the image we started with in our discussions with intermediate classes. Not by Banksy, but by French illustrator Lucille Clerc
- I can be reached at lisa_noble@kprdsb.ca. I’m @nobleknits2 on Twitter, and our class hashtag is #laclasseaqm.
I’m Madame Noble, and I teach Core French to students in Grade 5-8.
I’m hoping many of you got to see (and share) the interactive holiday cards your kids created as part of Hour of Code – if you need our class login and password, it’s madamesclass and queenmary13. (http://hourofcode.com/sc) Enjoy! (Mr D, Ms N, Mr L and Ms S’s class)
If you need a copy of our amazing recipe for the mock “bûche de Noël” (Yule log) we made in class with several groups before the holiday, it’s here: Mock Yule Log recipe
The big goal in my classroom is being able to communicate in our second language. We do our best to speak only in French, as much as we can, and to use the vocabulary we’re learning (using the AIM approach, where there is a sign-language type action for every word we learn – I sign, and the students speak) to convey our ideas. There’s a list here of the words we start with, and a look over it, to review, or remind your children of how much they know, would be a great idea.
In all classes, 10 minutes or so each day of reviewing vocabulary at home is very helpful. Let your kids teach you what they’re learning!
Class Updates:
Grade 5: This class did amazing work this week – lot of forward movement in their vocabulary. They worked particularly hard on the difference between masculine and feminine adjectives (intelligent/intelligente; beau/belle). We also did our first class read of the main story, and they did a terrific job.
Grade 5/6: Be sure to ask your child to see the work they did on family descriptions, and take a look at the feedback with them. This class amazed me with their reading this week as well. Be sure to ask them what’s going on in the play, and see if they can tell you the main idea.
Grade 6: We played some Kahoot in this class, to show what we knew about Louis la Grénouille. The class loved it – be sure to ask them about it! (I posted a picture on #laclasseaqm on Twitter!). We’re also working on our question structures
Grade 6/7, 7/8,8 All intermediate classes did some real-world reading using a French current events site after the events of Wednesday, and that led to some superb discussion -yes, in French (and a little bit of English), of the ideas involved. All classes also created a brainstorming wall (we use the digital tool Padlet) about their resolutions.
Documents for download:
Band news: There will not be band on Wednesday morning, as I will be out of the building at a workshop that day. We will probably practice Friday at 2nd break to make it up (listen for announcements)
Important dates:
January 13: Ms Najarro’s class to Reel Kids festival
January 19: School Council, 6:30 p.m.
January 16:Deadline for IB applications
January 30: deadline for Integrated Arts applications
Trivia Questions
1. Combien de personnes ont marché à Paris dimanche (approximat)?
2. Quel film a gagné le catégorie drame aux Golden Globes?
Website: We did a lot of talking about #jesuischarlie with the intermediates this week. We used editorial cartoon images to help with that. Here are some we looked at (some are graphic): CharlieHebdo cartoons
I also thought this was a very interesting perspective, in terms of critical thinking, and jumping on hashtag bandwagons. rethinking the #jesuischarlie hashtag
Books: Doing some reading for light entertainment these days (maybe in response to the workout of reading the Bone Clocks). Charlaine Harris (she wrote the books TrueBlood is based on) has a new series, set in Midnight, Texas, in the same universe as Sookie Stackhouse’s Louisiana. There are witches and vamps and other odd sorts, but they’re all in Midnight because it’s a place where people don’t ask too many questions. Fun and not too brain-taxing. I agree with the 2nd review here
Music: If you’re a CBC listener, you might have caught some of the live work from Bahamas (aka Afie Jurvanen) over the holidays. He was in town for a sold-out gig this weekend. Kinda cool stuff. http://www.bahamasmusic.net/
Please share in the comments – what are you clicking on, reading and listening to? Let’s build a sharing space here.
Les classes à QM 