On y va !
Medway
Year 6 Cross-curricular Unit
Wendy Cobb
This unit builds on vocabulary and structures covered in earlier Medway Plans. It links with Literacy Framework Non-fiction Unit 4,
QCA MFL Unit 7 On y va ! and Unit 20 Notre monde, Geography Unit 24 Passport to the World, Unit 22 A contrasting locality
overseas. Activities that deliver Framework objectives are highlighted on the following grid. All activities from the various units are
highlighted on a separate grid. Teachers are free to dip in and out of the units to develop their own plans but should check that they
cover all the year 6 objectives during the course of the year.
A suggested teaching sequence is given together with suggestions for warm-up activities and example lesson plans.
A list of useful web links is also provided together with suggestions for additional cross-curricular activities.
The unit could be covered in its simplest form in a sequence of 6 x 30/40 minute lessons or could be extended into a full creative
project. Cross-curricular links are given in the appendix.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
1
2008
Learning Objectives
Learning opportunities
Knowledge about language
Unit Activity references
06.1 Understand the main
points and simple opinions in a
spoken song or passage.
Listen attentively, re-tell and
discuss the main ideas.
Agree or disagree with
statements made about a
spoken passage.
Recognise the importance and
significance of intonation.
Lesson one
Lesson two
06.2 Perform to an audience.
Present a short piece of
Use knowledge of language to
narrative either from memory or present information and
by reading aloud from text.
personal ideas.
Develop a sketch, role-play or
presentation and perform to the
class or an assembly.
Lesson four
06.3 Understand longer and
more complex phrases or
sentences.
Re-tell using familiar language
a sequence of events from a
spoken passage containing
complex sentences.
Understand and express
reasons.
Notice and manipulate
agreements.
Lesson four
06.4 Use spoken language
confidently to initiate and
sustain conversations and to tell
stories.
Understand the gist of spoken
passages containing complex
sentences e.g. descriptions,
information, instructions etc.
Use knowledge of words, text
and structure to make meaning,
using simple language
spontaneously.
Lesson four
Participate in simple
conversations on familiar
topics.
Describe incidents or tell
stories from their own
experience, in an audible voice.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
2
2008
Learning Objectives
L6.1 Read and understand the
main points and some detail
from a short written passage.
Learning opportunities
Read and respond e.g. to an
extract from a story, an e-mail
message or song.
Give true or false responses to
statements about a written
passage.
Read descriptions of people in
the school or class and identify
who they are.
Knowledge about language
Unit Activity references
Use knowledge of form including Lesson two
where appropriate, plurals and
notions of gender to improve
access to a range of texts.
Apply knowledge of word order
and sentence construction to
support the understanding of
written text.
L6.2 Identify text types and read Read for enjoyment an e-mail
short, authentic texts for
message, short story or simple
enjoyment or information.
text from the internet.
Read and understand the gist
of a familiar news story or
simple magazine article.
Use knowledge of language
features, style and layout of
different texts to support
understanding.
Lesson two
L6.3 Match sound to sentences
and paragraphs.
Use punctuation to make a
sentence make sense. Listen
carefully to a model and reconstitute a sentence or a
paragraph using text cards.
Apply most words correctly.
Apply knowledge of word order
and sentence construction to
support the understanding of
written text.
Lesson four
L6.4 Write sentences on a
range of topics using a model.
Construct a short text e.g.
create a PowerPoint
presentation to tell a story or
give a description.
Apply knowledge of word order
Lesson four
and sentence construction to
Lesson five
support the understanding of the
written text.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
3
2008
Learning Objectives
IU6.1 Compare attitudes
towards aspects of everyday
life.
IU6.2 Recognise and
understand some of the
differences between people.
IU6.3 Present information about
an aspect of culture.
Learning opportunities
Knowledge about language
Unit Activity references
Recognise similarities and
differences in attitudes
amongst children in different
cultures.
Learn about role models for
children in different cultures.
Devise questions for authentic
use.
Lesson four
Lesson five
Discuss similarities and
differences between the
cultures they have learned
about.
Recognise and challenge
stereotypes.
Recognize that languages have
different ways of expressing
social relationships.
Lesson three
Lesson four
Lesson five
Perform songs, plays, dances.
Use ICT to present information
having a greater sense of
audience.
Create spoken and written
language using simple
sentences.
Lesson four
Lesson five
Lesson six
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
4
2008
QCA and Framework Unit Links
Literacy Framework Non-Fiction Unit 4
 Children explore how a guided tour of a particular location
can be presented through a variety of formats, including
live, as a guide book or pamphlet, as a video, as an audio
tour, or as a virtual tour, for example on a website. They
compare the language, organisational and presentational
features of each, evaluating their effectiveness in the light of
purpose and audience.
Useful Resources
Atlases
Inflatable globe
Guide books/advertising leaflets about Paris
Travel brochures
Unit 24 Passport to the World
 To investigate places
 To use secondary sources
 To collect information using an interview survey
 To record and present information
 To identify the location of different places in the world
 To collect and record evidence about places
 To learn about current affairs
 To recognise and investigate places through literature
Unit 22 A contrasting locality
 To identify where places are
 To use maps, atlases and globes
 To identify physical and human features of a place
 To make comparisons with their own locality
 Identify similarities and differences between places
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
5
2008
Web links (additional links indicated within activities and in appendices)
http://www.francekeys.com/
Up to the minute information on travel to France
http://paris.arounder.com/
Tour Paris
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/ontheline/explore/journey/france/guidebk.htm Oxfam guide book to France
http://www.ezwebsite.org/Page.asp?PID=910
Links for French speaking countries
http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/fellows/hintz/webquest2/sdhindex.html
Webquest French speaking countries
http://lehrerfortbildungWord document (in French) with instructions for taking a virtual
bw.de/faecher/franzoesisch/rs/landeskunde/usequenzen/sequenz1/voyagevirtuel tour of Paris with web links
1_lb.doc
http://www.travelmail.co.uk/travel/Paris/Video-story--a-perfect-day----inParis.html?article_id=34126
Video clip – how to visit ‘Paris in a day’ from London
http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/civ/Voyage/paris.htm
Voyage virtuel Paris
http://20-100-video.blogspot.com/2008/01/tour-de-paris-en-hlicoptre-et-enimages.html
French site. Take a tour on a helicopter over Paris.
http://www.pariserve.tm.fr/quartier/decouv.htm
Map of Paris, click on the icons to find out more about places to
visit
http://www.paris-tourisme.com/monuments/index.html
Monuments de Paris
http://platea.pntic.mec.es/%7Ecvera/hotpot/paris.htm
French site with simple activities to check your knowledge of
Paris (say the names of famous places, check by hovering the
cursor over the picture/pairs game)
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/olivier.boquint/
Virtual tour of Paris
http://www.eurostar.com/FR/fr/leisure/about_eurostar.jsp
Eurostar site
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
6
2008
http://video.news.sky.com/skynews/video/?&videoSourceID=1282773&flashURL News video of first journey on Eurostar to Paris
=/feeds/skynews/latest/flash/archive02/eurostar_milam.flv
http://www.parisaudioguide.com/
Audio guide to Paris (French)
http://home.earthlink.net/~mariefrance/map.html
Map of French speaking nations
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/category.htm?9
Lesson plans on global citizenship
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9n%C3%A9gal
Wikipedia Senegal (French)
http://www.ausenegal.com/
Tourist guide to Senegal (French)
http://www.le-senegal.net/
Le Sénégal – voyage en images
http://www.senegalaisement.com/senegal/sports_senegal.php
Sport in Senegal
http://www.senegalaisement.com/senegal/musique_senegal.php
Music of Senegal
http://www.afriqueindex.com/Pays/Senegal/musi_sen.htm
Audio and video clips of music of Senegal
http://www.kassoumay.com/senegal/cuisine-senegal.html
Food of Senegal
http://www.gouv.sn/meteo/index.cfm
Daily temperature throughout Senegal
http://www.ausenegal.com/Les-peintures-sous-verre-art.html
Examples of glass painting artwork typical in Senegal.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
7
2008
Suggested teaching sequence
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Make Passports.
‘Take the Eurostar to Paris’.
Evaluate guidebooks, virtual tours, videos, audio tours etc.
Locate French speaking countries around the world.
‘Fly’ to a French speaking country.
Create a presentation/celebration of the country visited.
Appendices:
On y va can be easily adapted as a focus for a complete cross-curricular plan. The
appendices outline subject links, activities and stimuli for further study.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
8
2008
Example Lesson One Outline
Resources: 'Où vas-tu en vacances ?' PowerPoint, dictionaries, passport template
Teaching and activities
Objectives: – Use spoken language confidently to ask and answer questions.
KAL

Warm up: Throw an inflatable globe and ask children to say a name of a country
then pass the globe on. They must not repeat any country already named. The
names could be in English or French.
 Use flashcards to introduce French names for countries, l’Angleterre, l’Espagne,
l’Italie, la Grèce, le Japon
 Ask the question: Où vas-tu en vacances ? (Where do you go/are you going on
holiday?)
Using the ppt resource, introduce: Je vais en France etc.
Encourage children to join in with the chorus with appropriate actions.
 Introduce vocabulary for key modes of transport en avion (plane), en bateau
(boat), en ferry (ferry), en train, en car (coach), en voiture (car)
 Get children to walk around the class asking: Où vas-tu en vacances ? Tu
préfères... ou l’Angleterre ?(Do you prefer …. or England?) Vas-tu en avion ?
(Are you going by plane?) tallying responses and using dictionaries to find the
French names for other holiday destinations and modes of transport.
 Get the children to feedback on their surveys then explain that the class is
travelling by train to a capital city in another country. Where do they think they will
be going?
 When they have established that they will be going to Paris explain that they will
need special passports for this journey. Handout the passports and ask the
children to fill in the sections with their details.
Use of le, la, l’
(definite article)
before name of
country.
en becomes au
before masculine
countries
Use of en to mean
to when used with
countries and by
with modes of
transport
Framework refs.
06.1 Understand the
main points and simple
opinions in a spoken
story, song or
passage.
06.4 Use spoken
language confidently to
initiate and sustain
conversations and to
tell stories.
L5.3 Write words,
phrases and short
sentences, using a
reference.
Où allez-vous ?
(plural or formal
question)
Extension and cross-curricular activities:
Maths – convert currencies/ practise using euros with money problems/look at
Eurostar timetables to create a journey plan.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
9
2008
Example Lesson Two Outline
Resources : Guide books, passports
Teaching and activities
Objectives: – Read authentic texts and listen to audio presentations to find out
information about Paris.
(Prior to the lesson explain to the children that the purpose of their visit is to find out how
a guided tour of a particular location can be presented through a variety of formats. They
will need to gather as many ideas as they can as they will be travelling to another country
later in the term and will need to create a presentation of their tour at the end of their visit.
During the journey to Paris they will be able to read guidebooks and watch virtual
presentations about Paris in order to plan a short tour of the city.)
If possible have the room ready for the ‘journey’ to Paris. Chairs seated in ‘coaches’
facing the IWB. Issue the children with tickets and have their ‘passports’ checked before
they are allowed on the train. During the ‘journey’ play the onboard information
programme (selected video and audio/visual clips) and provide a range of French leaflets
and guides about Paris. In pairs the children decide on places to visit and things to do in
Paris.
Examples:
http://www.francekeys.com/francais/index.shtml check the weather in Paris
http://www.eurostar.com/FR/fr/leisure/about_eurostar.jsp official Eurostar site
http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/civ/Voyage/paris.htm virtual tour of Paris
http://www.pariserve.tm.fr/quartier/decouv.htm interactive map of Paris
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/olivier.boquint/ virtual tour of Paris with panoramic views
http://www.parisaudioguide.com/ French audio/video guide extracts
KAL
Framework refs.
Use knowledge of
form to improve
access to a range of
texts.
06.1 Understand the
main points and simple
opinions in a spoken
story, song or
passage.
Apply knowledge of
word order and
sentence
construction to
support the
understanding of
written text.
Use knowledge of
language features,
style and layout of
different texts to
support the
understanding of
written text.
O6.3 Understand
longer and more
complex phrases or
sentences.
L6.1 Read and
understand the main
points and some detail
from a short written
passage.
L6.2 Identify different
text types and read
short, authentic texts
for enjoyment or
information.
Extension and cross-curricular activities:
Literacy – compare formats for presentation of a live tour.
Maths – pairs plan a timetable of where to go and what to see in Paris during a given
timescale. Use scale maps of Paris.
ICT – webquest Paris
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
10
2008
Example Lesson Three Outline
Resources: Map of French speaking countries http://home.earthlink.net/~mariefrance/map.html
Pictures of a French speaking country, worksheet Where is this place?
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/category.htm?9
Teaching and activities
Objectives: – To understand what stereotypes children abroad might have about the
England and vice versa.
 Warm up: Get children to guess the name of the country you are going to, using clues
from the rap from lesson one, e.g. La capitale est Rome. Il y a beaucoup de
glaces…
 Display the map of French speaking countries written in French. Do they know the
English names for any of the countries? Talk about the difference between countries
where the official language is French and other French-speaking countries.
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KAL
Framework refs.
IU6.2 Recognise and
understand some of
the differences
between people
(explore the issue of
stereotype).
Explain to the children that you are going to show them some pictures of a Frenchspeaking country that is not in Europe. Tell them the name of the country and ask the
children to describe it. Where have they got their information from and do they all
think the statements are true?
Tell the children some interesting facts about the country and display images of a
French-speaking country on the IWB or pass round pictures.
Give out two different sets of statements from A, B, C and D to each pair of pupils.
First, ask each pupil individually to decide which country is being described on their
paper, giving reasons for their decision. They swap statements with their partner, and
come up with a suggested country and reasons for their decision for this statement.
Then they join with their partner and compare answers and reasons.
Ask pupils to share their thoughts. When each group has been heard, tell them that all
the phrases represent views of England. They came from Kenyan girls (A) and boys
(C) and Greek boys (B) and girls (D). Is anyone surprised? Why? Stick the statements
onto a chart with two columns: Those that they think do describe England, and those
that they think don't. Talk about where the views may have come from - for example,
the media, films, tourists, school textbooks.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
11
2008
This activity is adapted from Speaking for Ourselves, Listening to Others published by
Leeds Development Education Centre.

Explain that they will be ‘flying’ to a French speaking country and will be finding out
about and presenting information about an aspect of the culture and comparing
attitudes towards aspects of everday life.
Extension and cross-curricular activities:
 Global Citizenship Lesson Two Our Links around the World
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
12
2008
Example activities for lessons four and five
Resources: Weather in Senegal worksheet with questions, African animal poems, Senegalese recipe Recette du yassa au poulet,
Recipe mini flashcards, Instrument names in different languages.
Example activities
KAL
Framework refs.
Prior to these lessons the children will ‘fly’ to the chosen French-speaking country.
As part of a wider cross-curricular plan they will compare similarities and
differences between the culture of the country and the UK, compare attitudes
towards aspects of everyday life and plan a presentation for the final week of the
project.
IU6.1 Compare attitudes
towards aspects of
everyday life.
The direction of the research will depend on the interests and needs of the class.
IU6.2 Recognise and
understand some of the
differences between
people.
The following are ideas for French language activities related to a project about
Senegal:
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WEATHER: Revise weather words and phrases, read a passage about the
weather in Senegal, answer questions, present a weather report (L6.1, O6.2,
L6.2, IU6.1). Consider, why do British people always talk about the weather?
ANIMALS:http://www.salysenegal.net/photos/animaux/animaux.htm Use this
site to research animals native to Senegal. Then search for French stories,
songs and rhymes about the animals. Learn and perform in a variety of ways
(O6.2, O6.4, L6.1, L6.2).
FOOD: Revise food words and phrases. Research Senegalese food. Read a
recipe Recette du yassa au poulet. Teacher reads out the recipe and the
children use picture cards and actions to illustrate the meaning. Children sort
instructions into correct order. Compare attitudes to food and cooking in both
countries (06.3, L6.2, L6.3, IU6.1).
SPORT: Revise sport words and phrases. Research sport in Senegal.
http://www.senegalaisement.com/senegal/sports_senegal.php
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
13
Apply knowledge of
word order and
sentence construction to
support the
understanding of written
text.
Use knowledge of the
language features, style
and layout of different
texts to support
understanding.
2008
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Find out about Senegalese football and role models.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89quipe_du_S%C3%A9n%C3%A9gal_de_fo
otball
Children prepare a talk in French on a Senegalese sporting activity followed by
a question and answer activity.
Sports intellectual. Celebrate the importance of these sports in Senegal by
playing scrabble in French (O6.2, O6.3, O6.4, L6.2, IU6.1, IU6.2, IU6.3).
MUSIC: http://www.senegalaisement.com/senegal/musique_senegal.php
Children read this site to find out about traditional instruments in Senegal.
Discuss how le sangban, le dunumba and le kenkeni are compared in size.
Then compare African and western instruments and sort them into ‘families’.
Challenge groups to sort a family of instruments and to find the biggest le plus
gros and the smallest le plus petit in each ‘family’. Ask them to give each
instrument in the family a name of a relative, e.g. le grand-père, le bébé (link
thinking skills)
http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/instname.htm Use this site to
compare the names of instruments in different languages (French, German,
Italian, Russian, Spanish).
Listen to musician Cherif Mbaw introducing himself in French, and singing and
playing his music http://www.cherif-mbaw.com/. Find out about languages
spoken in Senegal and discuss why Cherif chooses to sing in a language
other than French (06.3, 06.4, L6.1, L6.2, IU6.1).
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
14
Superlatives: biggest
(here lit. fattest) le plus
gros, smallest le plus
petit
Comparatives: : bigger
(here lit. fatter) plus
gros, smaller plus petit
French is the official
language of Senegal.
Languages with national
status include Jola,
Mandinka, Pulaar,
Serer, Soninke, and
Wolof. Wolof is the most
widely spoken
language.
2008
Week 6 Activities
Invite parents or younger children to take a virtual tour of the French-speaking country
visited.
Suggestions for presentation of information (Senegal):
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PowerPoint presentation
Interviews with ‘children from Senegal’ sharing daily life
Exhibition of ‘Senegalese’ Art
Role plays, life in Senegal
News report from Senegal
Perform animal songs, poems and stories
African drumming
Dance
Sporting event
Hold scrabble competition (ceate an interactive game for 2 teams)
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
15
2008
APPENDIX ONE
Subject Links
LITERACY (Non-fiction Unit 4)
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MATHS
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Use a range of discussion, dialogue, oral presentation and
role approaches to explore the potential of touring this
location and what become the elements of a guide.
Research, prepare and plan for the creation of a virtual tour
for the location they have chosen.
Draft, refine and finally present their tour, evaluating its
impact on an audience and evaluating their work against
previously agreed success criteria.
SCIENCE
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GEOGRAPHY
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Interdependence and adaptation:
that different animals and plants are found in different
habitats.
how animals and plants in a second habitat are suited to
their environment.
Construct food chains relating to the habitat.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
Convert currencies.
Use euros with money problems.
Use timetables to plan a journey.
Make a travel itinerary using a budget.
Conduct surveys about holiday travel and present data.
Use football tables to follow the progress of Frenchspeaking countries in the World Cup/Africa Cup.
16
Identify where places are.
Use maps, atlases and globes.
Identify physical and human features of a place.
Make comparisons with their own locality.
Identify similarities and differences between places.
Data collection of weather information
2008
ART
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MUSIC

Collect visual and other information to help them develop
their ideas about the environment.
Compare ideas, methods and approaches in others' work
(traditional art).
Find out about materials and processes and how these can
be matched to ideas and intentions – (e.g. Senegalese
glass art).
Use a variety of methods and approaches to communicate
observations, ideas and feelings in a painting (e.g. paint and
other techniques on acetate to replicate Senegalese art
form).
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Find out about native song writers and musicians. What do
they sing about? Which instruments do they use? What
different starting points stimulate their compositions? How
are lyrics and melodies combined in the songs?
Write a song about an aspect of life or culture in the country
studied.
Use African drumming techniques to prepare for a
performance.
http://www.ausenegal.com/Les-peintures-sous-verre-art.html
PE
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D.T.
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Find out about traditional dances.
Create a dance to traditional music of the country studied.
Create a dance representing native animals and the
environment.
Compare children’s fitness and activities with those of
children in the country studied.
Hold a sporting event linked to the country (e.g. in Senegal
football, basketball).
Compare the skills needed in different sporting activities
traditional to the country studied.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
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17
Find out about traditional homes in the country studied and
how they are constructed.
Use different materials to create frames for shelters,
comparing strengths of different constructions.
Investigate different textile products traditional to the country
studied.
Design and make costumes for performance.
2008
RE
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CITIZENSHIP
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Explore different ways people express their feelings through a
range of media.
Experience how certain art forms can be used to express
feelings, emotions and intentions and learn how these are used
in a religious context to express faith.
Wendy Cobb – Medway Primary Languages Team
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18
Recognise and show respect for differences and similarities.
Explore lives and experiences of children in a different
culture.
Investigate links with other places – e.g. food from the
country studied.
2008