LUSHER CHARTER SCHOOL

French 3 Syllabus 2017-2018

Instructor: Libby Mahoney

Room Number: 226
Email: elizabeth_mahoney@lusherschool.org
Class Website: http://mllemahoney1.weebly.com/
Office Hours: Monday & Thursday 3:45-4:30, if these do not work
and you need to set up an alternate time you must email Ms.
Mahoney at least a day ahead of time!

Course Description:
French III
The goal of this course is to review and build on the concepts taught in French 2 in order to
further extend the students knowledge of the French language and culture. Students are
introduced to new grammatical concepts that are necessary for a more sophisticated
understanding of and facility in using the language. Emphasis is placed on the refinement of
basic reading skills, a greater development of writing skills, and a continued study of the
important aspects of Francophone life and cultures. An on-going effort is made to develop
students ability to express ideas in French and to think in the target language.

French III Honors

This course follows the same course description as French II; however, a higher degree of
performance and accuracy is expected as this is considered to be a prep course for the AP
track. Students are expected to be self-motivated and to work at a faster pace, with a more
challenging level of expectations.

Required Supplies:
Binder-see binder requirements Whiteboard marker this is needed
sheet all year long, if you lose yours it
Loose leaf paper needs to be replaced as soon as
Pencil, blue or black pen and a possible
RED pen for corrections A box of tissues

Overall Goals of French 2-

To be able to speak, write and read about the topics we learn about this year.
To be able to use a variety of tenses by the time we enter French 3 (present, past,
future & conditional being the four main tenses we will use this year).
To be able to speak in French 90% of the time in class by the end of the year, this is a
goal we will build on every single week as we incorporate more and more French into
our daily tasks, questions and lessons.
To be prepared for French 3, which will be a review and extension of what we do in
French 2 with an even larger focus on using French in tangible ways in the classroom .

Essential Questions of French 2

Why study French?
What makes the study of French universal?
How is French used and applied in the larger world?
 How does our own culture compare to various Francophone cultures?

Year Long Course Schedule (subject to change)

Quarter 1:
Unite 1- Ressentir et Vivre
Review of French 2 materials, present tense irregular/spell change verbs, past tense review with
introduction of third major past tense, forming questions, relative pronouns( qui vs. que)
Essential unit questions- How do people express their emotions?, How does ones personality affect the
way they express their feelings?
Culture-Francophone communities in the United States
Unite 2-Habiter en ville
Review of reflexive verbs, descriptive adjectives and agreement, adverbs,review of cest vs il est
Essential Questions- What is urban living? , How do we compare rural vs urban lifestyles, where to live in
the city
Culture- France/ Street musique

Quarter 2:

Unite 3- Linfluence des Medias

Comparison of major past tenses( review of passe compose vs imparfait), introduction of plus ce parfait,
relative pronouns ce qui, ce que , dont, ce dont)
Culture- Canada
Essential Questions- How is the media present in your life?, How does the media affect societies?
Unite 4- La Valeur des Idees
Continue past tense review, introduction of Future vs Conditional tenses, continued practice with relative
pronouns, negative expressions
Essential Questions- What is the value of an idea?, What impact do ideas have on society?
Culture- Haiti

Quarter 3:

Unite 5- La Societe en Evolution

Continued tense review, Future perfect and past conditional tenses, continued practice with relative
pronouns, partitive articles, order of pronouns with a focus on Y and en
Essential Questions- What are the major differences in world cultures?, What can we do to eliminate
cultural conflicts?
Culture- French Speaking Africans
Unite 6- Les Generations qui Bougent
Subjunctive with impersonal expressions, verbs of will, doubt and emotion
Review demonstrative adjectives/ present demonstrative pronouns
Review possessive adjectives/ present possessive pronouns
Essential Questions- How do different generations understand one another?, What can we do to bridge
the generation gap?
Culture-Arab/ French speaking cultures( Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria)

Quarter 4:

Unite 7- A la Recherche du progres

Continued practice of subjunctive, review of all relative pronouns, Future Perfect, Conditional Past
tenses, Comparative/ Superlative of Adjectives and Adverbs
Essential Questions- What place does technology have in societies?, What are the implications of new
scientific discoveries and inventions?, How does technology affect our lives?

Unite 8- Sevader et Samuser

Subjunctive with unknown antecedents, review practice with relative pronouns, locational and
geographical prepositions
Essential Questions- Why do we practice extreme sports?, Why do people risk their lives to have fun?,
What happens when a past time becomes an obsession?
Culture- Indian Ocean French Speaking communities.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Grading Procedures
Minor Assessments (HW, quizzes, class work) 15%
Major/Summative Assessments 60%
Quarterly Exam 25%
*This is subject to change based on teacher digression

Lusher Grading Scale:

Letter Grade Percentage Quality Quality Point

Equivalents Points Average
A (Outstanding) 93-100 4 3.5 4.0
B (Good) 85-92 3 2.5 3.49
C (Satisfactory) 75-84 2 1.5 2.49
D (Below 67-74 1 1.0 1.49
average)
F (Failure) 66 or below 0 0 - 0.99
I (Incomplete)

Grade Book Categories

Quarterly Exams Lusher holds quarterly exams at the end of each quarter. This
is often a summative assessment of the quarter but may also be a summative unit
assessment, particularly for 1st and 3rd quarter in French. The format of this exam
may vary from a written test to an integrated performance assessment with an
interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive section. Students will always be
given advance notice of the format and content of a quarter exam. The quarterly
exam is 25% of the quarterly grade per the Louisiana Pupil Progression Plan.

Formative Assessments Formative assessments include homework, quizzes,

and in-class assignments. The goal of formative assessments are to help students
monitor their learning and to give them informative feedback to improve their
language learning. That being said, not every formative assessment assigned in
class will go into the grade book as counting towards the final grade but typically
there will be at least two per week whether it is homework or an in-class activity
entered in the grade book that will count towards the final grade. The goal with the
formative assessment category is to communicate areas of strength and weakness
to help students and parents know what needs to be worked on and where students
are excelling. In addition, the lowest grade in the formative assessment category is
dropped at the end of the quarter. Formative assessments that count towards the
final grade may be retaken up to the day before the summative assessment of that
unit if students attend office hours or the Learning Resource Center (LRC) at least
once before coming to retake. If attending the LRC students need to ensure that the
tutor submits an LRC communication form.

Summative Assessments Summative assessments fall at the end of units and

are designed to allow students to showcase what they have learned throughout the
unit, they are what our formative assessments are building towards and will
resemble a variety of formative assessments used in class. Similar to quarter exams
the format of these can vary from written tests to integrated performance
assessments. They will almost always include an interpersonal, interpretive and
presentational component and they will align to the standards and objectives of the
unit being assessed. Students will always be given ample notice of summative
assessment dates, contents and formats. If the assessment is a rubric graded
assessment they will typically be provided with the rubrics ahead of time as well.

How assessments are graded Many assessments in French 2 and 3 will be

graded on a rubric of 1-4 (developing, emerging, meets expectations, exceeds
expectations). These scores are then translated to percentage grades on the
following scale

Rubric Score %
1 64
1.25 67
World Language 1.5 70
Standards
The standards delineated below are from the Louisiana
World Language Standards 1.75 73 and are based on the
American Council for 2 76 Teaching of Foreign
Languages standards, which 2.25 79 are used in schools nation-
wide. 2.5 82
2.75 85
Interpersonal Communication: (Person
3 88
to Person Communication)
3.25 91
Person to person communication is used in
informal, one-on-one or 3.5 94
small group conversations.
Learners interact with 3.75 97
others, request and
exchange information, and 4 100
ask for clarification when
needed. They express emotions, viewpoints, and negotiate with one another during
conversations.

Interpretive Communication: (Listening and Reading for Understanding)

Interpretive skills concern the reception of information in situations where there is
no opportunity for negotiation or clarification. Learners hear or see messages and
respond based on their own interpretation. These messages refer to any topic and
come from a variety of sources to include but not limited to radio announcements,
textbooks, magazines, newspapers, live or recorded programs, authentic materials,
and presentations. Learners make connections through listening to and reading
about everyday topics, current events, academic subjects, news about family and
friends, social events, personal viewpoints, and social media. Background
knowledge acquired through listening and reading for understanding is later used to
enrich interpersonal and presentational communication.
Presentational Communication: (Spoken and Written Production)
Presentational skills involve preparing information for oral or written sharing with an
audience. Presentations may be formal or informal. Learners prepare, revise, and
may practice for presentations via classroom productions, school newspaper
articles, broadcast productions, website announcements, or other demonstrations.

Grading Policies

Lusher High School Late Work Policy

Lusher teachers assign work that fits into the following two categories:

Minor or daily assignments (Formative)

These smaller assessments are considered practice. They are used by
students to show their progress and by teachers to provide ongoing feedback
for improvement.
Major or culminating assignments (Summative)
These larger assignments are more definitive opportunities for students to
demonstrate mastery of skills and content.

All work is due at the beginning of class or at a time designated by the teacher.
Work not completed by this time is considered late. Minor assignments submitted
after the due date will earn a 0% in the grade book. Major assignments submitted
late will receive a letter grade penalty for each school day they are not turned in.
For example, a paper due on Monday that is turned in on Friday can earn no higher
than 60% in the grade book. Teachers will clarify the specific category and value of
assessments when they are assigned.

Missing assignments due to unexcused absences are handled according to the

above late work policy. Participation in school-sponsored activities does not
constitute an excused absence. Unless students make specific agreements
with teachers in advance of school sponsored activities, the original due
date stands and the above policy applies.

Homework Passes In French 2 and 3 students will receive a homework pass

sheet at the beginning of the year with two passes for each quarter. These passes
allow students to turn in homework assignments that are considered formative
assessments the next class day and still receive full credit. They are not passes to
not complete the assignment but rather to help students be successful in learning
time management skills and give them a chance to complete work when something
comes up such as a late practice, a family event or something else taking more time
than they had planned!

Make-Up Work Make up work for excused absences is due within two weeks of
returning to school however it is highly encouraged to complete it right away as two
weeks later we will be at a different point in the class and the missed work is most
likely something to help students build and/or practice skills needed to move
forward in the unit of study.

Retake Policy & Timeline Formative assessments that count towards the final
grade may be retaken up to the day before the summative assessment of that unit
if students attend office hours or the Learning Resource Center (LRC) at least once
before coming to retake. If attending the LRC students need to ensure that the tutor
submits an LRC communication form. There are no retakes for summative
assessments as students are provided a plethora of opportunities to work on the
skills needed in summative assessments via formative assessments in class.

Extra Credit There is no extra credit given in French 2 or 3.

Citizenship Grades The citizenship grade category is not a part of students

numerical letter grade but is rather a means of communicating with students and
parents about adherence to the Project Pride Rules (be kind, be responsible, respect
people and property, do your best work) and student effort. If you have any
questions about the citizenship grade received please contact me via email.

Academic Honesty:

Academic honesty is essential to learning. It is important for the teacher and the
student-- to be able to accurately assess the students academic strengths and
weaknesses in order to ensure future academic success. Thus, students are
expected to do their own work at all times.

Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes giving

or receiving answers to homework, tests, quizzes, and any other assigned
work. Plagiarism is submitting work that is not ones own without proper
documentation. Use of a translator is considered academic dishonesty. The
consequence to academic dishonesty is a suspension, as is stated in the student
handbook. A suspension will become part of a students permanent record, which
could have serious repercussions when applying to colleges.

Honor Code: The Lusher High School community values honesty, fairness, and
respect for others. We expect members of our community not to lie, cheat, or
plagiarize. As a valued member of this community, I pledge that my work is
original, that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized assistance on this
assignment, and that I have neither seen or am aware of any cheating related to
this assignment.

Office Hours
After school tutoring will be held for one hour after school twice a week: the days
are posted in the classroom. I am also available to students during lunch or after
school on other days. Students need to communicate with me when they want to
meet so I can accommodate their schedule and mine. Should I be absent, students
are encouraged to seek assistance from other teachers in the Foreign Language
Department.

Course Expectations
Do your best work in class and at home. Do not just do the assigned
homework, but also take time to study and review. Participate in all activities
especially in speaking activities, which will improve your oral fluency. Use
other resources available on the internet.
Get help when you need it; do not wait until you get a bad grade to seek
help!
 Come to class prepared every day. This means being on time, in dress code
(including ID), with your homework and your supplies, and with a strong
desire to learn.
Work neatly and accurately and turn in complete assignments.
Homework is assigned every night and is generated from the textbook,
workbook, or other material as directed by the teacher. Because our classes
are 100 minute-long blocks, if you miss one day of school, you are missing
TWO classes. An absence does not excuse you from homework (except under
particular circumstances). Homework assignments are typically emailed out
or posted to vhlcentral.com after class. You are highly encouraged to identify
a class buddy who can be reached if necessary.
Every student is expected to exhibit the Lusher values of kindness, respect,
responsibility and hard work. Any distractions to the learning environment or
lack of respect for others will not be tolerated.
As detailed in the handbook, the use of cell phones, music players and
electronic games is not allowed. Please refer to the schools handbook for the
consequences of these behaviors.
Classroom procedures: please see the handout you received in class, which
goes over our daily class procedures.

Tardiness
Tardiness for this class is defined as not being seated in the classroom in your
correct seat when the bell rings. Tardy students will be asked to sign the tardy sheet
(on a clipboard by the door) and will receive a tardy slip from the office. See the
student handbook for a list of disciplinary actions regarding tardies.
 COURSE SYLLABUS AGREEMENT

I, ____________________________________, have read and fully understand the class

Please print parent/guardian name
requirements and expectations given in this syllabus. I have discussed this with my
student and I support these policies.
______________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature Date

Parents Preferred Method of Contact (please mark all that apply)

____ Email My email address is:
_____________________________________________________
____ A Phone Call You can reach me at:
______________________________________________
____A Note Home with Student

I, ____________________________________, have read and fully understand the class

Please print student name
requirements and expectations given in this syllabus. I am prepared to abide by
these rules and policies.

______________________________________________________
Student Signature Date