Objective:

Students will learn directions:

Tourner à gauche, tourner à droite, va tout droit

Resources

• Students’ hands
• Basic school supplies in a school pencil box

This French Directions lesson was fun as the students loved using their own supplies to make mazes on their desks and on the floor.

1.  Trace Hands and write vocabulary: droite, gauche, tourner à gauche, tourner a droit, va tout droit

The students traced their own hands and wrote the vocabulary on a simple piece of white paper.  I was worried that they would see this as something to do in the primary classes.   I was pleasantly surprised how much they enjoyed tracing their hands by themselves or with a partner.

(There should NOT be an “e” when writing “va tout droit.”  A new picture will replace this one soon.)

2.  Make a maze and give directions in French

Again, I was not sure how this activity was going to be received.  Again, I was pleasantly pleased!  I had to stop all my classes as we simply ran out of time.

In partners, they would make a maze with their own supplies.  Then, with a small plastic toy/counter, they gave instructions to go through their own maze.

My tips for success are:

• Make the maze on the floor but instruct the maze cannot be greater in size than two desks.
• Only let one student use their supplies as it can be difficult to know who owns what during clean-up.
• Ask the students before you start, what is the higher purpose of this activity?  Is it to build the most amazing maze ever or to practice your French?
• Once the building begins, count down how much time the students have before the building much be finished and the French maze instructions must begin.

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I would love to hear how other teachers instruct basic French instructions.  Please share!