SUBJECT: French
GRADE: High School
TECHNOLOGY: Paint/Draw Program,
Word Processor
BY: Mary Claypool, Kelly Hedrick,
Laurie Harrell
DESIGNING A SCENE
Target Population:
Tenth
grade French class--Students have a grasp of basic vocabulary and sentence structures,
and are eager to apply this knowledge to more real-life applications. They need extensive practice with
pronunciation and with hearing the rhythms of the language. Performing a short scene allows them to
practice speaking the language as well as listening to it (when their
classmates perform).
Developmentally, they are approaching the Formal Operations stage. They still need concrete examples but
are becoming better able to think abstractly. This activity gives them concrete actions to participate in,
but also allows them to use abstract thinking by imagining the situation and
designing elements, such as costume.
This activity also uses several of Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences: linguistic,
bodily-kinesthetic, and interpersonal.
Students at this age may be uncomfortable speaking in front of a group,
and although the activity requires that, it protects them some by allowing them
to assume the personality of a pretend character, and so leaves them feeling
less vulnerable. Also, they enjoy
creative projects and hands-on activities, and this plan tailors to those
likes.
Objectives:
(SOL FII.6: The
student will present rehearsed material in French, including brief narratives,
monologues, dialogues, poetry, and/or songs.)
1. Students will design costumes using the Paint/Draw program
and create them using items from home and in the classroom.
2. Students will memorize at least half of their
character’s lines in a scene from the play L’Avare.
3. Students will re-enact a scene from the play L’Avare
for the class.
4. Students will demonstrate proper pronunciation and
appropriate speed, volume, and eye contact in their presentation.
5. Students will use a word-processor to write, in French, how
they felt about the experience, including discussion of their own performance,
the performances of others, and their opinion of the activity itself.
6. Students will demonstrate, in the written response, proper
French grammar and vocabulary.
Materials:
-ten scenes from L’Avare by
Molière. All scenes must be at least 75 lines long with a minimum of
3 characters.
-computers (with paint/draw and
word processing capabilities)
-paper, sundry items for costumes
Description:
-Day One-Divide class into groups of
3 or 4, hand out all 10 scenes and let each group choose one. Allow them to begin reading the scenes
aloud in their groups.
-Day Two-Instruct students to
create preliminary costume designs on a paint/draw program.
-Upon returning from lab, allow students
to begin to create costumes using items in class. Homework will be to finish
the costumes and memorize lines.
-Day Three (or after sufficient
time to memorize lines)-Instruct students to perform their scenes for the rest
of the class.
-Immediately after all the scenes
have been performed, have students write a response, using a word-processor, to
react to the experience, commenting on both their scene and the other
students’ scenes.
Evaluation:
The students will be evaluated
using the attached checklist, which will be filled out by the teacher during
each group’s performance.
Each student will get his/her own copy of the checklist, which will also
include items concerning the individually-written response.
Evaluation
Checklist Name:__________________
(1=Not at all,
5=Fabulous job!)
The Basics:
-Student
memorized at least half of their character’s lines. 1 2
3 4 5
-Student created
an appropriate costume, using Paint/Draw as a beginning design. 1 2 3 4 5
-Student
performed scene for class seriously and with fewer than 10 errors.
1 2 3 4 5
-Student used
word-processing to record how they felt about the experience. 1 2 3
4 5
The
Performance:
-Proper
pronunciation 1
2 3
4 5
-Appropriate
speed 1 2 3
4 5
-Appropriate
volume 1 2 3
4 5
-Eye contact with
audience 1 2 3
4 5
The Response:
-Reflects on
feelings experienced during own performance 1 2 3
4 5
-Discusses the
performances of others and provides feedback 1 2 3
4 5
-Discusses
overall opinion of this activity (for my own improvement!) 1 2 3
4 5
-Demonstrates
proper grammar and vocabulary 1 2 3
4 5
Comments:
Points earned: __________
Total possible points:
60____