ExploringCultures:

TheFrenchMini-Unit
Students in Mr. Hoovers 3rd grade classroom at CAES will spend the upcoming weeks learning
about a differing culture. Their engagement in these lessons will allow them to develop a
broader sense of the world and create greater connections to the world around them. In order
to promote this worldly view, we will be studying the culture of the
country of France.
This unit, spanning across 3-4 weeks, will be
multidisciplinary, accessing skills and standards in a variety of
subject areas including: arts, science and engineering, language
arts, and, of course, social studies. The basic outline of the unit is
laid out below.

Lesson 1: Guess the country

Students will guess which country we will be studying based off of their prior knowledge
of globe and mapping vocabulary. We will develop a KWL chart to influence the planning of the
remaining unit.
Lesson 2: Intro Continued
Students will integrate into the culture and language by selecting a French name off of a
list and creating a name tag. In addition, we will take their passport photos as a starting point to
the unit.
Lesson 3: Geography and Basic Facts (1)
Students will first learn some basic facts about the country France, including the
population, geographical size, relative global location, and general weather patterns. They will
use a template to create their own trading card on the country. Students will work on
research skills by using an encyclopedia to find the information. They will also begin
preparation for the following lesson by tracing their own interactive map of the country.
Lesson 4: Geography and Basic Facts (2)
Students will learn how to understand and read a map by creating their own map of the
country. Students will create a key and learn about the various symbols on a map while also
discovering the varying physical properties of the country (ex: beaches, vineyards, etc).
Lesson 5: A day in the life..
Students will learn about the similarities and differences between the everyday life of a
United States citizen compared to that of a French citizen. Students will develop a Venn
Diagram comparing the two countrys lifestyles and will be asked to write an opinion piece on
which country they would rather go to school in.
Lesson 6: Paris and Landmarks (1)
Students will discuss the major cities in France with a focus on the countrys capital,
Paris. They will view an overview of some of the more popular landmarks, ending with the Eiffel
Tower. Students will learn basic facts and history of the tower and will participate in a STEM
related challenge, as they will work with peers to engineer an eiffel tower replicate using
spaghetti and marshmallows.
Lesson 7: Language and Activities
Students will participate in a lesson in which they will learn various popular french
words, phrases, and sentences. We will discuss and define what a cognate is and see how
root words can help us determine meaning across cultures. Students will be asked to use the
given phrases to create a small conversation between each other. (A greater activity may be
used in place of this)

Lesson 8: Paris and Landmarks (2)-- Art

Students will learn about some other landmarks in France with a focus on the famous
art museum, the Louvre. They will view art pieces from famous French artists and will begin
painting a replicate of a famous French painting (likely Monet or Matisse).
*possible work with paper cutouts instead of paint with a focus on Matisse rather than
impressionism.
Lesson 9: Food
Students will learn about popular French cuisine. They will participate in a math lesson
in which they practice division skills to help me determine how many ingredients I will need in
order to provide a snack for all students evenly.
Lesson 10: French culture in the USA: Mardi Gras
The culmination lesson will be a celebration of Mardi Gras. Students will learn about
the traditions and see how the French culture is present in the United States. They will make
mardi gras masks and enjoy eating a traditional french meal: a crepe. This day will be more of a
reward/end of the unit day. Students will have fun as they eat crepes, listen to famous french
music and maybe even learn a popular French song or dance.