Growing painsBrief introduction:

Growing pains was on TV from 1985 to 1992, a total of seven years, and it told over one hundred and sixty different stories.

The program was about a family of six who lived on Long Island near New York. The father was a doctor and the mother was a reporter. They had four children. The oldest child was Mike. He was the important reason for the program’s huge success.

The program was so popular in the USA that many of the people, both at home and abroad, still watch them now. Its stories were about ordinary family problems. Like Mike’s parents, many parents who work often worry about their children.

Growing pains

Pop music

R&B

Hip hop

Street dance

Things I like while my parents hate:

Pop stars

Activities my parents like while I hate.

Old songs

Generation gap

Growing pains

Computer games

Go shoppingdoing houseworkChat on line

Comic books

Study all the time

Attending classes in holidays

1 2

3 4

Picture talking

Describe the pictures with your own words to your group members, and try to make up a story of it.

What does the boy do?

What is the mother doing? How is she probably feeling?

What feelings may the boy have?

Picture 1

Read the instructions and discuss each picture in pairs.

He turns up his music so loud.

She is shouting at him. Angry.

He feels sorry and was at a loss.

What happens to the girl with a bag?

What did her parents ask her to do?

Can you guess what might have happened to her?

What will she do?

Picture 2

She comes late to home.

They asked her to be home by 6 o’clock.

She may explain it to her parents.

not later than

Why are the boys and girls around the pretty lady?

What does the boy want to do? Is he allowed to do so? Why or why not?

What feelings may the boy have?

Picture 3

They are asking her for her signature.

He wants her signature too. He is not allowed to do so because his mother thinks it’s a waste of time.

He may feel pitiful/regretful. He may be angry with his mother.

What is the boy probably doing?

Did the boy do well in his exams?

How does his mother feel about the score?

What feelings may the boy have?

Picture 4

He is probably playing computer games.

No.

She feels upset and angry. The boy may feel sorry and upset.

story of picture 1:

One day, my best friend, Xiao Ming, introduced a piece of

rock music to me. We both liked it very much. So when I

got home, I was too impatient to wait to listen to it. I lost

myself so deep in the music that I didn’t pay attention to

the volume. Just then my mother shouted at me, “do you

have to turn up your music so loud?” I was surprised and

had to come back to the fact. I found my father looking at

me angrily, who was working at the desk. My young sister

covered her ears with hands. I disturbed them. So I had to

turn off the radio. I knew I made a mistake, but I wish

they could know how I love this piece of music.

story of picture 2 One evening, on my way home I met a little girl

who was crying by the road because of not finding her mother. So I took her to the police station. With the help of the police and me, the girl got home safe. However, when I got home, father said angrily, “I told you to be home by 6 o’clock.” Mom also shouted, “Where did you go?” I felt so sorry that I couldn’t help crying. They didn’t give me a chance to explain. I hate the way they treat me.

story of picture 3 One day, I heard the famous superstars ‘S.H.E’

have come to our city to give performances. I am the fan of them. I was eager to get their signatures. I was about to go to the concert when my mother shouted, “Don’t you think this is a waste of time? Come back. You are not a child, you should spend more time on your studies.” even though I wanted to attend the concert very much, I had to stay at home. Today I still regretted about it.

story of picture 4 I have a close friend named Wang Dong, who stu

dies in another school. We keep in touch with each other by writing letters. This week I failed in the maths exam. I was sad. In order to comfort me, Wang Dong fixed time to have a good talk with me on the Internet. Unfortunately, I just sit before the computer, my mother came with my maths paper in her hand. She shouted at me, “There will be no more computer games for you!”

When you have a problem and want to talk to someone, who do you choose to talk to? Why?

Think about the following questions:

Good parents in my eyes:

kind, loving, humorous, strict,

open-minded, fair, understanding,

patient, learned, helpful, forgiving

parents children

If parents and children want to get on well with each other, they should…

love

respect

learn from each other

understand

help

Grow up without pains but happiness

Homework:

Please write a letter to your teacher about:

1. Good parents in my eyes

2. Good children that I try to be

(80-100 words are fine)