Course Syllabus

It is RBHS’ vision that all Young Kings have the opportunity to engage in rigorous and culturally responsive teaching that equips them with the tools to be both college and career-ready. As a teacher of French, my educational philosophy is that students are always learning and it is my job to guide them with their learning, to provide a safe environment where they are free to take educational risks, provide rigorous challenging course content, and assist them when they are having challenges learning.

Course Instructor: Ms. Kimberly D. Braxton
Instructor Room Number: 2133
Instructor Office hours: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm or by phone at 202-792-4343
Instructor Email: kimberly.braxton@k12.dc.gov

Course Description
French I is an introduction to the language and culture of French speaking countries. Lessons in French I engage beginning language learners in activities that are embedded in real life contexts and make frequent use of authentic materials produced by and for native French speakers. Activities encompass all three communicative modes (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) and provide practice in the skill areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. During this course you will learn to obtain, understand, exchange and present basic information. You will be able to ask and answer questions about various topics such as self, family, school activities, leisure activities, meals and weather. You will connect with other content areas to obtain new and unique perspectives, make basic linguistic and cultural comparisons between your own language and French, and participate in a variety of cultural activities.

Academic Learning Experiences
By the end of the school year, all Young Kings will have the opportunity to read, write, listen and talk about the following unit topics:

• Myself & School – students will learn basic classroom expectations and routines, investigate the benefits of learning another language, review proficiency levels and targets, greetings and farewells, introductions, courtesies, tell how oneself and others are feeling, survival phrases, calendar, numbers, school items and courses, time, express opinions, compare & contrast francophone (French speaking) schools to those in the U.S.

• Home & Family – Students will explore, concepts of family and friendships, discuss personality & physical characteristics for self and others, discuss their family tree, talk about roles and responsibilities, types of homes, household items, and identify where certain activities take place in the home.

• Community & Hobbies – students will learn about typical pastimes, ask and state preferences regarding pastimes, identify famous figures in the U.S. and francophone countries related to hobbies and interests, compare and contrast common hobbies, identify community locations related to pastimes, compare and contrast common community roles, services, and occupations, tell and follow directions to find a location, identify modes of transportation, name familiar places and occupations local and francophone communities.

• Clothes & Weather – students will learn how to describe weather and explore climate in francophone places around the world, identify clothing items, seasons, determine what items to wear based on weather, understand how gender and age can influence the way someone dresses, discuss globalization of fashion trends, understand the differences in clothing and shoe sizes in francophone countries, ask for help, determine needs, and make clothing purchases.

• Food - students will explore food choices, likes and dislikes, and traditional francophone foods, and key vocabulary related to café and restaurant dining, demonstrate how to interact with the server, and understand the culture related to dining in francophone places.

• Daily Routine & Hobbies – Students will learn how to describe their daily life by discussing routines, hobbies, activities, responsibilities, chores, and how they differ from home, at school, at work and on social media; discuss likes & dislikes, who has certain responsibilities in their households, and compare & contrast how francophone students use their free time with what U.S. students do in their free time.

• Communities Around the World – Students will learn how to describe their own communities as well as consider the similarities and differences between different communities in their own and other cultures

• Role Models & Heros – Students will analyze characteristics of role models and/or heroes in their own and other cultures. Students will consider the similarities and differences between famous role models or heroes in their own and other cultures.

Quarter 1 Overview
In order to support Kings with these learning outcomes, as a classroom community we will spend the first part of the school year addressing topics and complex questions such as:

• How do I learn another language?
• Why is learning a language important?
• How do I interact with others from francophone cultures?
• How is my life as a student similar and different to student life in francophone culture?
• How do families and individuals live around the world?