Elementary School Lesson Plan

Kathryn Steele
Dr. Judith Shrum
EDCI 5724
October 5, 2010
Lesson Plan – Elementary School – Grade 4, Level 3
STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS: What will learners know and be able to do by
the end of the lesson?
A. Context/ Theme/ Topic/ “Big Idea”: Discussing, comparing, and contrasting festivities in
France and those in the United States, fostering students’ capacities for self-expression in the
target language.
B. Objectives: Learners will be able to…
• Explain the different ways to celebrate holidays in France.
• Identify, use, and correctly conjugate, both orally and in the written form, regular –er, -ir, and –
re verbs in the target language.
• Describe how a holiday is celebrated, both in France and in the United States
• Demonstrate an understanding of French culture through exploring celebratory cultural
practices.
• Produce a 150-word composition comparing two francophone celebrations to two American
celebrations using correct vocabulary and verbs.
• Complete the techno-module on francophone holidays, which includes a 2-3 paragraph blog
post, the creation of a poster illustrating a particular francophone holiday, and a role-play activity
(details/ rubrics will be included in techno-module document).
C. Grammar/ Vocabulary: Grammar will focus on the proper use and present tense conjugations
of regular –er verbs (e.g. parler, danser, manger, célébrer). The vocabulary will focus on
French celebrations, festivals, and holidays (e.g. la fête, le nouvel an, la nuit blanche).
D. Goal Areas/ Standards:
Virginia SOLs:
FII.5: The student will present information orally and in writing in French, combining learned
and original language in simple sentences and paragraphs.
FII.7: The student will demonstrate understanding of the perspectives, practices, and products of
francophone cultures and the ways these cultural aspects are interrelated.
FII.9: The student will demonstrate understanding of cultural similarities and differences
between the francophone world and the United States.
Standards for Foreign Language Learning:
1.2 – Interpretative Communication: Students understand and interpret spoken and written
French on a variety of topics.
2.1 – Practices of Culture: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the
practices and perspectives of the cultures of the francophone world.
4.2 – Cultural Comparisons: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture
through comparisons of francophone cultures and their own.
E. Learners: Students will have already read the passage on French holidays, and will have
briefly reviewed present tense conjugations of –er verbs. As the class is rather large (25
students), the instructor must keep in mind that there exists a greater range of variable ability and
motivation among the student group. Many students will never speak in class unless prompted
by the teacher; others learn most effectively through visuals. Thus a differentiated approach is
necessary, incorporating visual aids (e.g. illustrated flashcards) and IRF questioning methods.
F. Materials:
• Summary of francophone holidays and vocabulary list by Kathryn Steele, adapted from:
Fawbush, K. W., Theisen, T., Hopen, D. B., & Moen, D. (2007). C’est à toi! 2nd edition. St.
Paul, Minnesota: EMC/Paradigm Publishing.
• Photo flashcards for warm-up activity
STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE: What evidence will show that
learners have produced desired results?
Students will complete a group activity where they construct a Venn diagram depicting a
comparison of their favorite holiday as celebrated in France and in the United States. Diagrams
will be graded on basis of completion as part of homework grade.
Students will produce a 150-word composition comparing two French celebrations to two
American celebrations. In this composition, students will employ vocabulary relating to French
holidays and festivities covered in the chapter. Students will use at least 8 different regular -er
verbs conjugated correctly in the present tense. The composition will be due three days
following the lesson (see rubric below).
As part of the techno-module (see ACTFL Standards section 4), students will also write a 2-3
paragraph blog post, create a poster illustrating a particular francophone holiday, and a complete
a short role-play activity (rubrics will be included in techno-module document).
STAGE 3: PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES: What instructional activities are part of this
lesson?
A. What will learners do?
• Students will review the chapter vocabulary through a flashcard game in class as a warm-up
activity.
• Students will work in pairs to quiz one another on –er verb conjugations and to find unfamiliar
words in dictionary.
• Students will participate in a group activity (groups of 3 or 4) on their favorite holidays,
comparing them to the French celebratory equivalents through the creation of a Venn diagram.
• Students will begin working on their compositions; rubrics will be distributed in class.
• Students will complete the techno-module on francophone holidays, including the blog post,
poster, and role-play activity (details in Module document).
B. What will I do?
• I will lead the warm-up activity showing the students vocabulary flashcards to identify.
• I will monitor students’ work (in self-chosen pairs) on verb conjugations, offering help and
correction when necessary and keeping them on-task.
• I will divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 and facilitate the class discussion on their favorite
holidays, pulling in meaningful comparisons and contrasts with French celebrations as the
conversations proceed.
• I will explain the writing assignment (composition) to the students, distribute the rubrics, and
answer any questions students have as they begin writing.
• I will help students get started on the techno-module, walking around to ensure students are ontask and providing assistance or correction when necessary.
STAGE 4: REFLECT ON LESSON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective was this lesson?
A. Did I achieve my lesson objectives? How do I know?
• I believe that I achieved my lesson objectives. The lesson I presented was intended to be an
introductory activity to review a passage on French holidays from homework the previous night,
and also to serve as a preliminary activity for my techno-module on French holidays. I made
colorful flashcards with photos depicting different holidays and their elements, and gave the
students a copy of the passage. I divided the class into two teams (or équipes) and held up a
photo, explaining them and prompting the students with identification questions to earn “points.”
When I observed the students actively responding correctly to my questions, despite the fact that
most of them didn’t speak French, I felt that I had achieved my lesson objectives.
B. What worked especially well and why?
• I used strong gestures for many of the cards, which seemed to help everyone understand a little
more. My prompting and repetition elicited increased response; several times I would also say
the French word once, then the English translation, then repeat the French word. The students
seemed to feel comfortable with the mostly French presentation, with a couple English elements
at key places during the lesson. All these strategies influenced an increased binding time for the
students, and increased input through repeating my questions.
C. What would I change if I were to teach this lesson again?
• I would try to make the cards much bigger, close to the size of a poster, so the whole class
would better be able to observe the photos attentively. I would also spend a little more time
describing each card before having the students identify the holiday, providing time for the
students to make their own comparisons to American holidays. Depending on the season (e.g.
Halloween), I would provide “bonbons” for the winning team if I were to teach this lesson again.
Kathryn Steele
Dr. Judith Shrum
EDCI 5724
September 20, 2010
Rubric for Composition on French/ American Celebrations
Student Name:
______________
4 Exceeds
expectations
3 Meets
expectations
2 Approaches
expectations
1 Does not approach
expectations
Description of at
least two
francophone
celebrations,
providing details as
to their significance
and practices.
Accurately and
descriptively
explains two or
more francophone
celebrations with
great detail and
imagery
(significance,
participants,
location, etc.).
Accurately describes
two francophone
celebrations with
adequate detail and
some imagery.
Describes one or
two francophone
celebrations in an
arbitrary manner;
not all important
details are
addressed.
Describes one or
two francophone
celebrations using
misplaced,
inaccurate, or
discrete facts; no
attempt to
incorporate
imagery.
Description of at
least two American
celebrations,
providing details as
to their significance
and practices.
Accurately and
descriptively
explains two or
more American
celebrations with
great detail
(significance,
participants,
location, etc.).
Accurately describes
two American
celebrations with
adequate detail and
some imagery.
Describes one or
two American
celebrations in an
arbitrary manner;
not all important
details are
addressed.
Describes one or
two American
celebrations using
misplaced,
inaccurate, or
discrete facts; no
attempt to
incorporate
imagery.
Language accuracy
and use of at least 8
different presenttense regular verbs
Accurately employs
8 or more
descriptive regular
verbs in the present
tense.
Accurately employs
8 regular verbs in
the present tense;
most verbs are
descriptive.
Employs 6-8 regular
verbs in the present
tense, with 75%
accuracy and some
description.
Does not meet req.
for number of verbs
or uses most verbs
arbitrarily and
inaccurately.
CATEGORY
Vocabulary usage
Incorporates both
vocabulary from the
textbook and
vocabulary learned
during the technomodule in a
meaningful way.
Incorporates
vocabulary from the
textbook in a
meaningful way.
Incorporates some
vocabulary from the
textbook in an
arbitrary or
awkward manner.
Does not
incorporate
sufficient vocabulary
from the textbook
or techno-module;
usage is awkward or
inaccurate.
Quality of
comparison/
contrast between
francophone and
American
celebrations
Compares
francophone and
American
celebrations
accurately and with
style using multiple
examples from each
culture.
Compares
francophone and
American
celebrations
accurately,
incorporating at
least one example
from each culture.
Compares
francophone and
American
celebrations
accurately and
coherently, with one
example from either
francophone culture
or American culture.
Compares
francophone and
American
celebrations in a
disinterested,
disconnected or
awkward manner
and provides no
examples from
either culture.
Score: _____/20
Les fêtes francophones
« Le Nouvel An » : On commence la fête le 31 décembre ; la famille mangent ensemble un repas à
minuit qui s’appelle le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre, où on sert souvent les huîtres (raw oysters).
À minuit, les gens s’embrassent sous le gui (mistletoe), qui est un symbole de bonne chance. À Paris,
les gens conduisent les Champs-Élysées. Ils klaxonnent (honk) pour accueillir le Nouvel An.
« Le jour de l’an » : Au jour de l’an (New Year’s Day), les adultes souvent donnent des cadeaux
(gifts) aux enfants ; ils donnent de l’argent aux autres. Beaucoup de gens visitent leurs familles et
envoient les cartes (greeting cards) au jour de l’an.
« Nuit blanche » : Pendant une nuit blanche (white night), les jeunes français veillent jusqu’à le
matin avec leurs amis, ou jusqu’à quand il fait « blanche » en dehors (outside).
« RSVP » : RSVP veut dire: “Répondez s’il vous plaît! (Please reply). On écrit RSVP sur les
invitations dans beaucoup de pays.
« Le Carnaval de Québec » : Le Carnaval (Carnival) est une tradition qui a commencé en 1894 à
Québec. En février, les gens vont au Carnaval, où il y a des danses (dances), des concours de
sculpture de glace (ice sculpting contests), des courses de canoës de glace (ice canoe races) sur le SaintLawrence, et des toboggans (toboggans). Le Carnaval a aussi un palais de glace (ice palace), qui
est 60 pieds ! La mascotte s’appelle le Bonhomme Carnaval (the Carnival Snowman). Il porte un
chapeau rouge (a red hat). Beaucoup d’autres pays avec une influence française célèbrent les
Carnavals.
« Un Carnaval fameux – Mardi Gras » : Mardi Gras est le dernier mardi du Carnaval et avant le
carême (Lent). C’est un jour de grande indulgence, parce qu’on jeûne (fast, abstain from food) pendant
le carême ; donc, Mardi Gras veut dire « Fat Tuesday. » Les gens font les défilés (parades) et
portent les masques (masks).
« Pâques » : Sur Pâques (Easter Sunday), les enfants ont du chocolat en formes des œufs, des
lapins, des poules et des poissons. Les parents disent aux enfants que les cloches d’église (church
bells) vont à Rome le Vendredi saint (Good Friday) et reviennent le Pâques ; les cloches portent les
bonbons (sweets, candy).
« Poisson d’avril » : Le 1er avril, les enfants attachent un poisson de papier (paper fish) au dos d’un
autre. Quand la personne rend compte du poisson, on dit « Poisson d’avril ! »
« La fête du travail » : Le 1er mai, les Français célèbrent la fête du travail (Labor Day) avec des
défilés. Ils envoient les cartes et ils donnent les muguets (lilies of the valley) à leurs familles et leurs
amis.
« Le 14 juillet » : Le 14 juillet (July 14) est la fête d’indépendance française ; en anglais on dit
« Bastille Day » parce que c’est le jour où les Français ont pris la prison fameuse de Bastille d’assaut et
ont commencé la Révolution française (the French Revolution). Sur ce jour, il y a des grands défilés et
beaucoup de drapeaux (flags).
« Noël » : La veille de Noël (Christmas Eve), beaucoup de familles vont à une messe à minuit
(midnight Mass). Après la messe, ils mangent un grand repas de la dinde (turkey) ou de l’oie (goose)
garni avec des marrons (chestnuts). Pour le dessert, on mange une bûche de Noël (Yule log), un
gâteau au chocolat qui ressemble une bûche (log). Pendant la nuit, le père Noël (Santa Claus) met
des cadeaux aux chaussures des enfants.
« La fête des rois » : Pour honorer les trois rois mages (the three wise men), douze jours après le
Noël, il y a la fête des rois (Epiphany/ Twelfth Night) le 6 janvier. Il y a une galette (a round, flat
cake) avec un objet de bonne chance (good-luck) comme un roi (a king) ou une reine (a queen) à
l’intérieur. La personne qui trouve l’objet est le roi ou la reine et porte une couronne de papier
(paper crown).
Adapted from Fawbush, K. W., Theisen, T., Hopen, D. B., & Moen, D. (2007). C’est à toi! 2nd edition. St. Paul, Minnesota:
EMC/Paradigm Publishing.
Vocabulaire
Le nouvel an –
Le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre –
Les huîtres –
Le gui –
Le jour de l’an –
Un cadeau –
Une carte –
Une nuit blanche –
Répondez, s’il vous plaît ! –
Le Carnaval –Une danse –
Un concours de sculpture de glace –
Une course de canoës de glace –
Un toboggan –
Un palais de glace –
Le Bonhomme Carnaval –
Mardi Gras –
Le carême –
Un défilé –
Un masque –
Le Pâques –
Une cloche d’église –
Le Vendredi saint –
Les bonbons –
Poisson d’avril –
La fête du travail –
Les muguets –
Le 14 juillet –
Un drapeau –
La veille de Noël –
Le Noël –
Une bûche de Noël –