• Objectives:

The content objectives of this teaching unit are:

1. To learn what a Nature morte is.

2. To identify the main elements appearing in a Nature morte.

3. To create a Nature morte with the elements available.

4. To orally present their own Nature morte to their classmates.

 

The language objectives of this teaching unit are:

1. To understand the instructions given by the teacher in French.

2. To learn vocabulary used in a Nature morte such as fruits, objects, etc.

3. To use the structure il y a when presenting a Nature morte.

4. To make students discuss who is going to present each element in French.

 

• Activity description:

The teacher introduces the concept of Nature morte. Students learn the names of objects and fruits that typically appear in these types of works of art. Then, pupils put their knowledge into practice. In groups of three or four members, they create a Nature morte using the elements they can find on the teacher’s table (fruits and objects). In the end, students present their ideas in front of the class (they have to speak in French).

 

• Strategies to help students understand:

1. To exaggerate intonation.

2. To make lots of gestures.

3. To use visual support.

4. To write down keywords.

5. To ask students many questions.

6. To allow pupils to intervene in class

• They say what they know.

• They learn by repeating what the teacher says.

 

• Strategies to help students produce:

1. To put by each fruit a paper with its name.

2. To show students a paper with the structure they need to describe what there is in a Nature morte.

3. To make a lot of different examples aloud for students to see how the construction should be done.

4. To allow everyone to try the constructions and produce examples.

5. To make positive reinforcement and use mistakes as a source of learning.

 

• Language needs of the activity:

1. Name of the pictorial genre.  

2. Name of the fruits.

3. Determinant that precedes each fruit.

4. Structure to say There is...

 

• Results/Reflection after implementation:

 

After teaching the vocabulary and the sentence “il y a”, students were able to orally describe the elements of their “nature morte” in front of the class. We believe that we reached our goal and that the fact of providing students with a simple structure and the necessary vocabulary helped them produce the final exposition. All in all, it was a good experience and we believe that our students enjoyed it and learned from it.

 

• Teaching materials: picture of the painting, fruits and objects, papers with the written names.