1 - Best Day, Worst Day ~5 mins
Which day of the week is the best, and which is the worst? Say why in English, in one short sentence each.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name all seven days in French
- Say what you do on a day, with a time
- Spot where French day names come from
Take three or four quick answers only. The point is to get them thinking about the week as a set of named days, not to debate the weekend. Do not teach any French yet; the word-table in the next step does that. You can note their favourite days and come back to them in French at the wrap.
2 - Seven French Days ~10 mins
First: here are all seven days. Tap each one, listen, then say it back together. Notice how five of them end with the same soft dee sound.
A French school week
In France the week starts on Monday. On Wednesday, many primary pupils have no classes in the afternoon.
En France, la semaine commence le lundi. Le mercredi, beaucoup d'élèves n'ont pas classe l'après-midi.
Then, new this year: put a day with a time to describe a routine. Say the model together twice before you try swaps.
Le lundi, l'école commence à neuf heures. (On Monday, school starts at nine o'clock.)
We will swap the day together (Le mardi…, Le vendredi…), then try a new time.
Part 1: days only. Tap each day in order from lundi (lun-DEE) to dimanche (dee-MAHNSH). Class repeats twice: once all together, once by table. Point out that French day names are not capitalised the way English ones are. Celebrate the first full clean run from lundi to dimanche with class applause: they have just named the whole French week. Do not rush on to the sentence until that run feels secure.
Part 2: French week context (30–40 seconds). Read the short cultural note on screen. Keep it light: calendars in France start the week on Monday, and many primary classes traditionally have a free Wednesday afternoon.
Part 3: routine frame and oral substitution. Reveal or focus the sample sentence and model it slowly: Le lundi, l'école commence à neuf heures (luh lun-DEE, lay-KOL kom-MAHNS ah nuhf UHR). Class repeats the full sentence twice. Then run a short whole-class drill: keep l'école commence à neuf heures fixed and swap only the day (Le mardi…, Le vendredi…, Le samedi…). Once that is secure, swap the time once (à huit heures / à dix heures). Pupils already met clock phrases earlier; this is the join. Leave the table and model on screen for bingo calls and the copybook later.
3 - Match the Days ~8 mins
Flip two cards at a time and find each French day with its English name. Say the French quietly as you turn each card.
Whole class on the board, volunteers taking turns. If a pair is missed twice, stop and say the French together before moving on. Listen for the soft zh in jeudi (zhuh-DEE) and the nasal ending in dimanche (dee-MAHNSH). When someone nails the zh in jeudi, freeze the game for a second and get everyone to copy that exact sound: make a small celebration of it. Insist on full day names, not half-remembered starts.
4 - Into Your Copy ~7 mins
First, say the model sentences together. Then open your copy and write two sentences about your week: one about school and one about you. Use the frames and the times bank on the board to help you.
Models:
- Le lundi, l'école commence à neuf heures. (On Monday, school starts at nine o'clock.)
- Le samedi, je joue au football à dix heures. (On Saturday, I play football at ten o'clock.)
- Le dimanche, je me couche à neuf heures. (On Sunday, I go to bed at nine o'clock.)
Frames:
- Le _____, l'école commence à _____.
- Le _____, je joue au football à _____.
- Le _____, je me couche à _____.
Times bank: huit heures, neuf heures, dix heures, quatre heures, six heures
Before pens move (about 1–2 minutes): Keep the day word-table visible. Chorus the three model sentences on the board. Run two or three quick oral substitutions aloud, changing only the day and/or the time (e.g. Le mardi, l'école commence à huit heures / Le vendredi, je joue au football à quatre heures). Only then open copies.
Writing task: Two sentences only: one school-style frame and one je-style frame. Leave all three models, the gap frames, the times bank, and the days table on the board. Accept the known activity phrases shown; do not invent new verbs on the spot. Walk the room and check each sentence has a day and a time. Support: allow fill-the-gap only (Le ______, l'école commence à ______). Extension: a third sentence if they finish early. Do not collect these.
5 - Days Bingo ~10 mins
Your teacher will give you a printed bingo card. Listen carefully: you will hear day names on their own and inside short phrases such as le vendredi à quatre heures. Mark the day you hear on your card. First full line wins, then we can play on for a full card!
How to Play Bingo:
Option 1: Students on Devices (Digital Version)
- Use the digital version where your teacher view of the lesson displays the cards that are being called out.
- Play the pronunciation sound of each word and the children mark it off their unique digital bingo card.
- Each student has a randomised bingo card so winners will vary!
Option 2: Print Out the Bingo Cards
- Print out the Bingo Cards from the attachment above, cut out the cards, and give one to each student.
- You call out the vocabulary words and students mark off their sheets.
- First student to complete a line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) calls "Bingo!" and wins.
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