French Level 1, Activity 13: J'ai faim ! / Food (Face-to-Face)
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Please Note: Many of our activities were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.
Food / J'ai faim !
Description
In this activity, students will be matching images of foods with a statement and creating a meal plan for themselves.
Semantic Topics
food, meal, meal plan, recipes, la nourriture, le repas, le régime alimentaire, la recette, the near future, le futur proche, superlatives, le superlatif
Products
Food, meals, recipes, menus
Practices
The French generally have a smaller, and more carb centric breakfast, a large lunch, and a smaller dinner at 8 pm or later.
Perspectives
Meals are very important in France! Much of the time, sitting down as a family and eating together is seen as an important family activity. Sunday meals are especially important and oftentimes more lavish. Meals tend to take longer to finish than in a typical American household, due the special importance placed on gastronomy in French culture.
- What might that say about French culture, in relation to food and family, that they typically have longer meals than us? What is American "food culture" like in comparison, and what do you think that shows about our values?
NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards
- Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations or correspondence in French to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions and exchange opinions.
- Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret spoken and written French on a variety of topics.
- Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas, in French to an audience of listeners or readers.
Idaho State Content Standards
- COMM 1.1 - Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions
- COMM 2.1 - Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics
- COMM 3.1 - Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language
- COMM 3.2 - Adapt presentation to various audiences of listeners, readers, or viewers
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements
- I can look at pictures on a menu and identify the foods.
- I can say what food I like or dislike.
- I can describe a personalized menu.
Materials Needed
- White boards, one per student
- White board markers, one per student
- Written Statements, one set per group
- Google Slide Presentation
- Food Cards, one set per group
- Worksheet [OPTIONAL USE] Use this interactive worksheet as a supplemental tool for the corresponding Pressbook Conversation Activity. It can be used as a way to keep students engaged, provide a place for them to take notes, and track their learning.
Would you like to make changes to the materials? Access the template below:
- Food Cards (Canva Template, free account required)
- Worksheet (Canva Template, free account required)
Warm-Up
1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity and distributing the Food Cards and Written Statements.
Aujourd'hui, nous allons parler de la nourriture ! (Today, we're going to talk about food!)
2. In pairs, students will match typed sentences with the appropriate photo on statement cards. There are 4 sets of phrases, each color coded so you can easily separate them into groups. Each set is identical.
Avec un(e) partenaire, mettez ensemble la phrase et la photo appropriée à la feuille que je vous donne. (With a partner, match the appropriate phrase to the photo on the card that I gave you.)
Main Activity
1. La nourriture saine: Using the white boards, students will work individually to create a “meal plan” for themselves for the next two days on whiteboards.
Avec un tableau blanc, vous allez travailler seul pour créer un plan de repas pour les prochains deux jours.
2. Day 1: They will “cook at home” for all three meals. Students should come up with descriptions of what to eat, including basic recipes including their food vocabulary.
"Le premier jour, vous allez cuisiner chez vous. Écrivez sur vos tableaux blancs ce que vous voulez manger pour le petit déjeuner, le déjeuner, et le dîner. Puis, partagez avec le groupe. Dites-nous au moins deux-trois choses dans chaque repas, et pourquoi choisir ce repas. Par exemple: Pour le déjeuner, je mange un sandwich avec de la salade, de l'avocat, et de la moutarde. Je l'aime, parce que les légumes sont bon pour la santé." (The first day, you are going to cook at home. Write on your white boards what you want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then, share with the group. Tell us at least two or three things in each meal, and why you chose this meal. For example: For lunch, I am eating a sandwich with a salad, an avocado, and mustard. I like it, because vegetables are good for your health.)
3. Day 2: For the second day, they will eat at restaurants. They will also talk about why they chose these meals and restaurants and if they have any dietary preferences that they would tell a server.
"Le deuxième jour, vous allez manger dans un restaurant différent pour chaque repas. Dites-nous quels restaurants vous allez choisir, et pourquoi. Si vous avez des régimes alimentaires, qu'est-ce que vous pouvez dire au serveur? Per exemple: Pour le petit déjeuner, je mange à Capri. J'aime ce restaurant, parce que c'est pas cher. Je dis au serveur que je suis un végétarien." (The second day, you are going to eat in a different restaurant for each meal. Tell us what restaurants you are going to choose and why. If you have dietary restrictions, what will you say to the server? For example: For breakfast, I am eating at Capri. I like this restaurant, because it isn't expensive. I will tell the server that I am a vegetarian.)
4. After the meals have been planned, each student should have some time to ask other students questions about their meals and suggest recipes, restaurants, and other food-related tips based on their meal plans.
"Maintenant, vous pouvez poser des questions à vos camarades de ce qu'ils préfèrent manger, etc." (Now, you can ask your peers questions about their meals, etc.)
5. Here is an example:
Student 1: "Moi, je préfère utiliser l'huile d'olive plutôt que le beurre dans les pâtes." (I prefer using olive oil more than butter in pasta.)
Student 2: "Est-ce que tu aime dîner au Melting Pot ? Moi, j'adore la fondue." (Do you like having dinner at the Melting Pot? I love fondue.)
Wrap-Up
Ask the following question(s) to finish the activity:
1. Quel plan de repas est-ce que vous préférez ? Pourquoi ? (What meal plan do you prefer? Why?)
2. Vous préférez manger au restaurant ou chez vous ? (Do you prefer to eat at restaurants or at home?)
3. Quel est votre restaurant préféré ? (What is your favorite restaurant?)
4. Quel est votre repas préféré ? (What is your favorite food?)
Cultural Resources
History and Basics of French Cuisine
Campus France's guide to French Gastronomy
End of Activity
- Can-Do statement check-in... “Where are we?”
- Read can-do statements and have students evaluate their confidence.
- Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation
- Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future activities!
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements
- I can look at pictures on a menu and identify the foods.
- I can say what food I like or dislike.
- I can describe a personalized menu.