Course DescriptionsCourse Descriptions
Supplies Needed: A folder with loose-leaf paper, one subject notebook (not spiral), pen or pencil. Failure to bring these materials to class will lower a student's participation grade. A dry erase marker is helpful but not required. A French-English dictionary is also recommended.
Late Homework Policy:If an assignment is covered in class, it can no longer be handed in late. If I collect an assignment and do not go over it in class, it can be handed in until I return the assignments to the rest of the class, usually the next day. Otherwise, late work will only be accepted after a student has missed class due to a legal absence. If the student was in school on that day but was absent due to a field trip or music lesson, the work should be handed in on time. There may be special circumstances that arise during the year, these will be judged on an individual basis. It is the student's responsibility to keep up with their work and to know what needs to be done.
Making up work after an absence: Although I have no specific policy, I ask that you make up any work or take any quizzes or tests within a week after your return to school. If you wait longer, you may forget the material.
Notebooks:
1)All students are expected to have their French notebooks with them every day.
2)Each day, students should put the date on the top of the page and take appropriate notes. If a student is absent, he or she is responsible for getting the notes for that day.
3)Each student is responsible for keeping any handouts which are distributed in his or her French folder.
4)Any new material covered in the Nouveaux Copains or Nous les Jeunes textbooks (blue & tan boxes, graph paper) should be copied into notebooks. Students should do this in each chapter, regardless of whether it is assigned in class.
Attendance:
Attendance in a foreign language class is especially important since most of what a student learns will be from listening and speaking.
Classroom Expectations:
1)Think! Think and listen, listen and think.
2)Do your best.
3)Be prepared - Students are expected to bring all materials to class and take out their books, notebooks,pen or pencil as soon as they enter the room and sit at their desks.
4)Be on time to class (8th graders have one minute after the bell.)
5)No food or drink in class. Gum is permitted unless it becomes a distraction.
French 8 is designed to be consistent with the foreign language curricula presented by the NYS Education Department. Successful completion of the course will require the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and cultural insight as outlined for "Level One" (Checkpoint A) in the state curriculum. At least 1/2 of the Checkpoint A material will be covered in eighth grade, the remainder will be covered in Level I in ninth grade. A local test will measure proficiency at the end of this course.
Textbook: Bienvenue (McGraw, Hill) - All books should be covered and treated with care since they are expensive. It is expected that students will bring textbooks to class each day unless otherwise informed by the teacher. Failure to bring textbooks to class will lower a student's participation grade. Supplementary Materials: Workbook, transparencies, cassettes, scholastic magazines, videotapes, games, short stories, internet.
Scope of Course: This course is designed to provide students with a functional proficiency in French in the skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will be able to socialize, provide and obtain information, persuade and express feelings and emotions on the following topics: Socializing, exchanging information about themselves, counting, transportation, education, leisure, travel, telephone, house & home, family, professions, meal-taking, personal characteristics, community & neighborhood, health & welfare, shopping.
Grading:
Quizzes & Tests - may include compositions, dictations or speaking quizzes which count as 1/2 of a quiz grade, unit tests count twice
Homework - Homework is checked but usually not collected. Each homework assignment which is satisfactorily completed receives a 100%. If it is not completed or is unsatisfactory, it receives a 0%. Failure to complete homework may decrease the quarter grade as much as 5 pts., likewise completing homework will increase the quarter grade as much as 2 pts.
Participation - Includes being prepared for class, participating properly in pair or group work, speaking French as much as possible, and following classroom procedures. Correct participation may increase a quarter grade by as much as 2 pts. or incorrect participation may decrease it by 5 pts.
Final Evaluation:
Local Exam or NYS Proficiency Exam - All 8th grade students taking French will have the opportunity to take the Proficiency Exam. If students score a 65 or higher on this exam, they will move into Level II next year. Those students who do not take the exam or who score lower than a 65 will take Level I next year. The determination will be made by the teacher, students & parents in January as to which students should challenge the exam. The NYS Proficiency exam tests the following skills: Speaking (20 pts), Listening (40 pts), Reading (30 pts), Writing (10 pts).
French I is designed to be consistent with the foreign language curricula presented by the NYS Education Department. Successful completion of the course will require the acquisition of skills, knowledge and cultural insight as outlined for "Level One" (Checkpoint A) in the state curriculum. A local test will measure "Level One" proficiency at the end of the course. Successful completion of "Level One" is a requirement for enrollment in French II.
Textbook: Bienvenue (McGraw-Hill) - All books should be covered and treated with care since they are expensive. It is expected that students will bring textbooks to class each day unless otherwise informed by the teacher. Failure to bring textbooks to class will lower a student's participation grade.
Supplementary Materials: Workbook, transparencies, cassettes, scholastic magazines, videotapes, games, short stories, internet.
Scope of Course: This course is designed to provide students with a functional proficiency in French in the skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will be able to socialize, provide and obtain information, persuade and express feelings and emotions on the following topics: Socializing, exchanging information about themselves, counting, transportation, education, leisure, travel, telephone, house & home, family, professions, meal-taking, personal characteristics, community & neighborhood, health & welfare, shopping. This course is actually the second half of French I and will cover those topics which were not covered in eighth grade or will go more in depth on certain topics which require more work.
Level I students will review Chapters 8-16 in the textbook, adding new vocabulary and grammar to topics already covered. They will also cover the topics of shopping, health & welfare, community & neighborhood, travel & personal identification.
Grading:
Quizzes & Tests - may include compositions, dictations or speaking quizzes which count as 1/2 of a quiz grade, unit tests count twice
Homework - Homework is checked but usually not collected. Each homework assignment which is satisfactorily completed receives a 100%. If it is not completed or is unsatisfactory, it receives a 0%. Failure to complete homework may decrease the quarter grade as much as 5 pts., likewise completing homework will increase the quarter grade as much as 2 pts.
Participation - Includes being prepared for class, participating properly in pair or group work, speaking French as much as possible, and following classroom procedures. Correct participation may increase a quarter grade by as much as 2 pts. or incorrect participation may decrease it by 5 pts.
Final Evaluation: Local Exam - Students who score a 90 or above for the year will be exempt from the exam.
French II is geared to the student who is able and eager to continue his or her study of the French language. In French II, basic communication skills are expanded with more sophisticated vocabulary and grammar. French II is designed to be consistent with Level II (Checkpoint B) of the State Curricula.
Textbook: Nouveaux Copains (Harcourt, Brace & Jovanavich) - All books should be covered and treated with care since they are expensive. It is expected that students will bring textbooks to class each day unless otherwise informed by the teacher. Failure to bring textbooks to class will lower a student's participation grade.
Supplementary Materials: Workbook, transparencies, cassettes, scholastic magazines, videotapes, games, short stories, internet.
Scope of Course: This course is designed to provide students with a functional proficiency in French in the skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will be able to socialize, provide and obtain information, persuade and express feelings and emotions on the following topics: Socializing, exchanging information about themselves, counting, transportation, education, leisure, travel, telephone, house & home, family, professions, meal-taking, personal characteristics, community & neighborhood, health & welfare, shopping. This course is actually the second half of French I and will cover those topics which were not covered in eighth grade or will go more in depth on certain topics which require more work.
Level II students will cover Chapters 7-12 (chapters 8 & 12 are review units). Readings from Panorama books and Bonjour magazines will be used to supplement the text when a topic is not covered. Students should realize that next year they will take the NYS regents exam and should begin working towards satisfactory completion of that exam.
Grading:
Quizzes & Tests - may include compositions, dictations or speaking quizzes which count as 1/2 of a quiz grade, unit tests count twice
Homework - Homework is checked but usually not collected. Each homework assignment which is satisfactorily completed receives a 100%. If it is not completed or is unsatisfactory, it receives a 0%. Failure to complete homework may decrease the quarter grade as much as 5 pts., likewise completing homework will increase the quarter grade as much as 2 pts.
Participation - Includes being prepared for class, participating properly in pair or group work, speaking French as much as possible, and following classroom procedures. Correct participation may increase a quarter grade by as much as 2 pts. or incorrect participation may decrease it by 5 pts.
Final Evaluation: Local Exam - Students who score a 90 or above for the year will be exempt from the exam.
The student will review grammar and increase his or her skills of reading and listening comprehension. He or she will converse spontaneously, discuss reading selections, and write compositions. French III completes Level II (Checkpoint B) of the NYS Curricula. A comprehensive Regents exam is required at the completion of the course. A 3rd year of French is a required sequence for a Regents Diploma. This class is strongly recommended for students who plan to attend a 4-year university. (Note: A 5-unit occ. ed. sequence may be substituted for this requirement.)
Textbook: Nous, les jeunes (Harcourt, Brace & Jovanavich) - All books should be covered and treated with care since they are expensive. It is expected that students will bring textbooks to class each day unless otherwise informed by the teacher. Failure to bring textbooks to class will lower a student's participation grade.
Supplementary Materials: Nous, les jeunes workbook, French Three Years (grammar book), transparencies, cassettes, scholastic magazines, videotapes, games, short stories, internet.
Scope of Course: This course is designed to provide students with a functional proficiency in French in the skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will be able to socialize, provide and obtain information, persuade and express feelings and emotions on the following topics: Socializing, exchanging information about themselves, counting, transportation, education, leisure, travel, telephone, house & home, family, professions, meal-taking, personal characteristics, community & neighborhood, health & welfare, shopping. This course is actually the second half of French I and will cover those topics which were not covered in eighth grade or will go more in depth on certain topics which require more work.
Level III students will cover Chapters 1-6 in the textbook. The skills of reading & speaking will be practiced more to prepare students for the Regents Exam. During the spring, students will be requested to purchase a Barron's review book to help prepare for the Regents. Practice exams will be done in class in the Spring.
Grading:
Quizzes & Tests - may include compositions, dictations or speaking quizzes which count as 1/2 of a quiz grade, unit tests count twice. 4th quarter grade may be almost completely compositions.
Homework - Homework is checked but usually not collected. Each homework assignment which is satisfactorily completed receives a 100%. If it is not completed or is unsatisfactory, it receives a 0%. Failure to complete homework may decrease the quarter grade as much as 5 pts., likewise completing homework will increase the quarter grade as much as 2 pts.
Participation - Includes being prepared for class, participating properly in pair or group work, speaking French as much as possible, and following classroom procedures. Correct participation may increase a quarter grade by as much as 2 pts. or incorrect participation may decrease it by 5 pts.
Final Evaluation: New York State Comprehensive Examination in French
Part I - Speaking (24 pts) - will be completed at the end of May, beginning of June.
Part II - Listening (30 pts)
Part III - Reading Comprehension (30 pts)
Part IV - Writing (16 pts) - includes one 6 clause note and one 10 clause composition.
This course is for the French student who wishes to continue at a more advanced level. The student will do assigned readings which include the culture, history and literature of France as well as other French speaking countries. French IV students will continue the study of advanced grammar, read at least one short novel, read French newspapers and give oral presentations on various topics. College credit is available through SUNY Albany with the recommendation of the teacher and upon payment of tuition. Tuition assistance is available for those students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Textbook & Materials: C'est Ca (Scott, Foresman) - This is not used on a daily basis and students do not need to bring it to class except when asked. French Three Years (Amsco) - Grammar workbook from French III, we will continue to use this for grammar practice. Other materials: newspapers, internet, magazines, videos.
This course is for the student who wishes to continue in the advanced study of French. The student will do research on individual topics (e.g. translating a French story into English, reporting on French speaking countries, politics, art, etc.) In addition, he or she will continue the study of advanced grammar and read at least one French novel. Because of the small number of students taking advanced courses, this course may be combined with French IV. College credit is available through SUNY Albany with the recommendation of the teacher and upon payment of tuition. Tuition assistance is available for those students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Textbook & Materials: C'est Ca (Scott, Foresman) - This is not used on a daily basis and students do not need to bring it to class except when asked. French Three Years (Amsco) - Grammar book from French III, we will continue to use this for grammar practice. Other materials: newspapers, internet, magazines, videos.
