Grade 8 - Experiencing Creative Works

This organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

respond to authentic creative works from the Francophone world

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

At this age, students develop a strong interest in popular culture in the form of rock videos, popular music, and films. They require opportunities to experience works by Francophone artists and actors (perhaps in video clips or on web sites). They enjoy using their growing language skills in activities that involve personal choice, such as selecting and discussing their favourites with classmates.

After hearing a French song or viewing a video, have students create CD covers or video cases to promote it.
Have students examine a variety of cartoons or comic strips from French-language resources. Explain that comics are widely accepted as a reading resource in Québec and France. Students might select familiar situations and create five-to-eight-frame cartoons, using expressions they have noticed.
With the screen darkened, present a short French-language video or scene from a video. Students in groups listen for words they recognize, for characters presented, and for action that may be occurring. After groups pool their findings, show the video to confirm predictions and clarify meaning.
Have students listen to a song, following the lyrics and noting cognates and familiar words. Together they try to predict the meaning and respond to the song by writing and illustrating their favourite lines or verses.
Have students examine French fashion magazines and create collages with captions to represent French fashion. They could also present a fashion show with a simple commentary.
Students' notebooks or portfolios should document new language expressions, vocabulary, and structures.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Encourage students to choose from a variety of ways to respond to a creative work and say why they responded that way. Assessment at this level should reflect studentsÕ emerging ability to use French to express their thoughts, feelings, and reactions to creative works.

As students work in groups to create CD covers, video cases, or cartoons, note the extent to which they:
- convey the visual image clearly
- attempt to appeal to an audience
- offer complete, detailed information
- incorporate familiar and practised expressions, language structures, and vocabulary
- model aspects of French language from CDs, videos, or cartoons
When students view videos, listen to music, and read magazines, assess their personal response by looking for evidence that they are:
- open and willing to engage in the task
- committed to their work
- able to formulate personal responses using French
- willing to take risks in their responses and predictions
Each task will have its own specific criteria.
Have students keep a section of their notebooks or journals for responding to creative works. They might keep logs where they record and comment on experiences with French creative works, or they might write summary reviews or reflections looking back over the creative works they have encountered during a term or semester, identifying those that have had the greatest impact or most closely reflect experiences they have had in English or other languages. They may also want to describe the ways in which their responses or ideas have changed.

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

Print Material

"Le magazine" Anthology Series

Multimedia

Acti-Vie 3
Entre amis Series, Level 1
Savoir faire: Passages 1

BC Ministry of Education Home Page