Ever wondered what we do in language class besides, well, learning the mechanics of a language? If the answer is yes, please read on!
My French 3 classes are wrapping up their reading and study of a leveled novel titled “La France en Danger et Les Secrets de Picasso”. This fictional intrigue written in simple French packs an impressive cross-section of historical and cultural events that takes the reader on a wild goose chase across France. Through this reading, we learned about Guernica, the place in the Basque country and its namesake painting by Pablo Picasso that depicts the horrors of war, the Spanish civil war, the World Fair of 1937 at the eve of WWII, Charles de Gaulle and his nemesis Maréchal Pétain, the cruel practices of the corridas in France and Spain, and the towns of Antibes and Arles in southern France.
We started out by brainstorming what we collectively knew about Pablo Picasso and his work. We then took a first look at his masterpiece “Guernica” and generated some reactions, before being introduced to the subject of the painting which led to a discussion about WWII. All of this in French with visual and linguistic support. From that point on, students were hooked and ready to dive into the story.
As the story unfolded, we followed two intrepid pairs of young French people in search of the Spear of Destiny that will give them the power to save France or doom it. Along the way, we paused to explore the historical and cultural content through slide shows, documentaries, and visuals.
We used Edpuzzle for building interest and knowledge and check for comprehension, class discussions for oral proficiency practice, writing summaries to practice language mechanics and synthesizing skills, and responses to open-ended questions to work our critical thinking muscles.
Oh, and did I mention the use of readers’ theater sessions for fun and a little torture; that’s French class after all:(
#sacrebleu
It all sounds like fun! Is this a book you always use?
Nadine what a great way to teach language, culture and history through through literature! I think that our subject matter is much more interdisciplinary than people realize. I am sure that the students are enjoying this lesson and I think it builds their confidence that they can read a book in French. I am trying to incorporate more reading in my classes as well.
This is the first year I use this book, and I really enjoyed developing materials for it rediscovering Guernica and discussing WWII. Students were very engaged and it shows in the unit evaluation I ask them to complete at the end of the book. They can't wait to read another novel! After reading some folktales from the great African oral tradition,, and traveling through West Africa, we'll study the origin of Cajun culture starting with Acadian culture:) Lots, lots of fun teaching!
Nadine, it was amazing seeing a spoken word poem broken down in your AP French class. I'm even more impressed with this as you have applied to an entire book. Keep up the great work!