Children visit a farm to learn the French words for farm animals and pets.
Vocabulary used in this episode:
animals / les animaux
- dog / le chien
- cat / le chat
- rabbit / le lapin
- farm / la ferme
- farmer / le fermier
- horse / le cheval
- cow / la vache
- pig / le cochon
- hen / la poule
- rooster / le coq
- sheep / le mouton
- barn / la grange
Lesson 106 – Visiting the Farm
Objectives
- To learn words related to animals
- To learn words related to the farm
- To learn about animals in French-speaking countries
Culture
Even though animals make the same sounds around the world, the way people imitate those sounds is different. In English the sound a dog makes is called bow-wow; in French that sound is called ouah-ouah. In English a rooster says cock-a-doodle-do; in French it is cocorico. In English a chicken says cluck-cluck; in French that chicken says co-co-co-codet.
Information for the Teacher
Please note the difference in the vocabulary words for male and female animals, for example: le chat and la chatte are both words for cat. Some animals have entirely different words for the male and female animal just as we do, for example: hen (la poule) and rooster (le coq).
Before Viewing the Video Lesson
- Take a poll of the students as to the types of pets they have. Do a graph of this information on the board.
- Depending on the location of your community, ask your students if they have ever visited a farm. What did they see there? What was different from their homes?
- Tell the students that in today’s lesson they will learn the words for different pets and farm animals. They will also learn the sounds that these animals make. Do animals make different sounds in different countries or are the words for these sounds different?
Description of the Video Lesson
One of the girls shows Monsieur Dubois a picture of her dog (le chien). Another girl brings her cat (le chat) “Tink” to visit. They discuss the colors of the cat’s coat (orange, gris).
Count drawing of cats
un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix
Les couleurs
rouge, jaune, noir, blanc, rose, vert, orange, bleu, gris, violet, marron
They all go to the living room where a toy farm is sitting on the table. They learn the words for farm (la ferme), barn (la grange) and farmer (le fermier). Jay shows a picture of a rabbit (le lapin) in a book. He once had one that weighed ten (dix) pounds!
Video trip to a farm
children running, farmer riding his tractor, geese, cows, sheep, goat, chickens, pony, horse, barn, cat, cow, pig, and horse
Song
On that farm he had a _______ that went _______.
They pick up different animals and ask what they are called: horse (le cheval), cow (la vache).
Song
le cochon, la vache, le cheval
Hen (la poule), rooster (le coq), pig (le cochon), sheep (le mouton) are learned and the sounds of some of the animals are discussed if they are different sounds in French.
Song
le chat
Review
Les couleurs
- le chien
- la vache
- la ferme
- le chat
- le mouton
- les animaux
- le lapin
- la poule
- le cheval
- le cochon
Follow-up Activities
- Use the First Step en Français Again video lesson to review the emphasized vocabulary and conversations.
- Review vocabulary words related to animals. Use pictures, toys or stuffed animals to represent the vocabulary words. Encourage the use of “I like…” (J’aime…).
- Review vocabulary words related to the farm. A toy farm such as the one on the program could be used. Ask if the different animals would be found on a farm.
- In the program some children are pantomiming the sounds and motions of animals. As each one finishes his pantomime, other students guess the animal. Let students do this game.
- Using the pictures, toys or stuffed animals from activity #2, let students tell the color of each animal. For example: le lapin est blanc (the rabbit is white).
- After these follow-up activities, let students view the video lesson again so they can respond and practice with the children on the lesson. Write sentences in French.
Supplemental Activities
- This would be a good time to introduce a science unit on animals. All of these animals were pets or farm animals.
- Let students make a collage of farm animals or a three-dimensional diorama showing where the farm animals live.
- Ask the art teacher to let students make paper mache or clay animals. Be sure the students are able to tell the art teacher the name of their animal in French.
- There are songs about animals that could be done in music. Students could insert the French sounds and words for the animals in a song like “Old MacDonald.”
Remember to use the vocabulary words as much as possible in class during the next week. Always review previous vocabulary words whenever possible.. Continue to add the First Step en Français suitcase folders.
