tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69477447574633159972024-03-12T16:45:36.417-07:00Chez RenéeInteresting & creative ideas for teaching World Languages.Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-38348382996211872172018-02-09T13:21:00.000-08:002018-02-09T13:44:15.579-08:00How to use a mannequin in your classroom #16: Break-out lesson!<div style="text-align: center;">
Bonjour fellow teachers! I'm excited to share a new idea with you that I tried for the first time last month. I was inspired by a presentation I attended at a world language conference on creating a "break-out" lesson. Have you heard of these? I decided to try one as part of my semester exam review in my French III class.</div>
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It was a lot of work to create this lesson, and at one point I did wonder if it was going to be worth it. My students adored it though, and I thought it was fun, creative and a great way to review major concepts from the semester.<br />
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If you aren't familiar with the concept of a break-out lesson, the basic idea is that groups of students are racing each other to unlock boxes containing clues which lead them to unlock the next box. Each group is racing to be the first to make it to the final box. So, one needs to create some sort of story which gives the students a reason for wanting to race to that final box. That was the fun part for me! I created a story about one of my classroom mannequins, Suzette. My students are used to hearing stories about the adventures of my mannequins who go by the names of Jacques and Suzette, and they love any lesson that includes stories about their lives. I told students that Suzette was actually a secret agent working undercover for the Police Nationale, and that she had been poisoned. Their mission: find the antidote before it was too late!<br />
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When they entered the classroom, they saw Suzette on the floor:<br />
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Notice the apple on the floor next to her...students were supposed to figure out that she had taken a bite and fallen to the ground because she had been poisoned. Suzette was visible from the door of my classroom, and other teachers and students stopped in to ask what was going on!<br />
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I projected an image on the screen in my classroom that looked like a memo from the French police showing Suzette's photo, and her real name (Angèle LaFleur) and identity as a secret agent. I dressed up as a representative from the French police (trench coat, badge, etc.) and explained the mission to the class.<br />
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Students were divided into teams (groups of 3) and given their first task. When they completed it and everything was correct, I gave them directions in French to the location of the next box and the combination to unlock it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boxes were color-coded for each team, as well as numbered. Each box is locked with a padlock, and contains another task inside for the group to complete.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This team is working hard to unlock their box!<br />
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Each team had 3 boxes to unlock before making it to the final box. The final box contained a syringe which I filled with talcum powder...this was supposed to be the antidote. The team that made it to the syringe first was able to inject it into Suzette's IV tube!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzette's IV tube..it was actually a plastic straw.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The winning team saves Suzette...umm, I mean, Angèle! They were rewarded with some French treats!</td></tr>
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The 3 tasks that each team completed were just review questions for 3 different topics that would appear on the semester exam. You could use any review questions or worksheets that you would normally use and make them the tasks for each group. Students were so engaged in this lesson that they were getting angry at each other for not hurrying fast enough and I had to intervene to calm them down. It was definitely exciting, and not your usual exam review lesson. I think it was a success! And now that I've tried it once, I think it will take much less time to create the next one. Please feel free to leave a comment if you'd like more details or if you have any questions. Happy teaching!<br />
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Special thanks to my husband for coming up with the idea of the syringe and the IV tube :). And a shout-out to the Target Pharmacy for giving me the syringe for free!<br />
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-25408587099332804672017-05-01T18:24:00.000-07:002017-05-01T18:26:10.472-07:00How to use a mannequin in your classroom #15: L'accident de Jacques!<div style="text-align: center;">
One of my goals each school year is to find new ways to use my classroom mannequins in my lessons. I enjoy creating & teaching these lessons, and my students really love them too! Last week I had a new idea. In French IV, we've been studying how to talk about accidents and doctor visits. I decided to dress Jacques up as though he'd had an accident. Here's what he looked like:</div>
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Instead of having the students describe what happened in random pictures of people who had suffered various accidents (found in their textbook), I asked them to describe what happened to Jacques. This was instantly more interesting to them. And they were interested in the lesson as soon as they entered the classroom...they wanted to know what had happened to Jacques.<br />
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Students were asked to take photos with their iPads of Jacques' head, neck, hand and leg.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacques has a bandage on his head, and stitches on his neck!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacques has a scar on his hand from a burn!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacques has a cast on his leg, and he's using crutches to walk!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I asked students to tell what type of accident Jacques had, and then to describe each of his injuries and the treatment for each injury. They used the Adobe Spark Video app to record themselves describing what happened in each photo that they took. They were able to share their presentations with me, and we watched what each student had created.<br /><br />For any of you who are able to use apps in your classrooms, I've been using Adobe Spark Video frequently and find it to be reliable and easy to use. It allows students to import photos and make voice recordings over the photos. <br /><br />I hope you enjoyed this idea! Happy teaching...summer is just around the corner. <br /><br />P.S. I bought the fake scars & stitches at a Halloween store.<br /></span><br />
<img alt="Image result for adobe spark video" src="https://spark.adobe.com/images/landing/voice.svg" /><br />
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-19563669426546335062016-12-23T08:33:00.000-08:002016-12-23T08:33:19.032-08:00How to use a mannequin in your classroom #14: Le pique-nique de Jacques & Suzette!<div style="text-align: center;">
I would say that after more than 20 years in the classroom that one of the most important lessons I've learned is this: If you can get your students interested in what you want to teach them, it will make you instantly more effective as a teacher! My mentor would agree. When I was a new teacher, he encouraged me to find out what students wanted, and then <i>repackage</i> my lessons accordingly. I have found this to be very wise advice. </div>
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My students are immediately interested in anything that has to do with my classroom mannequins. And why wouldn't they be? Wouldn't it be SO MUCH more interesting to sit in a lesson where a teacher was telling & acting out a story about a life-size department store mannequin than to read a boring dialog in a textbook about Pierre & Anne who went to the grocery store? I took that textbook dialog meant to teach students how to use the passé composé and threw it out, replacing it with a story I wrote about Jacques & his girlfriend Suzette (my classroom mannequins, which you are aware of if you've been reading this blog) and their picnic date. Because we were learning vocabulary about how to describe the countryside, I chose to have the story take place in the countryside. I acted out the story for students with props. Here's a photo.</div>
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I had already taught students how to form the passé composé (the past tense). In this lesson, I wanted students to practice using it in the context of a story. The story about the picnic date ended thusly: Jacques was waiting for Suzette to show up, having spread out the picnic (see above), and he was starting to get upset and wondering where she was. Students were instructed to write a few lines about what they thought happened next, using the passé composé. Then they acted out their lines for the class, and they always come up with some very creative endings, so this turns out to be quite enjoyable and engaging. <br />
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A few days later, I piqued their interest again by letting them know that I was going to tell them what REALLY happened to Suzette at the end of that story. I had the same picnic scene set up when they arrived to class, and Suzette was also there, but covered up with a sheet so that they couldn't see her. This <i>really</i> causes them to be interested. I unveiled Suzette after the bell rang, and this is what they saw:<br />
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I played the part of Jacques: Jacques got bored while waiting for Suzette, so he ate the whole picnic, and then he started shooting at squirrels with his bow & arrow...but he didn't know that Suzette had just arrived (she was behind the bushes), and he accidentally shot her with an arrow! She screamed, and he ran to her and told her he was so sorry. Then, he took off his shirt, tore it up and made a bandage for her leg.<br />
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Above is Jacques' shirt, which I was wearing over my clothes. When I took the shirt off and acted out "ripping it", I didn't want to actually rip the shirt, so I improvised by ripping a sheet of paper for the sound effect. I thought my students would think this was dumb, but one of them stayed after class to tell me that was her favorite part of the story :). Then I picked Suzette up over my shoulder and RAN across the classroom with her to the doctor's office, where I also played the part of the doctor (see the props below).<br />
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The doctor examined Suzette and told her she would be ok. Then Jacques hugged Suzette and told her he loved her.<br />
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There was gasping, laughing and spontaneous applause at the end of this scene. Students were genuinely interested in what was happening. Afterwards, I gave them a typed copy of the scene, and asked them to change the verbs to the passé composé. As a result of these lessons, students heard, spoke, read and wrote the passé composé. They also enjoyed themselves, and so did I. Immensely. I love that teaching a language affords me the opportunity to be creative. <br />
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Happy teaching, everyone!<br />
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-34497653608672196152016-10-26T12:04:00.001-07:002016-10-26T12:04:29.273-07:00Get students speaking by hosting a Game Show!<div style="text-align: center;">
Bonjour tout le monde! I hope everyone has had a great start to their school year! I haven't posted in a while, and I'd like to thank those of you who've recently reminded me that you are reading my blog which has really encouraged me to keep on writing. I'd like to share a successful lesson that I taught last week. This lesson was used in high school French II and students were learning how to name various professions. I took a writing activity from my textbook (which described what certain people did in their professions and asked students to guess what it was based on the description), and turned it into a television style game show! I made index cards on which I wrote the short descriptions and the French name of the person assuming that profession. Then I made a Power Point presentation to create a game show atmosphere. The slides of the Power Point showed the same names and descriptions that were on the index cards. I also inserted game show music and applause at appropriate times in the presentation, which definitely helped to set the tone. The index cards looked like this:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><u>Madame CORBIER</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Je travaille dans un hôpital. J'aide les malades, mais je ne suis pas médecin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"> DO NOT READ THIS OUTLOUD: Je suis infirmière. </span><br />
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And then, I DRESSED UP as a game show host, and my students participated as either contestants in the show or members of the audience. The goal was for the audience to guess the professions of the contestants by listening to the description and then asking questions. I welcomed my students at the door, dressed in a mullet wig, a ridiculous sport coat, a name tag that read "Gigi Paris", and a toy microphone. When greeting students, I said (in French), "Welcome sir/miss. My name is Gigi Paris". If they addressed me as Madame, I corrected them. I wish you could have witnessed the giggles on the way to their seats, especially from those who try not to show their emotions. It was almost worth all of the effort just for that! I welcomed the class to the show with my mic and asked for a volunteer, and then gave that person the mic (an important prop for this lesson!). They came up front and were given one of the index cards to read. All they had to do was give the name on the card and read the description. In the background, I was projecting the Power Point slides at the same time, which gave the same information they were reading. After each description, I projected a slide that showed questions students could ask to narrow down the answer, such as "Do you work in an office? Do you travel a lot?". The contestant could then call on any audience member to ask a question. The rule was that the audience had to ask at least 3 questions from the screen before attempting to guess the profession. The person to guess correctly became the next contestant, and the game continued in this manner.<br />
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This lesson was successful for several reasons: students were interested, everyone was engaged in either speaking, listening or reading French, and everyone was having a good time. I encourage you to consider doing something similar. Your students will thank you! One of mine approached me in my costume, hugged me, and said, "Madame, you're awesome!" I'm sure you would love to hear that as much as I did :). Happy teaching!!!</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-87061652356393273702016-01-19T17:39:00.001-08:002016-01-20T16:05:25.868-08:00Les petits bonhommes<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy winter from the Mitten! This weekend I spent a lovely few hours in my kitchen trying a new recipe. Even though I've had the incredible good fortune to have lived in France, I had never heard of <i>les petits bonhommes</i> until I saw a French chef preparing them on a cooking show. They are absolutely adorable, and ever since I saw the show, I've wanted to find time to make them for my students. You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/petits-bonhommes-51126200">here</a>.</div>
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The recipe is <i>not</i> simple and does require some time. I love to bake though, so for me it was enjoyable and also very satisfying to be able to expose my students and also my own family to this French treat! Here's how mine turned out:</div>
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Let me tell you, these things smelled heavenly! Not only are they cute, but to me they are so very, very French! I would describe the taste and texture as something close to a German soft pretzel, except that the dough is slightly sweet. They are made in Alsace (during the Christmas season), so I guess the pretzel-like dough must be a German influence.</div>
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I only made a small amount since the recipe was so time-consuming, and I shared them with some of my upper level students since those are my smallest classes. What a fun way this was to celebrate French on a snowy day. They were delighted! And why wouldn't they be? France offers some of the most delicious foods in the world, and this is one of the things that makes the French culture so unique and special. I think offering my students new types of French food helps to rekindle their love of the culture, and therefore the language! </div>
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Petits bonhommes = happy students with a renewed desire to learn :) </div>
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If you like to bake, I highly recommend trying this out. Let me know how it goes if you do!</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-48694756730371496242015-07-10T13:43:00.001-07:002017-05-02T17:41:09.622-07:00How to use a mannequin in your classroom #13: Crime Scene Investigation!<div style="text-align: center;">
As I write this post, I'm sitting by my swimming pool enjoying the month of July and reflecting on the past school year. This lesson was one of my favorite lessons, and it was something I'd never tried before. I think it's so important for teachers to continue to learn, grow, and adapt. This lesson was born out of a desire to find a more effective and interesting way to introduce the correct use of the passé composé (compound past tense) & the imparfait (imperfect tense) when describing past events. I used it in my French II class, which for me is the first time the concept is introduced. The idea I came up with is something that I discovered that many elementary school teachers already use...I first saw the idea on Pinterest. Here it is: use a crime scene investigation to get students to recreate a past event. Brilliant!!! I have to say that I've learned a lot from elementary school teachers over the years! </div>
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If you've been reading this blog, then you know that I have a classroom mannequin named Jacques. I'm continually making up stories about his life to incorporate into my teaching, and my students absolutely love it. Naturally, I decided to invent a story about a crime that happened to Jacques and his girlfriend, Suzette. Here's what students saw when they entered my classroom that day:</div>
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I piqued their interest before they even entered the room by putting caution tape on the door. When they came in, they said things like, "Is this for US?" (with excitement!) I asked them to take a few minutes to observe the crime scene. There were six clues:</div>
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1. sunglasses</div>
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2. footprints</div>
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3. spilled cup of coffee with lipstick on the cup</div>
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4. a spilled purse</div>
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5. a bandanna, a mask & blood splatters</div>
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6. a shattered mannequin hand & blood splatters</div>
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Students went back to their seats and were given a paper with the following questions on it, in French of course: </div>
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1. What was the weather like?</div>
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2. What time of day was it?</div>
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3. How many people were there?</div>
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4. What was Suzette (Jacques' girlfriend) doing?</div>
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5. What was the bandit wearing?</div>
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5. What did the bandit take?</div>
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6. What did Jacques hit with his hand?</div>
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It was easy for students to figure out that I wanted them to answer the first question with "It was nice weather", and so on. Once they had attempted to answer all of the questions, we reviewed the answers together, and then I asked students to notice what verb tenses were used in each question, and to try to figure out why. This was how I introduced the rules that govern which tense to use when describing the past (students had already mastered how to form the two tenses). Here are a few more photos:</div>
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As a side note, if you're wondering about the shattered mannequin hand...you may have noticed in previous photos that Jacques is missing a hand :). The real reason for this is that I dropped it one day, and it shattered. I've always meant to repair it, but haven't. So it's been in my cupboard for years. And students are always asking me what happened to his hand...so this was the perfect opportunity to make up a story about it! He smashed his hand saving his girlfriend from a bandit!</div>
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This lesson was very successful. 100% of the class was interested and engaged. Students used critical thinking skills and were able to tell me what the rules were for choosing between the two tenses. And I think they actually enjoyed themselves in the process. I know I did.</div>
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I'd like to thank author, teacher and presenter <a href="http://daveburgess.com/">Dave Burgess</a> for validating this approach to teaching. I read his amazing book on the first day of summer vacation this year. It's called Teach Like a Pirate, and if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it! He reminded me that engaging & exciting lessons like this are not less rigorous than those that include lengthy grammar exercises. In fact, he reminded me of the importance of getting students to want to learn what we're trying to teach them. It is essential to their success. </div>
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I hope you'll consider trying a crime scene investigation lesson in your class next year! Please feel free to email me if you'd like to see any of the documents I used. I'd be more than happy to share them.</div>
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P.S. I found the caution tape at a Halloween store, and I found the footprints, blood splatters and coffee stain via Google images. Also, I am not compensated to promote Dave Burgess' book :).</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-3595984814660258162015-04-03T08:51:00.001-07:002015-04-03T08:54:54.885-07:00Le Poisson d'avril!<div style="text-align: center;">
Bonjour tout le monde! I hope you're all having a great school year! Today is the first day of my spring break, and I'm really looking forward to some rest and relaxation, and some time to catch up on my blogging :). And it looks like spring is finally arriving here in Michigan! I feel invigorated already!</div>
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I've been teaching for a number of years, but for some reason I've never included Le Poisson d'avril (the French equivalent of April Fool's) activities in my classes. I tried it for the first time this week, and was happy with how it went. I explained the French tradition of taping paper fish on the backs of others without their knowledge and then yelling "Poisson d'avril" when the prank has been discovered. My classroom mannequin, Jacques, was decked out with fish in order to draw attention to the activity.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The paper fish are traditionally taped on one's back, but I put them on the front here so that students could see them.</td></tr>
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I gave students about ten minutes to cut out their own paper fish and to write "Poisson d'avril" on each one. Then I explained that we'd be having a Poisson d'avril competition on April 1st. Students were instructed to try and tape their fish on the backs of others before school, during lunch, or after school that day. I made this rule because I didn't want the activity to be a disruption in other classes. I also sent an email to all of the faculty members to explain this. Students were told that if I heard from any other teachers that they were being disruptive, they would be disqualified from the competition. I also came up with a point system: </div>
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Student or sibling: 10 pts.</div>
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French student: 15 pts.</div>
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Parent: 20 pts.</div>
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Teacher: 50 pts.</div>
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French teacher: 100 pts.</div>
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To verify, students were asked to take a photo of the fish on the person's back and then email it to me. I was really wondering how this would all go, since I can think of a million ways it could have been disastrous. I'm happy to report that my students really had a ball, and it was just good, clean fun! Here are some of the photos they sent me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the look on her face...she has no idea yet that she has a fish on her back :).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More classroom decorations. I found these on Pinterest. Aren't they cute?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our high school counselor...she doesn't know she has a fish on her back yet :).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The students seemed to especially enjoy trying to tag their teachers. This is a history teacher who loves to pull pranks. I can't believe anyone was able to get him! He was busy that day trying to scare students with a plastic spider dangling from a thread attached to a long stick....my colleagues are awesome!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a music teacher. My colleagues were very good sports about it all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fish for my classroom! I made these from scraps of wrapping paper and some card stock.</td></tr>
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The next day, the student with the most points in each class was awarded a French prize. I gave them each a bottle of Orangina and a Toblerone chocolate bar. Students were required to cut out the paper fish, but they were not required to participate in the competition. It was successful for many reasons:<br />
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It got French outside of the classroom (promoting your program!)<br />
It got students to participate in a cultural activity<br />
Students learned about French products through the prizes that were awarded<br />
It was fun!<br />
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Happy Spring. P.S. No one was able to tag the French teacher! Huzzah!</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-19004892042070210122015-01-04T18:57:00.000-08:002015-01-05T12:39:50.193-08:00National French Week 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
Bonjour! It's been a while since I've blogged because I've been even busier than usual with life at school. This fall I decided to go ALL OUT celebrating National French Week! I was able to do this thanks to the fact that I now have a colleague teaching middle school French, and we worked together! We met over the summer to brainstorm. We chose the top 5 reasons that students <i>at our school</i> should study French. Then we figured out how to get these reasons outside of our classrooms in as many ways as possible.</div>
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I live in Michigan in the Detroit area. Here are our top 5 reasons to learn French:</div>
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<li><i>French is the official language of approximately 50 countries</i>. (I have found over the years that very few people understand this. We French teachers should be shouting it from the mountain tops! In fact, while we were putting up our display, two parents stopped to observe and told us they had no idea that this was the case!) </li>
<li><i>The number of French-speakers is expected to triple in the next several decades.</i> (from an article in USA Today, 2014)</li>
<li><i>Detroit was founded by a Frenchman.</i></li>
<li><i>There are more than 300 French companies in Michigan. </i>(French-American Chamber of Commerce)</li>
<li><i>French is beautiful.</i> (I made a video of my students speaking French to help emphasize this point).</li>
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So we decided to put up two giant displays in both the middle school and the high school with this information on it. Here's what they looked like:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nzhOEN8NuC8/VKl92S9maPI/AAAAAAAAAn8/44ul2aL3pdo/s1600/IMG_0682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nzhOEN8NuC8/VKl92S9maPI/AAAAAAAAAn8/44ul2aL3pdo/s1600/IMG_0682.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I purchased the map shown above specifically for this display. It was not cheap, but I really felt that the map would validate point #1, which is maybe the most important one, in my opinion. Surprisingly, I've found that people sometimes have not believed me when I've made this point in the past. So, I wanted the map there to show exactly where French is spoken. You can see that I added my top 5 reasons to learn French. The black rectangles are actually reusable <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wallies-Stick-Chalkboard-Sheet-Slate/dp/B0016KQZGQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420395888&sr=8-1&keywords=chalkboard+wallies">chalkboard vinyl sheets</a> and I wrote on them with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sanford-Wet-Erase-Fluorescent-Assorted-14075/dp/B000FA01AE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1420396102&sr=8-5&keywords=wet+erase+liquid+chalk+markers">wet-erase liquid chalk markers</a>. Here's a closer view:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VzsYbCJxBwg/VKmByzCitTI/AAAAAAAAAoI/8h27ypGpuGI/s1600/IMG_0689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VzsYbCJxBwg/VKmByzCitTI/AAAAAAAAAoI/8h27ypGpuGI/s1600/IMG_0689.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love the liquid chalk markers! We used a red plastic table cloth for the background, and the letters at the top were a free download (for a limited time) from <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/">Teachers Pay Teachers</a>, which the Spanish teacher discovered (thanks, Katie!). We attached the letters to some baker's twine with mini clothespins:<br />
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We also decided to have our students make French labels for various places in the building such as the water fountain, the bathroom, the main office, etc. & of course we then put them up around both buildings. In addition, I had my French I students make posters about French-speaking countries, and I hung these in the hallways in the high school. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the posters & the labels. You can see though how we got French outside of our classrooms with these activities. It was impossible not to notice French when one walked through our school that week! <br />
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This was only one of many things my colleague and I did for National French Week this year. Stay tuned for more posts about what else we did.<br />
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Bonne Année...Happy New Year!!</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-36164083193987845312014-09-25T13:02:00.000-07:002014-09-25T13:02:34.347-07:00Paris Bulletin Board<div style="text-align: center;">
Bonjour fellow teachers! I hope you've all had a good start to the year & that you're settling into your routine like I am. I decided that my bulletin boards needed a fresh look this fall. So I searched around on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> for some new ideas. I updated the look of my bulletin board by using a double border in red & blue, and some amazing silver glitter wrapping paper for the background.<br />
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I've never tried a double border before...it wasn't too hard and I really like the look! The glittery wrapping paper was purchased at a craft supply store (<a href="http://www.michaels.com/">Michael's</a>). Here's what it looks like up close:<br />
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I also made the Paris banner. I found these wonderful free printable letters on Pinterest <a href="http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2013/09/free-printable-chalkboard-banner-letters.html">here</a>, and I love the look! The banner was so easy to make. I just printed the letters on white card stock, and then put decorative craft tape around the edges. I strung them all together on red and white baker's twine, which I also purchased from the craft supply store. Here's an up close view:<br />
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And voila! A brand new modern look for a new school year! While I was at it, I purchased some peel & stick chalkboard "wallies" and some wet erase liquid chalk markers (on Amazon). It seems like chalkboard everything is the new look, so I wanted to try this out. Here's a new decoration I made for the wall:<br />
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I hope you enjoyed these ideas...bonne rentrée à tous et à toutes! :)</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-92185047818364650422014-07-15T14:17:00.001-07:002014-07-15T14:17:59.130-07:00Graduation Gifts for your Students<div style="text-align: center;">
It seems to me that it is just as important for a teacher to end well as it is to begin well. Educators speak a lot about beginning well, but I almost never hear anything about ending well. I want my students to know that I've genuinely valued the brief intersection of our lives, and I want them to have a memento of our time together that will be meaningful to them in the future. I imagine that you feel the same way! But how to come up with meaningful gifts that won't cost a fortune? I found an interesting idea on Pinterest that I thought I would try this year. </div>
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You will need: an old copy of <i>Le Petit Prince</i> (or any piece of literature that you've studied together), a picture frame and a printer.</div>
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I chose a famous quote from the book, which we had read and studied together, and printed it on a page of the book in a different direction so that it would stand out. I also chose to add a little art work. I was very pleased with the results. What do you think?<br />
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The total cost for this gift was $10 since I was able to find the frame on sale for 40% off at a local craft store. I chose to make these for each of my Advanced Placement students since I've taught them for the past 5 years. I hope they will remember their love of the French language and all the happy times we spent together learning when they look at these in the years to come. I really liked how these turned out, and now I'm thinking about making one for myself! Do you have any great ideas for graduation gifts? I invite you to leave a comment! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. :)</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-5797368826604233272014-04-26T13:09:00.001-07:002016-12-23T07:20:10.780-08:00How to use a Mannequin in your Classroom #12: Describing your daily Routine<div style="text-align: center;">
Bonjour fellow teachers! It's the end of April...a time of year when most of us feel tired and are wondering if we can make it to the end of the school year. It's the time of year when we feel like we're just limping or maybe even crawling to the finish line. Creativity wanes. We find ourselves just trying to survive. And our students probably feel the same way. Believe me, I know...and I feel your pain. I want to offer you some encouragement. It is for all of these reasons that something new & exciting is just what is needed in our classrooms. For our own sake, and also for the sake of our students. We can not hope to pass along enthusiasm for learning to them if we're not excited about what we're teaching ourselves! I get excited when I try something new and it turns out to be successful, and that's exactly what happened last week. I had an idea about a new story I could write about my classroom mannequins, Jacques & Suzette. </div>
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I decided to create a story about Suzette having a really bad day...similar to the story <a href="http://www.imcpl.org/readytoread/?p=2481">Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, no good, very bad Day</a> <i>. </i>Right now my French II students are learning how to use reflexive verbs and how to describe their daily routines. So I wrote this story about Suzette's routine and how things went wrong. Basically, she washed her hair with toothpaste by accident and got a comb stuck in her hair. Then, she tried shaving with a new razor, and cut her leg. In the story I used the vocabulary words (toiletry items) and reflexive verbs (to wash, to shave, etc.) that we're studying in the current lesson. When students came to class on the day of this lesson, this is what they saw:</div>
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Students said things like, "Is this for us?" and , "Madame, what's wrong with Suzette?" as they entered the room. They were interested in the lesson before I even began to teach it. A mannequin with a comb stuck in her hair is so much more intriguing than the story in your textbook that is meant to teach the same thing. And here's the REALLY exciting part. One of my colleagues (thanks, Katie Beth!) let me borrow some theatrical make-up...some <i>fake blood</i>, which is truly amazing stuff in how much it resembles the real thing... so that I could make it look like Suzette really cut her leg!</div>
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I made a video on my iPad about Suzette's day. I used the above photos and an app called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/morfo/id418900007?mt=8">Morfo</a> which allows you to make a photo "speak", and I created the whole thing in the iMovie app. Here are the results: (p.s. the joke about Kansas at the end is an inside joke in our class)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/BHG8QhL7gRU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I was actually teaching students how to use reflexive verbs in the past tense on this day. I showed the video to the students, and asked them to listen to how the verbs sounded. After viewing the video twice, students were able to tell me (rather than me telling them) what the rule is for using these types of verbs in the past tense! The next day, I gave students the text to the video with the verbs missing, and they practiced changing the verbs to the past tense. So, this is what I accomplished with this short video:</div>
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<li>Students figured out the grammar rule on their own & were able to tell me what it was.</li>
<li>Students practiced their listening skills while viewing the video.</li>
<li>Students practiced their reading & writing skills when working with the text to the video.</li>
<li>Students wanted to understand what was happening in the video because it was of high interest to them.</li>
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I have to say that I wasn't entirely sure beforehand that they would think this video was as great as I did. But, they actually gasped when they saw the blood and laughed at the appropriate times. And someone even said, "Madame, WHERE do you come up with these ideas?" </div>
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It was not easy to come up with the time to create this, but I'm so glad that I made the time to do it while I was thinking of it. It was definitely energizing for me and enjoyable for my students. I encourage you to consider doing something new before the year ends. Fake blood might be just what you need to make it to the finish line!!!</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-27024905240358373612014-04-12T10:04:00.000-07:002014-04-13T06:17:50.022-07:00Encore Adopt an Escargot!<div style="text-align: center;">
Attention fellow teachers! If you're a teacher of French & you've not yet investigated <a href="http://www.adoptanescargot.com/">adopt an escargot</a>, I urge you to do so tout de suite! Adopt an escargot is a brilliant idea invented by a retired teacher. It involves students adopting a baby escargot (a shell!) & inventing the life of their child. To have your students participate, you need to email Nancy (the creator of this wonderful program). On the site, click on the image <i>Pour le prof de français</i> and then you will see a link to contact Le Grand Escargot. You can purchase everything necessary from her for about $25 per kit (which is enough for a whole class). Each kit includes beautiful escargot shells (unique colors & shapes) and each shell comes with a unique profile. The kit also includes other activities such as a game, a template for a baby book, official adoption certificates and the right for your students to email Le Grand Escargot (the big snail). The whole idea is incredibly creative & a fantastic way to involve students in reading, writing, speaking and understanding French. </div>
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This year for adoption day, I packaged the "babies" in some cute red & blue party favor bags. Here's what they looked like:</div>
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Students were allowed to pick a bag from the basket, but soon found out that a blue bag did not necessarily mean a baby boy. When they opened their bags, they found a shell and their baby's profile, which told them if their baby was a boy or a girl, and a little about their baby's likes, dislikes and fears.</div>
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It is amazing to me each year to see how even the seniors in the class get <i>so</i> excited about this project. Believe me, they are not too old to find this fun! </div>
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This year I have the good fortune to finally have another French teacher in the building besides myself. I asked her to act as the adoption agent on adoption day. We named her Margaux Fargaux, and I even made an official badge for her to wear.</div>
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Agent Margaux arrived with the babies on the scheduled date & explained to students what a serious responsibility adopting a baby escargot was (in French, of course!). She asked students to repeat the oath of escargot (found on the adopt an escargot site) after her with their right hands raised:</div>
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Margaux Fargaux did such a wonderful job!</div>
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She also put her official signature on each of the students' adoption certificates.</div>
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This year I also discovered that if you buy <a href="http://www.avery.com/">Avery labels</a>, you can easily create custom labels by using the code that is given on the package. I made these adorable stickers (in less than 10 minutes!) for adoption day. I asked students to put them on their shirts and wear them for the whole day. This served as excellent advertising for the French program!</div>
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We all had a great time. I hope you believe as fervently as I do that learning another language is a fascinating & exciting process. Convince your students of this by trying adopt an escargot. REALLY. If you find yourself feeling tired & lacking motivation, your students will notice & it will affect your teaching. This might be just what you need to feel inspired again. </div>
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Just do it. Your students will thank you, I promise!</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-79081985852390347622014-03-18T12:40:00.001-07:002014-03-18T12:40:26.572-07:00Mock Oscar Awards!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
Hello fellow teachers! I'm so excited to share this new idea with you!! I tried it for the first time in my French II class last week, and it was an amazing success on so many levels. I imagine that many of you ask your students to make videos for an assignment as I do. This activity was done right after my students turned in a major video project which was due right around the time of the Oscar Awards. In the past, I have asked the class to vote on the best video & I awarded a prize to the winner. I liked doing this because it inspired students to produce something they were really proud of, rather than just making sure they met the requirements to get a decent grade. I also discovered that my students often surprised me. Sometimes students who didn't shine in other areas showed amazing creativity & ingenuity that I hadn't seen before. But this year, I took this idea to the next level. I held a mock Oscar Awards ceremony!</div>
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Students were told about this event before their projects were due. The categories for the awards would be: Best pronunciation, Best costumes & Best overall production. Students were given time in class to write short acceptance speeches in case they won. Once the videos were turned in & viewed by all of us, students voted for the best in each category using <a href="http://www.google.com/google-d-s/createforms.html">Google forms</a>. I told them that we would be having the mock Oscars the next day. When students came to class they found the "red carpet" (butcher paper on the floor) & the actual poster used this year in France for the 2014 César awards (for those of you who aren't French teachers, this is the equivalent of the Oscars in France) projected on the screen as a backdrop:</div>
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Students were also informed ahead of time that we would be having surprise hosts for this event. I arranged for 2 of my AP French students to come and act as the co-hosts! The AP students spent some time in their class writing opening comments & jokes and their script for presenting the awards. They did an incredible job...they ran into the classroom yelling "Welcome to the Oscars 2014!" (yes, in French, of course) and did a great job engaging their audience. They showed their video project from when they were in French II as part of their opening remarks. They were the ones to give out the awards...they opened envelopes for each category that I had made for them & they gave out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rhode-Island-Novelty-Trophy-12-Pack/dp/B006RV04MK/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395170063&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=mini+oscar+troph">mini Oscar trophies</a> (I bought a box of 12 from Amazon for about $20...see the photo above), and they also gave out prizes. Each winner got a bottle of <a href="http://www.orangina.com/">Orangina</a> (a common French beverage) and a <a href="http://www.toblerone.com/">Toblerone</a> chocolate bar (these are commonly eaten in France)...my students were thrilled with these! When the winners were called, I blasted some familiar French music through my classroom speakers & threw confetti as they walked the red carpet. The winners were handed the toy microphone and read their speeches...many of them tried to imitate real Oscar acceptance speeches, and of course this made it all the more entertaining. </div>
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My students were so into this! One in particular, who was sure he was going to win, came to class dressed in a suit for the event!!!</div>
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And his confidence paid off. His group won the Best overall production:</div>
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We all laughed so hard when the monsieur on the right began his acceptance speech with, "I am not surprised. I would like to thank myself for being so seductive (he wasn't aware that he was using this particular word), handsome, and just for being the best". The monsieur in the suit imitated the French producers who won the Oscar for the best animated short this year by pulling his speech out of his pocket and making his hands tremble. From time to time, when I saw that the French II students might not have understood something well, I asked the AP students to translate into English. Here's a photo of the co-hosts:</div>
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I can't tell you how much fun this was!! Not only that, but I also accomplished the following:</div>
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<li>AP student were validated (speaking French outside of the classroom for an audience).</li>
<li>French II students saw what level of French they can reach if they continue on through AP.</li>
<li>Everyone was engaged in either speaking French or listening to French 100% of the time.</li>
<li>Everyone was interested in what was going on. (a great motivator for learning!)</li>
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I was very pleased with the results and would recommend it to all of you. I would like to thank Angela, a fellow world language teacher, for sharing the original idea of holding an Oscar Awards ceremony. I would also like to thank my colleague, Katie, for inspiring me to include acceptance speeches as part of the event. And lastly, I'd like to thank my amazing husband for giving me the idea to include my AP students in this activity. </div>
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P. S. The monsieur in the suit has asked me to address him from now on as "Academy Award winner". :)</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-8795744384957163662014-02-17T17:28:00.001-08:002014-03-18T10:06:37.127-07:00La Vache qui Tache: Speaking Game<div style="text-align: center;">
Bonjour, everyone. I hope you are all well, and surviving the current weather conditions. Things have been wild here in Michigan. We've had a record amount of snow this month, record low temps and a record number of snow days at my school (6 so far!). Vive la neige!!</div>
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I have a great speaking activity to share with you. It seems to work best with my French III class, but it might also work in French II, and it's too easy for French IV. It's a good game to use if students need to practice speaking more, if they need to review numbers, or if they just need a break from the usual. This game was shared with me by two wonderful French teachers from Michigan, Marge Mandl and Suzie Martin, in a presentation they gave at our <a href="http://www.miwla.org/">MiWLA</a> Conference.</div>
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Everyone is a <b>vache</b> (cow) in this game. All <b>vaches</b> sit in a circle in chairs or at a desk. One <b>vache</b> (usually the teacher) stands in the center and is called <b>la vache qui tache</b> (the cow who gives spots). All the cows number off and their numbers never change. All cows start without spots (sans tache). <b>La vache qui tache</b> has several circles cut from black construction paper in her pocket which will be affixed to other cows' faces with scotch tape on the back. <b>La vache qui tache</b> begins the game by saying, "Moi, la vache qui tache sans tache appelle la vache sans tache numéro ____." (We'll say <i>deux</i>.) Number 2 responds: "Moi la vache sans tache numéro deux appelle la vache sans tache numéro ____." (We'll say <i>quatorze</i>). Number 14 responds: "Moi la vache sans tache numéro quatorze appelle la vache sans tache numéro sept." (etc.)<br />
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Once a vache makes a mistake, they are no longer called "sans tache", but "à une tache". If number 14 makes a mistake, he or she gets a "tache" (spot) on either his cheek, his nose, his forehead or his chin. "La vache qui tache" starts again: "Moi, la vache qui tache sans tache appelle la vache sans tache numéro vingt." Number twenty could respond: "Moi, la vache sans tache numéro vingt appelle la vache à une tache numéro quatorze." If number fourteen makes another mistake, he or she gets another spot. Then he would be called "Moi, la vache à deux taches numéro quatorze." Students may also call on "La vache qui tache." For example: "Moi, la vache sans tache numéro cinq appelle la vache sans tache qui tache."<br />
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My students were able to use their iPads and an app called <i>Doodlebuddy</i> to create their numbers. The game continues until all vaches have spots except for one. My students had a lot of fun with this activity and everyone was engaged in speaking French! Why not give it a try?</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-47900398903004671812013-12-18T18:44:00.000-08:002014-03-18T10:07:14.526-07:00The "Airport" Conversation Game<div style="text-align: center;">
Today I played a conversation game in my French III class that was a big hit, and more importantly, got everyone speaking French and having a good time while doing it. This game is good for upper-level students. The directions take a while to explain, but it's worth it! I wish I could remember where I got this idea...it was passed on to me by another teacher somewhere along the way :). </div>
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Students are to imagine that they are strangers stranded at an airport due to a snowstorm, and are to have a conversation based on this premise. Only one person is allowed to speak at a time. Students take turns asking each other where they are from, what they do for a living, and so on. Each student is allowed to invent his own identity. The more creative they get with this, the more fun everyone has! Before the conversation begins, each student is given a secret index card which tells them their role in the game. There are 2 spies, 2 policemen and 3 chatterboxes. The chatterboxes are to try to change the topic of conversation as often as possible. The policemen are trying to figure out who the spies are and arrest them. The spies are trying to work a particular line into the conversation before the policemen arrest them. The spies' cards say something like: You are a spy. You will say "I ski often in the Alps". The other spy will say "I like snails". The spies are trying to work these lines into the conversation in a natural way. If a policeman suspects someone of being a spy, he stands up and says "I arrest you". If he is correct, the game ends. If not, the game continues until the spies are able to say their lines, or until the other policeman arrests a spy. </div>
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Some of the identities the students came up with this time were: Elf, Bella, Bertha and Molly. There was a lot of laughter, and students were engaged in speaking French for the whole game. Explaining the directions and playing one round took a whole class period. I think my students felt good that they were able to carry on these conversations without having previously written a script. This is a great activity to use when students are tired and need a change in their routine. I recommend giving it a try!</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-64166754826780167132013-10-17T15:57:00.000-07:002014-03-18T10:08:03.511-07:00Speed-dating Speaking Activity!<div align="center">
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Bonjour everyone! I hope you've all had a great start to the new school year. It's been a busy one for me, and I've gotten a little behind in my blogging...but I've been trying some new ideas in my classes that I'd like to share with you. This one actually was inspired by my principal, who mentioned it in passing in one of our departmental meetings.</div>
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The idea was to try a speed-dating style speaking activity. I divided my class into groups of 2. One student in each group had a profile that I created giving basic information such as their name, age, where they lived, their nationality, etc. To make it more fun, they had a simple costume to wear as well...I have various masks & hats that I used for this. The profiles included Jack Sparrow, Santa Claus, Yoda, Elvis, George W. and so on. The other person in the group was the interviewer and was given a card on which I'd written some basic questions in French, such as <em>What's your name? How old are you? When is your birthday?</em>. I used a timer, and the interviewers had a certain number of seconds to ask their questions. When the timer went off, the interviewers rotated to the next person and asked their questions again. During this time, I was circulating around the room & trying to listen to each group for a few seconds. Here's a photo of what it looked like:</div>
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After 5 rotations, I exchanged the cards the interviewers had with the questions on them in French for a card with the same questions written in English, and I asked them to try the last 5 interviews by trying to ask the questions with only the English prompt to look at. Once again I circulated around the room listening to each group.</div>
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Once the interviewers ended up with the partner they started with, they all switched places with the students who had the profiles and we did the whole thing again. </div>
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This took an entire class period, and all of the students were engaged in speaking French 100% of the time. I was reminded of how much they like to dress up and how even just a hat or a mask can suddenly render an activity exciting to them. It was a big hit! This activity was done after completing unit 1 in my textbook which included these basic informational type questions, and actually they had been tested on unit 1 last week. I used it as an informal assessment of their ability to speak French without reading it from a card. I'd like to find even more ways to engage them in showing what they know how to say in French!</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-48611710057903419772013-08-09T09:00:00.000-07:002014-03-18T10:08:38.827-07:00Student Projects for Le Petit Prince<div align="center">
I imagine that many of you out there in the blogosphere enjoy reading <em>Le Petit Prince</em> by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry with your upper level French students like I do. I've collected many ideas over the years for activities to use while teaching this wonderful book. I think these ideas were passed on to me by my friend Mary, and I believe she found them on the <a href="http://web.cortland.edu/flteach/">FL Teach ListServ</a>. I use these at the end of our study of the book after students understand the book well. I usually give students the choice of one of the following:</div>
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Write, create and illustrate 4 postcards written by the Little Prince to his flower <u>from some of the planets he visited in the book.</u></div>
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Create a board game or a card game that uses questions based on <em>Le Petit Prince.</em> Illustrate the game and write original questions and answers to be used in the game.</div>
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Design and create a planet that the Little Prince might have visited, maintaining Saint-Exupéry's style. Write a description of what happens when the Little Prince visits the planet and also explain what the planet represents.</div>
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Students are given written directions describing the requirements for each choice. I make sure that the same amount of writing is required for each one. I also ask students to present their projects to other students in the class. This year, I had some wonderful examples of project #3. Here they are:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Planet of the Dolphin. Notice the chunks of broken glass used as ice & glaciers!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Planet of the Pegasus!<br />
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These young ladies got very excited about this project because they are both very creative and love making crafts. I think it was a success because they were drawing on their knowledge of the book, using written and spoken French, and because they enjoyed the craft element of the project so much! What do you think?</td></tr>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-15342659612607156162013-06-28T05:24:00.000-07:002014-03-18T10:09:13.761-07:00Doodle Buddy App for iPad<div align="center">
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We have just completed our second year of a 1:1 iPad program at my high school! Now that it's summer (hip, hip, hooray!!), I'm reflecting on the apps that I've used in class & trying to determine which ones have been the most useful. One that I seem to keep turning to is called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/doodle-buddy-for-ipad-paint/id364201083?mt=8">Doodle Buddy</a>. </div>
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Doodle Buddy is a FREE white board app. Students can draw or type in various colors and styles on a blank white board. They can also change the background of their boards to designs offered within the app, or they can upload their own photos from their camera roll as the background. I've found this last feature particularly useful.</div>
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Here's an example of how I used this app while helping students to practice using ordinal numbers. In the past, I would have had students draw animals, placing them on different levels of Noah's Ark, on a worksheet as they listened to my instructions in French. This year I tried this instead: students used a photo of Noah's Ark as their background in Doodle Buddy. Then, rather than draw the animals on various levels, they were able to use the "stamps" provided within the app since many of these stamps represented the animals I asked them to draw. Some of my students still wanted to draw the animals rather than use the stamps. It was much quicker & easier for those who chose the stamps. Once the activity was complete, students were able to share their doodle buddy with me via email. </div>
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You can see that this student chose to type his French name at the top of the photo, scribble out something on the bottom right , and use animal stamps to place the animals on the appropriate levels of the ark. </div>
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The possibility of drawing on top of photos is one that I find to be very useful in a French classroom! I'm sure that I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of all the ways this app could be used, and I'm hoping to discover more ways to use it next year!</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-63558791551311382082013-05-30T18:26:00.002-07:002014-03-18T10:09:57.308-07:00Hooray for Middle School French!<div align="center">
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I've been using a brand new program for middle school French this year, and I continue to be extremely pleased with the results. The program is called <a href="http://www.madamethomas.com/">Ah, Bon?</a> by Joanne Thomas (2011). This semester I had a new group of students and was able to teach through chapter 4 (a little further than I got with the first semester group). One of the wonderful things about this program is the way Joanne has incorporated just the right amount of practice that middle school students need in order to be successful. Here's an example of what my students could do after about 12 weeks of class:<br />
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Students wrote the scripts for these videos in about 10 minutes. They were able to do this with ease, and their spelling was excellent. Then I asked them to practice reading the script a few times with a partner, and to see if they could do it without looking down at the words. As you can see, the students were familiar enough with the phrases they were using to recite their scripts without really memorizing them. If you don't speak French, it is also worth noting that the students are speaking with excellent pronunciation. I ended up sharing the videos with their parents, and they were absolutely thrilled to see what their children could do! What a great way to promote your French program!<br />
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I highly recommend <em>Ah, Bon?</em>. I have found it to be extremely successful and worth every penny spent for all the resources that Joanne has so generously provided on the wiki space that accompanies the book. She has also just published a Spanish version (2012). If you're looking for a new middle school program, check it out!<br />
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-7592308475906771732013-04-08T16:30:00.000-07:002014-03-18T10:10:38.233-07:00Le Petit Nicolas & Twitter!<div align="center">
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Do you use <em>Le Petit Nicolas (Sempé-Goscinny) </em>in any of your classes like I do? I've discovered two new resources this year to use while teaching this book that are super cool! How did I find these resources, you wonder? I learned about them both from the many talented teachers I follow on Twitter. Voilà a compelling argument for why all teachers should be connected on Twitter. <br />
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The first resource I learned about is the <a href="http://notrelecture1.canalblog.com/">blog</a> of a fellow French teacher I follow on Twitter (@juanfrance). This blog is wonderful because students can read chapters from Le Petit Nicolas online here, but more importantly, <u>they can listen to audio recordings of individual chapters being read online here too!</u> I recently tried having my students listen to the recording of a particular chapter on their iPads while reading silently at the same time, and found this to be very effective. I was surprised at how appreciative they were. In the past, I would have had students read the chapters aloud in groups. I find that they retain less when they read aloud, as more of their brain power is focused on pronunciation. Merci, Juan, for this great resource! I actually learned about this blog from another wonderful French teacher on Twitter, @sylviaduckworth, who tweeted about it. Merci, aussi à <a href="http://about.me/sylviaduckworth">Sylvia</a>.<br />
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The second important resource is a new movie that came out in France in 2009 called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzlsr1oLtOo&feature=share&list=FLqutlK9DFy1oQki6iXTrmIA"><em>Le Petit Nicolas</em></a><em>. </em>The film is based on the book, and students will recognize scenes from many of the chapters while watching the film. It is fabulous, and my students absolutely adored it. One of them even purchased the DVD for herself. I showed this movie in French with English subtitles after students had read and studied many of the chapters and it was a huge success.<br />
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<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=VmJKjUq6DulZvM&tbnid=veb9B4M_NfT3KM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdiscount.com%2Fdvd%2Ffilms-blu-ray%2Fblu-ray-le-petit-nicolas%2Ff-1043317-3700301017758.html&ei=WVFjUeuGHfK24APoxYHYCg&bvm=bv.44770516,d.dmg&psig=AFQjCNFyGsbDqdgH-H389VklQI4xYW5UtA&ust=1365549624081459" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://i2.cdscdn.com/pdt2/7/5/8/1/700x700/3700301017758/rw/blu-ray-le-petit-nicolas.jpg" height="528" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 43px;" width="528" /></a><br />
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I hope you'll find these ideas helpful. And if you haven't yet connected with any other teachers on Twitter, now you know of at least two that are worth following!<br />
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-85535977475890724432013-03-05T14:52:00.002-08:002014-03-18T10:11:06.963-07:00Popplet Lite App for iPad<div align="center">
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<a href="http://popplet.com/">Popplet Lite</a> is a FREE app for iPad which allows the user to diagram or map ideas with ease. I've been meaning to try this app with my students all year, and finally did so in my French IV class. We had just finished reading <em>Le Comte de Monte Cristo </em>(The Count of Monte Cristo) as a class. This was a lot of work and took us a lot of time. After finishing our study of the book, we watched the film in French. As is often the case, the film is quite different from the book. I wanted my students to compare the book with the film in French, and using Popplet to do this worked really well.</div>
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I asked students to map out the differences and the similarities between the book and the film, and then to share the popple with me. Here's an example of a student mapping the differences:</div>
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And here's a popple showing the similarities:</div>
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I found this app very easy to use and very intuitive. It is also possible to insert photos into the frames, and I can see many possibilities for using that feature. I'm sure I haven't even scratched the surface of all the ways this could be used! My students seemed to enjoy it, and it was a great way to visualize the ideas they were trying to express. It's also easy for the students to share their work with the teacher in this app. I would recommend it!</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-42365423796461942062013-02-22T11:43:00.001-08:002014-02-17T16:50:06.400-08:00I LOVE Quizlet!<div align="center">
Have you heard about Quizlet? It's a very powerful tool all teachers should know about! Basically, <a href="http://www.quizlet.com/">Quizlet</a> is a website that allows you to create flashcards in many languages. Students can access the cards you've created and play games and even take tests in order to learn the words on the cards. They can also <u>listen</u> to any word in French and hear how it's pronounced. And it's FREE.</div>
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I decided last year to make Quizlet flashcard sets for every unit for each level of French that I teach. That was a lot of flashcards!! I put links to all the sets on my class web pages, and now students can go there any time they want to and study for any unit they want to, which I think is a great resource for a teacher to provide. If you would like to see the sets I've made, or even use them, you can search for my user name (<span style="background-color: yellow;">madamermwood</span>) at the Quizlet site.<br />
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The questions becomes, however, how to integrate this tool into a world language classroom. If you ask students to complete an activity on Quizlet during your class time, how do you hold them accountable to do so? There is a very easy solution to this, and I learned it from my friend <a href="http://www.madamethomas.com/">Joanne Thomas</a>. She published a fabulous new French program for middle school which I'm using, and she has integrated Quizlet into the whole program. Joanne asks her students to complete an activity and then provide proof of completion by sending her a screen shot of the final "page" of the activity. Here's an example of one:<br />
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Students can't get to this view until they've completed the whole activity, so this works very well. A word of caution, however. If a student clicks out of the activity, they have to start again at the beginning of the activity. <br />
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I've seen how well Quizlet works to help students learn by using Joanne's middle school program, so I've begun to use it in my high school classes as well. I've been assigning Quizlet activities during class as review before a test or quiz. I sometimes give students part of the hour to complete the activity, which I can do easily since I'm lucky enough to be in a high school that has a 1:1 iPad program. I'm happy to report that Quizlet works well on iPads! Students can complete the activity in class and send me a screen shot from their iPads. I can easily see how everyone is progressing by walking around the room and looking at the blue progress bar you see in the upper left hand corner of the screen shot. <br />
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Obviously, it would be easy to assign these activities as homework as well. There are many ways you can use Quizlet, and it really does help students improve their mastery and even their spelling of the vocabulary words. My favorite activity is the new "Speller". In this activity, students hear a person say the vocabulary word in French, and then they have to type it correctly with accents included. The screen shot above is from a "speller" activity.<br />
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If you haven't tried Quizlet, I encourage you to check it out! You won't be disappointed :).</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-25327891280953870932013-02-01T17:59:00.000-08:002014-03-18T10:11:35.707-07:00Puppet Pals App for iPad!<div align="center">
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This year I tried a new project at the end of the semester as a way to review what we'd learned. My high school is in year #2 of a 1:1 iPad program, and I consider myself lucky to have this amazing tool to work with when considering a new project. I decided to try an app I'd heard of called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-hd/id342076546?mt=8">PuppetPals HD</a>. This app allows students to create puppet shows using different backgrounds and different characters, and they are able to record their voices as well. The possibilities for creativity are endless, and to top it off, the app is free!<br />
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I asked students to create a puppet show after giving them specific guidelines for what I expected to be included. Students had a lot of freedom to create whatever sort of story they wanted to. While creating these projects, I was happy to see lots of smiling and giggling going on. I was also pleased with the results. Here's an example.<br />
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I was delighted to be able to give my students a new and different way to use and practice their French. I would recommend this app for use in any world language classroom!</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-60512965444869080812012-12-28T07:47:00.000-08:002014-03-18T10:12:16.091-07:00Christmas Activities!<div align="center">
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Enrich your classes and teach French culture at the same time by including some fun French Christmas activities! I enjoy teaching students about the <strong>bûche de noël</strong> (Yule Log cake) eaten in France in December. I like to bring a cake in as a surprise and let students eat it after I've explained what it is. My students really enjoy this and even remember it years later. </div>
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Some years, I've made the cake. And sometimes I buy a cake when I can find one. This year I found a beautiful bûche at <a href="http://www.holiday-market.com/">Holiday Market</a> in Royal Oak. Here's a photo:</div>
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I always make sure to provide students with a recipe and encourage them to try and make one if they like to cook. It seems like there are always a few students for whom this ignites an interest in French on a new level.</div>
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Because the cakes are expensive to buy & time-consuming to make, it's not practical for me to share this in every level of French that I teach. Usually, I reserve the cake for one particular level. My friend & fellow French teacher <a href="http://mmedrouillard.wikispaces.com/">Mary</a> has come up with a great way to share this tradition with her students. I'm sharing her wonderful idea here with her permission. She gives her students Little Debbie Swiss roll cakes and allows them to decorate them with frosting and other decorations so that they look like mini bûches. Here are the results:</div>
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Aren't they lovely? What a simple, easy, cheap and fun way to engage all of your students in this activity!</div>
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Sharing the bûche de noël with students is a great way to keep students interested and to bolster your program. For me, it also meets a state standard for World Languages (Standard 2: Gains knowledge and understanding of other Cultures). </div>
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Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année à tous! </div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947744757463315997.post-70494152689754716002012-11-15T12:53:00.000-08:002014-03-18T10:12:36.552-07:00Morfo App for iPad!<div align="center">
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Wow!! I just learned about a new app called Morfo. The English teachers at my high school were using it in their classes, and one of my students showed it to me. This app allows you to animate a photo of a person's face and you can also add audio. You can cause the face to show different emotions such as surprise, or you can make the face smile. My mind is spinning with ideas about how I can use this in French class!</div>
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Naturally, I tried using it to make my classroom mannequin come to life! In the past, I've used the FaceJack app (which I also LOVE) to bring my mannequins to life. But Morfo offers even more possibilities! Here's a quick sample of my classroom mannequin in the Morfo app.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XpOdSOvd8EE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div>
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I decided to try using Morfo with my French IV class last week. We're currently reading <em>Le Comte de Monte-Cristo.</em> I assigned each student a character from the book and asked them to find a photo of the character online. Then they each made a Morfo with the photo, and recorded themselves speaking as if they were that character. Watching the Morfos was a nice way to review characters from the section of the book we were currently studying. Here's an example of one. This is Jacopo from <em>The Count of Monte-Cristo.</em><br />
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Yay, Morfo! :)</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07479082948643158835noreply@blogger.com2