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Author: Cynthia Capps
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
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In this unit, students explore the different influences in their
lives that have made them who they are and affect who they would
like to be. Students reflect on their childhood, their friends,
their personal heroes and role models, and “universal”
heroes. They contemplate how these figures have influenced their
interests and their future career goals.
ACTIVITY SET 1: Childhood
In this activity set, learners reflect on early memories—people
and events from their childhood that have had a lasting influence
on them. To introduce the topic, they read targeted excerpts from
two well-loved French works: Le petit prince and Le petit
Nicolas. Both books are narrated in the first person by a young
boy and provide a child’s perspective on adult behavior. How
children and adults differ in outlook is the source of much of the
humor. For instance, in Le petit prince, the narrator juxtaposes
a child’s vivid imagination to an adult’s lack thereof
when he describes a sketch he had done. All the adults could see
was a hat; in reality, it was a boa constrictor who had eaten an
elephant—as any child could see! Likewise, Nicolas is puzzled
because his mother insists he behave like a “gentleman”
with Louisette—who can kick a ball better than most boys! Students
work in jigsaw
groups to read and understand different excerpts from one of
the two texts. Each group then shares a brief summary of its excerpt
with the class. As a follow-up, the whole class compares the mindsets
of the two protagonists, and students are asked to reflect on their
own childhood. Was it as “simple” as we sometimes think?
Once students have had an occasion to remember their younger days,
they think of a particular, personal memory from childhood that
they believe has influenced who they are today. Their task is to
create an artifact to represent that memory: a journal entry, a
cartoon or drawing (with French captions), a memento from childhood
on a poster, a monologue (or dialogue, if they want to work with
another student), and so forth. Those who want to share artifacts
do so, either by performing or by posting their drawings for others
to see. The class then looks for common threads: Are the memories
emotional? funny, etc? What makes them so? What evidence is there
of the memories’ influence on the student?
ACTIVITY SET 2: Friendship
Friends often have a great influence on students, and the topic
of friendship is of great importance to them. Begin this activity
set by posting around the room a list of French adjectives used
to describe people. If students wish, they write other adjectives
on note cards and add them to those that are there. Next, students
list the three qualities (from among the adjectives posted) that
they feel are most important in a friend. Answers are tallied to
see which are the most common answers; students make statements
to explain or justify their choices.
Following the introductory activity, students read another excerpt
from Le petit prince in which a fox teaches the boy about friendship.
The class works together to read and mindmap
this relatively long segment. Students summarize how the fox will
remember the little prince when he leaves (because the wheat is
the color of the boy’s hair) and then they reminisce quietly
about a friend who moved away and how they remember that friend.
Once they’ve had time to reflect, students line up and share
memories about their friend with the person on either side of them.
Students make simple sentences such as, Nous aimions chanter,
Mon amie avait les yeux bleus comme moi, or Joseph avait un chien
noir qui s’appelait Rex. Afterwards, students engage in
a class discussion: How many students, like the fox, remembered
what their friend looked like? How many remembered something they
did together? Ask students to state one way they and their friends
were alike and one way they were different. Finally, students create
a tribute in French to a friend (a song, a poem, a poster, a postcard,
or a letter) that illustrates how that person and relationship influenced
them.
ACTIVITY SET 3: Personal Heroes
Students move from the realm of childhood friendships to the arena
of personal heroes in this activity set. They begin by listing well-known
heroes from literature or film, such as Jean Valjean in Les misérables.
(Teachers may confer with English language arts teachers to discover
which novels the students have read.) Then they discuss why these
characters are heroes and what common attributes they have. (This
list can be compared to contemporary “heroes” who tend
to be celebrities such as actors, athletes, and musicians.) Students
next list their personal heroes (grandparents, neighbors, pastors,
etc.) and identify the positive characteristics these people exhibit.
Characteristics of personal heroes and those of film and literature
heroes are compared. Then, students select five characteristics
that are most important in a hero. Finally, students choose personal
heroes that exhibit these characteristics and create a class storybook
highlighting their heroes by writing paragraphs in French describing
how they have influenced their lives. If any of the students’
personal heroes are available, they may be invited to class to be
honored with certificates and readings from the storybook. Alternatively,
native French speakers are invited to class to talk about their
personal heroes and/or childhood friends.
ACTIVITY SET 4: Those Who Changed the World
Now students think globally and brainstorm a list of special people
from different fields who have impacted society. With encouragement
and suggestions from the teacher, they include notable French-speaking
personalities such as the Curies, Louis Pasteur, Léopold
Senghor, etc. Names are written on note cards (color-coded by occupation,
if desired) and posted on the board. Working with a partner, students
choose three of the names and write sentences saying how their lives
have ultimately been influenced or affected by that person. (The
Curies’ work with radioactivity, for example, led to a treatment
for cancer and thus affects countless people.)
Next, from the list of names generated, students each choose one
person to investigate further using the Internet and other resources,
including asking questions of e-pals in France, Québec, or
other French-speaking places. They report to the class, highlighting
the contributions the person made to society and/or their field.
To demonstrate what they have learned, students create a short presentation
to share with beginning French classes. Each student finds a unique
way to “introduce” the person and share how he or she
has influenced modern society, using costumes and props or puppets,
for example. The performances are videotaped or performed live using
simple French sentences. The novice-level audience may also be provided
with a list of key words to help them understand.
ACTIVITY SET 5: Interests and Careers
Students’ interests and the career options they are considering
are often influenced by people they know personally (family members,
friends, teachers) and/or by famous personalities such as the aforementioned
world “heroes.” To begin this activity set, students make
two lists: “Careers I’d Consider” and “Favorite
Pastimes.” Once the lists are complete, students think about
and note who might have influenced them in these interests. For
example, a neighbor who speaks several languages might inspire a
student to become a French teacher or a travel agent; a biography
of Clara Barton might inspire one to become a nurse or a volunteer
at the local hospital, etc.
After developing their lists and associating names with the items
on them when possible, students complete an interest inventory that
addresses questions such as: Do I mind working long hours or do
I need lots of time with friends and family? How important is salary
to me? Is it critical that my job be personally fulfilling? Interest
inventories are available online (see Resources) from school counselors
or from the Texas Workforce Commission. Students select two occupations
they might like and create a Venn
diagram comparing them, putting the traits common to both occupations
in the middle.
What are other jobs exhibiting the “common” traits that
students might consider? To find out what’s available, they
check “help wanted” ads in online French newspapers and
in American newspapers and compare job requirements for the similar
jobs in the French and English ads. Are there any differences? Also,
how many job ads can they find that list knowing a foreign language
either as an asset or requirement? In pairs, students take turns
reading French ads to one another without revealing the job category.
The “listening” student tries to guess what the job is
from the text.
ACTIVITY SET 6: Qui suis-je?
As a culminating project for the learning scenario, students choose
between one of two options:
- They summarize and/or visually represent what they have learned
about themselves and how they might use this information in the
future. This project may be a poster, poem, song, personal reflection
journal, newspaper, speech, skit, video, computer slide show,
Web page, etc.
- Given that much of the scenario has focused on the people and
events that influenced who they are, students develop a project
depicting ways in which they would like to influence others.
- Communication:
Interpersonal, Interpretative, & Presentational Modes
- Cultures:
Practices & Perspectives, Products & Perspectives
- Connections:
Access to Information, Other Subject Areas
- Comparisons:
Concept of Culture, Influence of Language & Culture
- Communities:
Within & Beyond the School Setting, Personal Enrichment &
Career Development
- Computers with Internet access
- Art supplies to create various products
(poster board, markers, etc.)
- Le petit prince (Saint-Exupéry)
- Le petit Nicolas (Sempé
and Goscinny)
Communication: Students use the interpersonal
mode to complete group readings, to share childhood memories, and
in other group activities. They use the interpretive mode as they
read stories and Web pages and as they listen to the presentations
of their classmates. They use presentational mode when they share
artifacts, create a tribute to a friend, make a presentation to
first-year classes, etc.
Cultures: Students develop greater
understanding of French practices (relationships, friendship) and
the perspectives on them as they read literature of the target culture
and interview native speakers.
Connections: Students use French to
access information on famous French speakers and careers; they expand
their knowledge of literature.
Comparisons: Students develop an understanding
of the concept of culture as they compare their own culture with
French culture.
Communities: Students use French within
and beyond the school setting as they make presentations to other
classes and connect with French classes through
e-mail or the Internet to find out about those students’ perspectives.
- Students investigate how French teens
relate to their friends. Do they have the same sorts of relationships
as American friends? Students accomplish this either by doing
research online, such as reading teen magazines in French, or
by chatting with French penpals or foreign exchange students who
are visiting the school. Students create a list of questions and
answers, noting similarities and differences.
- Students interview classmates in small
groups to find out about what they like to do outside of school.
Do they work? Do they volunteer? If so, where? Is helping others
important to them? How do they spend their free time? Do they
spend time with other people or do they prefer being alone? How
might knowing another language help them outside of school?
- Students read segments from Le petit
prince that define the relationship between the little prince
and his rose. They list clues that show the friendship between
them. Students hypothesize what will happen when the two are reunited
(if they believe the two will be). Challenge students to do a
sequel (written or performed).
- Students delve further into possible career
choices. Help students to discover that all jobs have pros and
cons as they read about the little prince’s journey by having
them list the advantages and disadvantages of the careers of the
people he meets on his journey from his asteroid to Earth.
Books
Saint-Exupéry,
A. (1998). Le petit prince. Paris:
Gallimard.
Sempé, J. J., & Goscinny,
R. (1991). Le petit Nicolas. Cambridge, MA: Schoenhof’s
Foreign Books.
Webliography
NOTE: These Internet
resources may have changed since publication or no longer be
available. Active links should be
carefully
screened
before
recommending to students.
Le petit prince
Le petit Nicolas
Friendship
People
Newspapers and Magazines
Interest Inventory Tests
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