French Unit Plan
Unit Title:
La Saint-Valentin
Name:
Katie Patterson
Number of Lessons:
Subject(s):
8
French
Time: (in weeks)
Grade(s):
4
6/7
Rationale: The lessons comprising this unit, build upon students existing knowledge by providing French-infused activities, games and discussions. The topic of Valentines
Day is chosen due to its highly relatable and engaging nature. It provides a valuable opportunity for students to practice the skills of speaking, reading, and listening. Such
opportunities serve to introduce and practice new linguistic-related skills.
Overview: This unit is intended to provide students with practice asking and responding to questions, building vocabulary, and strengthening communication skills while
introducing the historical and cultural significance of Valentine’s Day in francophone culture. Students will ask and respond to questions, respond to directions, discuss likes
and dislikes, play games, and participate in class discussions to practice speaking and listening. They will practice reading and writing in French through various activities
including making Valentine’s Day cards, sorting and matching pictures and vocabulary, writing Valentine’s Day poems,
Prescribed Learning Outcomes from IRPs:
Grade 6
Communicating:
C5 express preferences and interests
C3 participate in known and predictable classroom situations
Understanding Cultural Influences
C7 Give examples of the presence of Francophone cultures in their community
Acquiring Information:
C6 express acquired information in oral and visual forms
Grade 7
Communicating:
C3 participate in classroom activities
C4 begin to derive meaning in new language situations
Acquiring Information:
C6 express acquired information in oral and visual forms
Prerequisite Concepts and Skills:
-Students will have an understanding of simple sentence starters.
-Students will be able to respond to basic yes /no, like/dislike questions
-Students will be able to ask basic yes/no or like/dislike questions
Teacher Preparation Required:
Create Valentines Day crossword
Create/purchase paper heart cut outs
Decide upon Valentines Vocabulary and make necessary cards/ photocopies
Photocopy any necessary handouts
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Obtain any needed art supplies (construction paper, art paper, felts)
Beach ball that has been prepared with various simple questions written on it in French
Cross-Curricular Connections: Cross-curricular connections can be made to drama, language arts, social studies and visual arts.
Extensions to Unit: Extensions to this unit may include writing activities wherein students write a Valentine’s Day letter to a peer, these letters could be later received
during a class Valentine’s Day celebration. Further, students could create and decorate envelopes designated for receiving their French Valentine’s Day letters, incorporating
visual arts into the unit. Students could go on to investigate how Valentine’s Day is celebrated, and acknowledged in a variety of countries and cultures. Lastly, students could
be challenged to research other influential Saints and discuss in what capacity our culture or other cultures recognize and celebrate them.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI):
Enriched:
For students who excel at the concepts that are presented within this unit they will be challenged to express their thoughts using more words and even complete sentences.
These students may also be given a leadership role wherein they are paired with students who are struggling with the concepts throughout the unit in order to offer their peer
support and guidance. Team based games are incorporated into the unit, allowing opportunities for stronger students to offer leadership to their peers.
Remedial:
For students who are struggling with the concepts presented within this unit some adaptations can be made. Students will be randomly placed into work groups for some
activities, thus students who are struggling can be paired with more competent and supportive peers. New words and phrases will be written on the board providing a visual
for students, supporting visual-spatial learners and students with any hearing impairments. Commonly, words and phrases will be read out loud to students and echoed back,
supporting verbal-linguistic learners. Materials for activities will be labeled for easy recognition. Instructions will be broken down into small chunks for better understanding.
Also, students who are struggling with writing will be given the option to express themselves in an alternate way, such as through drawing or oral discussion with the teacher .
Behavioural:
For students experiencing hyperactivity and impulsivity activities that involve movement have been included, such as coming to the board to manipulate, moving around the
room to find a partner, and many opportunities to share thoughts with a partner or the whole group. Quick DPA activities/breaks will be incorporated into lessons wherein I
see students becoming restless. Teacher proximity will be used during instruction and work time with students who have behavioural deficits to limit distractions, and to be
within teacher’s sight at all times. Clear goals and instructions will always be given for students, keeping instructions short and concise for students struggling with
inattention. By incorporating a variety of hands on games throughout the unit students will be engaged and challenged to move around, allowing for naturally occurring body
breaks.
Resources: Pot-Pourri; Feuilles d’activities/ Activity line masters Corrige/ Answers. Anne Burrows Clarke, Gail S. Leder, and Rauda M.Rautins Dickinson. Longman
Company.
Overview of Lessons:
Lesson #
and Title
(time in minutes)
PLOs
in
lesson
#1. The Meaning
of Valentines
Day
30 Minutes.
C3,
C4,
C6,
C7
(a) Instructional
Objectives
(b) Teaching
Strategies
(a)
TSWBAT provide using
written format at least
two relevant ideas
pertaining to the
Lesson Activities
Assessment
Strategies
Hook /Heart Matching Activity (Speaking, Listening)– The teacher will
explain, that the students will be provided with one piece of a whole
paper heart. The student’s task is to find the missing half of their heart.
This task will be accomplished by circulating throughout the classroom
and asking their peers the following question:
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Assessment for
Learning.
Students will be
assessed on their
Materials
(Specific to This
Lesson)
- Valentines Day
Vocabulary
- Heart cut outs
- Tape
- Pens, pencils, etc.
historical background,
traditions or current
cultural relevance of
Valentines Day.
b)
Hands-On Activity
Class
Discussion/Brainstorm
● Are you my partner?
● Est-que tu es mon/ma partenaire?
The responding student will either reply in the positive or negative. Once
students have successfully been ‘paired’, these pairs will be instructed to
brainstorm their existing knowledge regarding Valentines Day, and record
their ideas on the pieces of their Valentines Day heart. When completed,
students will post their completed heart activity on the front board, and
return to their seats.
ability to provide in a
written format at least
two relevant ideas
pertaining to the
historical background,
traditions or current
cultural relevance of
Valentines Day.
‘The Meaning of Valentines Day’ Class Discussion (Speaking,
Listening)– The teacher will lead a class discussion surrounding the
history and current relevance of Valentines Day. The students will be
encouraged to share their ideas with their peers. The teacher will
incorporate the ideas recorded in the previous activity, and highlight the
Valentines Day French vocabulary that will be used throughout the unit.
This informal
assessment will
provide the teacher
with valuable
information pertaining
to the students’ current
level of understanding
regarding the topic of
Valentines Day. The
teacher will employ
anecdotal notes to
accomplish this.
Closure/ Valentines Day Crossword Puzzle (Reading) - In order to
introduce the Valentines Day-related vocabulary that will be used in
subsequent lessons, the teacher will provide the students with a French
crossword puzzle. The teacher will inform the students that the
vocabulary–related information gained from this activity will be used in
the subsequent lessons.
#2. Introducing
Valentines Day
Vocabulary.
C3,
C4,
C6,
C7
30 Minutes.
(a)
TSWBAT verbally
identify in French one
Valentines Day-related
word and/or phrase.
(b)
Whole Class Work
Game
Partner Work
Hook/ Valentines Day ‘Wrap-Around’ Activity (Speaking) - The
teacher will facilitate a ‘Wrap-Around’ activity, whereby she verbally
query’s the students with the following question:
● Quand tu penses à la Saint-Valentin, à quoi penses- tu?
● What words/phrases come to mind when you hear the
words/phrase Valentines Day?
The teacher will encourage the students to use the vocabulary that they
have been provided within their Valentines Day Crossword Puzzles.
Valentines Day Vocabulary & Picture Sorting Activity (Reading) – In
order to provide the students with additional support and practice with
French Valentines Day-related vocabulary, students will be provided with
pictorial representations of Valentines Day vocab and directed to match
them with the accompanying French terms.
Assessment as
Learning.
- Valentines day
Crossword puzzle
- Vocab.
●
●
Students will be
assessed on their
ability to verbally
identify (In French)
one Valentines Dayrelated word and/or
phrase.
Tic-Tac-Toe
game
Valentines
Day-related
vocabulary
flashcards
A checklist format will
be used to assess each
individual student’s
level of understanding.
Closure/Memory (Listening, Speaking)– The teacher will pick five
flashcards and show them to the class. After the students have repeated
the flashcards in French, the teacher will hide the cards and pick
volunteers to try and say as many of the cards they can.
#3. Vocabulary
Olympics.
C3,
C6,
a) TSWBAT participate
to their full potential in
Hook/ Which is Missing? (Speaking, Listening) - Put five to ten cards
on the chalkboard. Show them to the class and have the class repeat them.
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Assessment as
Learning.
● Vocabulary
cards
C7
30 Minutes.
the classroom games, as
well as properly
pronounce the
vocabulary used.
Divide the class into four teams. Send out four students – one from each
team. While they are out of the room, another student hides one card. The
students come back in and guess which card is missing. The first one to
say it correctly in French wins a point for the team
b) Game
Recitation
Scramble (Speaking, Listening)- The teacher has the class (or part of)
form a circle with one student in the middle. Everyone in the circle is
given a card. The person in the center calls out two vocabulary words.
The students with those cards exchange places while the center student
tries to steal a place.
Students will be
assessed based on
participation in the
games and effort to
properly punctuate
French vocabulary.
● Pencils
● Paper
Students will be given
a mark out of 4 for the
day based on teacher’s
observation.
Closure/ Snowball (Writing)- Have students write a Valentine’s Day
vocabulary word on a piece of paper, crumple it up and throw to the front
of the room. I will open a couple and have the students yell out the
English word for the French one written.
#4. French
Vocabulary &
Charades.
C3,
C4,
C5
30 Minutes.
#5. Valentine’s
Day Poems.
30 Minutes.
C3,
C5,
C6,
(a)
TSWBAT write/draw 14
Valentine’s Day
vocabulary
words/images.
Hook (Listening, Speaking) – Refresh student memory of French
vocabulary by going through premade flash cards of vocabulary with the
group. Say the word, and have students echo back. Play a game by
showing students the image of a vocabulary word and have students call
out the corresponding French vocabulary word.
(b)
Game
Teamwork
Recitation
Valentines Day Vocabulary Charades (Speaking) - Place students in
teams, have them choose a team name. Have 1 student pick out a
flashcard and act it out while the other students try to guess what
vocabulary word the student is acting out. When guessing students will
say “etes-vous…?”, the acting student will respond with “oui, c’est vrai!”
or “non, c’est faux”. After 1 minute all students from the other team are
able to guess, “stealing” the point. Continue with new actors/volunteers.
(a)
TSWBAT respond
orally, expressing at
least 1 opinion about a
heard francophone
poem.
(b)
Assessment of
Learning
●
Students will be
assessed on their
ability to pictorially
record 14 French
Valentine’s Day
vocabulary images on
their blank bingo
cards. Checking for
understanding of the
vocabulary presented.
●
Closure/ Bingo Squares (Writing) - Hand out blank bingo square pages,
students will fill in each square with a French Valentines day image of
one of the new vocabulary words they learned from the lesson, encourage
students to write the word as well. (Writing the words can be used as a
challenge to students, but their writing is not assessed at this level). Have
students hand these in to be used in a future lesson.
This will be done
using a teacher mark
out of 4 checking for
completion, and
understanding.
Hook/ Valentines Day Bingo (Listening, Speaking)- Hand out student
bingo made cards to the class (from previous lesson), play a quick round
of bingo with students to practice and reinforce vocabulary.
Assessment as
Learning
●
Students will be
assessed based on their
participation during an
oral discussion; this
will be done using a
●
Valentines Day poems (Reading, Writing)– Read students a francophone
valentines day poem. Discuss the poem and respond as a group, writing
key thoughts on the board using a concept web. Students will then work
individually to write a short valentines day poem using the vocabulary
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Blank bingo
cards (1 per
student)
Valentines
vocabulary
flash cards
Francophone
Valentine’s day
poem
Student made
bingo cards
(from previous
lesson)
Individual work
Seat work
Discussion
they have been learning. Brainstorm possible topics for student poems
with the class, and provide clear expectations of the minimum length of
the poems.
checklist of names.
Closure/ ‘Think-Pair-Share’ (Reading, Listening) - Students will share
their short poem with a partner. (Add on: Ask if any students would like
to challenge themselves and volunteer to read their poem to the class.)
#6. Un Oiseau
pour un Mari.
30 Minutes.
C4
C5,
C6,
C7
a)
TSWBAT demonstrate
their ability to respond
to instructions (follow
directions) by
successfully completing
an origami bird in a
guided setting.
TSWBAT identify a
Francophone
Valentine’s Day
tradition (un oiseau pour
un mari)
b)
-Game
-Whole Class
Discussion
-Art (guided)
-Modeling
-Self Evaluation
#7. Creating
Valentines Day
Cards.
30 Minutes.
C3
C5,
C7
(a)
TSWBAT:
-express preferences and
interests by asking and
responding to simple
questions posed by their
peers during a
communicative survey
-express acquired
information in written
(visual) and/or orally by
creating a Valentine’s
Hook/Game: ‘ Qu’est ce que c’est?’ What is it? (Speaking)
-Divide the class into two teams. The teacher or a student shows a
flashcard or the actual object. Whichever team gets the correct answer in
French first gets a point.
Discussion (Listening/Speaking) - One of the main French Valentine’s
Day customs is called ‘a bird for a husband’ (un oiseau pour un mari).
According to this tradition, girls can tell what kind of husband they will
have from the birds they see on Valentine’s Day.
-Show different kinds of birds (along with their French names) and have
the students think about what kind of husband each bird could symbolize.
Origami Birds (Listening) - Introduce students to necessary French
words, such as fold (plier), corner (coin), up (en haut), down (en bas),
right (droite), left (gauche), crease (pli), edge (bord).
-Guide students in making origami birds, giving most directions in
French, modeling each step, and showing images on the
Smartboard/screen.
Closure/self-evaluation:
-Students complete a self-evaluation based on their work
habits/participation in class today—on task, follows directions, French
speaking participation. They will also answer the question: What is a
Francophone Valentine’s Day Tradition?
Assessment as
Learning
Student origami birds
will be assessed for
ability to respond to
instructions.
Successful completion
of the bird will be
assessed using a
Teacher
Observation/checklist.
Assessment of
Learning
Student responses to
the question posed on
self-evaluations will
be assessed for ability
to identify elements of
Francophone culture.
● Square sheets
of colored
paper
● Prepared
flashcards/obje
cts
● Prepared Smart
board (or other)
● Pictures of
different kinds
of birds with
their French
names.
● Origami steps
● New vocab
words
● Self-evaluation
forms
Assessment as
Learning
●
●
Discussion (Listening/Speaking) - Discuss with the class different
Valentine’s phrases and sentences that can be used in Valentine’s Day
cards (e.g.: Mon coeur bat pour toi – “My heart beats for you”).
Students will be
assessed by a teacher
observation/checklist
on their ability to ask
and respond to simple
questions
Des Cartes de Saint-Valentin (Reading/Writing) - Students use the
provided phrases/sentence starters and craft materials to create a
Students’ Valentine’s
Day cards will be
●
●
Hook/ Likes/Dislikes Survey (Speaking/Listening) - Students will
respond to these questions using a full sentence—“Oui, j’aime (j’adore)
__________.” Or “Non, je n’aime pas (deteste) __________.”
-Have students record the names of the people they ask and their response
(aime, adore, n’aime pas, deteste) in the given spots on the worksheet.
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●
Survey
Handout
(30)
Sentences/
sentence
starter
handout
(30)
craft
supplies
hat/box
prepared
Day card in French.
(b)
-Art
-Whole Class
Discussion
#8. Valentine’s
Day Cards
Presentations.
30 Minutes.
C3,
C4,
C5,
C6,
C7
a)
TSWBAT recite their
Valentine’s Day cards
using proper
pronunciation to the
class.
b) Author’s Chair
Pair Share
Valentine’s Day card for a randomized classmate. Suggest that they
decorate their card based on a like that was listed on the survey (e.g.: if
the like is “adore chocolate”, maybe decorate the card with lots of
chocolate pictures). They must use at least 3 full sentences in their card.
Closure/Ball pass (Listening/Speaking) - Have students hand in their
cards to the teacher, who will distribute them to the addressee on
Valentine’s Day
-Pass a beach ball that has questions written on it around the class.
Students must first answer the questions posed to them and then ask the
question on the ball where their thumb is and pass the ball.
assessed using a
complete/incomplete
checklist for their
ability to express
information in written
(visual) form.
*Students will be
given the opportunity
to express their
information in oral
form throughout the
class.
Hook/Valentine’s Day Cards (Listening) – The teacher will share her
Valentine’s Day card to the class.
Assessment as/of/for
learning.
Author’s Chair (Reading, Listening, Speaking) - Have students practice
reading their cards with a partner for 5 minutes.
-Students will be called up by popsicle sticks to sit on a chair at the front
of the class and present their final project (Valentine’s Day Card) to the
class. Students will read the inside of the card.
-One student will provide one positive comment for the presenter.
Students will be
assessed on the
completion and
presentation of their
individual Valentine’s
Day cards.
Closure/ Ticket Out (Writing) - Write your favorite part, and least
favorite part about the unit. Hand into teacher as your ticket out.
Students will be
assessed using a
teacher-produced
rubric.
Unit Plan Template
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●
●
●
names to
draw from
hat/box
Beach ball
that has
been
prepared
with
various
simple
questions
written on
it in
French.
Cards
Chair