Current French students at Goshen High School represent 10 different countries, and the majority of all French students are learning French as a third language. This allows us to bring internationalism into the classroom in a practical way. Students will compare their culture and language to that of the Francophone cultures studied. Through discussion, reading and writing, students will be encouraged to analyze critically a variety of viewpoints, ideas, and world views. They will be enabled to appreciate the interdependence of cultures and peoples in the world and will recognize diversity as a positive.

In order to prepare students for the IB exam, they will give four oral presentations, write monthly compositions of 200-400 words, and regularly complete a variety of task-handling exercises. In addition to the IB exam components, students will also be assessed periodically using both traditional and non-traditional formative and summative assessment tools to check their progress and learning.

Topics:

Unit 1: Students will explore their own personal values and ideas about the human condition and will compare with those of French people of a different region and of different social classes. Included in the study are:
• Interview with family members
• Oral presentation
• Films – Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources
• Diagrams/graphic organizers for comparisons
• Grammatical topics: present, imperfect, passé composé

Unit 2: Students will explore the past and present relationship of France and the North America including French exploration, Quebec, Acadie and Louisiane. Included in the study are:
• Interlude Culturelle #10: Discovering French, Rouge (DF, R)
• Internet and library research
• Folksongs of Canada and Louisiana
• Grammatical topics: subjunctive

Unit 3: Students will investigate various French and Francophone regions with particular emphasis on the cuisine of the region. Included in the study are:
• Internet websites and library resources
• Oral presentation and cooking

Unit 4: Students will explore various environmental and social issues such as global warming, homelessness, and racism that affect the future. They will also explore the role that volunteer and international organizations can play in ameliorating these global issues. Included in the study are:
• Current events articles
• Readings and research on “bénévoles”
• Songs
• Grammatical topics: future

Unit 5: Students will explore various aspects of Francophone African history and culture, including early history, colonization and independence, oralité, tradition versus modernism, traditional religious beliefs and négritude. Included in the study are:
• African poems, fables, children’s story and proverbs
• Portfolio of African art
• A film – Kirikou et la Sorcière or Chocolat
• Cuisine – making couscous
• Interlude culturelle #9 (DF, R)
• Grammatical topics: conditional, y and en
Year Two: Semester 1
Unit 6: The students will focus on daily routines and products used for personal health. Included in the study are:
• Short story
• Advertisements
• Grammatical topic: reflexive verbs

Unit 7: The students will explore early French history including the Roman period, the era of Charlemagne, the 100 Year War and Joan of Arc. Included in the study are:
• Readings: Trésors du Temps
• Internet websites and library print materials
• Interlude culturelle #2 (DF, R)
• Grammatical topic: passé simple, imparfait and passé composé

Unit 8: Students will explore the history of music in French culture and will investigate international influences including foreign musicians who came to work in France and imported influences such as rai, Afropop, jazz, etc. Students will also explore the influence and power of music to unite and change people. Included in the study are:
• Film: Les Choristes, Tous les Matins du Monde
• Videoclips
• CDs
• Internet sites and library print resources
• Interlude culturelle #4 (DF, R)

Unit 9: Students will learn about various movements in French art and about some of the international influences on these movements. They will also explore ways of analyzing works of art. Included in the study are:
• Posters, art books, art portfolios, and internet resources
• Field trip to art museum(s)
• Presenting an art gallery to the French 3 class
• Interlude culturelle #1 (DF, R)

Unit 10: Students will explore issues in modern French society including the European Union, immigration, Islam, the outcast or outsider in society. Included in the study are:
• Internet websites
• Current events about immigration from French television and media
• Film - Musical version of Notre Dame de Paris
• Excerpts from Notre Dame de Paris by Hugo
• Poem: “Les Message” by Jacques Prevert
• Grammatical topics: relative pronouns
• Interlude culturelle #7 (DF, R)

Once during each semester students will spend four hours independently investigating a variety of French-language materials of their choice. They will submit a journal documenting this investigation and analyzing what cultural information they learned and how it compares to their culture. Included in the resources are:
• Films and books
• Champs-Elysées CDs
• Print media – Journal Français d’Amérique, various magazines in the library
• Music and Internet sites

Assessment:

Assessments for the French IB course will consist of both IB mandated assessments and regular classroom assessments. The IB assessments will consists of both external and internal assessments. The external assessment comprises 70% of the examination and is a written examination. It is divided as follows:

Paper 1 Text handling: 40%
• Reading 30%
• Written response 10%

Paper 2 Written Production: 30%
The internal assessment is comprised of an individual oral and an interactive oral activity. It comprises 30% of the examination and is divided as follows:
• Individual Oral: 15%
• Interactive Oral Activity: 15%

Paper 1 Text Handling: Reading and Written Response
This section of the external assessment involves answering questions based on several written texts. It additionally involves a writing exercise designed to allow students to respond to a written text.

Paper 2 Written Production
This section of the external assessment requires students to choose one topic and write a composition using a style appropriate to the given task. This writing task is not related to Paper 1 and the topic is chosen from among four possibilities.

Internal Assessment: Individual Oral
The individual oral is assessed internally by the instructor and also externally by IBO. The student will need to choose and prepare a topic and then present for 3-4 minutes, answer questions about the text from the examiner about the text for 3-4 minutes, and answer general questions from the examiner for 3-4 minutes.

Internal Assessment: Interactive Oral Activity
The student will engage in a discussion, debate, presentation, or role play with a group of students. The discussion will be assessed internally by an instructor and externally moderated by IBO.

Assessments for the IB French course will also consist of regular classroom assessments not connected to the IB assessments, but based in form on them. The instructors will use traditional and non-traditional tests and quizzes to assess student learning. Performance-based assessments will also be used to assess students’ competency and skills. Assessments will test students’ competency in listening, reading, writing, speaking, and culture.
Resources:
List the books and other resource materials and software that will be used in the course. Information should include what is currently available as well as what is being ordered.
• Discovering French, Rouge
• Films ( Jean de Florette, Manon des Sources, Kirikou et la Sorcière, Les Choristes, Notre Dame de Paris, Chocolat, and clips from various films such as Tous les Matins du Monde)
• Champs-Elysées CDs
• Various CD’s of Francophone music
• Trésors du Temps
• Le Seigneur de la Danse
• Portfolios of African and French art
• Clips from French television – TV5Monde
• Baobab n’a pas d’Epines – African proverbes
• Journal Français d’Amérique
• Notre Dame de Paris

This course will provide extensive preparation in oral and written expression in the target language and in analytical and critical thought.

This course will provide opportunity for practice in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students engage in classroom discussions, listen to texts and films, read a variety of texts and text types, and write essays, letters, and personal reflections.

The course recognizes that France is a country that has always operated on a global stage. Students explore how France has influenced world events historically and how in turn France has been changed by outside influences. Students are challenged to use critical thinking, compassionate judgment and cooperative techniques when analyzing the tensions and cultural upheaval that this history has caused in French society and other Francophone countries.

Goshen High School has high-interest reading materials for all levels of proficiency in the target languages. The details can be found in this application.

Newspapers and Periodicals:
Goshen High School subscribes to and receives newspapers and periodicals in the target language. These are available in the media center for student and staff use.