EDSITEment - Lesson Plan

Young children are fascinated, though sometimes a bit frightened, by cultures different from their own. They are also at a stage of development when it's exciting and relatively easy to acquire new vocabulary. This unit on French language and culture takes full advantage of these points; and its focus on the family — a subject to which all students can relate — keeps the lessons simple and age-appropriate. Students will learn about French families and gain a preliminary knowledge of the French language, learning the French names for various family members.

Learning Objectives

After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:

Identify at least one country where the French language is spoken.
Describe similarities and differences between French and American families.
Speak the French words for some family members.

Guiding Question:

Where is France? Where else is the French language spoken? How are French and American families alike and different? What French words can we learn that look and sound almost the same as our English words?

Review each lesson in this unit. Select any materials from the Web you'd like to use in class, and bookmark them. Download and print out these materials, if desired, and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing.

These lessons are designed to be developmentally appropriate to the social studies curricula for grades K-2, which recommends that young children learn first about home, school and community — that is, their most immediate environment. However, you are the best judge of your students' skill level. You may decide that only one or two of the lessons fit in with your class curriculum. For this reason, each lesson has been written as a stand-alone activity.

Display a world map in the classroom for use in Lesson 1. If you are unable to obtain one, you can locate and print out world maps for distribution to students using the Map Machine available on the EDSITEment-reviewed website National Geographic Society Xpeditions.

In Lesson 3, remember to be sensitive to non-traditional family units. It is recommended as you begin the lesson that you ask the students to brainstorm different family relationships. Whenever possible, try to stick with the primary relations (mother, father, sister, brother), and avoid using terms outside the students' perspective, such as father-in-law, niece, grandchild, etc.

Lesson 3 is best used by a teacher who has successfully completed two years of high school conversational French or one year of college-level conversational French. The following vocabulary list includes French words for most principal family members and their English translations. The pronunciations provided are intended to be used as a guide only. The French language employs some phonetic sounds not used in English. If you are unfamiliar with the language, it is recommended that you consult a French/English dictionary or review the pronunciation resources available at Prononciation Francaise-French Pronunciation on French Language at About, the Human Internet, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library. Use cognates — words similar in form and meaning, italicized below — as a tool to help students recall new vocabulary.

Family: famille [fa-MEE]
Parents: parents [par-AW]
Mother: Mere [MARE or MAIR]
Mom/Mommy: Maman [MA-mah]
Father: Pere [PARE or PAIR]
Dad/Daddy: Papa [PA-pa]
Sister: soeur [SUR]
Brother: frere [FRARE or FRAIR]
Grandparents: grands-parents [GRAW-par-AW]
Grandmother: grand-mere [GRAW-mare]
Grandma: grand-maman [graw-MA-mah]
Grandfather: grand-pere [GRAW-pare]
Grandpa: grand-papa [graw-PA-pa]
Aunt: tante [TAHNT]
Uncle: oncle [AWN-kluh]
Cousin: cousin(e) [koo-ZA or koo-ZEEN]
Stepmother: belle-mere [bel-MARE]
Stepfather: beau-pere [bo-PARE]
Stepsister: demi-soeur [duh-mee-SUR]
Stepbrother: demi-frere [duh-mee-FRARE]

Display a large world map prominently in class. Begin the lesson by asking students to name their town or city, their state and their country. As students answer these questions, point out to students where these areas are located on the world map.

Ask students what language they speak. Have they heard of any other languages? Do they know people who speak other languages? Explain to students that in the U.S., people speak many different languages because they come to this country from other places around the world. You can point out that while the official language of the U.S. is English, it's fun to learn other languages so that we can communicate with the people who speak these languages when they come to the U.S. or when we visit other countries. You can also point out examples of English that come from the French and mention that, more recently, French uses some English words as well: "broonies" ("brownies").

Now challenge students to name other countries they have heard of. Each time a new country is named, show students where that country is located on the world map. Ask students if they know what language is spoken in each country — if they are unsure, tell them.

Inform students that they will be learning about the French language and the people who speak it. While French is the official language of some 33 nations, young students will be unfamiliar with many of these. It's best to focus on a few key places — France, of course, and Canada, because of its size and proximity to the U.S., are recommended. You can also mention that parts of Louisiana in the U.S. are French-speaking. Students may be surprised to find that large populations of French-speaking people live so close to and even within the U.S. If time allows, you can point out other areas on your world map where French is spoken, such as Algeria, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Congo, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guinea, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Martinique, Senegal, Switzerland, and Zaire. You can familiarize students with these Francophone countries using the following EDSITEment resources:

In this lesson, students will compare and contrast different aspects of their daily lives with those of families living in France. The websites listed below, all links from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library, provide student-friendly information on French culture. Refer to the Other Resources section below for additional print resources, if you prefer. Begin each section with a discussion of life in America. Then refer to the suggested websites for a related picture of life in France. Challenge students to identify similarities and differences between the two nations.

Daily Life
Let students know they will compare a typical day in their lives with a typical day in the life of a student in France. Show students the images of life in France from the following links:

Let students know that they will learn the French words for names of family members, including mother, father, brother, sister and so on. Begin the lesson by brainstorming in class the different family relationships of which students are aware. You may want to limit your list to the names of family members with whom students live. Write the English words on the blackboard, with their French translations next to them. (Whenever possible, focus on cognates — words similar in form and meaning, italicized below — as a tool to help students recall new vocabulary.) Pronounce each French word several times, allowing the class to repeat each time. A pronunciation key is provided in Preparing to Teach This Lesson, above.

Family: famille
Parents: parents
Mother: Mere
Mom/Mommy: Maman
Father: Pere
Dad/Daddy: Papa
Sister: soeur
Brother: frere
Grandparents: grands-parents
Grandmother: grand-mere
Grandma: grand-maman
Grandfather: grand-pere
Grandpa: grand-papa
Aunt: tante
Uncle: oncle
Cousin: cousin(e)
Stepmother: belle-mere
Stepfather: beau-pere
Stepsister: demi-soeur
Stepbrother: demi-frere

Once students have been introduced to the new words and their pronunciations, play a multi-modal learning game that will allow them to link the auditory input with a visual cue. Supply students with an array of magazines. Have students work in pairs to find and cut out pictures of people who seem to represent a specific family role (Make sure to include pictures of diverse family members and of ethnically diverse people). Paste the pictures onto individual pieces of construction paper or cardboard, flash-card style. If students are able, allow them to print the appropriate family member name on the back of each card in both French and English, using the words on the blackboard as a guide. (If students are unable to do this, the teacher should print the words on the cards for them.) Students who can read can pair off and practice with the flash cards on their own. For students not yet reading, the teacher can hold up the cards, say the words, and have students repeat the words.

As an alternate or additional activity, create a family tree on the classroom bulletin board. Use pictures from magazines, as in the flash-card activity, and have students "vote" for the picture that best represents each family member. Create the trunk and branches of your tree with a marker or construction paper. Then paste the pictures in their proper positions on the tree. Include the French and English words for each family member represented beneath the appropriate picture (or, if space permits, create two family trees—one in French, and one in English). Use the family tree as a learning tool for recalling new vocabulary. Students can also create their own family trees, using actual photos of family members, mounted on poster board.

Extending the Lesson

Repeat the flash-card activity in Lesson 3 using pictures and names of animals the students may have as pets. The following vocabulary list includes French words for several common household pets and their English translations. The pronunciations provided are intended to be used as a guide only. The French language employs some phonetic sounds not used in English. If you are unfamiliar with the language, it is recommended that you consult a French/English dictionary or review the pronunciation resources available at Prononciation Francaise on French Language at About, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library. Use cognates — words similar in form and meaning, italicized below — as a tool to help students recall new vocabulary. In cases where both masculine and feminine variations are included, masculine names are presented first.

dog: chien or chienne [shee-AW or shee-EN]
cat: chat or chatte [SHA or SHAT]
bird: oiseau [wah-ZO]
fish: poisson [pwah-SAW]
hamster: hamster [AM-stare] air
rabbit: lapin or lapine [la-PA or la-PEEN]
snake: serpent [SER-paw]
lizard: lezard [lay-ZARE]
ferret: furet [FYUR-ay]

Some words in French are the same as those in English. A fun way to learn some of these words is through "The Hangman," a game on the Embassy of France: Just for Kids website, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library. To play the game, click on "Jeux Games" and select "The Hangman."

For more advanced classes, teach students some simple phrases to form sentences. Here are a few to get you started (Note: A student-friendly worksheet is provided for this activity; click here to download the PDF):

Je m'appelle ______. (My name is ______.)
J'ai ______ ans. (I am ______ years old.)

one: un six: six

two: deux seven: sept

three: trois eight: huit

four: quatre nine: neuf

five: cinq ten: dix

Play a fill-in-the-blanks game using the incomplete phrases below. Challenge students to come up with many different possible endings to each sentence. Use a French/English dictionary to translate their English suggestions into French words. Keep in mind that French articles are gender-specific — masculine (e.g., "my brother" is "mon frere") and feminine (e.g., "my sister" is "ma soeur"). Note: It is strongly recommended that only teachers with a good working knowledge of the French language pursue this activity.

Voici ______. (Here is ______.)
J'ai ______. (I have ______.)
Je suis ______. (I am ______.)
J'aime ______. (I like ______.)

Children love to sing. Lyrics and sound files for two famous French folk tunes — Alouette and Frere Jacques — along with hundreds of other children's songs, may be found on KIDiddles: Mojo's Musical Mouseum, available via a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library. Play the sound files in class or sing the songs yourself (some students may already be familiar with them as well). What do these songs mean? The English translation of "Frere Jacques" is provided on the website. The translation of the chorus of "Alouette" is as follows:

Alouette, gentille Alouette Skylark, kind skylark

Alouette, je te plumerai Skylark, I will pluck you

Each verse of the song proceeds to describe the different bird body parts from which feathers will be plucked. Have students guess which part is which. As you will see, some do not seem to make sense!

la tete: head le nez: nose

les yeux: eyes le cou: neck

les ailes: wings le dos: back

les pattes: feet la queue: tail

Have students name some of their favorite fairy tales from books and/or film. Many of the most famous stories in this genre were penned by the 17th-century French author Charles Perrault. Obtain copies of Perrault's Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty and Puss in Boots. Say or write on the board the original French title of each story:

Cendrillon (Cinderella)
Le Petit Chaperon Rouge (Little Red Riding Hood)
La Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty)
Le Chat Botte (Puss in Boots)

Can students guess what the titles are in English? Assist students by pointing out words that may already be familiar to them from the lessons in this unit or because they are cognates of their English counterparts — "petit," "rouge," "belle," "dormant," "chat," "botte." Now show students an illustration from each book that helps reveal the English titles. End this mini-lesson by reading the four tales in English and, if possible, in French.

Two well-known children's literature series set in France are Madeline and Babar by Ludwig Bemelmans and Jean de Brunhoff, respectively. While students are probably already familiar with these characters, they may not know the original stories that began these popular series. Make time during a read-aloud session for Madeline, originally published in 1939, and The Story of Babar, published in 1933. If you are able to obtain French-language versions of these books and are comfortable with speaking the language, read each story in both French and English. What new insights about France do they offer students? Another excellent choice is the English-language book Eloise in Paris, by Kay Thompson. This amusing story about a young New York girl's visit to Paris incorporates many French expressions into the text while providing the English translation.

If you and your students are technically savvy, try building a website based on "French and Family." Create a French Web Page, from the EDSITEment-reviewed American Association of Teachers of French website, provides detailed instructions on how to build a class website on France and the Francophone world.

African Studies WWW http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/AS.html

K-12 Electronic Guide for African Resources on the Internet
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/K-12/menu_EduKNTR.html

American Association of Teachers of French http://www.frenchteachers.org/

Bibliography of Useful Resources on La Francophonie
http://www.frenchteachers.org/nfw/resources/bibliog.html

Create a French Web Page
http://www.siu.edu/~aatf/self/english.htm

Discover French-Speaking Louisiana: A Brief Guide to Creating an "Acadiana Adventure Tour"
http://www.frenchteachers.org/nfw/articles/cajun.htm

Francophone Resources
http://www.frenchteachers.org/technology/francophone_resources.htm

Ideas for Activities
http://www.frenchteachers.org/nfw/ideas.htm

Quebec Internet Tourist Sites
http://www.frenchteachers.org/nfw/webresources/quebtour.html

Sites About Francophony
http://www.frenchteachers.org/general/self/part3e.html

Art and Life in Africa Online http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/

Contemporary Malian Art
http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/contemporary/index.html

Snapshots of Daily Life in Mali and Burkina Faso
http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/snapshots/index.html

The Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org

Children's Music Web
http://www.childrensmusic.org/

KIDiddles: Mojo's Musical Mouseum
http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/index.html

Embassy of France: Just for Kids
http://www.ambafrance-us.org/kids/

French Language at About
http://french.miningco.com/

Prononciation Francaise
http://french.miningco.com/library/pronunciation/bl-pronunciation.htm

IPL Culture Quest World Tour: Europe
http://www.ipl.org/youth/cquest/europe/europe.html

On the Line: Virtual Journey of France
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/ontheline/explore/journey/france/frindex.htm

National Geographic Society Xpeditions http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/

Map Machine
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/

Other Resources:

Fisher, Teresa. Country Insights: France. City and Village Life. Austin, Tx.: Steck-Vaughn, 1997.
Nardo, Don. France: Enchantment of the World. New York, N.Y.: Children's Press, Division of Grolier Publishing, 2000.
Ngcheong-Lum, Roseline. France [Countries of the World Series]. Milwaukee, Wis.: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1999.
Sookram, Brian. France [Major World Nations Series]. Philadelphia, Pa.: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999.

French and Family

Introduction

Learning Objectives

Guiding Question:

Preparing to Teach this Lesson

Suggested Activities

Extending the Lesson

Selected EDSITEment Websites