Unit 12
Disney World: Cities of Simulation as Postmodern Utopias
Teaching Plan
Learning Objectives
1)Rhetorical skill: quotation (of some terms)
2)Key language & grammar points
3)Writing strategies: the shift of addressing forms
4)Theme: society, our life and technology
Pre-class Activity: none.
Relationship to Current Unit:
Materials: Teacher’s Book (6), English-English Dictionary, Blackboard, PPT
Estimated Time of Lesson佛山新八景: 270m, 6 ssions
Time Allocation:
P 1-2
1.Pre-reading: playing games / word puzzle / picture activation / short stories 10m
2.Global Reading: text introduction, culture notes, author, structure 15m
3.Detailed Reading (a): Text I: Paragraph 1-3 65m
P 3-4
4.Detailed Reading (b): Text I: Paragraph 4-11 90m
P 5-6
5.Consolidation Activities (a): Text Comprehension; Writing Strategies 20m
6.Consolidation Activities (b): Language work; Oral Activities; Writing 70m
7.Further Enhancement (Optional): Text II / Other Comprehensive Practices
Section One Pre-reading Activities
I. Picture Activation
What does Disney World evoke in you?
II. Pre- reading Questions薛之谦丑八怪
1. An amument park is the favorite of many people, especially of children. It is where you can let off steam and escape a bad mood. But amument parks also have many demerits, for example, safety problems, poor rvice quality, etc. Plea share with us one of your best or worst experiences in an amument park.
Open for discussion.
2. Have you ever been to a theme park like Disney World? Did you like it or not? Now suppo you are a designer and you are going to design a theme park yourlf. What would it be like? Plea share with us your design concept.
中药茶
Open for discussion.
Section Two Global Reading
I. Text Introduction
In this essay the author gives his critical view on Disney World from two perspectives: Wh
y does this park have such a great appeal to its visitors? And how does modern technology play its paradoxical roles in Disney? Conquently, the discussion on the two topics reveals some ironic contradictions we hold about ourlves, society, life and technology. In the end, the author highlights his point that “progress might cau humanity to regress” as “we e the ultimate attempt to rely on technology.”
II. Culture Notes
utopias (in the title)
北航研究生A utopia is an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. The word was first ud in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More.
Text Introduction | Culture Notes | Author | Structure
Max Weber (Paragraph 4)
忆江南词三首
(1864–1920) German economist and sociologist; regarded as one of the founders of mod
ern sociology. He coined the phra “the dinchantment of the world” to refer to how the advance of rationality had banished belief in magical events.
III. Author
Ken Sanes (1953– ), American columnist and editor. Over the years, he has published numerous articles in prominent publications, including the Boston Globe, the San Diego Union Tribune, the Nation, Newsday, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Herald and Asia Times Online. In addition, his work on his Transparency website and its sister site on the same domain, Reform, has been referred to by other newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal.
IV. Structural Analysis
Part 1
(Paras. 1-4) explaining the illusion, idealized reality and fantasies created by Disney
Part 2
(Paras. 5-7) probing the implications of modern technology in Disney World
Part 3
(Paras. 8-9) discussing the difference between the perfect world as desired by humanity and that of Disney World
Part 4
(Paras. 10-11) raising the question about our relationship with technology; winding up the essay by cautioning us against the greatest negative aspects of Disney World
Section Three Detailed Reading
DISNEY WORLD: CITIES OF SIMULATION AS POSTMODERN UTOPIAS
Ken Sanes
I. Analysis
印尼独立日
Paragraph 1 Analysis
The first paragraph is part of the ction (Paragraphs 1-4) in which the author explains the illusion (Paragraph 1), idealized reality (Paragraphs 2 and 3) and fantasies (Paragraph 4) created by Disney.
Paragraphs 2-3 Analysis
The two paragraphs elaborate on the idealized vision created by Disney World: a world of perpetual celebration and a world that is objective and material but emingly as carefree as the imagination. This illusion caters to humanity’s deepest dream — to “escape the fallen state of society and the lf” or “transcend the mundane.”
Paragraph 4 Analysis
Another function of Disney World is to render the possibility of re-creating our surroundings in the form of an updated version of contemporary romance stories. That is, Disney World satisfies people’s psychological needs by dismissing the “dry ‘scientism’” wi
th the aid of modern art and technology.
