Enrichment Activities

Map Study:

Map work is a good way to practice language skills while familiarizing students with the city they will visit. Students will feel confident when they arrive in Montréal that they can identify famous sites and find their way around.

Distribute photocopied maps to students and have crayons or colored pencils available. Starting with the river, talk about various attractions in the city, with students coloring and labelling maps and making a legend.

Maps of the city are available at:

http://www.pagemontreal.qc.ca/meg/sitemap.html

Promenade en Ville - students follow teacher clues:

This activity reviews what students have learned from their map study, it kinesthetically connects students to their maps, and practices command forms of the verb. Ask students to get out their maps and tell them Touche le fleuve Saint Laurent." Scan the room to see that all have a finger on the river. Ask what French navigator arrived by this river in 1535. Tell them to move their fingers to a Place" named for this explorer. Check to see they are on the Place Jacques Cartier. Continue to give clues which send students through the city on a route they will actually follow when they visit.

Variations for more advanced classes:

A. Make commands plural, make some commands negative, practice using the pronoun y".

B. Practice verb forms by having students narrate where they are going and what they are seeing in town. Ex: Je vais à la Place d'Armes et je vois une grande basilique....

C. Put verbs in the near future or the real future.

D. After the imaginary walk, have students recount what they did, using the passé composé.

Students give and follow directions:

Practice vocabulary for giving directions in a city, such as Tournez à gauche, continuez tout droit, traversez la place," etc.

Make a transparency of the same map which students are using. Give a marker to a student volunteer who traces the class's route on the overhead transparency while another student gives directions. Students at their desks will follow along on their own maps.

Use landmarks which the students will actually visit, for example ask for directions from the Quai Jacques Cartier to the Basilique Notre Dame or from the Pointe-à-Callière Museum to the Chapelle Bonsecours.

Take the subway!

If you have obtained subway maps on a prior trip to Montréal, distribute the maps or use the website below to print out a color transparency which the whole class can see. Explain the system and ask students to tell you how they would travel between two points, i.e.: from the Olympic Park to the Place d'Armes.

Montréal subway map:

http://www.cityvu.com/francais/MTLMETRO.HTM

Canoe Race:

Using construction paper, cut out several canoes like the ones used by the coureurs des bois. Mark the canoes with designs or colors so that they look different. Using blue chalk, draw the St. Lawrence river on the blackboard, with Montréal" at the far right and Lake Ontario on the far left. Make some vertical lines through the river to divide it into 10 or 12 equal sections.

Divide the class into small groups and assign each to a canoe. Put all the canoes at the far left of the blackboard, in the Lake. The goal is to be the first canoe to arrive at the fur trading post in Montréal. The groups will answer questions about Montréal - the city itself, history of New France, trivia, etc. For each correct answer, the canoe gets to advance to the next section of the river. The first canoe(s) back to the trading post at Montréal are the winners. The teacher might award the winners a free homework pass, printed up on brown paper in the shape of a beaver pelt.

Letter to Helene:

Students write a letter from Samuel de Champlain to his wife, Hélène Boulé back in France. He includes the date, description of the continent he is exploring, and tells her he has named an island for her (Ile Ste Hélène in Montréal). He tells of the hardships and dangers he and his men face and describes his hopes for a future French settlement in this area.

Students write the response which Hélène might have made upon receiving her husband's letter. This letter could include the date, Hélène's feelings about Samuel's trip, what she thinks of the idea of colonizing the new continent, and perhaps some domestic details which authentically reflect life in 17th century France.

Itinerary Cloze:

Rewrite Visit Canada 's itinerary in French, leaving blanks which students complete as they listen for the missing information. This information could be departure times, activities, destinations.

Example:

Student sheet:

jeudi, le 10 mai ___h___ Nous partons de notre collège.

15h00 Nous arrivons ____________________.

16h00 ______________ une heure pour...

Teacher script:

Jeudi, le 10 mai, à 7 heures du matin - nous partons etc.

A 15 heures nous arrivons à l'Hôtel XXXX

A 16 heures nous avons une heure libre dans le vieux Montréal pour...

More advanced classes could have all the verbs in the future tense and have more to write in the column describing the activities. Change the subject from "nous" to "on" if students need practice with this form. Instead of giving the exact time of an activity, the clue could be more challenging: "une heure et demie après notre arrivée au restaurant, on va..."

The completed itinerary can be used to question students on what they will be doing when. This will familiarize them with the trip schedule and perhaps reinforce the idea that they need to be prompt for activities!

Do, Re, Mi...

Take your students on a musical voyage to la Nouvelle France. Describe the life of the indigenous peoples while sharing Amerindian songs. Sea chanteys will evoke the life of sailors who put themselves in danger at each ocean crossing. The Habitants brought with them folk songs and dance tunes. The coureurs des bois paddled in time to favorite French melodies. Quebecois music expresses a real joie de vivre and recalls a history of neighbors getting together on cold winter nights to celebrate their friendship and their triumph in surviving the inhospitable climate.

One place to obtain this music is on the album "Maluron, luré", the official disk of the Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France, available at the Musée de la Civilisation or order at:

http://www.gestionsportmark.com/nf.html -@-

Joie de Vivre!

Montréal loves to celebrate! The city hosted the World's Fair in 1967 and the Olympic Games in 1976. A number of festivals take place annually in this fun-loving town:

• Le Tour de l'Ile de Montréal (bicycle race)
• Festival de jazz
• Festival des films du monde
• l'International Benson & Hedges (fireworks competition)
• Le Grand Prix du Canada (Formula 1 car race)
• Juste Pour Rire (comedy)
• Fête des neiges (winter carnival)

Have students select the festival they would most like to attend, or have them pretend they are a performer or participant in one of the festivals. After doing some research (see websites below), students share their festival knowledge with the class. Possible activities:

Novice: Students create a ticket to the festival which includes date, time, cost, a graphic and some special expression like Come laugh with us!" "Enjoy the world's finest music!", etc.

Intermediate: Students write an article about themselves in French for a Montréal newspaper. The article announces that they are coming to participate in their selected festival, gives a brief biography and lists prior accomplishments.

Advanced: Students write a letter to a friend telling about their experience after they have participated in or attended a festival in Montréal. They tell where they stayed, what they saw, with whom they traveled, a great restaurant they found and what they ate, etc.

For information on Montréal's festivals:

http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/

http://www.touribec.com/Festivals.html -@-

http://www.montreal.com/tourism/fests.html

Cirque du Soleil:

This world renowned Montreal-based circus began in the early 1980's when a group of street performers joined together in an informal club. The Cirque du Soleil was officially launched in 1984 with help from the Québec government as part of the celebrations surrounding the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's travels to the new world. Today the Cirque performs in over 120 countries around the world. The skill of its acrobats, the creativity of the costumes, sets and lighting and the fascinating musical accompaniment keep audiences enthralled. To learn more about Cirque and to practice French language skills, students could be divided into groups which then go to the Cirque du Soleil website to find out the history of this circus, learn details about specific shows, find answers to frequently asked questions and share findings with classmates: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/

So you want to join the circus? For the future circus performers in the class, or just to find out how people train for the circus, read about Montréal's Ecole Nationale de Cirque, founded in 1981. Students can report back on why they would or would not want to attend this school. What aspect of circus work is the most appealing, scary or awe-inspiring? http://www.enc.qc.ca/

Bring home a circus souvenir! Students list, in French, what they might purchase from the online "Cirque" boutique. They tell the cost of each item and their total spent, in both Canadian and American dollars. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/fr/boutiq/index.html

Make a circus poster. Students make a Cirque du Soleil poster telling where the circus will play (your town?), the name of the show, dates, time of performances (24 hour clock, please), cost of tickets and a graphic. The poster should authentically reflect the nature of Cirque. For example, a costumed trapeze artist would be acceptable, whereas a costumed bear would not (Cirque does not use animals). Students could research Cirque (see website above) to be sure their posters are authentic.

Le Cosmodôme - c'est extra-terrestre!

If a visit to Camp Spatial Canada at the Cosmodôme in Laval is on your itinerary, you may want to prepare your students with a reading selection about what they will do there:   Au Cosmodôme...

• Vous assisterez - confortablement assis sur un plateau mobile entouré d'un écran de 360 degrés - à un spectacle multimédia unique au monde: La route des étoiles".
• Vous essaierez un souper spatial!
• Dans la salle d'entraînement, vous vous retrouverez dans les conditions de travail similaires à celles que ressentent les astronautes.
• Vous connaîtrez les lois de l'Espace et mettrez vos connaissances à l'épreuve en utilisant des postes d'interprétation et d'expérimentation interactifs!

Check for understanding with some simple questions, such as:

Au Cosmodôme, nous allons manger? (Oui)
Est-ce que nous allons voir un film? (Oui)
Est-ce que nous allons nager ? (Non)

Vocabulaire: la terre, la planète, le ciel, la lune, le soleil, les étoiles, l'espace, le système solaire, un astronaute, une navette spatiale, le vide spatiale, un simulateur d'entraînement, une marche lunaire

Consult with science teachers in your building for links with their curriculum.

Cosmodôme website:

http://www.cosmodome.org/

A Table!

The original settlers brought with them the country cooking of France and adapted it to ingredients they found or could grow in their new land: root vegetables, dried legumes, apples, maple syrup, fish and game. Dishes native to the region evolved: tourtière (meat pie), fèves au lard (pork and beans baked in maple syrup), and tarte au sucre (maple pie). The hearty fare of French Canadians had to sustain them through long, cold days in the woods or the fields.

The production of maple syrup and associated products - maple sugar, maple butter, taffy, and hard candy - is an important industry in Québec. The natives already were gathering the sap of the sugar maple before Europeans arrived. The province of Québec produces 90% of Canadian maple syrup and 70% of world production. A good sugar maple can give 60-75 liters of sap in a season, enough to produce 2-3 liters of pure maple syrup.

Spring is the time for l'entaillage (tapping), when night temperatures drop below freezing and daytime sun heats the trees. After la cueillette, (sap gathering) the sap is taken to the cabane à sucre (sugar shack) to be boiled. Sugaring time is the occasion for parties, with family and friends gathered to enjoy a typical Canadian meal, followed by singing and dancing. The evening might end with la tire sur neige, a delicious taffy made by pouring boiling syrup on snow.

Have a French Canadian meal before your trip. Ask students to explain, in French, the ingredients and manner of preparation of the dish they choose. Students can compare their work with "the real thing" when they are in Canada.

The following foods are typical for dinner at a Cabane à sucre:

Crème fouettée à l'érable - maple whipped cream

(Beat 3/4 cup heavy cream until peaks form. Drizzle in 1/4 cup maple syrup and continue to beat until peaks can hold shape.) Serve on a slice of cake, waffles or use to fill crêpes.

Recipe for crêpes:

http://www.canadaegg.ca/francais/recipes/crepes.html

Recipes for tourtière:

http://sunsite.auc.dk/recipes/english/o0090174.html -@-

http://frenchcaculture.miningco.com/library/cookbook/bltort6.htm

Recipe for tire:

http://frenchcaculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa111797.htm-pid=2744&cob=home

visite à la cabane à sucre:

http://frenchcaculture.about.com/library/cookbook/bl022798.htm-pid=2744&cob=home

http://www.sousbois.qc.ca

Le Biodôme de Montréal - La Nature en direct:

Students will enjoy their visit to Montréal's Biodôme even more if they know something about the ecosystems they will visit and can identify animals for each environment.

1. Write the names of the four ecosystems on cards: La forêt tropicale, la forêt Laurentienne, Le St. Laurent marin, le monde polaire. (This is the order in which students will walk through the Biodôme) Using a world map, clearly pronounce the names of the four ecosystems, give a brief description, and hang the card in the appropriate location on the map. Remove the cards and see if the class can give you the names as you point to the location. See if students can name the environment when you describe it:

chaud, humide, la végétation est luxuriante (forêt tropicale); froid; un océan glacial; un continent couvert de glace (le monde polaire); de l'eau froide et salée, un marais salé, un littoral rocheux (St Laurent marin); des conditions climatiques changeantes au fil des saisons; de l'eau fraîche (la forêt Laurentienne).

Leave the labeled map on the bulletin board or blackboard for future reference. Use descriptions of the ecosystems as an opportunity to review weather expressions.

2. Decide how much vocabulary for animals, fish, birds and/or plants you wish students to learn. Find pictures for each, using reference books, CD-Rom material, or search the Internet.

Students could be given the name of a plant or animal and they would be responsible to find a picture and teach the word to the class in French. More advanced students could also describe the animal in French. Using the same order in which they learned the names of the ecosystems, teach the animals and plants associated with each. Hang the pictures on the world map next to the labeled location.

La forêt tropicale: le capybara, le tambaqui, le paresseux, le singe, le perroquet, l'anaconda, la grenouille

La forêt Laurentienne: le castor, le lynx, le porc-épic, la loutre, le grand brochet, l'érable a sucre

St Laurent marin: l'oursin, la mouette, le homard, l'étoile de mer, le crabe, la morue, le saumon, la baleine

Le monde polaire: le manchot, le pingouin

3. Write a self-description for selected animals and have students tell you which animal is talking. (Advanced classes - have the students write the description) This would be an excellent opportunity to teach or to review the superlative construction.

Examples:

"Je suis le plus gros rongeur de la planète" - le capybara "Je suis le plus gros animal de la planète" - la baleine "Je suis le mammifère le plus lent du monde." - le paresseux

4. Compare ecosystems by asking students to list similarities and differences among them. Categorize across ecosystems, for example, ask students to name a bird from each. Discuss endangered species and what measures are being taken to protect them.

5. Talk to the science teachers in your school to find links to the science curriculum.

Biodôme website:

http://www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/biodome/ebdm.htm

Play Ball!

Many activities can be developed around the Montréal Canadiens hockey team and the Montréal Expos baseball team. Students can get information on players, read the press notes, check the standings, compare statistics, read the calendar, send a postcard, and buy souvenirs at the boutique - all in French!

The official websites:

The Expos: http://www.montrealexpos.com/aujeu/

The Canadiens: http://www.canadiens.com/francais/index_ie4.cfm

Légendes Québecoises

Students will improve reading skills and deepen understanding of French Canadian culture as they read traditional Quebecois legends. These may be found in both French and English, many with illustrations, at the following websites:

La Dame Blanche de Montmorency:

http://www.qbc.clic.net/~legends/legendfr.html

La légende de la chasse galerie et La légende du loup-garou: http://www.tbaytel.net/ccharron/legends.html

Les Lutins des Iles: http://pages.infi -@-

Ideas for Conversation Practice:

Use situations which might arise on the trip for pre-departure conversation practice:

1. Call the front desk and ask for a 6:30 AM wake-up call.
2. Go to the front desk and ask for an extra blanket or towel.
3. Order chicken for dinner.
4. Ask for directions to the Place d'Armes.
5. Ask if they sell film in this store.
6. Ask if they have this T-shirt in blue, in large.
7. Tell the tour guide thank you, today was interesting, see you tomorrow.

Make the conversations more challenging by requiring the inclusion of a complication - the restaurant doesn't have any more chicken, the front desk does not have your name on the list of registered hotel guests, etc.

Discussion Questions

1. The Roman Catholic Church

Discuss the importance of the church in the development of New France. In what ways did the Church have a civilizing effect on the colony? Only Catholics were allowed to settle in the new colony. Compare to religious persuasion and reason for emigration of settlers in the British colonies.

2. The Seigneurial System of land division

Farms in New France were narrow strips running back from the river. Ask students the shape of farms in the region of the US where you live. New England farmers divided their land into large rectangles. Ask students to think of any reason why dividing farm land into strips would be advantageous.

a. Farms in strips give more landowners river access. The river was the major mode of transportation when Canada had no roads.

b. Farmers built their houses near the river. Because the land was divided into narrow strips, this meant farm houses were close together. During Canada's long and difficult winters it was important to be near one's neighbors.

3. The Separatist Movement

Discuss the provisions of the Peace of Paris: French Canadians were allowed to retain their language, their religion and their civil law. Was it wise for England to be so tolerant towards the conquered French? Talk about the Parti Québecois and its role in Canadian politics today.

4. Mardi Gras

Discuss how climate affects the celebration of Mardi Gras throughout the French speaking world. Quebec's winter carnival and Montréal's Fête des Neiges attest to the fun and beauty to be enjoyed in a cold, northern setting. During la saison blanche", Canadians celebrate winter carnivals which are distinctly different from the Mardi Gras celebrations taking place at the same time in other French-speaking locales. For Montréal's Fête des Neiges", a giant toboggan run and an ice skating rink are installed on the Ile Notre-Dame. The ice-sculpture competition is a big attraction.

In the city of Québec, Carnaval" is celebrated with parties, parades, costume balls and winter sports such as hockey, toboggan and dog-sled competitions. Canoe racers paddle and push their canoes over the partially frozen St. Lawrence. Overseeing the festivities is Bonhomme Carnaval", a jolly snowman, whose home is a giant ice palace sculpted for the carnival.

Winter carnival photos and information:

http://www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/parcdesiles/Evenements/Neiges.html

http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/