Language: French
Linguistic Level: Novice
Developmental Level: 3rd - 8th grade
Theme: Home
Language Objective: Students will describe a home in French including the furniture and the rooms.
Culture Objective: Students will compare homes around the world
Content Objective: Students will identify the key elements from the story Il y a un alligator sous mon lit.

We developed this unit for Middle school students who have studied French for at least a semester. These students would already be able to express their likes and dislikes, their wants and needs, and exchange basic personal information. It is not necessary for the students to understand every vocabulary word or verb tense in the story.

Based on the story, “Il y a un alligator sous mon lit”, the unit ties together the language of home, family, and activities that are all part of beginning curricula. Although this story is written for younger children, it allows for discussion common fears. In essence it is a coming of age story about tackling problems on your own - a theme of intrinsic interest to middle school students.

This thematic unit allows our students to go beyond the textbook. When they use their language skills to discuss their fears, their home, and their family, they focus on content of the communication rather than on the semantics. Ironically, so does the teacher. This encourages the students to create with language. Indeed, sometimes the results are non-communication, but it allows the students to play with language real world situations.

The first question that we face as teachers is: “How do I find time to fit this into the curriculum?”  The answer lies in redefining your objectives based on functional outcomes rather than the scope and sequence of the textbook. Thus this thematic unit replaces some of the textbook activities and gives the students an experience with the language that will transfer when similar vocabulary and structures are encountered in the textbook. Additionally, the students are often motivated by the change of pace teaching in this way provides.  Some students who are not as successful learning language with a textbook might even excel while learning through a thematic unit.

Activities

1. Teacher introduces the rooms of the house by miming an action for each room. -“La cuisine” (mime stirring a soup) -“Le garage” (mime driving a car) Students imitate teacher. Gradually teacher stops doing the action and just says the word. Teacher can then check for understanding of the whole class, rows or individual students simply by saying the word.

2. Teacher asks Natural Approach questions of students to help them identify the rooms in French.

• “Est-ce la cuisine?”
• “Est-ce le salon ou le garage?”
• “Qu’est-ce que c’est?”

3. Teacher will show paintings by Francophone artists of rooms of the house. Students will identify the room.
4. Teacher will play sounds effects of various places in the home. Students try to guess the room.
5. Students label the rooms on a house plan by choosing and copying words from the word bank. (see page 16)

This is an extract - download the complete lesson plan

Activities

1. Review the rooms of the house by showing the pictures and having the students name the rooms.
2. Teacher introduces the furniture using the natural approach questions.
3. Teacher shows two different photos: one of an American bathroom, one of a French bathroom. Students are asked, “Quelle est la différence?” The teacher and students discuss in French the differences: no toilet, a bidet. Teacher can briefly describe in French the purpose of the bidet depending on the maturity of the students.
4. Moving In: Students follow directions to furnish rooms in Albert the Alligator’s house. For example the teacher might say, « Met le frigo dans la chambre. » The student would then put the refrigerator transparency piece on the room. If the student hesitates the teacher can describe the room further by color or contents.
5. Students touch doll furniture in a mystery box and guess to identify it based on feel.
6. Students read and identify descriptions of rooms. (see page 20)
7. Pair Activity: Each student receives 2 blank houses. They draw furnishings in one of the houses. Without showing their house to their partner they describe the location and furnishing in the house. The partner attempts to draw the house according to these directions. Teacher models the procedure beforehand with a student. (see page 21)
8. “Dictée Illustrée”: While looking at an illustration of a house, the students copy down the short paragraph that the Teacher reads. Immediately afterward the teacher displays the correct paragraph. Students correct their own work. They are graded on their final correction. (see page 25)
9. Students label the furniture by choosing and copying words from the word bank. (see page 27)

This is an extract - download the complete lesson plan

Activities

1. Review the rooms of the house and the furniture in Albert’s House. Students try to guess where Albert is hiding. Albert is stuck with double-sided tape on back of one of the pictures.
2. Anticipation guide: Students write three fears on a post-it™ note. Using the conversation guide students share their fears with their partner. (see page 28)
3. Following the directions of the teacher in French the students post their fears on a large graph. Students and teacher discuss the most and the least common fears comparing with other classes.
4. Teacher tells the story “Il y a un alligator sous mon lit” with the illustrations and words.
5. The teacher retells the story with two students acting it out: one the alligator, the other the young boy.

Students put nine of the pictures in order. Then they match the sentence strips to the illustrations.

This is an extract - download the complete lesson plan

Activities

1. Reading Action Chain: Teacher places the bed, refrigerator, garage, and sack on the board. Students receive a card and prop. Students are instructed to read the contents of their action card and follow the directions at the given time. Teacher reads the story script pausing when indicated in the script. The student with the appropriate action card then follows those directions to advance the story on the board. (see page 30)
2. Character Map: Students write any and all words that they can think of on the character map graphic organizer. The teacher and class discuss the character map. For example students might say “animal, méchant, vert” for the alligator. Or they might say a complete sentence such as, “Le garçon a peur. de l’alligator” (see page 33)
3. The teacher retells the story with errors. All students indicate these by privately signaling thumbs up and down. Teacher calls on someone indicating the correct signal to make the corrections in French. (see page 34)
4. Students write a sentence about the story that is either true or false. They read their sentence and a volunteer identifies it as “vrai” or “faux”.
5. In groups the students follow the pattern to write a note warning another teacher in the school about a danger. They then post it on that teacher’s door and record their reaction. (see page 35)

This is an extract - download the complete lesson plan

Activities in the home

Students learn typical activities that take place in the home
Students share their likes and dislikes of these activities

Description of the home

Students learn several descriptive adjectives that apply to different types of homes.
Students describe real homes from the Internet.
Students describe their ideal home.
Students select their preferred home from among several real houses for sale in France

Comparisons of homes around the world

Students describe various homes from around the world
Students guess where they are from
Students meet the families that live in these homes
Students discuss the possible reasons for different types of home: culture, weather, tradition