Are you making an attempt to diversify your French bookshelf? In case you educate grade 7 and/or grade 8 immersion in Ontario and you have not heard of Case mensonge but, this submit is for you!
Prolonged French academics, this could additionally work in your college students, with extra guided work executed collectively.
The Writer
Gisèle Pineau is a Black francophone feminine creator. She is French, as in lived a number of her life in France, however her roots are in Guadeloupe. She has spent a substantial period of time dwelling in each locations. Ms Pineau turned to writing as a technique to bridge her two cultures.
The Novel
The novel is below 100 pages lengthy and takes place in Roucou, a shantytown of Guadeloupe. One factor I like about this novel is that the story is participating for intermediate college students. They could initially decide the e-book by its cowl, fairly actually, however in the end, they will be hooked. In my expertise, it is uncommon for French Immersion college students to agree {that a} e-book is “actually good!” – however mine did! Though there’s some creole utilized in it, typically footnooted to help with understanding, it is written fairly merely, which is nice for our French language learners. By this, I imply plenty of current tense, passé composé and imparfait – verb tenses our learners shall be snug recognizing.
One other factor I like about it’s that it is an #OwnVoices novel. Pineau is sharing her tradition and expertise with us, the reader, and a few college students who’ve been previously underrepresented in our lessons might admire that the primary character is a younger Black lady. It is not a very uplifting, constructive story, I am sorry to say – however that’s a part of what makes it an attention-grabbing story. After all, one other benefit to this novel is the way it ties into each the Grade 7 French curriculum (the cultural expectations) and the Grade 8 Geography curriculum so properly – that makes it a beautiful choice for a cut up grade-level class!
Availability
Sadly, evidently this novel is presently much less accessible than it was once I used it in my class and made some supplies with “Large Concept” inquiry questions, character exploration, vocabulary work, and questions accessible to assist academics to leverage the novel with elevated studying alternatives. You possibly can nevertheless nonetheless discover listings for Case mensonge from the Babelio website right here. Additionally, I encourage you to examine your bookshelves! Possibly you already HAVE a duplicate that you just simply have not used with the entire class but. Additionally, who is aware of, perhaps if we pester Bayard Jeunesse sufficient, they will launch a digital model of the e-book, or one other reprint.
Freebie!
Here is one other free useful resource that can assist you out in your French immersion or Prolonged French classroom with one of many inquiry areas (the tradition of Guadeloupe or the Antilles) that this novel presents the chance to discover: a handout on some typical Guadeloupian meals. College students have the prospect to analysis a number of choices proven after which to finish the final web page themselves.
By the way, there’s one other novel by Gisele Pineau {that a} colleague and I wished to get our palms on a number of years again, however it wasn’t available on the time. So for those who’re in my skilled circle, and also you’d wish to mortgage me your copy of Le papillon dans la Cité, I would nonetheless like to learn it sometime!
