Intercultural Insights

Introduction (5 minutes)

Objective: To introduce students to intercultural understanding through the theme of "La ou je dors" (Where I Sleep).

• Greeting: Begin with a warm welcome in French: "Bonjour, tout le monde!".
• Purpose: Explain that over the next two weeks, students will explore different cultures and how children around the world live, sleep, and their daily routines, using the series "La ou je dors".
• Engagement: Ask students a question to spark interest: "Quelle est votre chambre idéale?" (What is your ideal bedroom?)

Activity 1: Video Viewing and Discussion (15 minutes)

Objective: Students will watch a segment of "La ou je dors" and discuss cultural differences.

• Set the Scene: Briefly describe the specific video segment (without links) to be used today—focus on a child from a different part of the world.
• Viewing Instructions: Ask students to pay attention to the bedroom setting, items in the room, and any specific cultural elements they notice.
• Watch: Play a 5-minute selected video segment.
• Guided Discussion:
  • Ask students: "Qu'avez-vous remarqué dans la chambre?" (What did you notice in the bedroom?)
  • "Quelles différences et similitudes voyez-vous par rapport à votre propre chambre?" (What differences and similarities do you see compared to your own room?)

Activity 2: Pair Work (10 minutes)

Objective: To encourage active listening and speaking skills.

• Instructions:
  • Pair students up.
  • Each student shares with their partner what they noticed and how they relate to or differ from the children in the video.
  • Use sentence starters such as "J'ai remarqué que..." (I noticed that...) and "Dans ma chambre, il y a..." (In my room, there is...).
• Guidance: Move around the class and listen to students’ discussions, providing prompts when necessary.

Activity 3: Cultural Reflection Journal (5 minutes)

Objective: To encourage personal reflection on cultural understanding.

• Task: Each student writes down their thoughts in a "Cultural Reflection Journal".
  • Prompts: "Aujourd'hui, j'ai appris que..." (Today I learned that...) and "Je me suis senti surpris quand..." (I felt surprised when...).
• Note: These journals will be revisited throughout the unit to track growth in intercultural understanding.

Conclusion and Homework (5 minutes)

Objective: To wrap up the lesson and set expectations for the next class.

• Summary: Recap what was learned about cultural differences in bedrooms and daily life.
• Homework:
  • Research one fact about a country mentioned in the video. Be prepared to share in the next class.
  • Encourage students to find an item in their home that might have cultural significance to discuss in the future.

Curriculum Relevance

• Curriculum Area: The Arts – Language FSL Core French, Level: Grade 7
• Expectation: This lesson aligns with the CA curriculum by enhancing students’ intercultural understanding, promoting communication with diverse cultures, and developing basic French language skills.

Through engaging activities and reflective learning, this lesson aims to spark students' interest in the ways of life of children from around the globe, while building foundational French language skills in a creative way.