SCIENCES EN FOLIE ! UNE EXCURSION EN FAMILLE

In this unit, students take a closer look at the simple, scientific concepts that relate to their daily lives. This is an engaging unit that puts the emphasis on critical and creative thinking and gives students numerous opportunities not only to discuss the “what” of science around them, but also the “what for.” The unit provides a host of opportunities for authentic interaction about the world around us.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Students consider simple scientific concepts they observe around them, e.g., why paint is thick and nail polish thin, how our senses help us “see” the world around us, and even how to prepare molecular foods, the cuisine of the future!

CULTURAL REGION

Students learn about the protected Amazonian rainforest of French Guyana and its creatures.

FINAL TASK

Students formulate a hypothesis for an experiment they might conduct, define what they could expect to prove, and present possible findings in a video or written presentation.

Boomerang 4 – Bon appétit !

A family is planning an RV trip to the French-speaking areas of the United States. They decide on what they will need to bring and explain their choices. They tour Louisiana’s bayous and visit Lafayette, the French capital of the state. At the end of their trip, the young girl in the story posts to her blog the pictures she took along the way.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Students’ French experience takes them to an authentic situation outside the classroom as they talk about planning the best trip ever!

CULTURAL REGION

Students discover Francophone areas in the US and learn about how the proud Francophones in Louisiana have worked to keep their French heritage alive.

FINAL TASK

Students plan a trip they might take with their families. They prepare an itinerary, a list of things to bring, fun activities to do, and present these to the class.

Boomerang 5 – Voyages dans la francophonie

Aventures Extr Mes

In this unit, students read a short adventure story. They discuss the characters, the setting, and the events leading up to the dénouement. This unit is an excellent literacy unit, as it provides an easy-to-follow model for students to create their own story, something they can take great pride in. They will find that writing a story is easy when they follow the well-prepared steps.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Students use the model adventure story to discuss situations that might arise during an innocent walk through a mountainous region, the importance of first responders in assisting adventurers, and the actions they can take to help others.

CULTURAL REGION

We are introduced to tourist attractions in France, specifically Gréolières, a village in the South of France that caters to tourists looking for adventure.

FINAL TASK

Students prepare an adventure story, either by following a writing template or by storyboarding it. They take part in story-telling sessions by sharing their stories with the class.

Boomerang 5 – Voyages dans la francophonie

C’EST MA VIE !

In this unit, students consider who they are, their likes and dislikes, and their plans for the future. They read a genealogy chart dating back several hundred years, talk about someone in their family they respect, and identify their personal strengths and weaknesses. The unit is divided into three overlapping sections: D’où viens-je ? Qui suis-je ? and Où vais-je ?

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Students consider all the elements that make them unique: their origins, their traits, and their plans for the future. They think critically about what they do, why they do it, and how their actions define them. This unit gives students the opportunity to really get to know their classmates.

CULTURAL REGION

Students learn about Belgium, its history, and its place on the world stage.

FINAL TASK

Students choose six subjects that help them answer the unit question: Qui suis-je ? They create a personal cube or scrapbook to describe themselves. Finally, they write up an explanation of each element and present it to the class orally or in writing.

Boomerang 5 – En avant la musique !

TROUVE TA CAUSE !

This unit focuses on ways students can support causes that are important to them. They consider the importance of working together to raise money for these causes and persuade their friends to help. Along the way, they learn the language they need to convince friends to join the cause, write radio jingles related to volunteering, and discuss various activities they can do to support a cause. This unit on volunteering brings the Me to We campaign to life in the French classroom.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Students are given the opportunity to think about ways that their volunteering can help their communities. The unit prepares students for the compulsory volunteer hours needed to graduate high school and highlights the importance of giving back.

CULTURAL REGION

In this unit, students are introduced to Switzerland and organizations with a mission to provide assistance around the world.

FINAL TASK

Students identify a cause that is close to their heart and explain why it is meaningful to them. They prepare arguments to convince their friends to help them support the cause. Together, they set up an action plan for going forward.

Boomerang 5 – Ensemble, on s’implique !

This unit incorporates two underlying topics that are relevant for students at the end of grade 8. First, they discuss their lives during their elementary years, from childhood to adolescence. This gives them an opportunity to reminisce with their classmates about how much they have grown. For the second stream in the module, students discuss events that they find stressful and strategies to help them cope with their stress.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Students consider their elementary years as they look forward to starting high school. They learn strategies as they prepare themselves for the inevitable stress of attending a new school and making new friends.

CULTURAL REGION

Students learn about Monaco. Through reading about this Francophone region of Europe, they learn about a yearly yoga festival and watch a video about yoga.

FINAL TASK

Students reflect on their experiences in elementary school. They discuss what they learned, the challenges they overcame, what they did well, and who influenced them during those formative years. Their final presentation is designed to showcase their memories.

Boomerang 5 – Voyages dans la francophonie

The Boomerang collection for students in grades 4 through 8 is designed for teaching literacy in the context of FSL learning. The collection engages students with texts intended to develop their abilities to listen, speak, read, write, watch, and present in French. It showcases 55 different texts on a variety of topics, based on character traits, that will appeal to all students.

Motivate Your Students To Communicate In French

 A balanced literacy program that focuses on strategy development and integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing

 Booklets available in both print and digital versions

 Relevant and age-appropriate texts, authentic situations, functional language used in context, and strategy-based practices

 Levelled readers, Teacher’s Resource Books, audio CDs, CD-ROMs, and digital readers on myCECZone to facilitate authentic and spontaneous oral interaction

 Teaching notes to support continuous student engagement based on the Gradual Release of Responsibility model

 Multiple suggestions for differentiation to ensure that each student acquires the skills and confidence they need to successfully interact in French

 Project-based culminating tasks in the lesson plans supported by reproducible sheets, allowing students to demonstrate reading comprehension and providing teachers with opportunities for oral production assessment and evaluation