeallotment:

Theteachingplanistobecarriedoutwith6teachinghours.

Introduction:

Doyoulikegoingtothetheatre?

OrdoyoulikewatchMovieChannelonTV?

Thenwhatkindsofmoviesdoyoulikebest,romancelikeRomeoandJuliet,warliketheLastDropofBlood,orhorrorliketheSilentLamb?

AreyoufamiliarwithmoviesonAmericanfrontierlifeoroncowboys?

Moviesstarredsay,byClintEastwood.Iamsureyouhaveseenoneortwosuchmovies.Thencanyougivemeageneraldescriptionoftheheroinsuchmovies?

Whatkindofclothestheytypicallywear?

----dotheywearcleansuit?

No.theywearjeansandworn-outjeans,dirtyandstained.Whatabouttheirshoes,dotheywearpolishedleathershoes?

No.theywearleatherboots（forwhatpurpose,forridingahorse）.Whatkindofhatdotheyhave?

Tophat（大礼帽）orcasualwide-brimmedhat（toprotecttheireyesfromstrongsunlight）.Dotheysmokecigar?

No,theychewtobaccoandspittobaccojuiceanywheretheylike.Howdotheytravel,onfoot?

Right,theyarealwaysfoundonhorseback.Dotheycarrycanewiththem?

No,theycarryguninsteadtoprotectthemselvesandtopunishthosebadmen.Allright,whatabouttheirappearance,charactersorpersonality?

Dotheylookgentle?

No.theylookroughandmasculine,thoughinevitablyhandsome.Theycurseallthetime.Theyhavenomannerstoothers.Theyareexpertsatfightingandshooting.Theycomeandgolikeafreewind,neverstayforanyone,evenhisbelovedwoman.Theyarestrongminded,self-reliant,capableofsurvivalinharshenvironment.Theyarewarm-heartedtotheweakanddeterminedtoseekjusticewiththeirrifles.Inoneword,theyarejustlikewhatarealmanshouldbe.Ofcourse,theyareonlyfictionalfigures.Theirexciting,romanticandlegendarylifeiscreatedbywritersandmoviedirectors.However,theyaretruetosomeextent.TheysharesomethingincommonwiththosefrontierpeopleinAmericanhistory.Forinstance,theirself-reliance,theirstrongabilityofsurvivalunderhardconditions,theircourage,ambitionandstrongwill,theirskillsinridingandshootingarealsoessentialtofrontiermen.Tomostpeople,includingmanyAmericans,cowboysarethesymbolofAmericanfrontiermen.TheirliferepresentstheuniqueAmericanlifestyleinitsearlydays.However,itisnecessarytoknowthatcowboylifewasonlyasmallpartofAmericanfrontierlifeandthelifeinfrontierwasfarfromromantic,thoughfarimportantinAmericanhistory.

Theword‘frontier’iscloselylinkedwiththeWestwardMovementofAmericansfrom1600sto1900s.Duringaperiodaslongas300years,immigrantscamecontinuouslyfromtheoldcontinenttotheunexplorednewlandandpusheditsfrontiersteadilyfromtheeasterncoastfurtherintothecontinenttillthePacificOceaninthewest,AlaskainthenorthandMexicangulfinthesouth.Theprocessofwestwardmovementistheprocessoftheformationofthenationandthecountry.Inotherwords,thewestwardmovementisimportantinthatitnotonlyhelpedtoexpandterritory,buttoshapethoseimmigrantsintoanintegratednationwithitsdistinctivenationalcharacter,knownastheAmericanspirit.Asahistoriansaid“ThefrontierdidmuchtoshapeAmericanlife”.

Inthislesson,wearetohaveaglimpseofthefrontierlife,notfromadramatizedmovie,butfromarecollectedmemory.

Detailedstudyofthetext

Para.1

1.inthefirstparagraph,theauthorprovidesuswithsomebackgroundinformation:

thestorywassetattheendofthe19thcenturyinFlorid（atthattime,theU.S.wasstillapredominantlyagriculturalcountry;thewestwardmovementcametoendandthefrontierwasdisappearing,buttheoffshoreislandsinFloridawerelargelyunexplored）;thenarratorwasafive-year-oldgirlthenandthestoryistoldfromachild’spointofview;

Whatdidthefatherdecidetodo?

---HedecidedtotakehisfamilythroughthewildsoftheEvergladesandstakedaclaimonanoffshoreisland

Whatwashispurpose?

---Hewantedtofarmtheislandbutmoreimportantly,togivethekidsatasteofthewayhegrewup.

2.In1899whenIwasfiveyearsoldandlivinginPalmetto,Florida,myfatherdecidedtotakehisfamilythroughthewildsoftheEvergladesandstakeaclaimonanoffshoreisland.

●palmetto:

atypeofplant,seenote1.Theplaceisperhapsnamedafterthepalmettos,whicharenativetotheareaandgrowabundantthere.

●Wild:

（usu.pl）aninhabitedoruncultivatedregion.

●Everglades:

seenote2,vastmarshcoveringmuchofsouthernFlorida.Anationalparkwasestablishedherein1947.

●Stakeaclaim:

tosayorshowclearlythatyouconsidersomethingisorshouldbeyours.

In1862,AmericangovernmentissuedHomesteadAct.Accordingtotheact,governmentlandcouldbeclaimedbymerelyoccupyingandimprovingit.Inotherwords,anybodycanclaimapieceofvirginlandashisaslongasheinhabitedonandcultivatedit.

3.Whatdoweknowaboutthefatherformthefirstparagraph?

●hegrewupinaruralenvironment（hehadbeenacowboyintheMyakkaareawhenhewasfifteenyearsold）andhischildhoodexperiencehelpedformhissimpleandnaturallifestyle（aslongashelived,papalikedhiscornbreadmadecampfirestylewithboilingwaterandsaltonly,andflattenedoutintoabrittle,tastycracker.）

Para.2

4.Whatisthetopicsentenceofpara.2?

●Thetopicsentenceis“hislifewasaseriesofadventures.”Thentheauthorsupportsthisstatementwithasketchofwhathappenedtoherfather’sfamilyintheCivilWarandhowhisfathermanagedtofinishschoolandfindajob.

5.Hisfather’scarriagehouseinCharleston,SouthCarolina,andhisnearbyplantationwereinthelineofSherman’smarch

●carriagehouse:

asmallbuilding,usuallypartofanestateoradjacenttothemainhousewhichhousescarriages,coachesorothervehicles,also“coachhouse”

●Charleston:

animportantcityintheSouth.（SeeNote3.）ThefiringonFortSumterinCharlestonin1861touchedofftheAmericanCivilWar.

6.WhenPapafinishedschoolattheacademythere,heworkedasacowboyonaranchinMyakkaforafriendofhisdeadfather’s.

●academy:

inthiscaseaprivatesecondaryschool.Usuallyitreferstoaninstitutionforhigherlearningandscientificresearches,suchastheAcademyofScience

●ranch:

alargefarm,especiallyinthewestU.S.,withitsbuilding,lands,etc,fortheraisingofcattle,horses,orsheepingreatnumbers.Notetodifferitfromplantation,whichisalargefarminthesouthU.S.forplantingcropssuchaswheat,cotton,cornetc.

7.Byagethirty,hewasacountysheriff,nomeanjobinthosedays,andhisterritorywaswideranging.Thecountyheservedwaslatersplitintosixoreightcounties.

●Thisistoshowthatthefather’sdecisiontoleaveforthewildsofFloridawasoutofhisadventurouscharacterratherthanfinancialdifficulties.

●Thejobofacountysheriffwasimportantandtheareaundermyfather’sjurisdictionwasfarandwide

Para.3

8.SouthFloridawasuninvitingtomanybecauseofthemosquitoes,panthers,crocodiles,swamps,andwetlands.Butthesemarksofwildcountrycalledtomyfatherlikethelegendarysirensong.

●Tosomepeople,SouthFlorida,withitswildanimals,backwardnessandpoorlivingconditions,wasn’tapleasantplacetolivein,butmyfatherwasdeeplyattractedtoitpreciselybecauseitwasunexplored.Theuncultivatednaturalstateposesatemptingchallengetomyfather.

Para.4

9.Whatthemainideaofthisparagraph?

●TheauthordescribeswhattheirlifewaslikeinPalmetto.Itwasabeautifulplaceandtheirlifewassimplebutcomfortable,naturalandsafe;yetthefatherwasadventurousandenterprisingandinsistedonsettingoutfortheuntouchedlandoftheTenThousandIslands.Afterdetaileddescriptionsofthehouse,thesurroundingsandtheirrelatives,theauthorsumsupthispartwithasentence,“itwasanidylliclife,andwelivedclosetoourfamilyandtothecomfortsandsafeasmalltowncouldafford.”

10.HestartedbuildingacoveredwagonaroundthefourthofJulyandwewentintothewildernesswithhiminthefall.

●Inthosedaysintheruralareaandtoalittlegirl,timemightnotbeasimportantaconceptasitistoday,besides,asalittlegirl,itisonlynaturalforhertoremembervaguelywhentheystartedtheirjourney.ThenwhydidsherememberthefourthofJuly?

What’sspecialaboutthisdate?

---itistheindependenceday,animportantnationalholidayoftheUnitedStates.Forkids,holidaysarealwayssomethingtoberemembered.

11.WehadmadeourhomeinPalmettoforayearorsowheremymother’sgentlefolks,theHarrisons,hadsettledfollowingtheCivilWar.

●gentlefolks:

（oldusage）peopleof