At la rentrée, the back-to-school restart in France, every pupil turns up with a bag packed to a long liste de fournitures: pencil case, copybooks, ruler, rubber and more. Hold up a pencil if you have one. Now look around your own desk: pen, book, copy, ruler, rubber. You already use these every day.

Here are today's eight classroom objects. We learn them in two sets of four so they stick. First the desk tools, then the bag-and-book words. Tap each one, listen, then say it back together. Watch which ones take le and which take la: you learn the article with the word, as a pair.

A classroom picture is waiting with empty markers. Look at each object. When your table is called, say the full French label out loud (with le or la). Then we click it together on the board. Everyone else: thumbs up if you agree.

Part 1, board match (about 6 minutes): We match the pairs on the board. When a volunteer picks a French word, say it quietly with le or la. Help your table call the English match. Every seat speaks on every turn, not only the person at the front.

Part 2, desk relay (about 4 minutes): The board is closed, and we use real objects only. When you see one held up, your table races (quietly) to call the full French label. We finish with one object hidden out of sight, and you answer Qu'est-ce qui manque? (what is missing?) with le or la and the word. There are no cards to read, because this is you producing from memory.