Organization of the Teaching Units
The units in the curriculum guide are all numbered. The first number indicates the grade level. The second number is the number of the Field of Experience. For example, Units 1.1, 2.1, and 3.1 deal with the family at the three grade levels.
Not all Fields of Experience are done at each grade level. There is no Unit 1.2 as School is not dealt with in Grade One. There is no Unit 2.4 or 3.4 as Clothing is not dealt with in Grade Two or Three. Optional units are marked as Opt.1 (K-3), Opt. 2 (K-3), etc.
There are four alternative units in K-3. Teachers may choose to pick a unit from these alternative units rather than from the compulsory units, eg. Alt. 1 Family (The Inuit) may be done rather than Unit 3.1 Family. These alternative units are marked as Alt. 1, Alt. 2, etc. These units would also be useful in the teaching of split grades.
Grade 4 has three compulsory units; 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3. Grade 5 has two compulsory units: 5.1 and 5.2. In addition, teachers should choose three optional units each year. some units provide more than one topic to be developed so it is possible to do Alimentation in Grade 4 and again in Grade 5 using the two different topics. This also provides an optioin for teaching split grades. The Optional Units are marked as Opt. 1 (4-5), Opt. 2(4-5) etc.
Les Fêtes are also considered optional units. However, they are not to be considered part of the three optional units to be chosen each year. Teachers may choose to teach one, some, all or none of Les Fêtes depending on their situation.
The Annexes which accompany the Curriculum Guide provide supplementary material for the fields of experience in the guide. Each annex deals with one field of experience and is numbered separately.
| N.B. | Kindergarten teachers may choose Grade One units but because time is usually more limited at this level, the units will be done in less detail. The units can then be done again using variations in Grade 1. |
The Role of Kindergarten in the Study of French
There are several reasons why it is appropriate to begin the study of French at the kindergarten level.
Kindergarten French presents a special situation. Before teaching it, French teachers should work with regular classroom teachers to find out the sequence in which they teach their school year. Kindergarten students may not know their colours, numbers to ten and much other vocabulary in English.
It is important to maintain a very relaxed, happy atmosphere. The child's attention span and interests must be kept in mind. Many classroom expressions in French should be used, especially when doing hands-on activities.
The principal linguistic aim at the kindergarten level is oral comprehension and the mastery of the basic sounds of the French language, while inspiring in the child the desire to learn more about the language.
For curriculum purposes, teachers may teach Kindergarten French in one of two ways. In the case where a Kindergarten teacher teaches French to his/her own class, the skills and vocabulary the students learn in their first language could be integrated and reinforced in the French lessons whenever possible. Songs, rhymes etc. could be done during any part of the day rather than simply during the French class. If another teacher teaches French to the Kindergarten class, then he or she can use the ideas suggested for Grade One but on a much smaller scale. eg. crafts, etc. should be saved for Grade One and another simpler task could be substituted. Collaborating with the Kindergarten teacher on activities the students may be working on with him/her, could be another alternative.
Planning
1-3
There are eight compulsory fields of experience in Grades 1-3, seven of which are recommended at each particular grade level. The following fields of experience are not taught at these grade levels: School - Grade 1, Clothing - Grades 2 and 3. This gives an indication of how long the study of each unit should last. Teachers should also keep in mind the option to include some of the thirteen Optional units (Les Fêtes) and the four Alternative Units (Family, Home, Occupations, Animals). Teachers are reminded that to encourage motivation in French classes, they must keep their program moving. Deal with these fields according to their goal rather than trying to go too deep into the subject matter. Because of the cyclical approach, students have a chance to build on these fields with each year of study. Teachers should feel free to teach units at ta time taht is most suitable to them, the students and the school. Refer to the K-3 section of the curriculum for a list of the Fields of Experience. For an exqample of a developed unit, see Unit 2.3.
Grade 4 and 5
The Fields of Experience for Grades 4 and 5 are listed in no particular order, however, it is strongly recommended that the Second Language Classroom unit be done at the beginning of the year in Grade4, and that the units Les Amis (Grade 4) and L'Ecole (Grade 5) be done early in the year.
If more than one teacher teaches Core French in the school it is suggested that these teachers keep the lines of communication open. It may be beneficial to set up times tp provide a chance to meet and discuss what is happening at their particular level. These meetins need not be formal or lengthy, but rather provide a chance to simply "touch base" with other Core French teachers.
In regards to scope and sequence, these teachers are encouraged to communicate among themselves, their choice of optional units and subjects they have chosen, for each particular year.
Lesson Planning
A good lesson plan should include:
| 1. | A warm-up activity. This serves to alert students that French is now the language used. It serves to review vocabulary and structures and to motivate students. A variety of activities can be used - greetings, taking attendence, date, weather, etc. | ||||
| 2. |
Review can take two forms:
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| 3. | Presentation of new material. During this phase, the students acquire new language items through listening, imitation, repetition, and question and answer patterns. the method of presentation used will depend upon the age and language fluency of the students and upon the material itself. Vocabulary can be introduced in several ways: using pictures or real objects, mime for action verbs and for concepts like over/under. Many examples shoulde be used to ecsure comprehension, and translation and presentation of vocabulary lists should be available. | ||||
| 4. | The main activity reinforces the material just presented. It should give the students an opportunity to use the new words and structures in as meaningful a way as possible. This activity should be a pleasurable experience and if possible should include songs, games and stories. Teachers should avoid keeping songs, games, etc. until near the end of the lesson since these can be useful "breaks" in a demanding presentation and in fact can serve as the focus of the lesson. Humoour and cultural activities can help to keep the students' interest and attention. | ||||
| 5. | Concluding activity. This should serve to bring the class back together. It can be a song or another enjoyable and relatively easy activity, which should give students a good feeling as the French lesson ends. |
While not all of the above elements will occur in every 20 minute lesson, the general format will usually apply.
Sample Unit and Lesson Planning Sheet
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Field: Topic: Goal: |
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| Lesson | Lesson | Lesson | |
Warmup |
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Review |
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Presentation |
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Main Activity |
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Concluding Activity |
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Pedagogical Notes |
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