AFNORTH International Middle/High School

 

French V

SY 2004-05

 

Course Title:  Grade 11 University preparation  (French 5)            Course Code:  FSF 3U                                       

Credit Value: 1          

Teacher:  J.Everingham

Email: John_Everingham@eu.odedodea.edu

Textbook:  Destinations 5: Pearson

Required material:     Pens, pencils, erasers, ruler, lined paper (in binder), French/English dictionary

The aim of the Core French program is to provide students with functional communication skills in French and an understanding of the nature of the language and its culture.  According to the Ontario Curriculum Guidelines for French - This course draws on a variety of themes to promote extensive development of reading and writing skills and to reinforce oral communication skills.  Students will gain a greater understanding of French-speaking cultures in Canada and around the world through their reading of a variety of materials, including a short novel or play. Students will produce various written assignments, including a formal essay.  The use of correct grammar and appropriate language conventions in both written and spoken French will be emphasized throughout the course.*

     *The Ontario Curriculum Grades 11 and 12 - French as a Second Language, 2000

 

Course Expectations:  By the end of this course, students will:

Ø      respond in a variety of ways to a range of media works and spoken texts;

Ø      express ideas and opinions in self-directed conversations and discussions;

Ø      make oral presentations on a variety of topics;

Ø      use correct grammar and appropriate language conventions during oral communication activities;

Ø      read and demonstrate an understanding of a range of literary and informational texts;

Ø      apply critical thinking as they read (e.g.,  analyse information, go beyond the surface meaning, question the point of view presented);

Ø      identify and understand language conventions used in their reading materials;

Ø      create written texts expressing their ideas and opinions for a variety of audiences;

Ø      write in a variety of forms, adjusting the language to suit the purpose and the audience;

Ø      use correct grammar and appropriate language conventions in their written work.

 

EVALUATION: Throughout the course, students will be engaged in diagnostic and formative assessments (that don’t “count”)  which will lead to improvement in student performance and provide feedback.  All students must complete all summative evaluations (ie. unit tests, major oral presentations, final unit projects etc.)  which will count in the final calculation of marks.  Unauthorized absence may result in a mark of zero (F) being assigned. Students will be given every opportunity to complete course work but as in the work world, there are deadlines.  Late assignments may not be assessed and a completion contract or parental contact may be required for students to complete missed assigned.    A variety of assessment and evaluation methods is used to determine your performance level. There will be regular unit tests, smaller verb/structure and vocabulary tests, dictations, oral performances , skits and dialogues, end-of-unit projects, discussion  appraisals, invitations, post cards, short book reports, listening comprehension tests, reading comprehension tests, etc. Students will be engaged in the Continuous School Progress goal of improving written communication skills across the curriculum by referring to The 6 Traits + 1 model.          

 

Formative Assessment

There will be several short assignments, quizzes and tasks in each unit of this course that do not “count” toward the final mark for the unit.  These tasks are opportunities for teacher feedback about what you are doing well and what you need to improve.  In some cases, you will be encouraged to work on the improvements, and hand the assignment in for further feedback.  These tasks will be directly related to the final summative assignment (test, activity or performance task) for the unit.  Therefore, despite the fact that you will not lose marks for not completing these tasks, you are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities for very useful teacher feedback.

 

Summative evaluation          

       The summative assignment(s) and/or test(s) for every unit MUST be completed successfully in order for a student to pass the course.  If this does not occur, a second opportunity will be provided according to arrangements made by the students, the teacher and the parents.

 

Learning skills do not contribute to the academic mark     

      Five areas have been identified as learning skills and are being evaluated separately from academic achievement:  work habits/homework, organization, initiative, teamwork and “works independently”.   These are very important skills for you to learn at school and at home, and they are crucial in determining how successful you will be in your future employment or post-secondary schooling.  Both parents and students need to pay close attention to this section of the report card, and to understand the impact that these skills have on their learning, despite the fact that they are not directly factored into their academic mark. 

 

Levels and percentages

       Performance expectations will be measured using Language Strands (oral communication, reading and writing, language structures and vocabulary) and the Achievement Levels (1-4) under the categories: (Communication, Comprehension, Organization of Ideas and Application of language knowledge).  Marks will be determined by linking the required curriculum expectations with the strands and achievement categories.  Much of the students’ work, particularly for complex tasks and assignments, will be marked using a rubric and the final mark will be given as a level (1 to 4).  For this work, a rubric will be provided to the students ahead of time so it is very clear what criteria must be met in order to get a particular level. The marks assigned will reflect very specific standards and criteria that are outlined in the curriculum documents for the course.  Assessments will take into consideration four categories of achievement:

Ø      Knowledge and understanding

Ø      Thinking, Inquiry and Problem Solving

Ø      Communication

      Applications

 

Final Evaluation

 

The total of all formative assessments and summative evaluations for the school year (term work) will represent 70% of the final grade.   The final evaluation which represents 30% of the students'   final  grade will include a written exam (15%) and a final rich performance task (15%).

 

CONTINUOUS SCHOOL PROGRESS

 

AFNORTH International Middle/High School’s CSP (Continuous School Progress) goal is, All students will improve their written communication skills across the curriculum.” The 6 + 1 trait is the model selected to improve school-wide writing in all subject areas. The 6+1 Trait writing framework is a powerful way to learn and use a common language to refer to characteristics of writing as well as establish a common vision of what “strong” writing looks like. Teachers and students will use the 6+1 Trait model to identify areas of strength and weakness as they continue to strive towards continued writing improvement. Success of all students requires that the 6 + 1 Trait become a consistent and integral component of each course taught at AFNORTH International Middle/High School.

 

The writing in this class will be assessed and evaluated using different rubrics.  These rubrics will reflect the integration of the different traits that are applicable to each assignments.  The traits that will be in focus are as follows:

 

o       Ideas:  clear central idea enriched with related details.

o       Organization: well presented introduction, paragraphs containing related sentences, smooth

 transition between paragraphs and effective conclusion.

o       Voice: Expression of the writer’s feelings, opinion and interpretations.  Individual writing.

o       Word choice: use of precise vocabulary

o       Sentence fluency: use of appropriate French sentence structures