Lessons from
Jefferson
Teaching Aims(教学目的):
To grasp the important words and
patterns (掌握重点单词和句型).
To understand the lessons from
Jefferson(了解杰斐逊的遗训).
Focal Points(教学重点):
The usage of the important words and
patterns (重点单词和句型的用法)
To understand the contents of the text
解课文内容）
(理
Difficult Points(教学难点):
 Focal patterns(重点句型)
Teaching Methods(教学方法):
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
Teaching(讲授式)
Discussion(讨论式)
Elicitation(启发式)
Important words and phrases
（重点单词和短语）
 source, appoint, create, go out of one’s way,
leave to, act on, leave behind, above all
Important patterns（重点句型）
• 1. It is/was…that…
• 2 neither … nor…
• 3.were it left to me…
The Declaration of
Independence
Adopted on July 4, 1776
A. The rights belong to everybody
B. Recounts the wrongs the British did against colonies
C. Proclaim the independence from British rule
B. Mark the beginning of a new nation
C. Hence, July 4 become the national birthday
 .The Declaration of Independence: One of
the most important historical documents of
the U.S. written by Thomas Jefferson and
adopted by the Second Continental
Congress in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. It
declared formally the independence of the
thirteen colonies in North America from
Great Britain.
I.Information Related To the Text
(与课文相关的信息)
.
1.George Washington
(1732---1799):
Commander-in-Chief of
the Continental Army
during the American
Revolution and first
President of the U.S.
(1789---1797)..
 Abraham Lincoln
(1809---1865):
Sixteen President of
the U.S. (1861--1865).
 Thomas Jefferson (1743---
1826): third President of
the U.S. (1801---1809) and
author of the Declaration of
Independence .The son of
a wealthy planter in Virginia.
Jefferson was well
educated and trained as a
lawyer. A man of many
interests, he was also an
architect, and a patron of
learning and the arts.
Social Class
An introduction to Social Class
Social Class is a group of
_______________________
people differentiated
from other groups in terms of
weath, position and power.
According to ____________
Marxist viewpoint
classes are determined
primarily according to
the___________________
relations of production of a
given society, that is,
according to an examination
of who owns the means of
production and whooperates
the means of production. The
theory of class is largely
Max Weber.
based on ________________.
Max Weber’s theory
The men in every society are
evaluated by their fellow men on a
number of structural bases. They
are evaluated in terms of their
profession, their social statues,
their membership in a family or
ethnic body, and their knowledge
or education
A Brief Introduction to Jefferson
and the French Revolution
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Jefferson served as minister to
France from 1785 to 1788 when
revolution was imminent in France
He sympathized with the revolution,
feeling it was similar in purpose to
the American Revolution.
Thanks to his political writings and
his legal reforms in Virginia, French
reformers regarded Jefferson as a
champion of liberty.
Group Discussion Topic:
Let’s talk about Jefferson
Qustion: Do you have any idea about
him?
 Have you ever heard any story about
him?
 Can you list us his
Professions?
Statesman, Writer, Thinker,
Diplomat, Architect, Musician,
Scientist & Inventor

What is the spirit we can learn
from him?
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1. Always learning something new, Always trying
to contribute to human progress
Group Work:
2. “I had rather be shut up in a very modest
village, with my books, my family and a few old
friends, dinning on simple bacon, and letting the
world roll on as it likes than to occupy the most
splendid post which any human power can give”
Learn more about America

Washington D.C.
Capital of the United States, situated
on the Potomac River in the District of
Columbia. The district is a piece of land
ten miles square and it does not belong
to any one state but to all the states.
The district is named in honor of
Columbus, the discover of America.
Learn more about America
The capital owes much to the first President
of the United States, George Washington.
It was Washington who chose the place
for the District and laid in 1790 the
corner-stone of the Capitol, where
Congress sits.
Word-web
obtain
Threaten
action
Appoint
create
Educate
false
Humble
prefer
Owe
talent
Resent
agreement
Conflict
custom
Error
Hesitate
Influence
Origin
Perform
reject
Source
Proper Names
Bruce Bliven / 布鲁斯·布利文
Thomas Jefferson / 托马斯·杰斐逊
George Washington / 乔治·华盛顿
Abraham Lincoln / 亚伯拉罕·林肯
the Declaration of Independence 《独立宣言》
the James River 詹姆斯河
Lafayette / 拉斐特
Heaven / 上帝；天堂
Philadelphia / 费城 (美国港市)
II. Lessons from Jefferson
（杰斐逊的遗训）
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Go and see.
You can learn from everyone.
Judge for yourself.
Do what you believe is right.
Trust the future; trust the young.
III. Analyze the text
（分析课文）
Lessons from Jefferson
By Bruce Bliven
The setting of
the story, when,
who and where
Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United
States, may be less famous than George Washing- ton and
Abraham Lincoln, but most 5 people remember at least one
fact about him: he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Although Jefferson lived more than 200 years ago, there is
much 10 that we can learn from him today. Many of his
ideas are especially in- teresting to modern youth. Here are
some of the things he said and wrote:
The author’s
occupation in
detail
Go and see. Jefferson believed 15 that a free man obtains knowledge
from many sources besides books and that personal investigation is
important. When still a young man, he was appointed to a committee to
find out whether the South Branch of the James River was deep enough to
be used by large boats. While the other members of the committee sat in
the state capitol and studied papers on 20 the subject,Jefferson got into a
canoe and made on-the-spot observations.
You can learn from everyone. By birth and
by education Jefferson be- longed to the highest
social class. Yet, in a day when few noble persons
ever spoke to those of humble origins except to
give an order, Jefferson went out of his way to talk
with gardeners, servants, and waiters. Jefferson 25
once said to the French nobleman, Lafayette, "You
must go into the people's homes as I have done,
look into their cooking pots and eat their bread. If
you will only do this, you may find out why
people are dissatisfied and understand the
revolution that is threatening France. "
Judge for yourself. Jefferson refused to accept other people's opinions
without careful thought. "Neither believe nor reject anything," he wrote to
30 his nephew, "because any other person has rejected or believed it.
Heaven has given you a mind for judging truth and error. Use it. " Jefferson
felt that the people "may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false,
and to form a correct judgment. Were it left to me to decide whether we
should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a
government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. "
Do what you believe is right. In a free country there will
always be conflicting ideas, and this is a source of strength. It
is conflict and not unquestioning agreement that keeps
freedom alive.Though Jefferson was for many years the object
of strong criticism, he never answered his critics. He expressed
his philosophy in letters to a friend, " There are two sides to
every question. If you take one side with decision and act on it
with effect, those who take the other side will of course resent
your actions."
Regarding Young
people as the hope of
felt that the
the future
present
Trust the future; trust the young. Jefferson
should never be chained to customs which have lost their usefulness.
" No society," he said, "can make a perpetual constitution, or even a
perpetual law. The earth belongs to the living generation. " He did not
fear new ideas, nor did he fear the future. " How much pain, " he
remarked, "has been caused by evils which have never happened! I
expect the best, not the worst. I steer my ship with hope, leaving fear
behind. “
Jefferson's courage and idealism were based on knowledge. He
probably knew more than any other man of his age. He was an expert
in agriculture,archeology; and medicine.He practiced crop rotation
and soil conservation a century before these became standard practice,
Jefferson’s idea and behavior had
and
he invented a plow superior to any other in existence. He
exerted huge influence on the
influenced
architecture
throughout
America, and he was constantly
people at that
time and even
the
producing
devices for making the tasks of ordinary life easier to
present generation.
perform.
Of all Jefferson's many talents, one is central. He was
above all a good and tireless writer. His complete works, now
being published for the first time, will fill more than fifty
volumes. His talent as an author was soon discovered,and
when the time came to write the Declaration of Independence
at Philadelphia in 1776, the task of writing it was his. Millions
have thrilled to his words: "We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal. . . "
When Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of
American independence, he left his countrymen a rich legacy
of ideas and examples. American education owes a great debt
to Thomas Jefferson, who believed that only a nation of
educated people could remain free.
While Reading Activities
(Lines 1~2) Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the
United States, may be less famous than George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but……
Question:
Why
is
Jefferson
less
famous
than
Washington and Lincoln?
Washington is well-known for his leadership in the
American Independence War. Lincoln is well-known for
his role in abolishing slavery in the United States.
While Reading Activities
(Lines 14~16) Jefferson believed that a free man obtains
knowledge from many sources besides books and that
personal investigation is important.
Question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of
personal investigation?
Advantages: to get first-hand material, not to have to rely
on false information or situations which have changed,
ability to ask and answer your own questions.
Disadvantages: limitations in time and ability to travel,
lack of money, no expertise on the subject.
While Reading Activities
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(Lines 22~24) Yet, in a day when few noble
persons even spoke to those of humble origins
except to give an order, Jefferson went out
of……
Question: Why didn’t noble persons speak to
those of humble origins except to five an order?
The noble persons thought they were superior
and looked down upon the people of humble
origins and regarded talking with those people as
degrading. But sometimes they had to, because
they had to order those people to do things for
While Reading Activities
(Lines 30~32) “Neither believe nor reject anything,” he wrote
to his nephew, “because any other person has rejected or
believed it……
Question: How do you understand “Neither believe nor reject
anything because any other person has rejected or believed
it.”?
Never believe or reject anything only because any other
person has rejected or believed it. Don’t accept blindly other
people’s likes or dislikes. One must have independent
thought.
While Reading Activities
(Lines 42~43) He expressed his philosophy in letters
to a friend……
Question: What do you understand his philosophy?
It is difficult to satisfy both sides. It is natural that there
are two sides to every question.
While Reading Activities
(Lines 46~47) “No society,” he said, “can make a
perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law.
The earth belongs to the living generation.”
Question: Why can not a society make a
perpetual constitution, or a perpetual law?
Society changes and people’s ideas change, too.
What’s good today is not necessarily good
tomorrow.
While Reading Activities
(Lines 63~65) Millions have thrilled to his words:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal…”
Question: What is the significance of “all men
are created equal…”?
No one should be denied the rights that he is
entitled to and no one should be discriminated
against because no person is, at base, really
inferior to any other.
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1.source; origin
“source” involves the metaphorical comparison to
the fountainhead of a river.
“origin” suggests a remote beginning in time or
place, its Latin etymology meaning “to rise”.
e.g. 1).We’ll have to find a new source of income.
2).A newspaper gets news from many sources.
3).The origin of the custom is unknown.
4).Ancient Greece is called the origin of
Western Civilization.
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2.appoint; name
“appoint” indicates that the selection is made by
someone officially charged with this duty.
“name” is less formal and tells little about the
chooser or the method of choice involved.
e.g. 1).The president appointed a new cabinet
member.
2）.I heard that the committee would appoint
him director of the China studies program.
3).He was appointed to a university chair.
4).When will they name a successor?
5).He was named captain of the team.
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3.go out of one’s way to do something: make a
special effort or exert oneself more than usual to
do something.
e.g. 1）.Jane went out of her way to be nice to
the newcomer.
2).He is so selfish that he never goes out of
his way to help others.
4.neither… nor…
e.g. 1).The table is neither nice nor solid.
2).Neither he nor you are a student.
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5. It is/was…that (who)…
e.g. 1).I t is because English is useful that we
study it hard.
2). It is advanced world levels that we should
catch up with and surpass.
6.act on: act according to
 e.g. 1).You would not have made such a mistake
if you had acted on his advice.
2).Acting on his advice ,I went there by plane.

7. leave behind: abandon; fail to take or bring.
 e.g. 1）.Oh dear! I’ve left the umbrella behind.
 2）.Can you lend me a pen? I have left mine
behind.
 8. in existence
 e.g.1）. That kind of system is no longer in
existence.

9. above all: most important of all
 2）.This is the longest bridge in existence.
 e.g. 1）.Children need many things , but above
all they need attention.
2）.Be polite, above all, to old people.
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10.discover; invent; create
To discover is to find or find out something that
is already in existence but was not known about,
such as a place or a fact.
To invent is to make something that had no
previous existence, such as a machine or a
method, through the use of the imagination or
through experiment.
To create often means to bring something new
into existence out of old things or to produce a
character or a role in a play through the
imaginative process.
A. New words and old words
Old words or expressions
New words or expressions
announcement
declaration
freedom
independence
get
obtain
done in person
personal
examination
investigation
put in a position of responsibility
appoint
small, narrow boat
canoe
documents
papers
at the place of action
on the spot
low in position
humble
source
origin
displease
dissatisfy
scare
threaten
refuse
reject
mistake
error
not true
false
opinion
judgment
feel doubtful
prefer
like better
the latter
the second of two
the latter
disagree
conflict
without question
unquestioning
having the same opinion
agreement
unfavorable remarks
criticism
point of view
philosophy
result
effect
feel angry or bitter at
resent
now
the present
tie
chain
never-ending
perpetual
say, comment
remark
very bad
evil
science or practice of farming
agriculture
study of ancient human life
archaeology
protecting
conservation
good or better
superior
the state of existing
existence
have an effect on
influence
art and science of building
architecture
continuously
constantly
do, carry out
perform
special natural ability
talent
means
device
chief, main, most important
central
one complete book
volume
have a very exciting feeling
thrill
clear
self-evident
the same
equal
the yearly return of a special date
anniversary
abandon
leave behind
heritage
legacy
B. Chinese and English phrases
Chinese
English
有趣
be of interest
某人的遗训
lessons from somebody
至少
at least
独立宣言
Declaration of Independence
现代青年
modern youth
获得知识
obtain knowledge
来源很广
from many sources
亲自做调查
personal investigation
被任命为
be appointed to
调查
to find out
州议会大厦
the state capitol
研究文件
study papers
有关这一问题
on the subject
做现场调查
make on-the-spot investigations
向…..学习
learn from
论出身
by birth
论所受的教育
by education
属于
belong to
社会阶层
social class
出身卑微
of humble origin
发号施令
give an order
想尽办
go out of one’s way
烧饭锅
cooking pot
自己作判断
judge for oneself
接受别人的意见
accept other people’s opinions
不经认真考虑
without careful thought
判断真理和谬误
judge truth and error
一切真实和虚伪的东西
everything true and false
做出正确的判断
form a correct judgment
完全信任
be safely trusted
毫不犹豫
not hesitate a moment
相互冲突的思想
conflicting ideas
力量的源泉
source of strength
绝对的一致
unquestioning agreement
保持活力
keep alive
批评的对象
the object of criticism
反驳
answer the critics
付诸行动
act on
表达观点
express one’s philosophy
站在一面
take one side
坚决地
with decision
对某人的行动不满
resent one’s actions
被束缚于
be chained to
无用的习俗
活着的一代
customs which have
usefulness
the living generation
基于
be based on
同时代的人
men of one’s age
擅长
be an expert in…
农作物轮作
crop rotation
土壤保持
soil conservation
lost
their
普遍作法
standard practice
优于
superior to
现有的
in existence
日常生活中的工作
the tasks of ordinary
life
The end