French I Course Map M. Willie Carver
Montgomery County High School, Fall 2010
20% / 25% / 25% / 20% / 10%
Grade Breakdown
· There are 5 sections to this class, each of which is weighted.
· As you can see, presentations and participation make up a full 30% of your grade, so participating in classroom activities is very important (as well as fun)!
Introduction to French
While in French I at Montgomery County High School, you will develop the ability to speak, read, write, and understand spoken and written French. You will learn about how various people who speak French conduct their lives. The majority of class time will be spent speaking French; you will develop the other skills primarily through assignments and classroom activities. To achieve these goals, we will almost always speak French in class.
Course Goals
At the end of this class, you should be able to:
· have elementary conversations about familiar topics,
· describe yourself, your family and friends, and your routine activities,
· ask elementary questions and formulate basic opinions,
· understand elementary stories and conversations, as well as audio and reading materials,
· write elementary descriptions and tell about events,
· describe the cultures of French speaking people from around the world
· and discuss basic activities in the past.
What You Need Every Day
· our textbook, Discovering French: Bleu (1)
· our accompanying workbook
· a binder or notebook for notes
· a pencil or pen
· your homework
· an open mind
· and a willingness to learn
My expectations for you
· Be in your seat and ready to learn before the bell rings. Anything else is a tardy.
· At the front of the room is the “Boîtes à Devoirs”. This is our homework box. You should turn in your work each day in the box.
· No one talks while I am talking! There will be plenty of opportunities for you to speak and move around (en français), so make sure to take advantage of those opportunities.
· You must raise your hand before speaking or leaving your seat!
· Always be open-minded and ready to learn. If something seems difficult, I will do all that I can to help you.
· Come to class every day with any homework done and any reading finished. I will give frequent homework, but I keep your busy schedules in mind so I will never overburden you.
· Keep any and all electronic devices out of sight and turned off. If I see or hear it, you’ll get detention.
What you can expect from me
· I will work hard to coordinate your learning in a contextualized, communicative fashion.
· I will listen to your concerns and offer free tutoring, extra assignments, and anything else that we can collaborate on in order to make your French learning experience the best one possible.
· I will grade your assignments and tests and give you feedback that is helpful and relatively quick.
· I will facilitate learning in tandem with National Core Standards.
Class Preparation
In order to be successful in your attempt to learn French, I recommend that you study and learn the vocabulary for each chapter as it is assigned. If possible, it is better to associate the new French word with an image or to create a basic definition in French, rather than translating into English.
My Availability
If you have a specific problem or need help or information pertaining to the course, I will be happy to meet with you as soon as I can make arrangements. I can also be reached at by
e-mail if this is suitable or more convenient.
Written Work and Homework
Your “Written Work” grade is composed of the writings and written activities that you do in class. Your “Homework” grade is composed of all assignments that you do outside of class. See the “Devoirs Quotidiens” board if you miss. I don’t accept late homework after 2 days and grade it “m” for missing (graded as 0).
Grading Scale
Le Cercle Français
Le Cercle Français promotes Francophone culture and language at MCHS. Our mission is to provide an informal yet supportive and enriching environment for those students who value Francophone culture and would like to interact with other students and faculty members who do as well. It is primarily a means of improving our ability in French through spoken practice of the language as well as various activities. Meeting times will be announced in class.
Other Guidelines
You are expected to be aware of and to follow all school rules and policies, as well as those listed in the section entitled “My Expectations for you”. All classroom policies are subject to change any time at my discretion, and any changes will be communicated to you immediately.