Sample 4: Grade 8

Topic: Leisure Time

1. Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

Communicating
It is expected that students will:

• share information about activities and interests
  
• ask for information, permission, and clarification
  
• derive meaning in new language situations
  
• participate in familiar activities (real or simulated)
  

Aquiring Information
It is expected that students will:

• extract, retrieve, and process specific information from French-language resources to complete authentic tasks
  
• express acquired information in oral, visual, and written forms
  

2. Overview

Over a two-week period, the teacher developed a series of activities that focussed on pastimes and leisure activities. Evaluation was based on:

• participation in oral activities
  
• visual and oral summaries
  
• creation of mobiles
  
• oral participation in a game
  
• accessing information from authentic documents
  
• role play
  
• creation of postcards
  

3. Planning for Assessment and Evaluation

The teacher began the unit by developing a list of vocabulary with the class. Students brainstormed and recorded useful words and expressions on the board and then recorded this vocabulary in their personal journal dictionaries.

• Working in groups of three or four, students were assigned one of the following categories: winter, spring, summer, fall, indoor, outdoor, individual, team, or group. They surveyed their classmates by asking Qu'est-ce que tu aimes faire _________ ? (e.g., en hiver) or Qu'est-ce que tu aimes faire _______ (e.g., à l'intérieur)? or Qu'est-ce que tu aimes faire ____ (e.g., seul(e))?
  
• Groups compiled results and represented them visually to the class (e.g., pie chart, bar graph). Each group also presented an oral summary of the class results, using the visual as an aid. Any new vocabulary was added to the list on the board and recorded in students' journals.
  
• To reinforce the new vocabulary and the categories, the teacher created classroom corners labelled winter, spring, summer, and fall. Students chose corners that best suited their favourite activities and as newly formed groups, classmates shared their preferences (e.g., En hiver, j'aime skier). The teacher then had students move to different corners and share new interests and activities until they had visited each season.
  
• Students individually created mobiles that depicted various pastimes that interested them. Vocabulary was expanded (through use of dictionaries, web sites, newspapers, and magazines) to include necessary equipment, special clothing, facilities, role models, and so on for labelling the array of photos/illustrations, objects, and ideas. Students were encouraged to cut cardboard shapes on which to present their information and hang them with both sides illustrating their interests.
  
• The class brainstormed a list of questions that students could use to find out essential information about their classmates' pastimes (e.g., Où est-ce que tu fais/joues/pratiques ______? Avec qui est-ce que tu fais/joues/pratiques ______? Depuis quand est-ce que tu fais/joues/pratiques ______?) Students were expected to add the list of questions to their personal journal dictionaries.In small groups, students prepared for
  a game where only one of them would truthfully present his or her favourite pastimes to the class and the others would try to deceive their classmates with imaginary pastimes they had invented for themselves. The group stood together and briefly summarized the details of their "favourite" activities. After the presentation, the other student groups were allowed a few minutes of questioning at the end. By using and practising their list of questions, students attempted to acquire enough information to catch their classmates in a lie and determine who was being honest. Each group presented in turn. A point was awarded to students who correctly identified the truth-teller.
• Students looked at the entertainment/sports sections of French-language newspapers, explored French-language web sites, or phoned toll-free information lines in Québec or Ottawa to find activities that would interest them for the weekend. The teacher helped students prepare by discussing strategies for dealing with authentic documents (e.g., listing cognates that support understanding, examining visuals for meaning, scanning for dates, times, location, and costs).
  
• In pairs, students role-played scenes in front of the class. Each student inquired about what his or her partner wanted to do on the weekend (e.g., Ce weekend je veux _____, je vais _____, et toi?) Students in the audience listened carefully for details (time, place, cost, and so on) keeping track in their notebooks.
  
• After all of the role plays were presented, the teacher asked students to choose an event from those mentioned and design a ticket for it. The teacher provided examples of authentic tickets and the class discussed what pertinent information was needed for this assignment.
  
• The next day, students presented their tickets as they entered the room. They were asked to circulate around the room asking the question Où vas-tu? in order to find others going to the same event. Once they had grouped themselves, they briefly presented information describing where they were going (e.g., Je vais au match. C'est à vingt heures.)
  
• As a culminating activity, students designed postcards to send to a friend or family member from the event they were attending. Using an example, the teacher and students discussed components of a postcard, noting new vocabulary for greetings and leave-taking on the board. Students were reminded to keep their writing brief to suit the parameters of a postcard. Students were expected to use the information acquired from the ticket and authentic resources, but were encouraged to be creative about other details. Students used illustrations, collages, photos, or computer graphics to visually depict the event.
  

4. Defining the Criteria

The teacher reviewed the learning outcomes for these activities and explained the requirements of each task. The teacher and students decided the following key criteria should be demonstrated in the assigned tasks.

Oral Participation in Classroom Activities
To what extent does the student:

• interact with classmates to obtain information
  
• use French to ask and respond to questions
  
• respond to and support others when they are speaking French

Visual and Oral Summary
To what extent does the student:

• provide all required information
  
• include relevant and interesting details
  
• show appropriate organization of information
  
• communicate an understandable message

Student Mobiles
To what extent does the student:

• provide all required information
  
• include relevant and interesting details
  
• reproduce French words and patterns in understandable form
  
• show consideration for audience (e.g., eye-catching, easy to understand)
  
• use appropriate vocabulary in labels
  
• spell key vocabulary correctly

Oral Participation in a Game or Role Play
To what extent does the student:

• provide a comprehensible message
  
• include some understandable details
  
• recognize and respond to simple questions
  
• use appropriate patterns and frames to include known expressions and vocabulary
  
• sustain the use of French throughout the activity
  
• use intonation, miming, gestures, and body language to support the information or message
  
• pronounce familiar words and phrases with increasing accuracy

Accessing Information from Authentic Documents
To what extent does the student:

• try a variety of approaches, skills, and strategies to obtain information
  
• extract accurate information from sources
  
• include appropriate information

Postcard Project
Visual
To what extent does the student:

• provide appropriate illustrations or photos
  
• include relevant and interesting details
  
• show consideration for the audience (e.g., eye-catching, easy to understand)

Written
To what extent does the student:

• write a clear and understandable account
  
• convey the main events accurately
  
• take risks with language and use a range of vocabulary
  

5. Assessing and Evaluating Student Performance

The teacher used performance rating scales to evaluate students' work in this unit. Students were given copies of the rating scales, and discussed them in English before they began working on their assignments. Teachers and students also discussed and used scales to assess and provide feedback on the visual and written aspects of the postcard project.

Oral Participation in Classroom Activities

Visual and Oral Summary

Student Mobiles

Oral Participation in a Game or Role Play

Accessing Information from Authentic Documents

Postcard Project

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Maintained by: International Languages Coordinator

Last Modified: February 2002