How I structure my Middle School Core French blocks

The number one question I get asked by colleagues and customers is "How do you structure your Core French blocks?" Because it is such a common request, I thought I'd share it here.

In my middle school, our blocks are 52 minutes long. I try to fit in some opportunity for students to speak, listen to, read, and write French in every block, but it doesn't always work out that way for timing purposes. If I don't have time and have to cut something, I make sure that I never cut out speaking. I want my students to speak French every single day.

Here is a sample structure for a typical middle school French block:

1.    Date and Weather report (2-3 minutes)

a.    The first unit I teach in Core French is weather and calendar. This allows for all the students to have familiar vocabulary and framework so that we can start every day with a brief weather report. I will welcome the students in French and tell them the date, then I ask “Quel temps fait-il?” and ask for volunteers to answer, giving the current weather conditions. I have a class list and check off who answers each day in order to choose someone new each time. Alternatively, you could assign this task to a different student each day. Here are the resources I use to introduce weather and calendar with my students.

2.    Question du Jour (10-15 minutes)

a.    This is my assurance that every student is speaking French at least once in the block. For this activity, I create a question, usually something that fits in to the theme or unit we are studying. I usually have the question written on the board as they come into class. A question during a family unit could be “As-tu des cousins ou des cousins?” A question during a sports unit could be “Aimes-tu jouer au football?”

b.    We discuss the question and I ask the student what they think it means. I also use this time to point out grammatical elements/pronunciation of the words so they can make the connection to how the French is written and what it sounds like. Then we brainstorm possible answers. I like to write down the possible outcomes so that the students have a visual to refer to.

c.    Once the class understands the question, everyone stands up. I ask the question to a student, who answers it and asks it to another student. Once a student has answered the question and asked someone else, they sit down.

d.    The question is passed through the classroom in the same way. The last student standing asks me the question to complete the loop.

e.    This activity takes about 10-15 minutes, depending on how long the brainstorming piece takes. Later in the year, my class usually has it down to 8-10 minutes from beginning to end.

3.    Mini lesson (10-15 minutes)

a.    After we’ve done the question of the day, this is where I will teach a mini-lesson. I might introduce new vocabulary or grammar structures, or review something we’ve done in the past that the class hasn’t quite grasped.

4.    Independent practice (15-20 minutes)

a.    After my mini-lesson, I will give the students something to work on to practice the skills they’ve just learned. This could be a worksheet, puzzle, dialogue, poster, etc. Students might be working independently or with a partner. At the beginning of a new unit, I might use the mini lesson to introduce a new set of vocabulary, then use the practice time to give the students puzzles to practice the new words. If I’m teaching a new verb, the practice might be a game to help conjugate or make sentences.

5.    Game (5-10 minutes)

a.    I like to end my French blocks with games. Some of my students’ favourites are Loto! and Zut! You can read more about these games (and a few others) here.

My Beginner French resources include everything you'll need for the independent practice part of your French blocks. They include vocabulary lists, vocabulary puzzles, verbs, grammar, dialogues, reading comprehension activities, and more! I have units on many different themes, including families, food, music, pets, animals, sports, and more.

So what do you think? Would this structure work for your class? Do you do something differently that you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments below!

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