«L’Avenir»
A Grammatical Lesson
For Students of French
Designed by:
Gwendolyn Gilmore
Designing Direct Instruction
ISLT 9459
December 12, 2007
I. Overview
Context
This instruction unit is intended to help students of French (second level)
learn the delicate intricacies of human language. Students will first become
proficient at forming two future tenses. This is usually a step-by-step process
through which they students produce the correctly conjugated verbs. Students
are building on prior knowledge from French I where they learned the concept of
conjugation. The second half of the unit teaches students when to use which
tense. This is a concept that is difficult, since there is no concrete set of rules to
follow.
Unit Length: 5 one hour lessons
Audience
The audience for this project contains French III/IV students. Their level of
fluency is limited to vocabulary contexts they encountered in the texts for French
I and II. In general, they desire to increase their ability in French. The class
contains a majority who are on a path to higher-education, namely at universities.
Most of the students are hindered by English transference, which causes them to
make numerous mistakes in both pronunciation and correct grammar usage.
The students also must conquer the hurdle of language fear, or fear of speaking
a foreign language in front of the class.
The class consists of both level three and four students. The class is taught on a
two year curriculum rotation, which allows the students to take the class together
without repeat of material.
Learning Objectives and Desired Results
• Students will be able to correctly form both the future proche and the
future simple in French following a step by step process for the formation
of the verb tenses.
Desired learner behaviors: Students can apply the correct forms of future
tense in patterned situations with 80% mastery. (Facet 3)
• Students will be able to correctly determine when to use each future tense
based on their knowledge of the concept of pre-determination and
immediacy.
Desired learner behaviors: By creating a study guide (through which they
“teach” peers), students can explain the difference between the various
forms of future tense, and when they should be used (or not) with 80%
mastery. (Facet 1)
Assessment Approaches
More to come here.
Instructional Approach
More to come here.
II.
Unit of Instruction
Lesson Element
Select Information to Attend to
Attention:
Lesson 1
As students come in “La Coupe du Monde” is playing in the background.
(This song was written for the 1998 World Cup, held in France. Written by
Ricky Martin, it repeated uses the French verb aller as well as the Spanish
“alé”. The song has become a prompt of sorts for instruction containing
the verb to go”)
Show the “French in Action” video clip where Murielle cannot be
understood in English because she confuses the future tenses.
Prompt:
“Why did Murielle have problems expressing herself to the Americans?”
“What can we learn from Murielle in regard to verb tense.”
YCDI
Link the New Information with
Existing Knowledge
Recall/Relate:
For the next few days, we’ll be learning about the future tense. There are
a few different ways to express this in French, but for now, we’ll be
working with the “Futur proche” and the “future simple”.
When we first began learning the PAST tense, we worked for several
weeks on not only forming the past tenses, but also on when to use each
tense. You’ll remember we worked with this concept for awhile and each
of you mastered it. Here’s the good news: since you already know the in’s
and out’s of the past tense, the future tense will be very easy. In fact, you
have a lot of the tools that you need already.
Script:
Before we begin, let’s recall some of the information we’ll need in order to
carry out our mission.
First, you’ll need the verb for to go. Who remembers this verb? (wait for
response of “aller”)
Right! Aller. Let’s review this verb right now. (Slide 1) On your own sheet
of paper, see if you can conjugate the verb. We’ll check your answers in a
few moments. (wait)
Organize the Information
Structure of Content:
Alright, check your answers and see if you remembered the verb correctly.
(Click through slide to display the answers.)
(Slide 2)
Okay, let’s look at what we are going to be accomplishing in this unit and
how we are going to do it.
First we’ll look at the how to form the two different tenses. This is more of
a step by step process. We’ll learn le futur proche first and then le futur
simple.
After that, we’ll move on to learning when to use each tense. You’ll have
to decide when it’s appropriate to use one tense over the other. Just like
learning the past tense, you’ll have some decisions to make based on your
understanding of the concept.
Assimilate the New Knowledge
Into Existing Knowledge
Present new knowledge:
Of course, we’ll have lots of opportunity to practice and finally you’ll show
me your ability by telling me a familiar story, Les Poils de Pierre.
Let’s get started with the futur proche. We’ve already reviewed the
conjugation of aller. You’ll need that bit of information to proceed to the
next step. We also need to remember what an infinitive is. Who can
explain what an infinitive is? (response: a verb in it’s original form / not
conjugated) Good. There are several different types of infinitives. Help
me out, and list them. (Write the responses on the board: -er, -ir, -re, and
irregular.)
Okay, let’s look at the formation of the future proche (slide 3). Here are
the steps for the formation of this verb tense. I believe that you’ll find it
quite easy.
First you need a subject. That’s easy enough. Would someone like to
give me a subject? (wait for response and using the Smartboard tools
record suggestion.) Since we’re learning this, everyone should write down
this subject so that you can practice the steps as we go along.
Next, we need a form of aller that agrees with our subject. On your piece
of paper, write the form of aller that would go with this subject. Check your
work. You should have written ____. (I have included an example.)
Now we need an infinitive. Let’s start of simple, so think of an action verb.
Does someone have a suggestion? (wait and record suggestion.)
Alright, let’s look at what we have constructed. (Write in English meaning
for the students.)
Strengthen the New Knowledge
In Memory
Present examples
Practice:
Let’s take a look at a few examples of the future proche in action. (Slide 4)
What do each of the sentences mean? (Go through the meanings.)
Before we go any further, I want to make certain that you understand what
we have done so far. I’m going to show you items for you to construct the
future tense with. Write down your sentences on your paper. (Slide 5)
(Wait while students complete the task.)
Feedback:
Now check your work. (Display answers) If you missed any, let’s stop and
make sure you understand where you went wrong. (Students input here,
with teacher guidance.)
Recall
Now let’s make these same sentences negative. Remember that we
make a sentence negative by surrounding the verb with ne and pas. But
here we have two verbs – one conjugated and one infinitive. We’ve seen
this before with verbs like aimer and vouloir. How did we make sentences
negative with more than on verb? (Correct response: negate the
conjugated verb [usually the first verb]).
Okay, now rewrite each sentence making it negative. (wait)
Feedback
Let’s check those answers again.
Summary
Alright now we can recap le future proche. On your paper I would like you
to write the items you must have in order to construct the future proche.
(wait) Next. What meaning does the future proche usually have in English.
Check your work. For question 1 you should have written: a form of aller
and an infinitive. You may have also put a subject since you really can’t
have a sentence without one. For question 2 you should have indicated
that the future proche often has the meaning of going to do something.
Test
It is now time to test your skills. Please clear desk tops and get ready for
a quiz over the future proche. (Hand out quiz)
Quiz:
Conjuguez les verbes entre parenthèses au futur proche.
Exemple :
L’inspecteur (poser) va poser ses questions.
1. Dans deux semaines, le coupable (aller) ____ en prison.
2. Après demain, je (interroger) ____ sa famille.
3. Son cousin et sa cousine (venir) ____ en France.
4. On (trouver) ____ ses chaussettes.
5. Les journalistes (écrire) ____ des articles pour «Le Figaro».
6. Nous (découvrir) ____ des informations très intéressants.
7. Le policier ( ne/pas fermer) ____ le cinéma.
8. Je (essayer) ____ arrêter le coupable ce soir.
9. Ca (être) ____ difficile.
10. Vous (retrouver) ____ l’homme sur la photo.
Application
It’s time for you to show me what you can do. Your assignment is to write
about what you’ll be doing on Christmas vacation. Write at least 10
sentences about the topic and include as least one negative sentence.
Please skip lines. I’ll be reading your work and circling your mistakes for
you to correct.
Select Information to Attend to
Attention:
Lesson 2
III. UbD Template
Stage 1 – Identify Desired Results
Established Goals:
National Standards For Foreign Language Learning
Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or
readers on a variety of topics.
(Goal 3; CA6, SS6,FA3)
Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through
comparisons of the language studied and their own.
(Goals 2,3,4; CA1,2,3,4, SC7, FA2,4 )
Essential Questions:
•
•
•
•
Why do I need to learn this?
What do I need to know in order to decide
between the two tenses?
How do I form the two tenses?
Why are there two tenses?
Desired Understandings:
•
•
•
Forming the future tense (whether
proche or simple) is key to sounding
more sophisticated in narritives.
There is not always a firm set of rules
in language. Sometimes “it just sounds
right”
Making the distinction between the two
tenses requires practice, but a S2L
student will still be understood by a
native speaker.
What key knowledge and skill will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know:
• How to form the futur proche
• How to form the futur simple
• Basic vocabulary used when speaking
in the future tense (tomorrow etc.)
Basic vocabulary used when telling a story.
Students will be able to…
• Tell a story in French in the future.
• Decide between the futur proche and
futur simple when communicating in
the future tense in French.
Stage 2 – Determine Acceptable Evidence
What evidence will show that students understand?
Performance Task(s):
• Personalized Mini-Stories – Students create stories in French based on prompts (again
using the two future tenses)
•
TPR-Storytelling “Les Poils de Pierre” Telling the story in the future tense making a
distinction between futur proche and futur simple.
Reflective Writing
a. Pilot Feedback
b. Design Process
c. Instructional Strategies Table
Strategy
Location in
Lesson
Reading Citation
Rationale for Use
Attention Getting
Lesson 1 – Select the
information to attend to
Foshay, p.43; Jonassen,
p.34; Wiggins & McTighe,
p.201-208
YCDI
L1 -
It is important to capture
the attention of the
learners, making certain
that their efforts are more
focused.
Helping learners feel
confident with the task
before them is an intregal
part in laying a foundation
for the mental process.
By recalling previously
learned material that is
necessary for the task, an
instructor readies the
students for learning
while still holding them
responsible for previous
topics.
Recall / Relate
Foshay, p.133; Wiggins &
McTighe, p.213-215
d. Research and Information Sources
http://www.polarfle.com/exercice/exofutprochelem.htm