Unit 3 Diverse Cultures
Reading and Thinking

Teaching Material Analysis

The topic of this part is “Learn about a city that has diverse cultures”.

This section is a travel journal. In the diary, a Chinese student Li Lan recorded her trip to California and mainly introduced her day trip to San Francisco and what she had seen, heard and felt, from the beginning interest in the city buildings to later better understanding of the diverse cultures’ influence to all aspects of the city. San Francisco is a place which shows the mix of American diverse cultures, like the Mission District where many from Mexico or Central America live and Chinatown where many Chinese made a living by running shops and restaurants because of the gold rush in the 19th century. Therefore, many different cultures have been mixed from the 19th century, among of which is the Chinese culture.

Diary is just a way of recording daily life and has its own format. The first line is the date, on the left or on the right. The body of diary is always used to record what the writer saw, heard, did and thought all day with the first person and past tense. Travel journal recording the writer’s travel attractions, activities and thoughts has the same format as the diary.

Concretely, Li Lan recorded her own day travel according to the timeline or time order. In the first paragraph, she told the reader her first impression on San Francisco. In the second, third and fourth paragraphs, she respectively described her activities, what she saw and heard and the next day’s plan in the morning, afternoon and tomorrow evening. In the day travel, the writer experienced and gradually understood diverse cultures are filled with every corner of the city, which is also the theme of the text.

Teaching Aims

1. Get the detailed information according the timeline; classify and organize information by drawing a diagram.

2. Learn the reading skills—finding the timeline and drawing a diagram to classify and organize information.

3. Know and understand the features and reasons of diverse cultures.

4. Think critically of the reasons, advantages and disadvantages of diverse cultures.

Important and Difficult Points

1. Learn the reading skills—finding the timeline and drawing a diagram to classify and organize information.

2. Know and understand the features and reasons of diverse cultures.

Teaching Procedures

Step 1 Lead in—Small talk

Have students find San Francisco on the map and discuss this question in groups:

What do you know and want to know about the city？

Step 2 Before reading—Predict the content

Format: diary

The heroine: Li Lan

What she did: visit San Francisco, US

Therefore, we can know the article is about Li Lan recording what she saw, heard, did and felt in her diary after visiting San Francisco, US. So it may be a travel journal.

Step 3 While reading

Task 1

Read the text and answer the following questions.

Q1: Where has she been to and where does she plan to visit? (The captalised words)

Q2: When did the earthquake happen in the city of San Francisco?

Q3: Why did Chinese immigrants（移民）go to San Francisco?

Q4: Where did Li Yan go for dinner?

Q5: How is the article organized?

Task 2

Read the text again and complete the timeline of Li Lan’s trip in Activity 3.

Task 3

Answer the questions using information from the travel journal.

Q1: What impressed the writer first about San Francisco?

Q2: What is so special about the Mission District?

Q3: What examples of ethnic diversity can you find in the journal?

Step 4 Post reading—Critical thinking

Discuss these questions in groups. And then get some Ss to share their opinions.

Q1: Have you ever been to a place that has a diverse culture? What do you think about culture diversity?

Q2: What are the benefits and challenges of cultural diversity?

Step 5 Post reading—Retell

Complete the passage according to the text.

Today, I arrived back in San Francisco, and it feels good (1) _____ (be) back in the city again. The city succeeded in (2) _____ (rebuild) itself after the earthquake that (3) _____ (occur) in 1906, and I stayed in the Mission District, enjoying some delicious noodles mixed with cultures.

In the afternoon, I headed to a local museum (4) _____ showed the historical changes in California. During the gold rush, many Chinese arrived, and some opened up shops and restaurants in Chinatown to earn a (5) _____ (live). Many others worked on (6) _____ (farm), joined the gold rush, or went to build the railway that connected California to the east. The museum showed us (7) _____ America was built by immigrants from (8) _____ (difference) countries and cultures.

In the evening, I went to Chinatown, and ate in a Cantonese restaurant that served food on (9) _____ (beauty) china plates. Tomorrow evening, I’m going to (10) _____ jazz bar in the Richmond District.

Step 6 Homework

Review what you have learned today.