La Tour Eiffel

 

Whenever possible, I try to incorporate French culture into my lessons. A fun way to do this is to focus on famous French monuments and cultural activities in France as part of daily language lessons. I have recently taught a mini-unit on the Eiffel Tower. I taught a grammar lesson on the past tense using scenarios related to the Eiffel Tower and traveling to France.  I also did an art lesson where students were shown a picture of the Eiffel Tower and then sketched their own version in 3D. We outlined them in black marker and added sparkles to represent how the Eiffel Tower is lit up at night. To complete the unit students completed a quiz about the passé composé. There are some great books out there that feature the Eiffel Tower as well, including Un Jour avec la Tour Eiffel by Victor Simiane, Rendez-vous à la Tour Eiffel by Elzbieta and Le Grand voyage by Jean-Olivier Heron. 

C'est l'hiver!

Plan ahead for an exciting January in French class with some games that teach winter vocabulary. Check out this seek and find game in French where students learn words to describe winter settings, clothes and sports. It's called Cherche et trouve l'édition de l'hiver. 

Everyone is settling back into routine after a fun filled winter break. Yet there is still lots to celebrate! For example, you could celebrate Lunar New Year in your class. Learn about Lunar New Year with these reading comprehension resources in both English and French.

If it is too cold to take your class outside for DPA (Daily Physical Activity) then here is a way to get moving in class: a Winter Wonderland Exercise Circuit. This activity is available in both English and French. Students are guided through a workout routine involving winter themed movements like running through the snow, skating, and building a snowman. 

Make this a fantastic winter in your classroom! 

La rentrée: Back to School!

 As a Core French teacher, one of my goals for the first few days of school is to begin the daunting task of learning over 200 students' names. I travel from class to class to teach a 45-60 minute lesson to five classes each day. Name tags can be a big help in the first few days of school. I would have students fold a piece of paper twice to form a triangle as a name tag. They can decorate their name tag on the front and on the back they can write 3-5 goals that they have for French class this term. Some goals might be to learn five new words each week, to write a journal entry every day, to attain a certain average grade in the class or to improve their reading level.

The first few days of school are crucial for setting up classroom routines and rules which are followed throughout the rest of the school year. I find it useful to write a poster of classroom rules with the class. They will offer suggestions for rules and I will help them write them in French on a poster board.

Check out these back to school resources! 

Keep in mind that classroom management is key to success. Here is a free video with classroom management strategies: 

Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences

 I have begun a new journey in my career: upgrading my high school teachable subject to science. I have found that reaching out to organizations such as Mining Matters has been helpful in making the science curriculum achievable in a community where I recently taught. 

Here are a few environmental science related resources if this is something that you are teaching in your classrooms. 

An Inconvenient Truth is a great film to use in the science classroom to begin discussions around environmental issues and climate change. 

Stand Up If Earth Day Edition: a game to play in French class to teach vocabulary relating to environmental sciences in French. 

Black History Month

 It's Black History Month! Check out these Black History Month resources featuring prominent black Canadians who have really made an impact. 

Andre DeGrasse: Gold medal olympic athlete

Anderson Abbott: Canada's first black doctor

Michaëlle Jean: Former Governor General of Canada

Diwali, Halloween and Day of the Dead: Festivals of Light in Autumn!

The season of autumn is upon us and Madame Giraffe has many resources to share for this special time of year. Check out the Diwali slideshows with art lessons, as this celebration is a wonderful way to get students reading about different cultures, or even their own culture if the students are of Asian Heritage. Halloween is just around the corner, and there are several Halloween themed activities, games and slideshows for you. Finally, Day of the Dead is celebrated after Halloween and is a lively cultural event in South America. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-All-Saints-Day-and-The-Day-of-the-Dead-Traditions-ENGLISH-VERSION-7279649 

Check out the slideshows for the autumn season of celebration: celebrate light over darkness this fall and autumn season. Enjoy a pumpkin spice latte and cosy up with a warm sweater as we all settle into our colder weather routines in North America at this time. Cheers!

Celebrate Diwali: The Festival of Light

 The first time that I experienced a Diwali celebration I was surprised to see fireworks and lanterns in the streets of an urban city during the month of November. It was exciting to learn about the tradition of lighting diya oil lamps and gathering with friends and family to celebrate this festival of light. Students will enjoy learning about this cultural festival too. There are many visual arts activities that you can do for Hindu heritage month, including creating colourful rangoli designs, mehndi patterns, as well as designs for diya lamps. 

Check out this resource about Diwali in both French and English.