GLEN RIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Curriculum Guide

 

 

 

Course Title:                                         French 4/5 Literature

 

Subject:                                                French Literature

 

Grade level:                                          11 or 12

 

Department/School:                              World Language/High School

 

Duration:                                              1 year

 

Number of credits:                                5

 

Prerequisite:                                          French 3

 

Elective or Required:                             Elective/language required for 2 years in High School.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author:  Teresa L. Fitzsimmons

Date Submitted:  Summer 2005

 

Course Description

 

 

French 4/5 Study of French Literature

 

This course is designed for students who wish to continue their study of French without taking the AP level.  Students will be exposed to contemporary literature from France and francophone countries.  Appropriate activities will reinforce development of reading, speaking, writing skills and vocabulary build up as well as class discussion.  The activities will include pair activities, literary focus, literary analysis which will offer guidance and opportunities for self-expression.  Students will encounter the genres from fairy tales and legends to a full length novel, showcasing selections from a variety of authors.

 

GLEN RIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

WORLD LANGUAGE MISSION STATEMENT

 

 

            In a changing world of technology and multiculturalism, the world is getting smaller and the importance of multilingual abilities is becoming increasingly important.  We in the World Language Department believe every individual in our school is capable of learning a foreign language to the best of their ability.  Our emphasis is on communication and culture.  Students will use correct syntax, grammar, and pronunciation.  Included in our repertoire of activities is a study of both Francophone and Hispanic cultures.  This also includes non-verbal clues common to these cultures.  Students will be exposed to all forms of literature in the native language in their chosen second language, in the original form, depending on the level of study.

 

            Students will also be exposed to the language not only through the use of the textbook but also through the use of multimedia, listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities.  Native speakers will be invited and engaged whenever possible.  Students will be expected to take an active role in the learning of the language since true communication is an active process.  Students will be assessed in all four skills:  listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Authentic assessment in real life and survival situations will be a part of all teachers’ classrooms.  Available technology will be employed, working on collaborative activities within the framework of the topic.

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards

 

World Language

 

STANDARD 7.1 (COMMUNICATION)  ALL STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AT A BASIC LITERACY LEVEL IN AT LEAST ONE LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH.

 

STANDARD 7.2 (CULTURE)  ALL STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE FOR AT LEAST ONE LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curriculum Description

 

THEMATIC UNIT 1 - OUR LITERARY BEGINNINGS

 

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1.      Read and analyze francophone fairy tales and comptimes.   (7.1.19)

2.      Read and analyze tales and legends from France and African French-speaking countries.   (7.1.17-21)

3.      Learn about the similarities and differences between tales and legends of young people in francophone countries and our own.   (7.2.12)

4.      Expand our cultural horizons through our very first encounters with literature.   (7.2.9-13)

 

Duration of time:  3 weeks

 

Activities

 

Students will:

-         Read and analyze French nursery rhymes.

-         Write their own nursery rhyme.

-         Memorize a French comptime and a nursery rhyme and recite it to the class.

-         Read tales and legends from African countries.

-         Tell about their personal family legends and tales to their class in a speech.

-         Write their own legend.

-         Create a survey for fellow French classes polling them on their knowledge of nursery rhymes, gather their findings and report back to the class.

-         Use new vocabulary to describe their favorite tales and why, orally and written.

-         Role-play a chosen rhyme, tale or legend with props and/or costumes.

 

 

THEMATIC UNIT 2 - HUMOR IN LITERATURE

 

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1.      Read and analyze francophone children’s stories.   (7.2.12, 7.1.18,19)

2.      Read and analyze French comic books.   (7.2.11)

3.      Learn about the importance of comic books in France.   (7.2.11)

4.      Learn what French people find humorous by analyzing comics in newspapers and magazines.   (7.2.9-12)

5.      Categorize the types of humor.   (7.2.9-12)

6.      Learn and use appropriate slang vocabulary used by French young people.   (7.2.11)

7.      Combine art, music and literature to create their own children’s story and comic strip.   (7.2.13)

8.      Read a play from the “Theatre de l’absurde” La Lecon by Ionesco and analyze the humor.   (7.2.11)

9.      Be able to write a coherent children’s story using the elements of humor discussed in this course.   (7.1.17,19, 7.2.11)

10.  Be able to compare and contrast francophone humorous literature to that which they have already read.   (7.2.10)

11.  Research current popular humor in French newspapers and magazines.   (7.2.10)

 

Duration of time:  8 weeks

 

Activities

 

Students will:

-         Choose a humorous literary piece in English, children’s literature included, and compare it to something they have read so far in French.

-         Read short stories by Sempe and Goscinny about Petit Nicholas.

-         Read and analyze Asterix and Tintin.

-         Choose an American comic book and compare the humor to one of the Asterix or Tintin comic books.

-         Design your own comic with a partner and write the dialog using comic elements discussed in class.

-         Write a children’s story with some kind of illustrations, magazine collages or stick figures for those who are not artistic or use Internet clip art.

-         Research French newspapers and magazines and analyze the humor.

-         Find and write a commentary about a political cartoon from a newspaper or magazine.

-         Read and answer questions about stories from Le Petit Nicholas.

-         Read a story from Le Petit Nicholas at home and present a vocabulary list, visuals and give a speech about the story to the class.

-         Write a conversation that little children would have using French slang expressions for young people.

-         Read La Lecon and discuss the humor of Theatre of the Absurd.  Why do the French think this is funny?

-         Use the vocabulary from La Lecon to describe funny happenings when they were young.

-         Role-play scenes from the play.

-         Compare and contrast their weird experiences with others in the class.

-         Choose music and some kind of visual that would go with one of the stories read in this unit and present it to the class.

THEMATIC UNIT 3 - FRENCH POETRY

 

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1.      Develop an appreciation for some of the most beautiful and exciting pieces written in French.   (7.2.11,12)

2.      Develop a full understanding of a poem.   (7.2.11,12)

3.      Grasp the emotions or ideas contained within the poem.   (7.2.9)

4.      Learn the elements of the French versification.   (7.1.23)

5.      Count syllables in a poem and tell what category of poem it is.   (7.1.17)

6.      Analyze rhymes and metaphors within the poems.   (7.2.11)

7.      Acquire an appreciation for the melody of a poem.    (7.2.11, 7.1.23)

8.      Visualize a picture and music that would go with their favorite poem.   (7.2.12)

9.      Read poetry from varied poets from various areas of the francophone world.   (7.2.11)

10.  Understand the effects of persecution as seen in African poetry.    (7.2.11)

11.  Analyze the historical period of several poems and poets.   (7.2.9-11)

12.  Write a well constructed poem in French.    (7.1.17-22)

 

Duration of time:  6 weeks

 

Activities

 

Students will:

-         Read poems by the following authors:  Jacques Prevert, Baudelaire, Victor Hugo, Lucid Beausonge, Boris Vian, Paul Verlaine, MC Solar.

-         Write a letter in which you make a reference to a poem because of its significant message.

-         Read and analyze the poems for types of rhyme, number of syllables, and tell the kind of poem it is.

-         Analyze the meaning of each poem and look for poems that would fit in a similar category.

-         Find comparisons and metaphors within the poems.

-         Choose a poem and find music and a visual photo that fits it best and present it to the class. 

-         Critique your partner’s choices.

-         Use rhyming vocabulary to design a cinquaine poem.

-         Write a version of your favorite poem in prose.

-         Choose a poem and write one with a different theme in a similar style.

-         Contrast a poem with a similar theme in English.

-         Make a list of vocabulary that you will use in a poem that you will design with a partner.

-         Memorize a poem and recite it to the class in a class poetry competition.

 

 

 

 

THEMATIC UNIT 4 - WAR IN LITERATURE

 

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1.      Understand the effects of war as seen in literature.   (7.2.12)

2.      Analyze the reporting of a war in newspapers and magazines.   (7.2.13)

3.      Use the Internet to research a war.   (7.2.13)

4.      Read and analyze short stories that illustrate the effects of war.   (7.2.13)

5.      Learn the vocabulary of war.    (7.1.17-19)

6.      Read excerpts from “Le Rouge et le Noir”, “Germinal”, “Au revoir les enfants” and analyze the effects of war as seen in these books.    (7.2.10)

7.      Read poetry written during war time.    (7.2.10)

8.      Understand the relationship between art, history, music and literature.   (7.2.12)

9.      Recognize cognates and word families, guessing from context and using a dictionary.   (7.1.17,18,23)

10.  Become an active reader.   (7.1.23)

 

Duration of time:  8 weeks

 

Activities

 

Students will:

-         Read from the following list of short stores:  “Mateo Falcone”, “L’evasion”, and “L’attaque du Moulin”.

-         Discuss the elements of fear created in these short stories.

-         Learn the fear and war vocabulary to discuss the effects seen in the literature.

-         Research and read articles from France Amerique, le Monde, Figaro and Paris Match and share with the class their reports on the war in Iraq.

-         Then compare their reports on the war with ours from the New York Times or your favorite newspaper.

-         Read and analyze the poem “Le deserteur”.

-         Interview someone who has been in a war and report your findings to the class.

-         Choose a painting that best depicts your concept and vision of war and write a commentary on it, telling how the artist was able to successfully show war.

-         Read excerpts from Le Rouge et le Noir, Germinal, & Au revoir les Enfants and answer questions about each.

-         Debate war, for or against, as a way to successfully resolve problems.

-         Choose a war and report on its effects to the class.

-         Watch the movie “Au Revoir les Enfants” and write a reaction paper on the persecution during World War II.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THEMATIC UNIT 5 - HISTORY OF FRENCH LITERATURE

 

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1.      Put French literature in chronological order.    (7.7.1.21)

2.      Analyze an excerpt from a book from each century.   (7.2.12)

3.      Identify most influential pieces of French literature for each century.   (7.2.9-13)

4.      Define genres and historical events shaping the literature of the times.    (7.2.12)

5.      Map the changes in literature from classical to existentialism.   (7.2.9-12)

6.      Respond to questions that insure basic understanding of the texts.   (7.1.17-20)

7.      Research a French author and do a presentation.    (7.2.13)

 

Duration of time:  6 weeks

 

Activities

 

Students will:

-         Choose their favorite French author and do an oral presentation.

-         Write an extensive report on their French author.

-         Work with a partner to map (some visual presentation) the chronological order of French literature and its genres.

-         Read and answer questions on excepts from the following:

La chanson de Roland,  Candide, Tartouffe, Moderato Cantabile, Pierre et Jean,

L’etranger, Atala, Ruy Blas, Aimez-vous Brahms?

-         Research the history of the times of one of these stories.

-         Write a critical analysis of each of the excerpts they have read.

-         Choose one of the stories and write an alternate ending.

-         Write a conversation between two of the characters in one of the stories.

 

 

THEMATIC UNIT 6 - READING A COMPLETE PLAY,

   LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME BY MOLIERE

 

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1.      Read a play in full original version.    (7.2.12)

2.      Make inferences, and interpret the play.   (7.2.12)

3.      Discriminate language forms and dialog differences.   (7.1.17-23)

4.      Draw conclusions, make remarks and defend your point of view.   (7.1.17-23)

5.      Learn about discrimination in the 17th century and compare it to problems today. (7.2.12, 13)

6.      Separate main ideas and elements of humor in the play.    (7.2.10)

7.      Recognize important cultural implications and relate them to the times.   (7.2.10)

 

Duration of time:  4 weeks

 

Activities

 

Students will:

-         Read the play.

-         Role-play parts of the play.

-         Do an in-class production of one of the acts in the play.

-         Use the new vocabulary to retell the story and write new stories.

-         Identify grammar tenses and uses within the story.

-         Create a list of the elements of humor you see in the story and give concrete examples from the story.

-         Watch the play on video.

-         Do a character analysis.

-         Create a list of new expressions and vocabulary to use to make up an original game about the play.

 

 

 

Texts, Resources/or Literature

 

1.      Autour de la Litterature, Peter Schofer & Donald Rice, Heinle & Thompson publisher, Copyright 1999, ISBN 0-8384-7918-9.

 

2.      Tous les poemes, pour le cours avance, Andre O. Hurtgen, Longman publisher,  copyright 1992, ISBN 0-8013-0854-2

 

3.      Short stories from: Nouvelles lectures libres, Rebecca M. Valette copyright 1998, McDougall Littell 0-669-04753-8

 

4.      Le Petit Nicholas, Sempe-Goscinny, Collection Folio, copyright 1992 ISBN 2-07-036423-2

 

5.      Short stories from:  Contes francais,  W. Fowlie, Continental, ISBN 04-8626443-2

 

6.      Pierre et Jean, De Maupassant, Continental, ISBN 2-25-3012351

 

7.      Candide, Voltaire, Continental, ISBN 2-25-309808-6

 

8.      Germinal, Emile Zola, Continental, ISBN 2-25-30022-7

 

9.      La cantatrice chauve et La Lecon, Ionesco, Continental, ISBN 20-7036236-1

 

10.  Paroles, Jacques Prevert, Continental, ISBN 20-7036762-2

 

11.  Contes Africains, V. Stanovsky, Continental, ISBN 27-0001101-5

 

12.  Magazine:  Paris Match, Elle

 

13.  Newspapers:  Le Monde, Figaro,  France-Amerique