French Bridges Learning Experience (Grade 7 French)

1. LEARNING CONTEXT

Describe the purpose, objective, or focus of the learning experience, including:

This learning experience is for the intermediate level, 7th graders to be specific. The students will be working toward the following learning standards during this learning experience: Languages other than English 1 & 2, Math, Science and Technology 1, 2 & 4, Social Studies 2, 3, 4, & 5, English Language Arts 1, 3, & 4, Art 1, 3, 4, cdos 1,2.

As an exploratory course in a foreign language, the course requires cultural understanding of the French culture and the skills of understanding how that relates to the people and the language. This learning experience also communicates the necessity of understanding the connection of language as a bridge to other cultures.

All students will need to know how to use the internet to search for a site, use a French-English dictionary, read, write and summarize in English about their research and speak in front of a class.

2. PROCEDURE

Describe, in narrative form, the actions of students and teachers and the interactions among and between students and teachers, including how the learning experience:

The students will use listening skills while teacher presents the legend of the Avignon bridge. They will be comparing when talking about the difference between a legend and a factual historical experience. Students will use their listening skills to hear and then sing a folksong about the bridge at Avignon. The students will increase their cultural knowledge by doing the folk dance associated with this song. They will also increase their communication skills by learning new vocabulary in English. These vocabulary words stem from the French word for bridge- le pont. As a reinforcing exercise for homework, the students will fill in a crossword puzzle using these words. The students then read for information (ie. dates, purpose or motivation for construction, construction material and cost and time etc.) about other French bridges, and write about what they have read. They use the internet in their research to find pictures of their bridge, as well as the French-English dictionary since some of the internet sites will be in French. They work cooperatively in groups, which are chosen by the teacher to ensure a strong and weak student in each group of 3-4 students. The groups then compile the research and put together the information on their bridge. Students draw a rendition of the French bridge and then speak in English (for the beginning levels, in French if this were done with a more advanced group) before the class to present their information. The presentation may use Power Point having taken a picture of their bridge off the internet. The students will evaluate each other’s presentations with the rubric given. They will also give a short self-evaluation at the debriefing, explaining what they did well and would repeat and what they could do better next time. They brainstorm, comparing the differences in the architecture of bridges hundreds of years ago to today and the process for building them. They compare the motivation for building bridges and the fundraising for them. Students touch on the different role the churches played in construction in Europe then versus now.

The teacher starts the learning experience by telling the story of the legend of the bridge at Avignon, Le Pont Bénézet. She teaches the folk song and the dance about the bridge, provides internet sites for the students to research, and aids in the internet connections and the French-English translations. The teacher provides a rubric for the students to use while preparing their work (see attached). The teacher observes and guides the students in their research, leads a brainstorming activity for the various ways to have financed and built bridges then and now. The teacher will evaluate the student learning using the rubric. The teacher debriefs the student groups separately after the presentations. During the debriefing, the teacher listens as the students say what they felt they did well, as well as something they could do better next time.

Students will be working toward the following learning standards during this learning experience: Languages other than English 1 & 2, Math, Science and Technology 1, 2 & 4, Social Studies 2, 3, 4, & 5, English Language Arts 1, 3, & 4, Art 1, 3, 4, C-DOS 1,2

3. INSTRUCTIONAL / ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS

Describe the procedures used to accommodate the range of abilities in the classroom, including students with disabilities, limited English proficiency, or bilingual students, such as:

• Computers need to be available in the classroom, especially if students want to use a Power Point presentation, or in the lab for the internet research.
• The printer needs to be available for the print-out of the bridges found.
• The desks need to be moved out of the way to practice the folkdance and song “Sur le Pont D’Avignon”

4. TIME REQUIRED

• Planning: finding the internet sites -1 hour, making crossword – ½ hour, research legend -1 hour, prepare rubric ½ hour;
• Implementation: Class periods are 40 minutes. Three class periods and two homework assignments are needed for: legend, brainstorming, dance, internet research, drawing of bridges, crossword puzzle, internet research and writing summary, one classroom period for presentations. And ½ class period for debriefing (usually done while the students are working on something else.)
• Assessment will be achieved by observing the internet research and group interaction, correcting crossword puzzles, and evaluating the presentations, summaries and bridge drawings according to the rubric.

5. RESOURCES

• for the student: the internet, books on bridges or France, drawing materials, paper, colored pencils etc. and power point software
• for the teacher : the internet, and crossword, the legend, the song. Crossword created by Marjorie Duus on Crossword Construction.

The following legend came from: http://avignon-et-provence.com/avi/fr/cite/personnages/stben.htm

6. ASSESSMENT PLAN

• Students will be handed a rubric that states the necessity to accomplish certain aspects of the lesson with the highest quality. They are given two checklists; one to use to maintain awareness of their progress towards the goal and a second duplicate checklist to use in discussion with the teacher during the debriefing to see if they did accomplish their goals.
• Assessment will be achieved by observing the internet research and group interaction, correcting crossword puzzles, and evaluating the presentations, summaries and bridge drawings according to the rubric.
• Tools used to document student progress are the rubric, and checklists.

Product Criteria

A quality product will:

____Contain an accurately filled crossword

____Internet site list

____A computer generated paragraph on the French bridge and its history of construction, dates, reason to have been built.

____Image of the bridge labeled and neat – either drawn or computer generated.

Standards Criteria

The students will:

____Participate in the folk song and dance

____Participate in the research

____Give a clear and accurate presentation.

7. STUDENT WORK

8. REFLECTION

This lesson was developed because our 7th grade teaching team decided to do a cross-curriculum unit using the theme of Bridges. Each discipline took a different aspect of bridges pertaining to their curriculum. The technology department actually had students learn about all the different kinds of bridges and build one. This lesson was the French learning experience of the Unit, where the students took the knowledge learned in Tech. and applied it to the bridge they encountered in France.

I learned that students are fascinated with legends and things that seem a little out of the ordinary. They are interested in history when they are making the comparisons to their own life. They do enjoy working on the internet and at this level they still sing songs and dance if there is a purpose behind it.

• This lesson was reviewed in a group situation by our team. I was given feedback on how to clarify some of the activities. Ideas about student evaluation are included in the plan but were not initially written in this planning guide.