Topic 2 Contes du Pacifique Sud (12)
Learning Objectives
In this unit you will learn how to
read and understand myths and legends written by French-speaking people about the Melanesian and Polynesian cultures
analyse how to recount a short story, myth or legend
discuss the cultural implications and philosophical meaning behind the myths or legends
retell a myth or legend in your own words
give opinions about these stories
compare these stories with those of the Maori or European cultures
write your own creative myth or legend
Grammar
In this unit we will focus on the following grammar structures:
PAST HISTORIC OR PASSÉ SIMPLE TENSE
French Passé Simple - video explanation
Complete French Grammar - p131-5
PERFECT OR PASSÉ COMPOSÉ TENSE
languagesonline.org.uk - The Perfect Tense, Using the Perfect and Imperfect
cavilam - les verbes au passé composé
cavilam - passé composé v imparfait
Complete French Grammar p55-63
PLUPERFECT TENSE
cavilam - les verbes au plus-que-parfait
Complete French Grammar p81-3
APRÈS AVOIR / APRÈS ÊTRE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Complete French Grammar p118-120
languagesonline.org.uk The Perfect Infinitive
La Légende de Téâ Kanaké
Read this Melanesian legend about the origins of mankind. Look up the underlined vocab and any other vocab you do not understand and make a list
Do the Quiz on Edmodo on this legend, matching definitions with the new vocab
Go to Language Perfect (Year 12) to work on the vocab
In groups, draw up a story board using pictures of the events in this legend and writing one or two key words below each picture in French. You are going to use this to help you retell the story, so try to make it quite detailed
Dictate a paragraph of the legend to your partner. Check your spelling afterwards
Use the sentence starters to help you retell the story in your own words
Fill in the gaps as you listen to the story
Write the legend in your own words
Le héron et le petit coquillage
Read the story of the heron and the little shellfish
Go to Language Perfect to work on the vocab
Summarise the story in English
Retell the story using these sentence starters
To compare this Melanesian story with one of Aesop's Fables, read Le Lièvre et la Tortue. What do the two stories have in common?
Now watch the bible story of David et Goliath. Discuss how the three stories all have a common theme. Why do you think so many cultures, across so many years of history, have thought this message was so important to pass down to succeeding generations? How does it apply in your life?
Le Pont de la Lune
Read the story of the tribe who tried to catch the moon
Go to Language Perfect to work on the vocab
Answer these comprehension questions about this legend
Discuss in groups what significance the advice given at the end has for us in today's world. In what contexts would this advice be very important today?
Try to write the story in your own words
Légendes de Tahiti
In pairs read the six booklets in the collection 'Contes et légendes Maohi
For each story, do the accompanying worksheet