French language internet sites for BC's new curriculum

I am working with 2 teachers and another teacher-librarian on a Learning team grant to identify internet resources that support the new curriculum in BC. We have focused on Science and Socials resources as these are the topics with the largest changes.

It is important to our group that the resources are in french language only, and the vocabulary and speed of the presentations are appropriate for immersion students. Some of the curated resources are for teachers (lesson ideas, experiments and/or handouts), other resources are for students to watch or use for research.  We have written the descriptions in french as that is our audience, however we did not translate the content descriptions.

We have collected the curated digital resources on a website.  The website is set up so the information can be sorted by subject, grade, topic and keyword.  The website is interactive so you can also add resources to share with the community of french immersion teachers.

Les ressources en ligne pour le nouveau curriculum de la C.B.

Our website will be linked to the teacher page on our school website and also on the SD57 District Learning Commons where our SD57 is curating resources for the new curriculum in both French immersion and English (push on the red button - Learning Innovations).

Some of the resources we have found include:
Socials grade 5: L'incident de Komagata Maru  

Science grade 4: Feu - l'énergie    film d'ONF 

Socials and Science grade 3: Savais-tu que ...? Riz sauvage


Thanks to School District #57 for supporting this work.

Multicultural books...

So I was already on a journey to find more French immersion First Nations content for our school library when I heard this moving presentation about how everyone benefits when they can find themselves represented in stories.  Here is Chimananda Adichie talking about the danger of a single story. 

This video encouraged me to look for stories of other cultures (in today's times) that students in French immersion would read.  For primary books the images are important to show students, that people of their heritage are in books too.  For intermediate stories I wanted to find both immigration stories but also stories of children and teens in current situations that students in my school can relate to.
Well I found this quest really challenging.  So if you have any more suggestions I would really appreciate them!

Here is the few that I have found so far:

Primary:

• AMÉ by  Massicotte, Sylvie (3 books in this series) (African) ISBN 9782896512096 
•  Emma by Nelson, Sandra  (2 books in this series) isbn 9782081253896
• Comme elle ressemble à mon papa par Pili Mandelbaum (an adopted daughter from another country) ISBN 978221101091

• Another title is Tutti frutti in the " À pas de souris" series .
• There are some titles in the Scholastic  "Je veux lire" series like Le nouveau bébé.  And more titles in the new series "toujours parfait".
•  Huit Jours: un enfant À HAÏTI  by Danticat, Edwidge.  ISBN 9781443106740 (Amerique du Sud)
• Le kimono du Suki  ISBN ) 0439975077 (Japanese)

  

Intermediate: (still looking hard for books)

• Ping  by Poulin, ANDRÉE (2 titles - an adopted Chinese child in a regular family in Quebec.  Well written). 
• Qu'est-ce qui fait courir Mamadi? par  Étienne Poirier (African child in a refugee campt) ISBN 9782924279045

Aboriginal french immersion resources for the new curriculum in BC

I have been working with Amber the Aboriginal Education Worker in my school to compile a list of our french language resources that fit with the new curriculum.  Both of us have busy schedules so we have been working for about 1/2 hour a day once a week.  It has taken us several months to complete this project to support the teachers in our school.  Amber and I have also benefited by having the opportunity to see the variety of resources we have in our library.

We have created a google doc for our list. Check it out here.
As we reviewed the french language resources not only for fit with the new curriculum by topic, but also by language level.  In keeping with aboriginal sense of place and how that is important for any learning we have identified the First Nation (s) of the author of the work.

We did team up with some other librarians and started an "English language" list but they did not have the time to complete this column.  The English column is more a list of works that are available in French and English (i.e. the translated titles).

I learned a lot from Amber about First Nations culture, for example I was unaware of the significance of the "red road".  This project is a small step in my journey of inclusiveness.

Presentation at the BCTLA in October 2015


I was honoured to be asked to present at the BCTLA conference in 2015.  I felt that I had been on my library journey long enough to share some of what I have learned about french immersion resources.

I titled my presentation: Developing an elementary French Immersion Learning Commons to promote literacy

My presentation covered: considerations when selecting french immersion resources, sources for book reviews (and how to adjust them for immersion), books and authors for students (students that start reading like to read series or authors), book resources for teachers ( to promote literacy, or sources of questions for literature circles).  Some of the information I have already shared in my blog.
My handout can be found on the BCTLA conference link above.

What I enjoyed the most was the sharing between the audience and myself.  When I introduced an idea, a number of the audience members shared their knowledge about the topic.  Ideas that were shared included: authors that were beloved in their school, other sites for book reviews and ways to encourage reading in french.

Thanks to the BCTLA for this opportunity!

Grade 4 French Immerison Chapter books and Series.

I have been looking for easy French language chapter books to encourage the grade 4 students to read more. I find students at this age have either been encouraged to read at home, so do not find it difficult to choose books or the students have limited reading skills, and due to their limited French vocabulary do not find reading that easy.

I have been looking for books to encourage this group of students to read more.  To both increase their reading skills and also to develop their French vocabulary.  I also like to encourage students to read a book from a series, so if they like it they can continue to read the series.  This also helps with vocabulary and understanding as they continue with the same characters.

Some of the easier books include:

• Petit Géant par Giles Tibo.  This series is easy to read and has simple vocabulary.
• Woof par Olivier Challet.  This series is about a dog detective.  The vocabulary is a bit challenging with dog breeds that students will not know. The font is very large, so the books look large for the amount of reading required, which may encourage students to choose them. This is a good author to introduce to students as he has a grade 5 series Les aventures de Max and a grade 7-9 series of detective novels.

• Alain M. Bergeron's series about Dominic is also a good read.  Dominic is a mischievous boy who is very opinionated.  These are printed by Soulières Éditeur, and since this is a Quebecois author the vocabulary is not as challenging as books from France. The 10 titles include La classe de neige, Dominic en prison,  Un gardien averti en vaut... trois, and Il m'énerve, ce William Parker !  Another Alain Bergeron series that students in grade 4 start reading is Capitiane Static (~grade 4-6).  This series
  is about Charles who discovers a magical power of collecting and using static electricity whenever he wants.  Alain Bergeron also has 2 non-fiction series Savais-tu about animals and Connais-tu  biographies (grades 4-8), which have more challenging vocabulary, but are filled with off-beat humor; and for the novels which include graphic panels of Billy Stuart (grades 5-7) an adventurous raccoon and friends. 
• Soulières Éditeur has a number of these small paperbacks in the series  "Ma petite vache a mal aux pattes" which include poems too and are good reads for grade 4. 
• Martine Latulipe's detective series Les aventures de Marie-P and her series exploring legends of Quebec Julie are also good books for grade 4 readers.  Some of the teachers in my school introduce these series in grade 3 so they are well read series in my library.
• Johanne Mercier's series Zip! Héros du Cosmos  about the adventures of an alien in space.

Translated series that are good grade 4 reads include:

• Mechant Minou par Nick Bruel.  The limited text of this graphic novel is a frequent choice in my school.
• Adam Blades Beast Quest fantasy series about quests and battles with mythical monsters.Steve
• Jeff Kinney's Journal d'un dragonfle series.
• Daisy Meadows' "L'Arc-en ciel" series about fairies. 
• Ellen Miles Mission:Adoption series about dogs.
• Barlow and Steve Skidmore's series C’est moi le hero a choose your own ending adventure series.
• Denise Brunkis series Junie B. Jones en 1re année, about an opinionated girl at school.
• Oram Hiawyn witch series Le journal de Mortimer.

If you have suggestions for other author's or series for this age level please leave a comment!

Review of book series "As-tu vu?"

The book series  As-tu vu, by  Éditions les Malins came to my attention when the Aboriginal Educator in my school reviewed the book titled Autochtones.  I wrote this post since the publisher did not reply to my concerns about content.   I immediately discarded this book due to it's multiple errors.  Including:

• 'Les Abenakis (de l'est)  .... ils sculptaient des totems" (images de totems de Haidi de la cote ouest)  
• "les cowboys du far west on appris des Mohawks le lancer du lasso..."  Les Mohawks vivent dans les forets d'est,  C'est des autres (comme les Blackfoot) qui vivent aux prairies avec les chevals.
• the costume is not regalia!!! on the page that is talking about traditions (regalia is traditional) "Les algonquins ont comme tradition...
• "Dans certaines tribus indigenes, les chasseurs gardent la tete de leur victime en signe de victiore..."  this fact is taken out of context and perpetuates negative stereotypes!  This content is also is inappropriate for elementary schools.  The images on this page are of African aborignals, they are definately not "les Cris".
• "La gomme a macher est une invention des innus"  Mais les Innus vivent au tondre ... sans Arbres!

It has made me look at the other titles in this series.  Most are good!  I have noticed a few errors in the following titles:
Les grands explorateurs- (une erreur) Christophe Colomb a decouvert l'Amerique... but there is no mention of the Vikings!

Espions et leurs Gadgets (une erreur)- the book explains that "d'amerindiens sont des "chasseurs d tetes".  Now inappropriate fact out of context, that perpeturates negative stereotypes.  We are working on rebuilding connections with First peoples, not damaging them.

Les chiens de traineau (deux erreurs) - the book says Inuit children do not need warm blankets when taking rides on the dogsled as their dogs are so warm.  When it would be after dogsledding.   The book makes a connection to the "1929 Krach boursier" .  This in not a French word for the 1929 Stock market crash, which a child would definitely not know about.

À la recherche des livres autochtones!

To recognize the mix of students in my school I have been looking for books about Aboriginal people, that are written by Aboriginal authors or have a real representation of people of the First Nations of Canada.  One of my challenges is not to over-represent Inuit people but to find stories that are in a variety of environments.   Here is what I have found at this moment:

Book Publishers (Maisons d'Éditions)
Les Éditions soleil de minuit (http://www.editions-soleildeminuit.com/index.html)
Pemmican Publishers  (http://pemmican.websites.ca/Home.page) (~7 French children's titles)
Éditions Hurbubise (books by Michel Noel)
Les Éditions Cornac (http://editionscornac.com/index.php)
Scholastic Canada (several titles e.g. Lune d'érable, Les bas du pennsonait)
Pearson (leveled reader series "L'échos de l'île de la tortue")(http://www.lesechosdeliledelatortue.com/index.html)

Booksellers (Librairies):
Good Minds (www.goodminds.com) (many choices)
Strong nations (few French choices)
Scholastic Canada (quelques titres )
Librarie Pantoute (editions Hannenorak et Cronac)
Librairie Hannenorak (http://fr-fr.facebook.com/pages/Caf%C3%A9-librairie-Hannenorak/124973337528981)

Language Webpage:

First Voices (French and English) http://www.firstvoices.com/fr/home

Some suggested titles for French immersion students

read aloud's primary

• Entre dans la Grande Ronde par David Bouchard
• La Quete Spirituelle de Petit Ours par Diane Silvey (coastal BC) (has an English teachers guide)
• La ceinture fléchée par Sylvain Rivard (trilingual) Les editions Hannenorak

read aloud's intermediate:

• La piroque de Shin-chi par Nicola Campbell (residential school) and the sequel Shi-shi-etko
• all David Bouchard's picture books  e.g. Nokum, ma voix et mon Coeur
• Tant que couleront les rivières by Larry Loyie (Northern Prairies)

individual reading: grades (1)- 2

• Le corbeau est noir by Brenda Watson (B.C.), from Les Éditions soleil de minuit (14 other titles)
• tri-lingual books Wabanaki Series by Bouton d'Or Acadie; e.g. Le Roi de Glace by Allison Mitcham
• leveled reader series L'échos de l'île de la tortue (Pearson)

 

grades 3-4 

• - Michel Noel - les Papinachois (Abernaq - Ontario) (series de 8 titres)  (Dominique et compagnie) 
• - 6 titles in series "les loups rouges" (Wendat - Quebec) e.g. Le petit aigle et l'enfant par Johanne Laframboise; Natanis par Christine Sioui Wawanoloath. (now Les Éditions Cornac)
• - leveled reader series L'échos de l'île de la tortue (Pearson)

 intermediate:

• Louis, fils des Prairies (Metis) par Noelie Palud-Pelletier
• Tant que couleront les rivières par Larry Loyie (Northern Prairies)
• Les bas du pennsonait (Fatty legs) and its sequel ...par  Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton