Created by:

Courtney Campbell & Tamara Williams

Instructional Menu Bonjour! Paris, Anyone?Grades 6-8

Course Description: Want to take a fantastic voyage this summer to the City of Lights? Grab your passport and get ready to take a fun journey. Join us as we experience the city of Paris, France! We’ll experience everything about Paris-the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, and the River Seine. How did the City of Lights begin over 2,000 years ago to become a city of 2.2 million people? Would you like to learn about everyday life in Paris by visiting French grocery stores, shops, and schools? Have fun with “Café Math”, “Landmark Science”, and much more. Create a piece of artwork like Monet, Matisse, and Renoir. Create and sample your very own French cuisine such as crepes, French toast, beignets, and fruit tarts. Let the good times roll this summer and create your own unique mask for our Mardi Gras parade! This workshop is sure to be a voyage you don’t want to miss and one you won’t soon forget!!

Type I Activities

1. Interview a former French exchange student over Skype to learn about the French way of life through a French citizen’s perspective. (culture)

2. Think of many, varied, and unusual ideas you have about France to help develop a sense of what we already know or think we know about the country. (France)

3. Take a virtual field trip to the Louvre to explore the many styles of French art and French artists. (culture: art)

4. Examine a netted shopping bag. Think of many, varied, and unusual uses for this object. Afterwards, students will discover how this object relates to the French lifestyle. (culture)

5. Observe the famous paintings from various French artists. Complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the styles of art. Research the artists to discover more about each individual’s style. (culture: art)

6. Think of words and phrases that we use often. Look through the provided dictionary to translate our English into French. (language)

7. Examine the Travel Book. Think about all of the many places and attractions you would like to visit, and then plan your own virtual trip to France! We will discuss the history behind these landmarks and why they are so famous during class. (landmarks)

8. Watch excerpts from the fictional movie, Midnight in Paris (must get a permission form from parents permitting students to view a PG-13 film), to get a visual idea of the French culture in the 1920’s. Many Americans traveled to Paris during this time, including many influential writers such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, James Baldwin, and Gertrude Stein. (culture)

9. Students will watch a video about the history and traditions of Mardi Gras to expose the true meaning of the colorful and festive holiday. They will, then, participate in a Jigsaw activity to explore the different components of Mardi Gras and Carnival. (Mardi Gras)

10. Students will complete a “Where in the World is Paris, France?” webquest.

11. After listening to Read aloud of E is for Eiffel, students will complete Eiffel Tower team challenge12. Using Alphaboxes, students will jot as many things that you can remember about what you learned about France for each alphabet in E is for Eiffel.

13. Students will view video from .com about the history of Paris, France.

14. Students will make a timeline about important events in France.

15. Students will listen to read aloud of Look What Came from France. Students will participate in a class scavenger hunt about famous inventions mentioned in the book. Students will think of many ways that life would be different without some of the inventions that came from France.

16. Students will learn about historical events in France’s history by watching a video and/or completing a webquest on historychannel.com & biography.com.

17. Everyday Life in Paris- students will learn about the following areas of life in Paris. They will compare/contrast life in Paris to/with life in the United States. (This is take place over the course of 5 days.)

Grocery StoreRestaurants/CafesShops SchoolsHomeLeisure

18. Using appropriate websites, students will journey daily to famous landmarks of Paris. (Eiffel Tower, Lourve Museum ,River Seine, Notre Dame Cathedral , Arc de Triomphe , Disneyland Paris , Parc de la Villette, the French Academy , and the Galleries Lafayette). Students will document their travels on their daily travel log.

19. Students will learn about the colorful and interesting lives of famous French artists Matisse through books, videos, and famous artwork replicas.

20. Students will learn about the colorful and interesting lives of famous French artists Monet through books, videos, and famous artwork replicas.

21. Students will learn about the colorful and interesting lives of famous French artists Degas through books, videos, and famous artwork replicas.

22. Students will learn about the colorful and interesting lives of famous French artists Picasso (born in Spain, but lived in Paris) through books, videos, and famous artwork replicas.

23. After listening to read aloud of Phillipe in Monet’s Garden, students will create an origami frog.

24. Students will listen to various French songs for and describe the mood of the song and the message. (Lyrics will be provided in French and English).

Type II Activities

1. Use communications skill #1 to think of many, varied single words to describe the different aspects of the French culture, such as the food, language, and lifestyle. Afterward, students will translate their descriptions to French using a translating dictionary or Google Translator. (culture; language)

2. After discussing the different styles of famous French artists, students will learn how to create a Monet inspired impressionist mural. (culture: art)

3. After using the decision-making Talent, students will conduct an advanced research on a famous French person and their contributions to not only France, but also to the rest of the world. (Famous French)

4. After discussing the French culture, government, economy, and language students will compare and contrast the French way of life to the United States. (France)

5. After locating famous French landmarks on a map, students will use their advanced research skills to learn more about that landmark, it’s geographical relevance, and it’s history. (landmarks, history, geography)

6. Students will learn how to cook a French cuisine including breakfast, entrees, and dessert meal items. After, students will create their own menu as if they were the head chefs at the Palace of Versailles and plan a feast fit for the King of France. (culture: food)

7. Students will learn how to speak the French language by labeling different items in the classroom and speaking basic phrases daily such as good morning, hello, please, thank you, and good-bye. (language)

8. After a productive thinking Talents lesson on many, varied, and unusual ideas students have about France, students will use their advanced research skills to determine fact versus opinion of French stereotypes. (culture)

9. Students will use their creative writing skills to construct a poem about France in English and French. (Language)

10. A graduate student from the language department will come to class to teach a French mini-lesson for one week. (Language)

11. After watching Midnight in Paris, students will read excerpts from various American writers and analyze how the French culture influenced their writing styles. Students will also conduct research to discover the meaning behind their favorite text. (literature)

12. After learning about the history and traditions of the Mardi Gras holiday, students will use their decision-making skills to decide what aspect of Mardi Gras they would like to participate in. Once they have decided what they would like to do, students will plan their own Mardi Gras festival. (Mardi Gras)

13. After learning about Mardi Gras, students will participate in a Synectics activity in order to think more abstractly about what they have learned. (see attached) (culture)

14. Using productive thinking and decision making, students will use straws, marshmallows and masking tape to construct their own version of the Eiffel Tower.

15. Using academic thinking, students will conduct advanced research on the history of famous inventions created in France. Using decision making, students will build/create a 3D replica of the invention. Students will write a 3.2.1 ad for the invention (3 interesting facts about the invention, 2 factoids about the inventor, and 1 way life would be different without the invention.

16. After learning about important historical events in France, students will academic thinking to conduct advanced research to complete “An Event in History” poster project. Students will write a diary entry from the perspective of a participant in the historical event and a mini-movie poster for the event. Students will also summarize a lesson that should be learned from the historical event they profile. (Academic Thinking)

17. Using productive thinking, students will think of many, varied, and unusual ways that that their life is similar to and different from (comparison/contrast) life in Paris. (This is take place over the course of 5 days.)

Grocery StoreRestaurants/CafesShops SchoolsHomeLeisure

18. Using academic thinking, students will visit websites and use books and other resources to determine areas of Paris that interests them the most (3 landmarks). Using decision making, students will plan a one-day itinerary (in travel brochure format). Brochure/itinerary will include: (1) timeline for the day; (2) brief description/picture of each sight; (3) Meal plan (restaurant/sample menus); and (4) calculations of costs of the tour and meals.

19-22. Using Communication # 6, students will create the following Matisse-inspired art activities:

  • Painting with Scissors
  • Matisse Name Cut-out
  • Beast of the Sea replica
  • Overlapping Matisse shapes

23-25. Using Communication # 6, students will create the following Monet-inspired art activities:

  • Origami Frog
  • Sunset in Venice
  • Water Lillies

26-27. Using Communication # 6, students will create the following Picasso-inspired art creations:

  • Cubist Face (Cubism)
  • Picasso’s Guitars from the Blue Period

28-29. Using Communication # 6, students will create the following Degas-inspired art creations (students may choose one):

  • The Ballerina
  • The Athlete

30. Using communication with words, students will create a visual autobiography about their lives in French.

31-33 Using communication without words/with words, students will learn about and participate in the famous French game Pantomime (Charades). Students will think of many, varied, and unusual ways to demonstrate their clue word without speaking. Other games include Jacques Dit (Simon Says) and Petanque (Lawn bowling).

Type III Activities

1. Students will dress-up and pretend they are the famous French person that they have researched and present their discoveries through a living museum.

2. Students will organize a classroom “Louvre” art gallery to display the many types of artwork they have created.

3. Students will set up centers for food, geography, literature, art, music, and language to present to their parents and take them on a tour of France.

4. Students will create Mardi Gras floats, design costumes, and cook festive cuisines to experience a traditional French Mardi Gras.

Created by:

Taylor Johnson & Tamara Williams

Instructional MenuIt’s French to Me!Grades K-1

Course Description: Have you ever wondered what it’s like to visit another country? Come and join us to find out what life is like in Paris, France. We will explore how children, communities, schools, and foods are alike and different from our way of life. We will learn about French foods and artists. We will create our own French art masterpieces and create masks and floats for our very own Mardi Gras parade. Grab your passport and get ready to take a fun journey to Paris!

Type I Activities

  1. Read Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans and locate famous landmarks on a map to discover ideas about the geography and history of France. (Landmarks and History)
  1. Read The Cat Who Walked Across France by Kate Banks and discuss images, such as landmarks in order to discover the importance of the landmarks and geography of France. (Landmarks and Geography)
  1. The French flag, much like the American flag, is an important aspect of national patriotism. Students will compare and contrast the French and American flags. They will then draw and label both flags to be displayed in the classroom. This will incite discussions and an understanding of France for all who enter. (Patriotism – Flag)
  1. Listen to a French native over Skype talk about French customs, etc. in order to learn firsthand about the French culture. Students will generate many, varied, questions to ask beforehand. Communication Talent (Culture – French people) [SEE ATTACHED FULL LESSON PLAN]
  1. Students will watch a video on the history of Mardi Gras to introduce the history and meaning of Mardi Gras and to discover the traditions of the colorful and festive holiday. (Holidays – Mardi Gras)
  1. Students will read pages 30 and 31 of A Ticket to France by Tom Streissguth in order to see how French children spend their days. (Culture – Education and Culture – French people – Children)
  1. Students will watch the movie Ratatouille to understand the importance of food to the French while eating French cuisine that has been prepared by the teachers. (Culture – Food)
  1. Students will watch the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame in order to view important Parisian landmarks. (Landmarks – Notre Dame and Cities – Paris)
  1. Students will listen to read aloud Toto in France and discuss important landmarks in Paris.
  1. After listening to Read aloud of E is for Eiffel, students will complete Eiffel Tower team challenge12. Using Alphaboxes, students will jot as many things that you can remember about what you learned about France for each alphabet in E is for Eiffel.
  1. Students will read “A Letter from Louis” to learn about life in France from a child’s perspective.
  2. Students will create a response letter to Louis in response to “A Letter from Lewis” (A Letter from ______- about life in Tuscaloosa, AL
  1. Using appropriate websites, students will journey daily to famous landmarks of Paris. (Eiffel Tower, Lourve Museum ,River Seine, Notre Dame Cathedral , Arc de Triomphe , Disneyland Paris , Parc de la Villette, the French Academy , and the Galleries Lafayette). Students will document their travels on their daily travel log.
  1. Students will listen to read aloud of Look What Came from France. Students will participate in a class scavenger hunt about famous inventions mentioned in the book. Students will think of many ways that life would be different without some of the inventions that came from France.
  1. Students will learn about the colorful and interesting lives of famous French artists Matisse through books, videos, and famous artwork replicas.
  1. Students will learn about the colorful and interesting lives of famous French artists Monet through books, videos, and famous artwork replicas.
  1. Students will learn about the colorful and interesting lives of famous French artists Degas through books, videos, and famous artwork replicas.
  1. Students will learn about the colorful and interesting lives of famous French artists Picasso (born in Spain, but lived in Paris) through books, videos, and famous artwork replicas.
  1. Students will watch a video about the history and traditions of Mardi Gras to expose the true meaning of the colorful and festive holiday.
  1. Students will listen to read aloud of Madeline’s Rescue about the River Seine in Paris. Madeline was rescued from the River Seine in Paris. Locate the river on a map. Distribute copies of the map and have the children color and label the river. What famous church is located on an island of this river? (Notre Dame) (Retrieved from liveoakmedia.com)
  1. Students will listen to read aloud of Madeline Says Merci to learn about polite greetings using the French language.
  1. After listening to read aloud of Phillipe in Monet’s Garden, students will create an origami frog.
  1. Students will read French Life for Kids (Part 2) about Poisson d’Avril-April Fish.
  1. Students will read French Life for Kids (Part 2) to learn about how students in France spend their Wednesdays since they have no school.

Type II Activities

  1. Students will research a famous French person who has made a contribution to society in order to learn about how this person has influenced both France and the world. (Culture – French people – Famous French people)
  1. Using Communication Skill # 1 to think of many, varied single words to describe the different aspects of the French culture, such as the food, language, and lifestyle. After, students will translate their descriptive words to French using an online translator in order to immerse themselves in the French language. Communication Talent (Culture and Patriotism - Language)
  1. After reading the book The Cat Who Walked Across France by Kate Banks and locating various manmade and natural landmarks, students will do further research of famous French landmarks and their locations. Students will use the Decision-Making Talent to think about the many, varied places they could go in France. After deciding on at least four places they would like to go, students will create a book of them walking across France and interacting with various famous landmarks in order to demonstrate knowledge of the importance of landmarks and geography of France. Decision-Making Talent (Landmarks and Geography)
  1. After learning about the art of miming and watching a few videos on how to mime, students will use Communication Skill # 6 to show feelings without using words. Communication Talent (Culture – Art – Miming)
  1. After learning about Mardi Gras, students will complete a synectics activity (attached) in order to think more abstractly and creatively about what they have learned about the holiday. (Holidays – Mardi Gras)
  1. You are the Eiffel Tower (or any other landmark which you have researched), which has six million visitors a year. How do you feel being such an important part of the French culture? What do you see? What do you hear? Write a diary entry from your point of view and include an illustration from this day in your life. (Landmarks – Eiffel Tower)
  1. After learning about a typical day in the life of a French student and comparing and contrasting a typical day in their own life, students will write a letter as if to a French pen pal about the similarities and differences in their lives. (Culture – Education and Culture – French people – Children) [SEE ATTACHED FULL LESSON PLAN]
  1. After reading Mimi’s First Mardi Gras by Alice Couvillon and receiving instruction on mask-making, students will plan and create Mardi Gras masks in order to show an important part of the Mardi Gras holiday. Planning Talent (Holidays – Mardi Gras)
  1. After viewing various pictures of French pottery and learning about how pottery is created, students will create their own small pottery creations. (Culture – Art –Pottery)
  1. After learning about Claude Monet and looking at various pieces of his artwork, style and techniques, students will create their own impressionist piece of art. (Culture – Art – Artists and Culture – French people – Famous French people) [SEE ATTACHED FULL LESSON PLAN]
  1. After learning about French cuisine, students will create a menu for a full French meal in order to show their understanding of popular French cuisine. After preparing this menu, we will make some of the dishes to enjoy. (Culture – Food)
  1. Using productive thinking, students will think of many, varied, and unusual ways to transform a drawing of the Eiffel Tower into their own creative “landmark”.
  1. After looking at a map of France, students will think of many, varied predictions about the effects of living in certain areas of the country, such as the north or south. After thinking of effects, students will research the effects of living in certain parts of France to compare to their original thoughts. Forecasting Talent (Geography)
  1. Using productive thinking, students will think of many, varied, and unusual ways that April Fool’s Day in the US and France is different and/or the same.
  1. After reading French Life, Part 2 students will us communication with words and productive thinking to think of many, varied, and unusual ways they would spend If I Had Wednesday.
  1. After reading aloud Madeline (students will discuss all of the places discussed in the book & choose the place they would like to visit most), students will use academic thinking to conduct age-appropriate research to learn more about the place. They will use communication with words to create a poster advertising their favorite place.
  1. Using communication with words, students will make a brochure about one of the three famous Parisian landmarks-Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and The Gardens at the Luxembourg.
  1. Using Communication # 6, students will create the following Matisse-inspired art activities:

  • Painting with Scissors
  • Matisse Name Cut-out
  • Beast of the Sea replica
  • Overlapping Matisse shapes

18. Using Communication # 6, students will create the following Monet-inspired art activities: