1. 7 th Grade French Class Nichols Middle School with MADAME ZAMOR

2. septembre Welcome! Nichols School believes strongly in learning a second language.  Students develop critical thinking skills.  Students begin to think in complex ways.  Students are asked to explore different cultures and perspectives developing their skills in empathy and understanding. (NOT weird. Different.) Students are going to learn how to:  read French  write in French  hear French  understand French  speak French

3. septembre This is the middle of French 1 This program reflects the guidelines for most high school French 1 programs. I have tailored for middle school. Students will take French (and have me) in 7 th and 8 th grade in the Middle School.

4. septembre This is the middle of French 1 They will continue in the Upper School and can complete their language requirements:  9 th grade French 2  10 th grade French 3 French 4, AP French and French 5 are optional in junior and senior year. Because of the 5 th grade program, our students have been known to add another language at the end of their sophomore year.  Chinese, Latin, Spanish

5. septembre Important Tools Required materials:  Vocabulaire progréssif du français pour les adolescents by Sylvie Schmitt (Clé International, Paris)  Grammaire progréssive du français pour les adolescents by Anne Vicher (Clé International, Paris)  Larousse Student English-French Dictionary  Bonjour, Mary Glasgow Publications, Scholastic (Subscription)

6. septembre Important Tools Students need daily:  a pen or pencil  highlighter marker  Binders remain in class.  A steady collection of index cards should be in their locker. In class, students will work with my powerpoint flashcards.  They may bring their cards to class to practice with classmates, or they may leave them at home to practice there.

7. septembre Rules for class Respect Trustworthiness Responsibility Collaborate to produce good work

8. septembre Grades will be based on homework (practice flashcards every night) completed workbook pages quizzes compositions blog posts revisions group work trimester exams (November, February, June)

9. septembre Vocabulary – Go for mastery There are 1,100+ in the vocabulary book. Students try to master French vocabulary. Lots of work with flashcards and daily practice Students must study words from English to French. This is in keeping with the Upper School methods. There is no such thing as I can’t. A Nichols student can memorize, but everyone does so at their own pace. Some may have to study more than others. This is normal as we are all different. Students are responsible for this. They will find great frustration with this course if they do not master the vocabulary

10. septembre Master French vocabulary Study flashcards we make each night.  15 to 30 minutes. Study from English to French. Students have practiced this method in class.

11. septembre Learning French Grammar Students learn how to use French sentence structure. They:  learn subject pronouns  conjugate verbs  understand adjective placement  use key French idiomatic expressions and constructions

12. septembre Learning French Grammar They need to:  Notice and remember the way sentences are formed in French.  Understand the parts of speech in English and French.  Compare these sentence constructions to English.  Write new examples to practice grammar.

13. septembre La Normandie m’appelle! (Normandy is calling me!) Learn French with a theme. Students will use vocabulary & grammar from workbooks to answer each question.

14. septembre Let’s ask an essential question. What is French culture from Normandy? Quelle est la culture des Normands? We look at culture by observing and answering the following questions:

15. septembre Who are Normans (French people from Normandy, France)? How would you describe them (him/her)? Where does he/she come from? Where do they live?

16. septembre What language do they speak? How do they dress? What do they buy? How do they live (what kind of building do they live in)?

17. septembre What do they do? What do they eat? How would you describe their family? What do they have? What do they like?

18. septembre What don’t they like? What can they do? What do they want?

19. septembre Movies 1.Movies are shown with curricular objectives in mind. 2.Movies are viewed in French with English subtitles. 3.In order to observe French culture, we will watch the following movies:  Bonjour La France  Dance At Court  Le Jour le plus long  Victory  Relevant scenes from: Valmont, Ridicule, Casablanca, La Boum

20. septembre Final Words 1.Students will take the National French Exam. In late February or early March. This exam will help students compare the progress they have made in comparison to students at a similar level in the United States. No studying is required. approximately $4.50 will be charged to the student account. 2.If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at szamor@nicholsschool.org or by phone at 716-876-3500. szamor@nicholsschool.org