PROJECT: FRENCH CARNIVAL

TEACHER: JEAN FRANCOIS PELLAND

SCHOOL: LAROSE UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CONTENT: French and Visual Art

GRADE LEVELS: 4th and 5th grades

OBJECTIVES:

French
The learner will:

  • Work effectively in a team of two students.
  • Research and select a game or activity that is popular at carnivals in France.
  • Create and decorate a stand for the game.
  • Operate the game at the French Carnival.

Visual Art
The learner will:

  • Understand and apply the concept of value in the project.
  • Understand and apply the concept of texture in the project.
  • Understand and apply the concept of pattern in the project.
  • Create a stand that is attractive to the eye.

TIME: Four to five 60-minute class periods

MATERIALS:

  1. Colored pencils
  2. Rulers
  3. Markers
  4. Crayons
  5. Paint
  6. Cardboard
  7. Any other items to create decorations

INTRODUCTION/PREPARATION/ANTICIPATORY SET:

My French students created a Carnival at school to raise money for a field trip to study early Acadian culture. This lesson reflects the preparation for that Carnival.
To begin: Ask the students to think about the last carnival or fair they attended. What really caught their eyes? Did they notice the little stands with games? What kind of stands did they like and why? How could they make those stands/games even better? Do they have new ideas for games that could be played at a carnival? If they ran a stand, what would they do to catch a customer’s attention? 

ACTIVITY:

Students begin by researching (books and internet) activities, games or sports played in French-speaking countries.Working in pairs, students choose an activity or invent a game related to what they found that could be part of the French Carnival.Teacher introduces and explains the concepts of value, texture, and pattern. Students practice these concepts by:

  1. Using a pencil or marker to create 3 values;
  2. Finding and identifying two real textures and inventing a third;
  3. Creating three patterns.
  4. Students complete a sketch of their stand or poster for the carnival, applying the three art concepts.
  5. Teacher approved the sketches.
  6. Students complete the stand/poster.
  7. Carnival Day!!

EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:

Formative: The teacher observes (and coaches) students during their research, their art application exercises, and the construction of their posters/stands.
Summative: Final evaluation is based on completion of the stand/poster in time for the Carnival.

GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS AND STANDARDS/BENCHMARKS:
Louisiana Foreign Language Standards/Benchmarks:
CM-2-B3: Exchanging basic information about other cultures
CL-1-B3: Participating in age-appropriate cultural activities, such as music, acting and dance.
National Standards for Arts Education – Visual Arts:
1 Understanding and applying media, techniques and processes
6 Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
2 Using knowledge of structures and functions 

ART CONTENT/CONCEPTS:

Value, texture, pattern.

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