13 november.indd

SALUT LES JEUNES!
LA MAISON DES TROIS OURS
There are many versions of “Les Trois Ours” available in bookstores and on the Internet for
use in the classroom. I have a group of second graders who meet only once a week. I reduced
the story to its simplest form so the students could act it out, learning one or two lines a week
through choral repetition. Each line offered at least one linguistic structure that enhanced our
basic curriculum. When we reached the end and the students had essentially memorized the story,
we made the bears' house with the skeleton of the script written on the roof and the walls, and
then they could illustrate and “read" their story with great pride!
The script below is quite streamlined for the youngest language learners, but a class could use
more traditional wording and still find the house a satisfying way to culminate the project.
LES TROIS OURS (au plus simple)
—Il était une fois trois ours, le Papa, la Maman et le Bébé. Ils habitent 51, rue de la Forêt.
• But linguistique: la famille, les chiffres, les adresses
—Il est midi. J'ai faim! J'ai faim! J'ai faim! Voici de la soupe.
• But linguistique: l'heure, expressions avec avoir (avoir faim/soif), la nourriture
—Oh là là! La soupe est trop chaude. Allons nous promener.
• But linguistique: chaud/froid (drill with game of hidden objects: chaud if close; froid if far away)
—Voici une fille. Elie s’appelle Boucle d'Or. Elle frappe à la porte.
• But linguistique: il/elle s'appelle; vocabulaire de la maison (porte, fenêtre, toit, etc.)
—J’ai faim. Je n’aime pas la soupe de Papa / de Maman. Oh là là, MAGNIFIQUE!
• But linguistique: j'aime/je n'aime pas; "Magnifique" gesture: This was a conscious decision to cut the traditional story line (trop chaude, trop dure, trop molle) in order to use the gesture so typical of French language
with thumb and fingers together, brought to lips as a kiss, then flung out as if tossing kiss into the air. Students love the dramatic!
—Voici trois chaises. Je n'aime pas la chaise de Papa / de Maman. MAGNIFIQUE! Oops! (cassée)
• But linguistique: le possessif avec “de”
—J’ai sommeil. Je n'aime pas le lit de Papa / de Maman. MAGNIFIQUE! Z-z-z-z-z-z-z.
• But linguistique: Expressions avec avoir (avoir sommeil/raison/tort/5 ans/chaud/froid)
—Voici les trois ours. Regarde ma soupe! Regarde ma chaise! Regarde mon lit! Regarde la fille! Oh là là! J'ai peur!
Au revoir!
• But linguistique: avoir peur, impératif, l'adjectif possessif
LA MAISON: Copy the following page onto cardstock for best results. Have students illustrate the blank spaces on the
house before cutting. Cut along solid lines. Dotted lines indicate folding. Cut along two sides of the door so it can open.
Fold along dotted lines and use tape to attach sides with tabs. Younger children will need help attaching roof. Et voila!
They will be able to "read" their own house!
Elizabeth Miller
AATF Northern California Chapter
Share with other FLES* and middle school teachers your ideas, classroom gimmicks, games for oral interaction, and
successful lessons. Join the teacher network! Send your ideas to Elizabeth Miller, 74 Tuscaloosa Avenue, Atherton, CA
94027; e-mail: [mme [email protected]].
Vol. 39, No. 2 (November 2013)
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Vol. 39, No. 2 (November 2013)