Session 9: Community Survey

Objective: By the end of class, you will be able to…

Beginner: write words or phrases in French to describe preferences and write longer sentences using transition words to say more

Intermediate: write two or more sentences in French to describe preferences, using transition words to say more

Advanced: write a paragraph in French to to describe preferences, using transition words to say more and organize your paragraph

Continue to greet the students in English review expectations, etc. Share the lesson objective. If you have not yet set up your Videographer, I urge you to do so now. You will benefit greatly from their services when you come to the Narration cycle, which is not too far away — session 16! See the HR Manual in the Appendices for more information on setting up this and other student jobs.

Hand out (or project/display) the Reading Workshop text. You might make your own, use the ones in our Teachers Pay Teachers store (CI Liftoff), or read a Shared Writing text from a previous lesson. Then, share the lesson objective if you have not already done so, check in with your Class Starter (and perhaps Videographer), and begin the lesson.

Show Me Your (Writing) Moves

In this sample lesson, I use the beginner reading from our Teachers Pay Teachers store (CI Liftoff) for Cycle One Phase Two, shown here, in French.

As always, the lesson notes are written in English. The course language is in black. The class’s stronger shared language is grey.

French Beginner Text - Brochure

Now we will move on to the lesson procedures. Today, you will begin using an “Anchor Chart.” Basically, an Anchor Chart is a tool that you will use to collect lists of useful words/terms that can be used to perform a certain language function. In this case, the language function is “Writing More” (i.e. using conjunctions to write longer, more complex sentences). You will create the anchor chart with your class, adding elements to it as you teach. You will only add one or two new items to the list in any given lesson, so that students see the new terms added in manageable chunks, and within a meaningful communicative context. This makes the learning “stickier,” and increases the chances that students will uptake the new language.

Beginning of an Anchor Chart Additionally, since an Anchor Chart is used again and again, over the course of several lessons, in various contexts, the items on the list are reinforced as you continue to refer back to the chart, using the items you previously listed, and add new ones as needed.

On to the lesson procedures.

Once the students can see the projected text, or they have it on their desks, you can proceed.

Adding to an Anchor Chart “This list of transition words will help us write longer sentences.” “Writing More (put your hand under the title of the anchor chart)…”et” (“and” in French) (write in the course language and draw a sketch to show the meaning - for example, a plus sign)…”mais” (“but” in French) (write in the course language and draw a sketch to show the meaning - for example, arrows to denote “opposite”)”

(read the text in the course language)

“OK, in Québec, they eat (gesture) beans with bacon. They eat white beans (point) and (point to “and” on the anchor chart) black beans (point).” (Speaking and writing in the course language) “They eat white beans AND black beans.”

(You might want to give the class a check mark on the anchor chart or other location, to award a “point” for using an item from the chart.)

Repeat with a couple of other sentences, using the term(s) on your Anchor Chart to restate the information from the Reading Workshop text. After a few minutes, move into the Guided Oral Input, with a short calendar check-in and then the Community Survey.

Community Survey (Preferences: School Subjects)

It is suggested to continue the routine of a brief (2-3 minutes) calendar check-in, which (1) creates an opening/transition routine and (2) continues to reinforce, daily, and in a meaningful context, important vocabulary such as the names of the months and days, weather, numbers, preferences, and activities. For guidance on how to gradually introduce new topics/vocabulary into this daily routine, please see Session Five.

For the Community Survey, you might prepare a slideshow or other graphic. In this example, I simply show how to tabulate the responses on the board.

“OK, class, you talked (gesture)…talked (gesture) means talked (gesture). Show me talked (gesture). Show me looked (gesture). Show me thought (gesture). Show me loved (gesture). Show me talked (gesture).

You talked (gesture) to teachers (write “teachers” on the grid in the course language).”

“I am a teacher (write your name and spell in the course language) H-A-R-G-A-D-E-N. Other (gesture) teachers?”

(some students may call out names of teachers) “Yes, Ms. Jones is a teacher. (write and spell) J-O-N-E-S. Ms. Smith is a teacher. S-M-I-T-H.”

You talked (gesture) to teachers (point to the word) like Ms. Jones (point to name on the grid), and Ms. Smith (point). Who in the class (gesture) talked (gesture) to Ms. Jones (point)? One, two (counting in the course language). Five people talked (gesture) to Ms. Jones. Who in the class (gesture) talked (gesture) to Ms. Smith (point)? One, two (counting in the course language). Three people talked (gesture) to Ms. Smith (point).”

“You talked (gesture) to teachers (point) … Ms. Jones, Ms. Smith, and you talked (gesture) to students (write “students” on the grid). Jayden (gesture to a student in class) is a student. Alondra (gesture) is a student.”

Write a subject on the grid in the course language, perhaps spelling as well, and making a simple sketch to establish meaning (unless the meaning is very apparent, as in the case of the word algèbre in French.)

Who in the class (gesture) talked (gesture) to a teacher (point) about algebra (point)? One, two (counting in the course language). 33 people (write 33 on the chart) talked (gesture) to a teacher (point) about algebra (point). Raise your hand (model and perhaps teach “ a gesture for raise your hand” and cycle through previously-learned gestures) if your teacher LIKES (gesture) algebra. One, two (counting in the course language) 21 teachers LIKE algebra. Raise your hand (gesture) if your STUDENT liked (gesture) algebra). One, two (counting).”

How many teachers (point) LOVE (gesture) algebra? How many students (point) LOVE (gesture) algebra?”

Continue on in a similar manner, working your way through several options, time permitting. You might not get to all of the results; that is OK.

After about 12 to 15 minutes of Guided Oral Input, regardless of how much of the information you covered, move on to Scaffolded Oral Review. You could choose to come back to the Community Survey in follow-up lessons, or later in the second round of Guided Oral Input in a block class, to process more of the data, or simply process what you have time for now.

Finish My Sentence

Move to your Review Spot. For a detailed explanation of the “Finish My Sentence” strategy, see Session Five.

“OK, we are going to play a game called ‘Finish My Sentence.’ I will say a fact from what we just learned, in French, and then you will all speak in French as much as you can, to finish the sentence and say more facts that we learned, or add on other facts that you know. I will listen and count to six on my fingers. If everyone

is still talking when I get to six, the class will get a point. If you cannot keep talking in French for the whole six seconds, I will get a point.”

“Number One (hold up one finger). We talked (gesture) to 34 teachers and…” (The class speaks in French saying endings like, “love algebra, hate math,” or other statements according to their ability.) “Six! Good job, a point for the class!” (Tally the class points, perhaps writing on the board.) “Number Two (hold up two fingers). We talked (gesture) to 35 students and…” (The class speaks in French saying various endings as you count the seconds.)

Repeat, if time permits.

Write and Discuss with an Anchor Chart

A “Goal Box” You will continue working with the anchor chart that you set up during Reading Workshop. This first day that you begin using anchor charts, I recommend simply using the words or phrases that you already added to the chart during

Reading Workshop. You might want to make a “goal box” on the top of your Shared Writing text, and challenge the class to use the “goal words” a certain number of times in the writing, as modeled below.

The actual contents of Write and Discuss will, of course, depend upon your class’s discussion from the lesson. Furthermore, the actual contents of your Anchor Chart and Goal Box may well vary from the example, depending on what fit your lesson and goals. Within the “writing goal” of “saying more” (i.e. using conjunctions to write compound sentences), there are, of course, many possible words or phrases that might be used.

I have used the very simple examples of “and” and “but” in this beginner lesson. If your students already use conjunctions like these regularly and consistently, without prompting or reminders, you might use other conjunctions or transitions instead of the very simple examples provided. For beginners, these will most likely be “complex” enough at this point in the year.

With the addition of an Anchor Chart today, you will most likely find that you only have time to write two or three sentences for Shared Writing. That is OK; you are still building the foundation in these first lessons, and you are introducing a very powerful tool: the Anchor Chart.

The specific lesson example given here models how to use an Anchor Chart the first time you do so.

Your Shared Writing might sound something like this today: Draw a box and write/sketch the word “Goal” in the course language.

“Our goal (point to the word “goal” in the course language on your Shared Writing paper or digital file) is to write more (point to the title of the chart) and today our goal is to use these words (write “mais” and “but” in the course language in the box). We will get a point every time we use one of these words, so look for ways to use them in the sentences. OK, let’s go!”

Write: Our Survey of Say: Did we talk (gesture) to teachers, or did we talk (gesture) to students or did we talk (gesture) to teachers AND students?

Students: Teachers AND students! Say: Our Survey of…(writing and spelling in French) T-E-A-C-H-E-R-S and S-T-U-D-E-N-T-S

Ooh! AND! (give the class a check mark in the goal box). Good job!

Reading/Recycling: Our survey of teachers and students Write: We talked (gesture) to Say: Did we talk (gesture) to three (hold up three fingers) teachers or did we talk to 34 (point/jot “34”) teachers? Class: 34! Say: Yes, we talked (gesture) to (writing in French) 34 teachers, and (give the class a check mark in the goal box) (nice job!) and…we talked (gesture) to…how many students? Class: 35! Say/write: 35 students Reading/Recycling: Our survey of teachers and students. We talked to 34 teachers and we talked to 35 students. Say: How many teachers love (gesture) algebra? Two (hold up fingers) or 21 (point or jot “21”)? Class: 21! Say/write: 21 teachers…liked (gesture) or loved (gesture) algebra? Class: Liked!

Say/write: 21 teachers liked algebra. And? But? Class: But! And! But! (opinions may vary) Say/write: 21 teachers liked algebra, (say “comma” in the course language) but (give the class a check mark in the goal box) (nice job!) but…how many students liked (gesture) algebra? Class: Three! Say/write: 21 teachers like algebra, (say “comma” in the course language) but three students like algebra.

Continue as time permits, accumulating points in the goal box as you go. If another conjunction comes up naturally as you write, you can add it to the Anchor Chart. You will add one to two words or phrases to the class’s Anchor Chart in each lesson that you work with it. Thus, one class might have slightly different conjunctions on their chart, because their Shared Writing might have been better-suited to one particular conjunction while another class’s Shared Writing may have used a different one.

This is OK; the Stepping Stones framework is designed to be flexible in the specific language. The overall learning goal is to “say more” or “use conjunctions” or “write more complex sentences,” NOT to learn specific conjunctions.

The “Go-To” Daily Strategies

Shared Reading is not modeled in this lesson in detail, as you are simply continuing to use the “go-to” strategies explained and modeled in detail in the previous sessions. Lifting the training wheels…off you go!

Read in the Language

“Now I will read to you in French and then we will read in English together.” (reading with expression, and pointing to the words, read the text in its entirety.)

Choral Translation

“Now we will read together. Read with the class, not faster not slower, not louder, not softer, just say each word as I highlight it. It might be in a strange order when we say the English, but that’s OK; it’s normal. Say the words as I point. 3-2-1, go!”

Grammar Discussion

“Did anyone notice anything else about the French language, how it is spelled, or put together, that they can teach the class?” (Lead a brief class discussion and circle any students’ noticings on the text, ideally using a second color, and perhaps writing the students’ name/initials by their contribution.)

To continue to Reading from the Back of the Room:

You will most likely find that since you have been doing the same sequence of Shared Reading strategies all year to this point, you can simply move to the reading from the back of the room spot and begin asking

questions, without needing to speak in English to transition. Your specific questions will vary depending on the content of the class discussion.

Write Inside the Story

Walk to your Quiz Spot. Students will need paper. You can have them work in a notebook or folder, in their portfolios, or on a piece of paper that they can turn in on the way out the door after class. Leave the Shared Writing text projected where students can look back at it, and have the Anchor Chart visible.

Write Inside the Story is a strategy that helps students practice and “play with” the new language on the Anchor Chart, and (in later lessons when you have accumulated a list of more terms on the Anchor Chart) to review/reinforce the previous language. You will ask students to copy the Shared Writing text (if they have not already done so during Shared Writing) and add to the class’s writing, using terms from the anchor chart to “improve” the text.

“OK, quiz time. I will read our writing. Your job is to find two sentences that could have more facts in them, and then “write inside” the sentence. You copy it and then use the words/phrases on the chart to write “inside” the sentence, to add more.”

(You might model with a sentence as shown above.)

Give students time to work on their writing, perhaps working with a partner, if you think that will be helpful to them. You might notice as students work that they are referring back to the Anchor Chart and the Shared Writing text. This is actually the point of the strategy, more than “practicing” the writing move or using the words/phrases from the chart. The point is that it forces students to re-engage with the written language in a new way. By re-organizing and re-using the language from Shared Writing, students are moving into higherorder thinking and problem-solving, even in a language that is new for them.

At the end of the period, you might to debrief on what went well, and perhaps setting or reviewing goals.