The Intermediate unit displayed their books and clay animals. They experimented with Adinkra stamping from Ghana which they used in their French African story books. After reading several West African stories they wrote their own story describing their African character. They used a storyboard with guidelines for the key phrases we had been studying in class. In art they bound and illustrated their stories. To practice reading their stories they created an “amie” (a friend) to read to, out of recycled materials, and filmed each other reading their stories for review and critique. After much practice they read to  younger students in the school.

The Primary Unit learned a French song about carrying papayas to market and used their calabash bowls from art for props. They made predictions on the taste and color of papayas and sampled some huge ones in class.

Next they made their “valise”(suitcase) embellished with Adinkra stamping and filled with the clothes we packed they even made a game to play during travel.

]]> http://warrenschooltech.org/veronica/?feed=rss2&p=288 0 http://warrenschooltech.org/veronica/?p=277 http://warrenschooltech.org/veronica/?p=277#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:42:55 +0000 Veronica http://warrenschooltech.org/veronica/?p=277 Continue reading →]]> Cameron et Finn aime le papaye!! C’est orange et c’est bon!

Anna and Sophie present their findings dressed for the part.

Poppy shows the millet cakes she made with Eleanor.

Trying out some African styles and textiles!

All French classes have made their own passports to use while we “travel” to experience French speaking countries, starting in French speaking Africa. Through stories, video clips, documentaries, games, art projects and in the case of the Upper Unit, their own reports, we will explore the French speaking world. So far the Primary unit has traveled to Morocco making Calabash bowls in Art and finding the Calabash bowls in a clip about Morocco. The Intermediate Unit have traveled to Ghana with their Indikra stamping technique in Art with Heather and by watching both the stamping technique and a Ghanaian dance in French class. The Upper Unit will start their travels Thursday as they report to their class: location, flag, 5 interesting facts and one “artifact” about the French speaking African country they signed up for.

A few Upper Unit passport photos.

They are making passports from the country they representing  and some students wanted to dress the part!

We are learning an Eighteenth-Century French Folk Song:

“Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman”

Many years before the lyrics to “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star” were written, children across France sang the words to “Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman” presented below, to a similar tune. Seventeen-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart used the melody in his piano variation. Pleasing, organized melodies such as this one have great value for children and adults alike. Music speaks in a language that children instinctively understand, and it helps in the retention of new words and phrases for years to come. The original words below are not about stars, they are about a child’s desire for candy!

Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman,

Ce qui cause mon tourment?

Papa veut que je raisonne,

Comme une grande personne;

Moi, je dis que les bonbons

Valent mieux que la raison.

Ah! Let me tell you, Mother,

What’s the cause of my torment?

Papa wants me to reason

Like a grown-up.

Me, I say that candy has

Greater value than reason.

Enjoy some photos of the preparation!

J’aime la musique – J’ai les dents

Je porte les lunettes et les bijoux.

Today the Intermediate Unit wrote letters to children in Switzerland, where Halloween is not celebrated, to explain what we do on Halloween in the U.S. Each class added their letters to a big stamped/addressed envelope and we will look forward to checking the mail for a letter back!

   We learned “Je vois” = I see with the accompanying sign the same as sign language with the pointer finger and the middle finger in a “V” pointed at the eyes reminding us the word begins with a “V” just as the French man who created sign language intended!

Continual connections  - C’est fabuleaux!

“Je porte les lunettes et un chapeau” (Mackenzie says she is wearing glasses and a hat) “J’ai une baguette magique.” (I have a magic wand says Kim)

Mia porte les lunettes et un nez! “Je porte les lunettes” dit Mia.

                                           ”Je porte un chapeau” dit Ella. “J’ai une glace” dit Lily

                                                       ”Je porte les lunettes!” dit Tanner