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Lesson 3: France International Festival: Passport to the World Lesson Series

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International Festival: France 

Student Teacher: Ann Gorecki
Project Children L.E.A.D. Director: Dr. Vincenne Revilla Beltran
Subject Area: Multicultural Diversity
Grade level: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6)
Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Learning Goals:

Academic Standards for Geography

7.1 Basic Geographic Literacy

B. Identify and Locate Places and Regions

  • Human Features

7.3 The Human Characteristics of Places and Regions

B. Identify the human characteristics

  • Components of culture

  • Ethnicity of people in the local community

 

Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities

9.1 Production, Performance, and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts

D. Demonstrate the ability to define objects, express emotions, illustrate an action or relate an experience through creation of works in the arts.

 

Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening

1.6 Speaking and Listing

  1. Listen in order to understand and follow directions

  2. Listen to a selection of literature

 

Academic Standards for Health, Safety, and Physical Education

10.5 Concepts, Principles, and Strategies of Movement

F. Recognize and describe game strategies using appropriate vocabulary

 

Objectives:

After this lesson the students will:

  1. Identify the French Flag, landmarks (ex: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arch De Triumph)

  2. Read a popular children's book to learn about the French culture

  3. Learn how to play Charades by using their bodies to act out the pictures on the cards.

  4. Have an appreciation for the French culture,

 

Materials and Equipment Needed:

  • Posters with the French Pictures

  • Old French money (coins and Bills) (NOT EURO)

  • 6 Passports (one for each child)

  • French flag

  • Charade cards

  • French Chocolate Candy

  • 6 Paper Bag's (one for each child)

  • Book Madeline By Ludwig Bemelmans

 

Procedure:

 

Review:

  1. Before the children enter the classroom the rules of the classroom will be reintroduced and enforced.

  2. The teachers will explain about the Cultural Festival and what groups they will be placed in.

  3. The children will be given their nametags and passports and they will be told what to do with them.

 

Introduce:

Activity 1~ Introduction of the French Culture

  1. When the children get to France they will get a stamp in their passports, to show that they have been to France.

  2. The teacher will teach the children how to say:

    • Hello = Bonjour

    • Mr. & Mrs. = Monsieur & Madame

    • Thank you = Merci

    • No thank you = Non Merci

    • Good Bye = Au revoir

Develop:

Activity 2 ~ The Country and Land Marks

  1. The students will get to look at the poster with the pictures of Landmarks (ex: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Louvre, Mount Saint Michel, and Versailles) while the teacher explains what they are and their significance.

  2. While they are looking at the pictures I will talk about the country as a whole and give a little background information. (ex: Capital, Climate, Landscape, National Holidays)

Activity 3 ~ Money

  1. The teacher will put out some of the old currency or money that France used to use before the Euro.

  2. They will get to touch and notice the differences and similarities between American and French money.

Activity 4 ~ Book

  1. The title of the book is Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

  2. The teacher will read the book pointing out the Paris Landmarks that they just saw on the poster in the book.

  3. The students will be able to learn about this little girl who lives in Paris and relate to her making the French culture a little more familiar.

Activity 4 ~ Game of Charades

        1. Next the children will learn how to play an old French game called Charades.

        2. The teacher will explain the game rules for Charades:

    1. The students and College students will be put into two equal teams

    2. The first team to go will be decided on the toss of a coin

    3. The first person to go on the team takes a card out of a hat and has to act out what ever is on the card just through mime (no words or sounds).

    4. If the team guesses right before the one-minute is up then that team gets a point.

    5. Then the next team goes repeating the steps 3 through 5.

        1. The teacher has to make sure that each child gets at least one chance to act out a card.

Activity 5 ~ Hand out French Chocolates

  1. After the game of charades each child will receive in their bags a chocolate treat from their visit to France. Which they can take with them when they leave today.

 

Assess:

The students will be evaluated on how well they listen to the story and participate in the discussion. They will also be evaluated on how well they follow directions and the rules of the game. Since it will be only a small number of students at a time it will be easier to make a proper observation and assessment of their progress.

 

Close:

The close of this lesson will be a review of what they learned about France through a brief discussion and review of the pictures they have seen. If they can identify specific land marks (ex: Eiffel Tour), review how you say hello and goodbye in French. Then send them off with their passports to the next country.

References:

Embassy of France in the United States. (2004). Just for Kids. (Data File) Available on the web at: http://www.info-France-usa.org/

Milord, S. (1992). Hands Around the World. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing.