Thanksgiving is a time when many of us give thanks for all we have. For French students, it is also a great opportunity to learn common Thanksgiving foods. If you are a core or immersion teacher, I have compiled some French Thanksgiving resources that will help you teach your students about this holiday.
Here are some of my favorite French Thanksgiving resources to use just before break.
Present the Thanksgiving vocabulary.
With any unit, I start by presenting the vocabulary. I do this a lot of different ways, but when I don’t want to spend a lot of time on new vocabulary, the fastest way is to do a gallery walk using a set of French word wall cards.
To set it up, print off the student word wall cards and hang them up around your room (or even in the hallway if you can). Then, with partners, have students go from card to card pronouncing the words. With food items like this, it’s really easy to have them expand by using simple sentences like “J’aime” and “Je n’aime pas” to start using them in context.
I’m a huge fan of anything that adds movement, because it’s just so much more fun for students! When students are kind of antsy (like before a break), just adding a little movement where you can really cuts down on behaviors.
Practice speaking and listening.
Next, I like to have students practice saying and listening to the words. J’ai… qui a… is a great game for this! This French j’ai… qui a … Thanksgiving game has cards with the French words and another set with only images, so you can use it twice, or you can easily differentiate for different ability and grade levels.
The first time, use the set with images early on to help them see the words and images. The second time, a few days later, you can play a game for speed and use the set with no words. Then, the same game becomes a game for listening and recalling vocabulary. It’s one of my favorite French Thanksgiving resources, because it’s so versatile!
Practice writing and vocabulary using differentiated worksheets.
Since I began teaching nearly 20 years ago, I have rarely taught one grade level. Often, I have had three or more levels at a time. It can be SO hard to find activities that work for each group. Most of my seasonal packets, including these French Thanksgiving resources, are geared towards multiple grade levels.
It’s easy to use the simpler activities for beginners while reviewing the passé composé or the practicing si clauses with more advanced students. If you teach a split-level class, you can give each group a different practice sheet, so everyone is working at their level.
Play a student favorite the day before break.
Finally, we wrap up the mini-unit with a fun game of Thanksgiving Bingo! I have found that either I have a lot of students absent the day before a break, or I just have a lot of students who aren’t focused. Bingo is a favorite of every class I’ve taught. For that reason, it is one of my go-to activities the day before a break. It’s a fun and relaxed way to review vocabulary.
Even the students who are not quite as interested in French class get really engaged, making it one of my favorite French Thanksgiving resources each year!
Last of all, if there is any spare time left in the week after using these French Thanksgiving resources, it’s always fun to listen to some fall-themed French songs! Find some of my favorite French songs here!
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