Teacher’s Notes:
Embedding French in the Primary Curriculum
A Brain Gym Activity - Colours in French
Learning Objective for Brain Gym: This is intended as a Brain Gym activity at the start of the day ( suitable for any Year in KS2)
Learning Objective for French: To revise vocabulary for colours
Resources: A power-point slide with squares or a variety of shapes in different colours. Of course you may prefer a low tech version of flashcards in different colours stuck to a wall! You need another power-point slide with separate words for colours written in French but each slide using a different colour for the font eg the word ‘bleu’ written in red.
Explanation of the activity: The teacher starts by revising colours by pointing at each shape on the slide and saying the colour. The children then repeat until they are confident with the names of colours in French.
Step 1 : teacher revises colour with the class
Step 2 : the teacher points to one of the shapes but does not speak; the children say the colour
Step 3 : divide the class into two teams : one child from each team comes to the front of the class : the teacher says a colour and the first child to point to that colour wins a point for his/her team
Step 4 : play Beat the Teacher. The teacher points to a colour and says the word; if the teacher says the correct word, the class repeats the word; if it is the wrong colour, the class remains silent. Each time the children correctly repeat or stay silent, they gain a point. Each time they make a mistake, the teacher gains a point
Step 5 : use a prepared Powerpoint with French words for the colours typed in different colours. e.g. the word bleu could be writte n in a red font. The children look at the slides and read the colour of the font and not the word that is written each time.
Progression: By using visuals representing other vocabulary areas or structures, the teacher could adapt this brain gym activity and make it more difficult. For example, colours could be combined with clothes by using visuals such as a red pullover and a green pair of trousers. E.g. a picture of a red jumper could be labelled
“un pull noir”. Pupils have to understand what they see in the picture (Step 4) or say what they see in the picture (step 5).
Teacher’s script (generic)
Step 1
Translation into English

Maintenant un peu de révision
Les couleurs
Répétez s’il vous plaît
Rouge
Bleu
Jaune
Orange
Vert
Gris
Noir
Blanc
Violet
Brun
Step 2
Nous allons faire un jeu
La première personne qui touche la bonne couleur gagne un point
Nous avons deux équipes
Step 3
Maintenant, si je dis la bonne couleur, répétez-la! Si je ne dis pas la bonne couleur, ne répétez pas! Silence!
Qu’est-ce que nous allons faire? Qui peut expliquer en anglais?
Maintenant un jeu. Le/ la prof contre la classe.
Si c’est correct, un point pour vous.
Si ce n’est pas correct, un point pour moi.
Step 4
Maintenant il faut lire la couleur et pas le mot. Vous comprenez?
Now a little revision
Colours
Please repeat
Red
Blue
Yellow
Orange
Green
Grey
Black
White
Violet
Brown
We’re going to play a game
The first person who touches the correct colour wins a point
We have two teams
Now, if I say the right colour, repeat it! If I don’t say the right colour, don’t repeat!
Silence!
What are we going to do? Who can explain in English?
Now a game. Beat the teacher.
If you are right, one point for you.
If you make an error, one point for me.
Now you are going to read the colour and not the word. Do you understand?