DF+bleu+U1+L1A

__**La Rentree**__


 * Saying Hello**

Use Make Beliefs Comix to create simple blank comic strips for students to fill in dialogues creating an introductory conversation. Took about 10 minutes start to finish and was a great way to have them practice writing without making it too stressful. They loved sharing their comics on the doc cam. For a longer assignment, don't provide comics, just blank strips for them to draw (requires more thought and planning of conversation).


 * Spelling**



[|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBWOMje8rm]


 * 1) Found a French information form online and walked students through the different sections to fill in the info by spelling it to their partner (skipped some parts and simplified others). They were so impressed that in week 1 they had their hands on something French people are really using! The best part was their parents' professions (they spelled the English word using French letters) because they either have no clue what they do or can't spell it. (I live in a nice area so I had four different spellings of 'anesthesiologist'.) A great laugh for me over the weekend!
 * 2) Individual white boards to practice spelling random words (adding a few accents). Used fun words that we could talk about a little just to throw in some vocab. (Quartier, Javert, W.C., Bretagne, Larousse, moi, hyper, etc.) I have also done this by spelling names of students in class to see if they can guess who it is. Or at the very beginning of school, before I have learned their names, I ask them to spell their names to me and see if they can "trick" me into making a mistake (which of course means they made a mistake but 6th graders don't realize that).
 * 3) Alphabet game: Teacher starts by saying "A" and pointing at a student to say the next letter of the alphabet who then points to another student to continue the pattern. Students sit down after they've said a letter. My students went crazy over this trying to beat each other's times. In 2 days we went from 2 minutes down to 7 seconds. They still ask to play it and the record time is permanently posted on the board. They also like to try to beat me in 'personal' records for fastest alphabet.


 * Counting (0-10)**


 * French accent marks**



"Accent Aerobics" Have students stand and make motions with arms like accent marks. Once you've practiced together a few times speed it up or try "Simon dit" (which they will get pretty quick). I make a big deal with my middle schoolers out of the "aerobics" part so we exaggerate by stretching before hand and I throw in a few "feel the burn!"s. This is also a //great// warm-up to wake students up each day!


 * French names**

www.meilleursprenoms.com

('en vogue' tab allows you to input birth year of class to get popular names that year)

I put a free name list on TpT. It's long but my students are impressed when I can speed through each side to pronounce them all.