Let’s watch some scenes from French-language movies with our students. What is it like to watch just one scene? What can we understand from one scene of a movie? Watch scenes from a few films as a class and then rate them from favorite to least favorite in a Google Form. (Please make a copy of the form!)

Pick your favorite scenes from this board of “extraits de film” 

Essential Question: What can you learn from retelling or sharing a story?

Can do statements:

• I can ask and answer questions about films.
• I can describe the story, characters and settings in a scene from a film.
• I can express my opinion on a film and say why.

Ask students to give their opinion of each scene: Chat mat 

Teach how to retell a story and ask students to retell with this support and this handout.

A presentation on how to use film to instruction language and culture.

Sample activities:

• Intercultural Competence: School: LOL (Laughing Out Loud) Extrait Choco pops & frosties = retard !
• Expressing emotions: La course de tuques Bande annonce
• Description: Ma vie de Courgette – Extrait Je vous présent Courgette & Mystère Extrait C’est quoi ça
• Narrating events: La famille Bélier Extrait Je présente la maîtrise
• Preferences with food: Ernest et Célestine 
• Re-telling a story: Une vie de chat
• Evaluating benefits of city versus rural life: Un monstre à Paris
• Keep the conversation going with everyday expressions: Petit Nicolas

Project:

Find your favorite scene and play the scene without sound while you describe in French what is happening in the scene and why you like it. Use the Chat Mat for support.

Resources used to make the activities I have presented:

• La Famille Bélier from iSLCollective
• Un monstre à Paris from Cinéfête 16, Dossier réalisé par Colette Sarrey
• Le Petit Nicholas, French Film Festival UK
• Une vie de chat, Discovery Film Festival
• Ernest et Célestine CPD Culture humaniste Arts Visuels, Thierry Delamotte
• La Course des Tuques from the movie’s website