Abstract
This instructional design is focused on Writing Part of A Day Out in Unit 3, 8A from Oxford English from the perspective of the level-based teaching idea. It is based on the National English Curriculum Standards, the theory of individualized teaching, Zone of proximal development and Principle of success effect. It aims at helping all students master the skills of writing, improving their confidence and raising their interests and offering some references for writing teaching in junior high school. The design has three parts: analysis of its major elements; the design of teaching procedure and reflection on the design. The part of analysis includes teaching materials, teaching objectives, learners, key points and difficult points. In terms of the learners, they come from an urban school. The author chooses A Day Out as the teaching material owing to that it is close to their life and can easily arouse students’ interest in learning. Teaching objectives, language knowledge, language skills, affective factors and learning strategies are included in this instructional design. After this class, the students are able to master new words and sentence patterns, improve skills of speaking, reading and writing as well. It can also help them learn how to cooperate with others and develop a sense of love to life, cities and countries. The key point is mastering new words, phrases and sentences like “I will go to…by underground/bus”, “Tian’an men Square”, “row boats” and so on. Making a plan in the sequence of time is also the key point. The difficult point is how to write an invitation letter with facts and opinions in the sequence of time.
In order to realize these teaching objectives and break through difficult points, the instructional design is divided into three major stages: pre-writing stage, while-writing stage, post-writing stage. Pre-writing stage includes “Brainstorm” and “Lead-in”. While-writing stage covers “Read and select”, “Think and write” and “Retell”. Post-writing stage includes “Preparation and choose”, “write and correct”. It aims at helping the students to consolidate their knowledge.
The reflection on the instructional design involves teaching objectives and teaching process. The revised instructional design is on the basis of the reflection. The teaching objectives are achieved generally. In terms of teaching process, the whole design is successful but for a few problems. First, in the warm-up stage, it lacks a question “When will I go?” Second, in the step 3, it lacks a question “How will they go?” Third, the three passages can’t be compared at the same time. On the basis of the above reflection, three revisions are put forward as follows: Firstly, showing a time table and adding one question “When will I do it?” Secondly, in the step 3, the question “How will they go” needs to be added. Thirdly, the step 7 may be changed. The three passages (Passage A, B, C) will be provided. But the students will be asked to find out the better one (Passage A vs. B) and tell the reasons. Then Passage C will be presented (Passage B vs. C). The students will also be asked to find out the better one and tell the reasons. So the students will know that a good passage must have a clear structure, correct grammar and good expressions. In this activity, the teacher will not tell the students what the writing strategy is. In fact, they will be led to find it out by comparison.
Key words: level-based teaching; writing teaching; Instructional design; reflection
