Submitted by Jill Pearson

Objectives:

Content:
Students will...

• demonstrate an understanding of the cycle of water treatment
• understand why conservationists advocate reducing water waste
• demonstrate the ability to interpret an authentic text
• understand the sequence of causes and effects in terms of water pollution, use, and conservation

Cultural:
Students will...

• consider how Canadian and US perspectives on water use are alike and different

Language: Content Obligatory
Students will...

• express possibility using the 1^st personal singular conditional of the verb pouvoir
• express impossibility using the negative structure ne... pas with the 1^st personal singular conditional of the verb pouvoir
• use reflexive, pronominal, and other regular and irregular verbs in their infinitive forms to express the possibility or impossibility of taking certain actions like réparer, remplacer, laver, fermer, remplir, etc.

Language: Content Compatible
Students will...

• state guesses or predictions using the present tense or near future of verbs like penser, croire, deviner, dire in the 1^st person singular followed by the relative pronoun que
• express truth or fallacy using c’est followed by the adjectives vrai or faux
• express potential causes using Si + a pronoun + a verb in the present or imperfect tense
• express potential consequences following a si clause using a pronoun + a verb in the present, future, or conditional tense (depending on verb tense in the si clause)
• express future actions using the 1^st person singular future tense of verbs like réduire, conserver, fermer, etc.
• express possibility using the phrase c’est possible que followed by the first person singular subjunctive of verbs like faire, réduire, conserver, acheter, fermer, etc.

Learning Strategies / Social and Skills Development:
Students will...

• use background knowledge
• make inferences to guess meaning of vocabulary and passages in the text
• use selective attention to complete reading tasks
• use a graphic organizer
• take notes from reading
• use imagery provided in the reading

Time Frame:

Two 55-minute periods

Materials Needed:

• computers with internet access teacher-generated
• worksheets and graphic organizers (attached)

Description of Assessment (Performance Project):

Preview phase:
(This day’s activities would begin w/ a discussion of the previous day’s assignment)

I will begin the lesson by posting some questions on the board in French and ask students to respond with a guess: 

1. L’eau qui arrive dans ma toilette est de la même qualité que l’eau qui coule du robinet.  Vrai/faux 
2. Les réserves d’eau utilisable restent toujours plus ou moins de la même quantité.  Vrai/faux. 
3. C’est possible qu’on boive plus tard la même eau que je chasse de la toilette.  Vrai/faux 
4. L’eau est une ressource inépuisable* (renewable).  Vrai/faux. 

After students have had several moments to read the questions and jot down answers, we will have a short discussion sharing their guesses.  I will write on the board ways students can share their answers: Je pense que c’est ..., Je crois que c’est..., Je vais dire que c’est..., Je vais deviner que c’est...  The answers to these questions will become apparent as the students read the web material later in the lesson.  (Standards 1.1, 1.2)

In preparation for the reading, we will check comprehension of some important vocabulary words and expressions.  Using the first part of the worksheet I have prepared for the reading activities, students will work in pairs to try to match the chosen words and phrases with an appropriate definition given in French.  We will reconvene as a group and I will call on students to give the definitions they have matched with the words to check for understanding.

Before going to the computer lab, I will explain what website they will be using (Environnement Canada) and how they will fill out their worksheet and graphic organizer.  I will also assign students a particular room -  they will be responsible for finding easy ways to cut down on water usage in that particular room and will later report on this.

Focused learning
In the lab, the students will open the web site listed on their worksheets and will work individually at completing each of the tasks described on the sheet. 

First, they will fill in the graphic organizer, finding the actions and conditions that lead to different consequences associated with water use, re-use, treatment, and conservation. 

When students have completed the cause and effect chart, they are to write their own cause/effect sequence—one involving an action or actions leading to a positive consequence to reinforce the notion that there are steps we can take to improve water over-use/pollution, etc. 

The students also need to research the ways to conserve water in their assigned room and prepare to report back to the class with ways one could easily conserve water in that room.
(Standards 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2)

Extension Phase
Together as a class, we will revisit the questions asked the previous day and check to see that students came across this information in their reading. 

Next, students will share the ways one could easily save water in each area of the house as the others take notes.  To extend the discussion and reinforce different tenses, I will question students if they will do these things or if it’s possible they’ll do these things (subjunctive), etc. 

We will also discuss their answers to the question about how the perspectives and issues from this website are alike or different than ones we are accustomed to hearing about in the US.  As a segue to the next day’s activities, I will ask students if they think individual daily water use is greater in the US, Europe, or Canada.  (Standard 1.3)

Assessment:

To check students’ reading comprehension and ability to use selective attention in reading, collect their graphic organizers and look for complete and accurate responses in terms of content. Give students check-pluses for sheets that are completed with the correct information and special attention to using correct language.  Checks will go to students with complete information and minor errors/lack of attention to language. Students receive check-minuses for incomplete information and/or incomprehensible language. 

The follow-up discussion will also serve as an informal way for the teacher to gauge students’ comprehension of the text and ability to express themselves orally on these topics.  If students show evidence of struggling with vocabulary related to water use and conservation at this time, the teacher will need to come up with some supplementary activities to review and practice before moving on to the summative assessment. 

References and Resources:

 

Attachments:

NOTE: some attachments are in PDF form (get Acrobat Reader)

La chaine des actions et conséquences

Worksheet: avant la lecture (vocabulaire) & la lecture

A Lesson from the CoBaLTT Project
/cobaltt
Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition
University of Minnesota