1 - The View from Your Window ~5 mins
Describe the view from your bedroom window in one English sentence. What do you see: trees, a river, mountains, the beach?
Today we learn eight French nature words, then join two or three of them to describe a place, including a famous mountain park in France.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name eight nature features in French
- Describe a place with two or three details in short sentences
- Compare who can walk in wild places in France and in Ireland
Take three or four quick window descriptions in English only. The point is to warm up the idea of joined details, not to teach French yet. Do not translate their sentences at this stage; the flashcards in the next step introduce the words.
If a pupil says they only see houses or a wall, ask what is further away, or what they see on the way to school, so everyone has something to hold onto. A light spark works well: tell them they will soon sound like someone pointing out the view in the French Alps.
2 - Eight Nature Words ~10 mins
Today's eight nature words live in places like the Parc national de la Vanoise in the French Alps.
First: look at each picture, listen to the French (with the article), and repeat it twice with the class.
Then: try from the English side and flip to check.
Listen for the soft r in rivière and the silent t in forêt.
Worked example (say it with the class after you know most of the words):
En Vanoise, il y a une forêt et une rivière près de la montagne.
(on vah-NWAHZ, eel ee ah oon fo-RAY ay oon ree-VYAIR pray duh lah mon-TAN-yuh) — In Vanoise, there is a forest and a river near the mountain.
Run this on the IWB. Order matters: French + image first. Model each full phrase (article + noun) twice; class repeats twice. Only then flip to English-first recall. If eight feels heavy, do two sets of four with a quick chorus between sets.
After most nouns are known, leave the worked example up and choral-repeat it: En Vanoise, il y a une forêt et une rivière près de la montagne (on vah-NWAHZ, eel ee ah oon fo-RAY ay oon ree-VYAIR pray duh lah mon-TAN-yuh). Teach Il y a … et … près de … as one reusable chunk, not as separate grammar.
Articles (one plain rule for you): flashcards show le / la / l' meaning "the". After il y a French often uses un / une meaning "a". Both are fine today; pupils are not wrong if they keep la forêt in a sentence, and une forêt after il y a is the natural model.
Watch for l'arbre (LAR-bruh), where the article elides before the vowel. Celebrate a strong silent t in forêt — that already sounds French. Cheer a clear kas-KAD on cascade too.
3 - Label the Vanoise Landscape ~8 mins
This picture is a mountain landscape like the Parc national de la Vanoise. Put each French label on the right feature. Say the word quietly as you place it so the whole class hears the article too.
Whole-class turn-taking on the IWB works well here. Invite one pupil per label. If a label is placed wrongly, ask the class to say the correct French word together before moving it, rather than correcting in English only.
Keep the focus on recognition with the article: la cascade, la plage, not bare nouns. Keep the Vanoise worked example visible at the side of the board so the place stays concrete. This sets up the speaking and copy sentences next.
The IWB activity is fully self-contained; no printed landscape is required.
4 - Into Your Copy ~5 mins
Open your copy. First we build one or two sentences together out loud from the frame on the board. Then write one solid sentence (two if you finish) describing a place you know, or a Vanoise-style view, using at least three of today's words.
Models on the board (copy the pattern, change the words):
En Vanoise, il y a une forêt et une rivière près de la montagne.
Je vois le lac et la cascade près de la montagne.
Frame: Il y a ___ et ___ près de ___. | Je vois ___ et ___ près de ___.
Word bank stays up: la montagne, la forêt, la rivière, le lac, l'arbre, la fleur, la cascade, la plage. Take care with accents and articles.
Pause the board interactives. Before pens move, choral-repeat both model sentences, then build 2–3 class sentences orally with volunteers filling the blanks from the word bank (3–4 pupils say one sentence aloud). Only then write.
Everyone writes for about three minutes of pen time inside this five-minute slot. One supported sentence with three nature words is a full success; two is a stretch, not a requirement. Keep the models and the full word bank with articles visible the whole time.
Walk the room and check articles and accents (forêt, rivière). If you joined three features, that is real describing — well done. Do not collect these copies.
Reminder on un/une vs le/la: after il y a, un/une (a) is natural; the flashcards taught le/la/l' (the). Accept either today if the noun is right.
5 - Spin a Feature ~10 mins
Spin the wheel. When it lands on a nature word, build a short French sentence with the board frame:
Il y a … près de … or Il y a … et … près de …
Example shape: Il y a la plage à Wexford. or Il y a la cascade près de la montagne.
Pair finish (1–2 minutes): Partner A says Il y a … with one word from the bank; Partner B adds et … (and près de … if they can). Then swap.
Spin on the IWB and cold-call fairly around the room. Leave the frame and word bank (all eight with articles) large on screen. Target answer is a mini-sentence that rehearses what they will write, not a bare noun plus English.
Lead example: wheel lands on la plage (lah plahzh); pupil says Il y a la plage à Wexford or La plage — à la plage à Wexford. Alpine example: Il y a la cascade près de la montagne. Pure English location is only the freeze route; if someone is stuck, let a neighbour whisper the article, then the pupil says the full mini-sentence alone.
End with the quick pair beat so every pupil says at least one join to another person. Keep the pace brisk and playful: clap once when a pair joins two features cleanly.
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