Political System of Western Countries
план-конспект урока по английскому языку (10 класс) на тему

Political System of Western Countries

Тип урока: комбинированный

Цели: - активизация в речи лексического материала;

           - тренировка изученного грамматического материала: модальный глагол should;

           - развитие навыков неподготовленной устной речи;

           - совершенствование навыков поискового чтения;

           - развитие памяти, внимания, творческого и логического мышления; повышение мотивации к изучению иностранного языка.

Оборудование: компьютер, интерактивный плакат, раздаточный материал.

I. Организационный момент. Сообщение темы и целей урока.

II. Фонетическая зарядка.

III. Речевая разминка.

IV. Основная часть:

1) повторение грамматического материала;

2) *индивидуальная работа;

3) выполнение творческого задания (работа в группах);

4) работа с текстом:

- дотекстовый этап: снятие возможных лексических трудностей;

- текстовый этап: чтение текста, заполнение формы;

- послетекстовый этап: обмен информацией (работа в парах), характеристика политической системы США.

V. Подведение итогов. Домашнее задание.

Ход урока:

I. – Good afternoon. Take your seats, please. How are you today? Who is on duty today? Is anybody absent? Thanks.

So, today we are to continue our work with the topic “Political Systems of Western Countries” and we shall review the vocabulary, train using of one of the modal verbs and characterize the political system of the USA.

II. – And I think we shall start with the phonetic drill. Say after me, please:

a bill, to elect, to appoint, a President, the royal assent, a law, to sign, to rule the country, to approve, a Prime Minister.

III. – For your speech drill I’d like you to explain the meaning of the words. Don’t forget, please, you shouldn’t translate but explain. Remember, please, that you shall always speak English. Thank you very much.

IV. 1) – Well, and let’s remember some rules of using the modal verb should. Look at the screen: what is the translation of this verb? Can you explain the difference between these two forms? Thank you very much. Let’s see the examples. Read them, please. Is everything clear? Well, and then let’s start doing the tasks.

2)* - Now I’d like one person to work with the computer. You shall answer two questions about a political system. Then we’ll check the answers. If everything is correct, your answers will become green (I mean the colour), if something is wrong, it will be red.

Questions:

1. Who elects the members of the Federal Assembly?

a) the Federal Government                b) the people

2. Who guarantees the basic rights of the people?

a) the President                b) the Prime Minister

3) – And while one person is working with the computer the others are to work in groups. You have the cards with the roles. Try to compose and act a situation according to your roles. The main rule is using of the verb should. Look through the cards. Have you got any questions to me? Then start doing the task.

Card 1.

The Duma: you are to prepare a new bill and give it to the President for examining with the arguments for its advantages. (For example: It is necessary to pass the law because we should do more for …).

The President: you are to approve or to challenge a new bill and explain your decision. (For example: I can’t approve the bill because … The Duma should have …).

Card 2.

The Parliament: you are to prepare a new bill and give it to the Queen to get the royal assent with the arguments for its advantages. (For example: It is necessary to pass the law because we should do more for …).

The Queen: you are to sign a new bill or to give it back to the Parliament for amendments. (For example: I will sign the bill because … But the Parliament should …).

Card 3.

Congress: you are to prepare a new bill and give it to the President for examining with the arguments for its advantages. (For example: It is necessary to pass the law because we should do more for …).

The President: you are to approve a new bill or to give it back for amendments. (For example: I can’t approve the bill because … Congress should have …).

- Well, I’d like to listen to the results of your work. And we shall start with the individual work. Thank you.

4) – So, we have discussed the political systems of Great Britain and Russia and have started to speak about the USA. Now we are going to work with the text. Of course it’s connected with the topic of our lesson. But firstly pay attention to the vocabulary notes. Let’s pronounce the words. Do you know all of them?

Vocabulary:

amendment (correction)                to be located (to be situated)               to assist (to help)                 to enforce (to make somebody do something)

to overrule (to refuse)                to vest (to give rights)                      to allow (to let)

- Take the card with the table and complete the sentences according to the text. You can see two columns, so I’d like you to work in pairs. One of you shall work with the sentences in the first column and another student shall work with the second column.

Political System of the USA

The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states. Each state has its own government («state government»). In some ways the United States is like 50 small countries.

The government of the USA acts according to the Constitution which was signed by the first thirteen representatives of thirteen original American states in 1787. The document was written in 1787 and since that time twenty six Amendments have been added. The first ten Amendments were simply rights or the Bill of rights. According to the Constitution the USA is a republic. So, the officials of any rank are elected by the US citizens. Every citizen has rights which can not be violated.

The Constitution proclaims a federal system of government which keeps both the states and the federal power from getting too much power. It means that the federal government is given certain powers, for example, to make peace or war, to issue money and to regulate the trade and so on.

The federal power is located in Washington, D.C. It is based on legislative, executive and juridical branches of power.

The legislative power is vested in Congress, which consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives, There are 435 members in the House of Representatives and 100 senators in Congress. Each state elects two members for the Senate.

The executive branch is headed by the President who is assisted by the Vice President. The

President enforces federal laws, serves as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The President can veto a bill unless Congress by a two-thirds vote shall overrule him. The Vice President, elected from the same political party as the President, acts as chairman of the Senate, and in the event of the death of the President, assumes the Presidency. The President of the USA is chosen in nationwide elections every 4 years together with the Vice.-President. The President can not be elected for more than two terms. The Cabinet is made up of Department Secretaries. The most important of them is the Secretary of State, who deals with foreign affairs.

The judicial branch is made up of Federal District Courts, 11 Federal Courts and the Supreme Court. Federal judges are appointed by the President for life.

Federal courts decide cases involving federal law, conflicts between citizens of different states.

Constitution has been amended twenty six times. The Bill of Rights guarantees individual liberties: freedom of word, religion and so on. Later amendments abolished slavery, granted the vote to women and colour people and allowed citizens to vote at the age of 18.

- And now tell each other the information that you have found in the text.

- Well, that’ll do. You have enough information to characterize the political system of the USA. Who would like to try? You may use the cards.

IV. – So, you have done all the tasks and I’m very pleased with your work today. What was the most difficult task for you? Have you got any questions? Then write down your home task: you are to draft a bill for our college: for students or for teachers. Tell about its necessity (the reasons to pass it). Is the task clear?

You may have a break.