This thematic unit from Comox Valley Schools (SD71) in B.C. is aimed at Grade 7 Core French students, but is suitable and/or adaptable for both younger and older grades. It is focused on oral practice and participation and would also be useful in French Immersion classes!Content Authors: Beth Peddle, Comox Valley Schools, Learn71

"Foundations Learning & Skills Saskatchewan (formerly READ Saskatoon) has a long history as a local literacy organization that offers free literacy services to adults and families.

Since 1979 we have provided adult tutoring services with the help of trained volunteers and community partners. Today we have expanded to offer adult, family, children’s, and financial literacy programs, as well as literacy facilitator trainings and resources."

The offer:
*family literacy
*financial literacy
*adult literacy
*children's literacy
*workshops
*training
*volunteer opportunities

In this tall tale story, deadbeat Shorty Long has to avoid the people to whom he owes money. He tries to trick Widow Macrae out of $4.50, but actually created more problems for himself.

'Students create a game based on La Francophonie. The learning experiences include: exploring the format and process of playing a game, researching famous French-speaking individuals and countries where French is spoken ... students ... create a game using their knowledge of French-speaking people.'

*All instructions are in French.*

*Please Note: This unit is based on the 1998 SK Core French Curriculum. This curriculum was updated in 2022 so this unit no longer aligns to the provincial curriculum.

Here's a way to use ChatGPT to help students grow confidence in their writing!

🛠️ How it works: Take a writing prompt and generate three responses from ChatGPT (or another AI assistant). Students pick the best parts from those responses and assemble their final version, commenting on the writer's decisions they made. Students reflect on their writing decisions with draggable arrows.

☝️ Why this works: It's a scaffolding technique. It gives students practice making decisions as a writer without having to write all of the words.

Use a downloadable PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation.

For more information on ChatGPT, head over to https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai.

These are video lessons for teaching literacy based on the science of reading.

You'll need: a whiteboard and a dry erase marker - or a virtual whiteboard (E.g., Figjam) if teaching online.

Be sure to go through the lessons in order and do not skip the introduction lessons.

This fun resource had YouTube videos that encourage students to writing about fun things and topics like a mystery box, shrinking down, a ninja school, invent a new class, etc. Be sure to watch the next three videos after the first one for more writing prompts!

'Whether you're a beginner or an advanced learner, our drills are designed to help you master French grammar and become a confident speaker.

'Our exercises cover all aspects of French grammar, from verb conjugation to sentence structure and more. With multiple choice questions and instant scoring, you'll be able to track your progress and see your improvement in real-time.

'If you prefer a more traditional approach, you can also download our exercises as a PDF and practice offline. '

*In this section of the website (unlike the Reading page), you have to register for a free account to download PDF versions of the provided exercises - but not to use the online versions.*

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« Que tu sois débutant ou un apprenant avancé, nos exercices sont conçus pour t'aider à maîtriser la grammaire française et devenir un locuteur confiant.

« Nos exercices couvrent tous les aspects de la grammaire française, de la conjugaison des verbes à la structure des phrases et bien plus encore. Avec des questions à choix multiples et une notation instantanée, tu pourras suivre ta progression et voir tes améliorations en temps réel.

« Si tu préfères une approche plus traditionnelle, tu peux également télécharger nos exercices au format PDF et t'entraîner hors ligne. »

*Contrairement à la section Lecture, il faut créer un compte gratuit pour accéder aux versions PDF des exercices de Grammaire - et pourtant les versions en ligne sont toujours disponibles sans compte.*

Learning to speak French? Check out our free online French lessons and our children's stories in French. We've also written a huge strategy guide for learning French. Enjoy!

-French children's stories
-online French lessons
-7-part guide

Explore the world of French vocabulary in a sound integrated guide. Touch or place your cursor over an object, word, or phrase to hear it pronounced aloud. Prove your vocabulary mastery by completing challenges.

French Readings
Pause the story and see what's being read. Click on a word and the story will start there. With the arrow keys, jump backwards and forwards within the story. See translations and definitions by touching or placing your cursor over punctuation marks and underlined words.

'Following your review of each text, answer the questions of comprehension in our online exercises, and we'll evaluate it immediately. You get instant feedback about your French reading skills. It's challenging, fun and free!

'Hint: Download our texts and exercises as pdf and use it as free teaching materials for your students.'

*The reading speed can be adjusted for all parts of the site where oral readings are available (mostly the Listening and Dictation exercises).*

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« Nous avons sélectionné avec des professeurs expérimentés de français des textes faciles à lire et amusants. A la fin des textes, un exercice sous forme de QCM permet de valider ses acquis. Il est à noter que l'édition gratuite des textes sous forme de PDF est un vrai plus. »

*Le débit de lecture peut être réglé pour tous les extraits lus à l'oral (qui se trouvent principalement parmi les exercices d'Écoute et de Dictée).*

This site offers many interactive games for learners of Core French. Many different topics are covered.

A little boy loses his neighbors dog inside the mysterious garden of Abdul Gasazi, who tells the boy that he has turned the dog into a duck. But when the boy returns home he finds the dog waiting for him on the porch. Gasazi was playing a trick on the boy - or was he?

This lesson for English Language Learners (ELLs) introduces a famous Mongol warlord, Genghis Khan. In this lesson, learners will practice reading, listening, speaking and writing. All activities are automatically graded with feedback provided to the learner upon submission.

In this story Gertrude Ederle overcomes obstacles, both physical and social, in order to prevail at her lifelong dream of being the first women to swim the English Channel.

This lesson for English Language Learners (ELLs) discusses a significant problem in many parts of the world. It is knowns as "the glass ceiling", and it refers to the barriers women face in the workplace. In this lesson, learners will practice reading, listening, speaking and writing. All activities are automatically graded with feedback provided to the learner upon submission.

This lesson provides teachers with support for using text-dependent questions and Common Core literacy strategies to help students derive big ideas and key understandings while developing vocabulary using the biographic text, Gloria Estefan. Along with her worldwide musical fame, Gloria Estefan also experienced tragedy, but continued to help others in unfortunate situations. Gloriaĺĺs success has allowed her to receive multiple honors and awards for her selfless work leading to her being referred to as "a star with a heart."

ŕThe Go-Around DollarĚŇ is a selection that combines two genres: realistic fiction and expository text. It provides an entertaining look at the journey of a dollar as it passes through the hands of various characters.

This strategy engages readers to look for a specific point that “speaks” to them. “Golden Lines” are Powerful quotes that automatically provide interesting discussion material.
Why
Many student find it much easier to select something the author said than to come up with their own reactions. Therefore, Golden Lines are an easy and effective strategy for student to determine important ideas, make connections, and visualize during reading.

In this story, Jangmi moves from her home in Korea to a new home in the United States. At first she is sad about leaving behind her friends and Korean customs and traditions, but once she arrives in America she begins to adjust. She becomes hopeful that someday America could feel like home, too.