Introduction
Food is a big part of the French culture and differs from region to region (regions in France are the equivalents of States in the U.S). Most regions have local dishes that reflect their culture, history and the inhabitants’ lifestyle. Students in groups of 2 are going to gather information on a region and will then invent a recipe from scratch for a dish that would best represent the lifestyle and history of that region.
Task
Learners: College Students French 101
Objectives:
- Practicing food vocabulary.
- Practicing partitive (any and some) and indefinite articles with food vocabulary.
- Understanding the importance of food in the French culture.
- Understanding people's lifestyles and the history of regions through food
Technology Tools:
- Internet
- Computer
- PowerPoint, Prezi, Zoho
National Standards for Foreign Language Education:
1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied.
3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures.
Process
- Choose a region
- Research information about that region: location, landscape, agriculture, livestock, history and culture. This will help you understand the region as a whole.
- Create a recipe from scratch using all the information you gathered.
- Practice explaining your recipe in French.
- Using PowerPoint, Prezi or Zoho, you will present your findings to the class. The recipe in French and the history and cultural aspects that will give an insight into your recipe in English.
Evaluation
Evaluation 1: Recipe
Accuracy of pronunciation /5
Use of food vocabulary /5
Correct use of partitive and indefinite articles /5
Use of visuals and gestures to aid in student comprehension /5
Evaluation 2: History and Culture
Presentation is visually appealing (includes maps, pictures) /5
Presentation is clear, well organized and easy to follow /5
Presentation includes detailed information about the history,culture and people’s lifestyle /5
Conclusion
After completing this assignment, students will be aware of the different lifestyles in France. They will have a better understanding of the importance of local dishes and history, and their contribution to the overall French culture.
Credits
Plate, fork and knife picture retrieved from http://www.clker.com/clipart-knife-and-fork-clipart.html
French flag retrieved from http://bestflag.blogspot.com/2012/09/french-flag.html
French map with regions retrieved from http://www.map-france.com/