AP French Language and Culture Ms. Bishop

AP French 2014-2015 Page 1

AP French Language and Culture

2014-2015

Ms. Bishop

Mount Vernon High School

[email protected]

740-393-5900 x5657

Bienvenue!

AP French Language and Culture is a college-level course intended for students in their fourth

year of French. At this point, students have already learned the structures necessary to communicate in

French. In AP French, students review and refine those grammatical structures while learning new

vocabulary to communicate in French on a variety of topics. AP French emphasizes all aspects of

language: listening, speaking, reading, writing and culture. Students will be able to navigate the

interpersonal, interpretive and presentational characteristics of communication, both written and

spoken. This course is designed to prepare students for the AP French Language and Culture

examination in the Spring. All students taking this course are expected to take the AP French Language

and Culture examination. This year, the exam will be on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. AP French Language

and Culture is conducted exclusively in French

Primary texts:

French 3, Bien Dit! Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008.

Ladd, Richard. Allons au delà! Pearson, 2012.

Ladd, Richard. AP French: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination. Pearson, 2012.


Novels:

Bishop, Morris. « Candide ou L'optimisme.» A Survey of French Literature. Revised ed. Vol. 1. New York:

Harcourt, Brace & World, 1965. 349-95. Print.

Molière. L’école des femmes. Pocket, 2005.

Orsenna, Erik. La grammaire est une chanson douce. Paris: Livre de Poche, 2003.

Supplementary Texts:

Hugo, Victor. Les Misérables. Larousse, 2007.

Trésors du temps. Glencoe, 2005.

Frenh online texts (news) for current events (France24, Le Figaro, Le Monde, etc.)

Other various excerpts from Francophone authors

Other Sources and Materials:

Released AP exams and the AP French Language and Culture examination website

Websites such as tv5.org, google.fr, youtube.com, bbc.co.uk/languages, litteratureaudio.com,

atilf.fr, etc.

Music selections from classic and contemporary artists

Movie and movie clips from movies such as Inch’Allah Dimanche, Molière, Entre les murs, etc.

Classroom materials

Students will need:

Blue or black ink pens for all work and also at least one different color pen or highlighter

a 3-ring binder with divider sections

a French/English English/French dictionary (not required, but highly recommended)

Classroom rules 1. Be respectful and responsible. 2. Be on time. 3. No gum during conversations!

*Students are expected to follow the Mount Vernon High School student code of conduct and the school’s shared rules at all times.


Grading

Students’ grades will be based on the following:

Participation / Current Events 10%

Homework/AP Prep work 10%

Quizzes / Tests 30%

Oral presentations 25%

Projects / Papers 25%

**Extra credit opportunities may be available to students, but they should not count on them

being given frequently. All extra credit points will be added into the homework grade.

Students are expected to do their own work and any academic dishonesty will result in a 0 for

the assignment, whether this is a homework sheet or a test. For more information, see student code of

conduct.

Grades will follow the scale for classes that is given in the student code of conduct (20-21).

100-

92.5

A

92.49-

90

A-

89.99-

87.5

B+

87.49-

82.5

B

82.49-

80

B-

79.99-

77.5

C+

77.49-

72.5

C

72.49-

70

C-

69.99-

67.5

D+

67.49-

62.5

D

62.49-

60

D-

60-0

F

Participation / Current Events / Homework

Students are expected to participate in the class and will be working individually and with

partners or small groups. Each quarter, students will be asked to present at least one current event

article relating to French or Francophone culture. Presentations will be for a participation/presentation

grade of 25 points, but weekly written responses to classmates’ articles (and other classmates’

responses) on Moodle will count as a weekly participation grade of 10 points. Articles and three

discussion questions in French will be due to the teacher one week before a student presents and

students should be prepared to be the expert on the article and topic. The student leading the

discussion will be in charge of guiding the conversation. The teacher will only participate for clarification

reasons. Students will email the article link and the questions to the teacher. Students must use a visual

aid for their presentations. Guidelines will be passed out in class.


Homework

Students may have nightly homework to review and reinforce what is presented in class. There

will also be a good deal of work done independently in class. Students will sometimes have independent

assignments from AP French: A Guide to the French Language and Culture Examination. Some

homework will be graded for completion while other work will be based on correct work. All work will

be checked at the beginning of each class. Students will be made aware of all due dates. They will

always be made aware of changes to due dates. Due dates will be posted daily in the classroom and at

least weekly on ProgressBook.

If a student has an excused absence, the student will be given the same number of days missed

to make up the work. Students are responsible for finding out what work has been missed. Students

should talk to their classmates about notes and assignments and also check the homework binder

before talking to the teacher. Please see the teacher before or after class with questions on what has

been missed!

To receive full credit for homework assignments, please follow these guidelines:

1. All homework must be labeled with the student’s name and class period.

2. If it is necessary for students to correct their homework, it must be done with a

different color (preferably pen) and corrections must be visible or a checkmark must

be made if no corrections are necessary.

3. If there are multiple pages to an assignment, students are asked to please staple or

paperclip their work.

4. Turn in assignments on the day that they are due.

-Assignments that are 1-day late will be taken for half credit

-Assignments that are 2-days late will receive a 0

Quizzes (Contrôles) / Tests (Examens)

Students will have quizzes and tests on the material that is covered in class. If a student misses a

quiz or test, the student needs to talk to the teacher about making it up. This should be done in a timely

manner. If a quiz or test has been scheduled and the student is absent the day before, and no new

material has been introduced, the student is still expected to take the assessment on the planned day.


Oral Presentations

Students will have at least one oral presentation each quarter. Students will be given advance

notice and know what to prepare along with teacher expectations. Students will present for the entire

class. These oral presentations are in French and may focus on a time period or author or may be an

oral literary analysis (this may be connected to a paper or project).

Students may also have mini-oral exams during the quarter. For these exams, students will have

to listen to a poem recording and then record themselves reading the same recording. This will be done

on Moodle and students will be made aware of deadlines.

Students will also be expected to participate in daily class discussions. Students will be given a

topic by the teacher and will then converse on the topic with their classmates.

Projects / Papers

Students will have at least one project or one paper each quarter. The format for the projects

will vary and students will be given advance notice, time in class to work, and the teacher’s expectations

along with how the project will be graded. The project may be research-based or an analysis. From time

to time, students may also do personal or persuasive work.

Classroom approach

French will be used exclusively by the teacher and the students. The class will focus on the six

topical and culture themes of the AP French Language and Culture examination: Les Défis Mondiaux

(Global Challlenges), La Science et La Technologie (Scicene and Technology), La Vie Contemporaine

(Contemporary Life), La Quête de Soi (Personal and Public Identities), La Famille et La Communauté

(Families and Communities) and L’Esthétique (Beauty and Aesthetics). All skills (listening, speaking,

writing and reading) are covered during a typical week in the AP classroom. Students are encouraged to

seek additional resources that will enhance skills. Assessments will be used to gage student progress.

Students are asked to keep a list of common grammatical errors/discussions from the class. Students

will be tested on grammar and cultural and literary analysis. Students will also be asked to keep a

personal, reflective journal (that includes notes) of their thoughts and reactions to literature that is

studied in class.


Sample activities

Listening comprehension - Students are exposed to spoken French through classroom discussions

with the teacher and classmates. They are also exposed to native French speakers through the use of

sound clips, video clips, and exercises from their textbooks. Students will also watch clips of authentic

videos and online videos.

Reading comprehension - Students will improve their reading skills through some guided and

independent readings. Texts are drawn from a variety of authentic sources. Students will read short

literary texts and several novels during the year. Students will also read current event articles weekly.

Students will complete reading comprehension and analysis activities. Students will also be asked to

keep a personal, reflective journal (that includes notes) of their thoughts and reactions to all literature

that is studied in class.

Writing Skills - Classwork often includes notes and journal-type writing where students express their

thoughts and opinions. Grammar skills will be refined using the second half of the French 3, Bien Dit!

text. Students will review previously learned skills and perfect them while continuing on with their

grammar study. Students will have weekly written responses to current events and questions (provided

by a classmate) on Moodle and will also do written textual analysis based on the topics being studied.

Speaking Skills - The course will include interpersonal, interpretive and presentational speaking.

Speaking will be emphasized on a daily basis. In general, class discussions are open and non-graded to

help students perfect their language skills in a comfortable and non-threatening environment. Students

will participate in spontaneous discussions with their classmates on a variety of topics. Students will

participate in weekly current event discussions lead by a classmate along with discussions about the

literature being studied. Students will also do quarterly personal recordings based off recordings made

my native francophone speakers.

Culture - Francophone culture pervades all skills. The cultural aspect is brought specifically by student-

led discussion during weekly current event time. Students will also have discussions comparing their

culture with the aspect of Francophone culture that is being studied.


Course Planner Based on Thematic Units

General Weekly Schedule:

Monday – AP work from AP French: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination

Tuesday & Wednesday– Grammar / Literature

Thursday – Literature / Independent Work

Friday – Current Events / Catch-up Day

Quarter 1

August/September: La Quête Pour Soi

Weeks 1-2 – Course Introduction/Explanation

Review of AP test format

Go over AP Test date (Tuesday, May 12, 2015)

Go over digital recordings using Audacity

o Look at file formats, using the microphone and the headphones

Take a previous AP French Language and Culture examination as practice

Week 3 – La Langue et L’Identité

Vocabulary: Grammar vocabulary (tenses, names)

Structure :

Review of basic tenses (le présent, le passé composé, l’imparfait)

Verbs followed by à/de and the infinitive (Bien Dit !, 204)

Interpersonal/Interpretive Communication:

« Schizophrénie linguistique » (Allons au-delà, 258)

« Faut-il simplifier l’orthographe ? » (Allons au-delà, 266)

« L’Amérique Francophone » (Bien Dit !, 180-183)

Classroom Discussions / Cultural comparisons

o Conversation on English language

o Comparison of languages (differences, how culture plays a part, etc.)

o Discussion of readings

Presentational :

Current Events

Classroom discussions

Presentation of mini-lessons on basic tenses

Assessments :

Grammar quizzes, discussions

AP French activities

o Print - Sélection numéro 8 : « Ecrire » (18-19)


o Print – Sélection numéro 25: « Le français n’est que de l’imaginaire » (52-53)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 9: « Paper planes… » (102-103)

o Audio – Sélection numéro 15 (142)

o Courriel, essai, conversation

Weeks 4-6 – La grammaire est une chanson douce

Vocabulary : grammar/language, environment

Structure:

Le subjonctif – review from Bien Dit ! Chapter 4

Le subjonctif (Bien Dit !, 190)

Craindre (Bien Dit !, 191)

L’impératif (Bien Dit !, 192)


La grammaire est une chanson douce


o How are the subjunctive and imperative used in French and English ?

o Vous/Tu in conversations and in the imperative


Presentational :

Current Events

Classroom Discussions

Project for La grammaire est une chanson douce (classroom presentation)

Assessments :


o Print – Sélection numéro 10: la musique acadienne (22-23)

o Print – Sélection numéro 17 : « Psychanalyse des contes de fées » (36-37)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 18: les jouets (120-121)



Quiz on le subjonctif

Written project for La grammaire est une chanson douce (to be finished by start of November)

Exam on verb tenses

Essay test on La grammaire est une chanson douce (analysis)

Poem Recording: « La mort et le bucheron »


September/October : La Vie Contemporaine

Weeks 7-10 – L’Environnement et La Santé

Vocabulary : environment terms (Bien Dit !, 276 et 288), health terms

Structure:

Apporter/amener/emporter/emmener (Bien Dit !, 204)

Idioms (Bien Dit !, 206)

Continuation – Le subjonctif (Bien Bit !, 228-230)

Eteindre (Bien Dit !, 296)

Quand, lorsque, dès que (Bien Dit !, 292)

Review : Le futur et le Conditionnel (Bien Dit !)

Review : Les phrases conditionnelles (Bien Dit !)


L’Environnement

o « Soyez Polis » (Allons au-delà, 22)

o « Le recyclage en France : on croule sous les déchets » (Allons au-delà, 27)

La Santé

o « Le dernier espoir » (Allons au-delà, 23)

o « Mineurs et vaccinés » (Allons au-delà, 38)

o « Connaitre MSF » (Allons au-delà, 92)


o Idioms (discuss different idioms in French and English – culture)

o Research and discuss recycling in France

Discuss stores and bags in France and the U.S.

o French health system

o Discussions of readings

Presentational :

Current Events


Presentation of mini-lessons on basic tenses

Assessments:


o Print – Sélection numéro 40: « Vélib’ : La ville est plus belle à vélo » (82-83)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 5: « Le recyclage des déchets… » (94-95)




Exam (grammar and vocabulary with essay question based on environment or health)

Discussions


Quarter 2

October/November : L’Esthétique

*La Semaine du Français – French Storytime at the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County

o Students will be leading story time using their big book project

o Students will watch Francophone films and research online videos/blogs

Weeks 1-5 – La Poésie

Vocabulary : poetry terms, art terms (Bien Dit!, 366), art terms continued (Bien Dit!, 378)

Structure:

Inversion (Bien Dit !, 370)

Present participles used as adjectives (Bien Dit !, 372)

Le Comparatif/Le Superlatif (Bien Bit !, 302, 382)

Les Pronoms Démonstratifs (Bien Dit !, 384)

Savoir/Connaître (Bien Dit !, 386)


La poésie (la versification) (Allons au-delà, 355)

o « Le Revenant » (Charles Baudelaire)

o « La Chasse Galerie » (Honoré Beaugrand)

Song by Claude Dubois

YouTube Video of song

o « La Ballade des Pendus » (Allons au-delà, 356)

o « Le Dormeur du Val » (Allons au-delà, 180)

o Mignonne, allons voir si la rose » (Allons au-delà, 359)

o « Le Corbeau et le Renard » (Allons au-delà, 361)

Another fable by Jean de la Fontaine

o « Il pleure dans mon cœur » (Allons au-delà, 363)

o « La Réunion, perle de l’humanité » (Allons au-delà, 367)

La Farce de Maître Pathelin (Allons au-delà, 400-418)

La Madeleine (excerpt Du côté de chez Swann de Marcel Proust)


o How are translations done? How do ideas translate from one language to another?

o Discuss contemporary French music (similarities/differences with American music)


Presentational:

Current Events


Oral analysis of a poem by one of the authors studied


Assessments:


o Print – Sélection numéro 5: Le griot (12-13)

o Print – Sélection numéro 26: « Partimoine mondial: Quelques belles réussites » (54-55)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 3: un APP pour IPhone (90-91)



Original poem written in the style of Baudelaire

Poetry analysis quiz

Original fable in the style of La Fontaine

Paragraph/description in the style of Proust

Exam (grammar and vocabulary with essay question based on environment or health)

Discussions

Poem Recording: « Ode à Cassandre »

December/January : La Famille et La Communauté

Weeks 6-7 – L’âge et l’enfance

Vocabulary: Travel terms (Bien Dit!, 404 et 416), review family terms

Structure:

Compound Tenses (Bien Dit !)

Review prepositions with places (Bien Dit !, 408)

Review adverb placement (Bien Dit!, 412)

The causative faire (Bien Dit !, 424)


« Quand vous serez bien vieille, au soir, à la chandelle » (Allons au-delà, 267)

« Le Gone du Chaâba » (Allons au-delà, 298)

« Driss », tiré de Shérazade (Allons au-delà, 313)

« Des enfants adoptés qui s’adaptent bien » (Allons au-delà, 339)


o Childhood activities in Francophone countries and in the U.S.

o Discussions of readings

Presentational :

Current Events


Assessments:


o Print - Sélection numéro 18: L’amitié et l’amour (38-39)

o Print – Sélection numéro 6: lettre aux parents du proviseur (14-15)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 12: Voyages SNCF (108-109)




Exam (grammar and vocabulary with essay question based on family and community)

Discussions

Poem Recording: « Le Papillon »

Weeks 8-10 – La famille et la communauté

**Part of this unit will go through the beginning of the third quarter

Vocabulary: Travel terms (Bien Dit!, 404 et 416), review family terms

Structure:

Review all tenses (Bien Dit !)

Review indirect discourse (Bien Dit !)


Candide

« L’Ecole des Femmes »

o Film (Molière)


o Main themes in Candide and their historical significance/relationship

o Women’s rights in France and the history

o Discuss readings

Presentational :

Current Events


Student-led chapter analyses of Candide

Reading the play aloud

Assessments:


o Print – Sélection numéro 12: La pétanque (26-27)

o Print – Sélection numéro 14: « Le deuxième sexe » (30-31)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro: « Mieux connaître la pratique… » (92-93)



Exam (grammar and vocabulary with essay question based on family and community)

Discussions

Creating an additional scene or alternate ending to L’Ecole des Femmes

*One week of this quarter is set aside for midterm exams


Quarter 3

February/March: Les défits mondiaux

Weeks 1-3 – Le racisme

Vocabulary: terms and terms related to: current event terms (Bien Dit!, 224 et 236), l’altérité, la

colonisation, l’immigration, la laïcité

Structure:

Review and continuation of subjunctive (Bien Dit !, 228)

Croire et paraître (Bien Dit!, 230)

Subjunctive after a conjunction (Bien Dit !, 294)


« Le vingtième siècle » (Trésor, 347-352 )

La colonisation

« Le racisme expliqué à ma fille » (Allons au-delà, 10)

« SOS Racisme » (Allons au-delà, 17)

« Le Serpent à Plumes » De sueur, de sucre et de sang (Suzanne Dracius)


o History of French colonization and its effects in the present

o La laïcité (how does this compare with the U.S.’s separtation of church and state ?)

Presentational :

Current Events


Assessments:


o Print- Sélection numéro 21: « Le mois de Ramadan à Agadir » (44-45)

o Print – Sélection numéro 37: « Immigrés, assimilation, intégration, insertion… » (76-77)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro: la poste (100-101)



Research: French colonies/Colonization

Essay

Discussions

Weeks 4-8 – Les droits

Vocabulary: rights terms, conflict terms, government and public service terms (Bien Dit!, 314 et 326)

Structure:

Review forms of lequel

Contractions with lequel (Bien Dit!, 318)

Past subjunctive (Bien Dit !, 320)


Vaincre/Convaincre (Bien Dit !, 332)

Chacun/Chacune (Bien Dit !, 334)


La Révolution Française (Trésor, 221-226 et 255-261) )

« Du contrat social ou les principes du droit politique » (Allons au-delà, 44)

« La déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen » (Allons au-delà, 50)

Excerpts – Les Misérables (Victor Hugo)


o Research « Du contrat social… » or « La déclaration des … » in more detail. How does this

relate to French history? To American history? Similarities? Differences?


Presentational :

Current Events


Assessments:


o Print- Sélection numéro 20: « Une fête nationale aux airs d’automne » (42-43)

o Print- Sélection numéro 22: « Les Américains cultivent leur patriotisme » (46-47)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 15: « La citoyenneté canadienne » (114-115)



Essay based on excerpts from Les Misérables

Research: French Revolution and its consequences in the present

Discussions

Week 9 – L’alimentation

Vocabulary : food terms

Structure:

Review articles (definite, indefinite, partitive) (Bien Dit!)


« Le ventre de Paris » (Allons au-delà, 63)

« Rêves amers » (Allons au-delà, 67)

« Une génération « élevée au fromage pasteurisé et au soda » (Allons au-delà, 74)


o Eating habits in France and in the U.S.

o French foods



Presentational :

Current Events


Assessments:


o Print – Sélection numéro 15: « Accras de morue… » (32-33)

o Print – Sélection numéro 7: « L’histoire d’amour et de la France et du pain » (16-17)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 1: « Bien manger pour travailler » (86-87)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 6: Carte d’un restaurant (96-97)



Essay (Reflection after having read the selections)

Discussions

*One week of this quarter is set aside for Le Grand Concours and for state testing

(the school runs on a 2-hour delay for the week)

Quarter 4

April/May: La Science et La Technologie

Weeks 1-5 – La technologie

Vocabulary: Review technology terms (Bien Dit!)

Structure:

Review all tenses and their uses together

Review useful expressions (Allons au-delà, 423-429)


« Inventions et découvertes » (Bien Dit !, 88-89)

« La fin des livres » (Allons au-delà, 112)

« La mauvaise surprise Kindle » (Allons au-delà, 122)

« Apple introduit le blocage des publicités dans Safari » (Allons au-delà, 146)

« Tricher au bac comme un geek » (Allons au-delà, 133)


o Technology and censorship / Digital ownership

o BAC


Presentational :

Current Events

Classroom Discussions


Assessments:


o Print – Sélection numéro 4: « Bye-bye la secrétaire, bonjour la technologie » (10-11)

o Print – Sélection numéro 23: « La domotique au jour le jour… » (48-49)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 7: la technologie et le téléphone (98-99)

o Print & Audio – Sélection numéro 10: « Propriété intellectuelle… » (104-105)



Exam

Discussions

Recording: « Demain, dès l’aube… »

Week 6 – Final AP Test Prep

Vocabulary: Review key vocabulary for the test, review useful expressions (AP French, 216-223)

Structure: Grammar review based on students’ needs and questions

Review test format

Review test strategies

o All tasks are worth the same weight

o Address the task in the beginning (answer all questions, prompts)

o Answer, cite, summarize, give opinions/experiences, give comparisons based on question

o Pay attention to register

o Write clearly in blue or black ink

Meet with technology coordinator to make sure students are comfortable recording their

responses and saving files

Week 7 – AP Test

*AP French Language and Culture examination: Tuesday, May 12, 2015

**Students will debrief on the test at the end of this week.

**With the remaining time, the teacher and students will choose an author that has already been

studied and will study that author and his or her works in more detail.

***The last week to week and a half is not included. Seniors end a week early and final exams are the

last week of school.

Documents

AP French Language and Culture Ms. Bishop