Vive la France!

Well, we've been "traveling" again and this time we've been visiting the country of France!  Did you  know that France is the most visited country in the world?  I didn't either, until I started doing research for this unit.  One of the things I love about teaching is the fact that I never stop learning!


We began our unit with a general overview of the country of France.  We read the book, If I Lived In France.  It is a book I have had for many years, and it is out of print, but can be obtained through Amazon by clicking on its title above.  We located France on a map, and discussed the countries which border it. 

Our first phonics chart focused on the /fr/ blend.

We made a French flag and learned about what each color represents.

We learned that Paris is the capital of France, and did a silhouette painting of the Eiffel Tower at sunset.

We discussed all the beautiful French architecture, and focused on the gorgeous churches and cathedrals.

We made our own stained glass rose window!  First, we shaved crayons and sprinkled them all over a circle of wax paper.

We chose colors that resembled those found in pictures of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Next, we covered our circle with another wax paper circle, placed under a towel, and then I ironed over that to melt the crayons.

We glued the wax paper onto the back of a black frame, which I had cut out in a manner similar to paper snowflakes.

Voila!  Our beautiful stained glass window!

 Next, we learned about famous French people, such as Joan of Arc, Jacques Cousteau, Marcel Marceau and, of course, the French Impressionists such as Monet, Manet, Renoir, etc.  We even created our own Impressionist painting of the Japanese Bridge in Monet's garden at Giverny.

We began by using masking tape to create a bridge across the middle of the paper. (I did this part.)

Next, we painted the water using two shades of blue.To give the Impressionist effect, we dabbed the paint on, rather than brushing it.

After the water, we used two shades of green to paint the surrounding trees and plants, as well as the water lilies floating in the pond below.  We used our fingerprints to add flowers to the lilies.

After the paint dried, I carefully peeled the masking tape away to show the bridge.  I think it turned out rather well! 

How can you do a unit on France without mentioning (and sampling) their amazing food?  You can't!!!

The first things we tried were a baguette and some French cheeses.  We sampled Brie and Camembert.

(We liked Brie the best.)

Of course, we had to try a croissant and, just to be sure he'd like it, I added melted chocolate to the middle.  Pan au Chocolat is what I ate for breakfast many mornings when I visited France many years ago!

Yum!  This was definitely a hit!

Another hit?  Chocolate Eclairs!!!  Delicious!

We probably each gained at least 5 pounds with this unit!  

 

 We also made an interactive booklet about the things we learned about France. 

The cover is made with a single sheet of construction paper, folded in half, with the title glued to the front.

Page 1.....This opens up to reveal the world map pictured below.

We located France on the map and colored it in.

Next, we colored and learned about the French flag.

The flag can be glued into the booklet with the top tab, so that it can flip up to reveal whatever you wish to write about it.

Liberty!  Equality!  Fraternity!

Each of the four tabs lift to show what we learned about regarding each category.

We learned about Joan of Arc, Jacques Cousteau, Marcel Marceau, and many French Impressionist painters!

For reading this week, I created a series of non-fiction passages about France, complete with comprehension pages. 

This one was about Mont St. Michel, but others included passages such as: Welcome to France, French Foods, Famous French People, and Paris.

Finally, the centers we worked on this week were French-themed and included practice with Subject & Predicate, as well as Odd/Even Numbers.

He had to read the sentence and determine whether the part written in blue was the subject or predicate of the sentence.

A recording sheet provides great accountability.

Well, folks....that's it for our "trip" to France!  It was a fun one for sure!  Many of the craft ideas were found on Pinterest.  (You can "follow" me by clicking the "P" apple at the top right corner of this page.)  If you are interested in the reading passages, centers, and/or interactive booklet, they are available in my TPT store.  Click HERE for instant access.  Thanks for stopping by!  Have a blessed day!