At la rentrée 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. By the end of this lesson you will name eight of them in French, each with le or la.

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 flip two cards on the board. When a French card appears, 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): Board closed. Real objects only. When the teacher holds one up, your table races (quietly) to call the full French label. Finish with one object hidden behind the teacher's back: Qu'est-ce qui manque? (what is missing?). Answer with le or la and the word. No cards to read: this is you producing from memory.