FRENCH AP Language
COURSE SYLLABUS 2009 -2010 South County Secondary SchoolAlbert Ament
albert.ament@fcps.edu (703) 446-1973
“He who knows no foreign language has never really learned his own.” ⎯ Goethe Goals of the course: The AP French language course is intended to develop in students the four necessary skills for communication: listening, reading, writing and speaking. While emphasis is put on communication, one very important consequence of the students’ immersion in a variety of authentic material is their increased cultural awareness and critical thinking.
Course description
• Use of French: The course will be conducted entirely in French, with occasional brief exceptions for explanation of fine points of grammar. The course requires students to interact with the instructor and peers exclusively in French. Students will speak French in a variety of situations, both partner and group activities, simulations, real conversations, debates and presentations. Every student will speak French every class in several different ways. Speaking French is an essential element of the participation grade, which counts as 20% of the course grade. In addition, speaking tests once per quarter will monitor progress in speaking ability.
• Level of difficulty: College-level effort is expected of students in AP French. The class is mean to be the equivalent of a third-year college class, and textbooks, resources and material and assessments used in the course are similar to those used by a third level language course in college.
• Topics: Topics covered will be based on the FCPS Program of Studies for Upper-Level French and will include the following: civic responsibilities and
engagement, diversity, prejudice and discrimination, historical and present conflicts, crime and justice, current events, politics, technology, the media, visual and performing arts, historical events, literature, environmental issues and
problems, wildlife conservation, health issues and disease prevention, scientists and mathematicians, and other relevant topics.
• Grammar: all verb tenses and modes, pronouns, compound sentences, articles, infinitive sentences, participles and function words.
• Textbooks: Ultimate French Review, Barron’s Guide to the AP French Language Exam, Trésors du Temps and Georges Simenon’s novel Maigret et le clochard.
• Additional materials: Students will read and listen to authentic materials on a daily basis. Trésors du Temps and Maigret et le clochard will provide anchors for reading literature as well as discussions of history, culture and the arts. Articles from a variety of news sources, long and short stories, poems and other authentic written material will be used extensively. Websites such as www.tv5.fr,
www.tf1.fr and others will be used for authentic video material, including news casts, interviews, etc. Music and movies from France and the Francophone world will be used as appropriate to bolster discussion of linguistic, historical and cultural elements.
• Course assessments: Students will have weekly or biweekly quizzes over grammar, vocabulary, readings, listening exercises and other elements of the course. They will have tests two to three times a quarter, usually focusing on global skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Occasionally samples from past AP tests will be given as tests as well.
• Writing opportunities: This course provides instruction and frequent opportunities to practice writing in French in a variety of formats. Student writings will include biweekly journal entries, frequent short and long essays, short stories, poems, blogs and other writing forms. Students will write every day in class and will do short writing homework at least once a week and longer essays at least twice per quarter. They will review corrections on written compositions, by peer editing, re-writing and other methods. They will learn and practice sequence and transition words as well as the correct use of idioms and word tenses.
• Integration of all four competencies: The AP French language course requires students to actively use all four skills. As such, each class project entails the integration of the skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing. We always take a multifaceted approach toward each text, i.e., visual, literary, or audio (works of art, literature, newspapers, songs, feature-length films, short video clips, news broadcasts, etc.). This approach involves discussion, writing and listening comprehension.
Course Outline
Note: This outline may change as needs of students dictate. Each unit listed below will involve multiple opportunities to read, write, listen and speak French and to interact with the cultures of the French-speaking world.
First Quarter
• Review of AP Exam format and course requirements
• Unit 1: The Late Middle Ages: Cathedrals, crusades and ribaldry. • Review of present tense verbs and use of infinitives
• Unit 2: Current events seen through print media, the internet, television and radio. • Review of past tenses
• Unit 3: Science and the natural world: Important French-speaking scientists and their impact on our understanding of the workings of the world.
Second Quarter
• Unit 4: The Twentieth Century: Overview of French history and culture after World War II.
• Review of articles, the partitive and related function words
• Unit 5: Maigret et le clochard. We will begin reading the book, and we will discuss relevant topics such as crime and justice, civic responsibilities and engagement, diversity, prejudice and discrimination (particularly re:
homelessness), as well as literary techniques and genres (particularly the mystery genre).
• Review of literary tenses, object pronouns, and indirect discourse. Third Quarter
• Finish Maigret et le clochard and related thematic topics.
• Unit 6: Connections between the French Revolution and the American Revolution.
• Review of complex sentences, including if-then clauses and the subjunctive. • Unit 7: Revolutions in Art (Medieval to postmodern)
• Intensive AP review of remaining grammar topics, test practice, etc. Fourth Quarter
• Unit 8: Humans and the environment—studies of environmental problems in France and Francophone Africa and what is being done about them.
• Unit 9: The personal experience—exploration of the self through journaling, individualized reading and online discourse. This post-AP unit will be largely self-guided.
• Unit 10: French cinema, from the Nouvelle Vague to current day.
Grading Design: Each quarter grade will be determined by the following criteria:
Major Assessments Tests & Compositions 40% Minor Assessments Quizzes 30% Daily Assessments Class work & Homework 30%
The final grade will be determined from each of the quarter grades and the final exam, equally valued at 20%. During the fourth quarter, students may complete a cumulative assessment that will be part of the fourth quarter. In addition, a graded final exam assessment will be given during the designated final exam period.
FCPS Grading Scale: Grading and makeup work policies will follow and adhere to the “FCPS
Grading and Reporting for Middle School and/or High School” regulations, Grading and Reporting for High School (http://www.fcps.edu/ss/StudentServices/Guidance/HSGrReporting.pdf ).
New FCPS Grading Scale (effective beginning of 2009-10 school year): A (93-100%) = 4.0
A- (90-92%) = 3.7 B+ (87-89%) = 3.3 B (83-86%) = 3.0 B- (80-82%) = 2.7 C+ (77-79%) = 2.3 C (73-76%) = 2.0 C- (70-72%) = 1.7 D+ (67-69%) = 1.3 D (64-66%) = 1.0 F (below 64%) = 0.0
Tests and quizzes (70 %):
Tests will count 40% and quizzes 30%, and will be given weekly, with tests normally at the end of a chapter. Projects will be normally weighted as a test grade.
Classwork, Homework , Notebook (30 %):
Classwork (15%) is crucial. Students are expected to follow all class rules, be on task, pay
attention, and to be always involved discussions, activities, grammar and vocabulary reviews, corrections of assignments, and have a willingness to speak French all the time. Many activities will be planned for class time and grades will be given for oral and aural assignments and other written and listening work.
Homework (10%) is an extremely necessary practice, and all assignments will count. All
homework and assignments are logged in the notebook and are posted on Blackboard.com. It
should be noted that as a skill-building discipline, the completion of homework is crucial to success in foreign language study, particularly for classes which meet on a block. Parents will be notified by the teacher when a student develops a pattern of non-completion of homework, and the student will be expected to come after school to complete the assignments. Zeros on homework will not be tolerated.
Notebook (5%) This is a vital component to the class: staying organized. Dividers will be
necessary and labeled to keep all types of work in order. All assignments, assessments, handouts need to be kept and placed appropriately. Everything is kept and logged here.
Final Examination (20 % of final or year-end grade):
A comprehensive, summative exam will be given in June and will include all the language skills covered during the course, and will count for one-fifth of the final grade for the year. It is a multiple-choice final exam (upwards of 120 questions).
Late Work Policy: Late work will be accepted with a penalty of 20% per class meeting. Extenuating circumstances will be considered.
After School Activity Period:
The World Languages Department will provide assistance on Mondays during the After School
Activity Period which will begin October 5 when late bus service gets underway. The After
School period for middle and high school students will run from 2:20 until 3:00. All students must make an appointment with their World Languages teacher to take advantage of this
assistance.
Teacher support: Mr. Ament is available for extra help after school on Mondays and Thursdays by appointment in room C231. Please make arrangements so that you can get
the help you need in advance of an assessment. Peer-tutoring will also be available through the French National Honor Society on Mondays from 2:15 until 3:00 in Room C231.
Attendance: The school attendance policy applies to this course. The door will be closed after
the bell rings and you must report to the Attendance office for a blue tardy pass to enter class. After three unexcused tardies parents will be notified and students will serve an afterschool detention with their World Languages teacher. After a second unexcused absence, parents will be notified and the attendance action sheet will be sent to the subschool. Three or more unexcused absences will be referred to the intervention team.
If you are absent on a regular class day:
1. Check Blackboard.com for your assignment
2. Call your study buddy if the Blackboard site is unavailable or e-mail Mr. Ament 3. It is your responsibility to arrange make-up work with teacher upon your return 4. It is expected that homework and previously announced tests/presentations will be
completed as announced
If you are absent excused on a lab day, arrange to make up the time after school.
Blackboard.com: 24-7 Learning (http://fcps.blackboard.com):
24-7 Learning (Blackboard) will be used as a primary contact between school and home, so families can be informed of what is going on in school. Students' logins are their student ID numbers. Their original passwords are also their student ID numbers. All homework, course documents, and updates will be posted to this site.
Academic Integrity: There will be absolutely no tolerance for cheating in any form. Cheating is
giving or receiving unauthorized aid on any assignment. It is important that students do their own work to maximize their learning. It should be noted that the use of online translators is a form of cheating. Portable communication devices found in use during any testing environment will result in confiscation and an automatic grade of zero on the test or quiz.
Participation & Classroom Expectations (Behavior): In class this year each student will need
to accept certain responsibilities in order for our class to function and thus to assure the most effective learning environment. These responsibilities will be crucial for maintaining a classroom where learning is the focus and each student is allowed to develop their fullest. Each child has that right. If a child doesn’t live up to their responsibilities, the consequences are clear and immediate and can lead to disciplinary action. Our responsibilities for class are:
1. Respect yourself and others ―and their property ―and the classroom.
2. Be prepared ―with homework and classwork, and have all of your materials on hand at all times.
3. Speak in turn ―one person at a time (raise your hand and be called on) ―and speak well (no inappropriate language).
4. Attend class regularly (no absences) and be on time (no tardies).
5. Follow directions, stay on task, and be cooperative, participatory, and organized. 6. No food (including candy and gum) or drink (except water).
Materials:
Besides their book and workbook, the students will need to bring each day to class the following items:
● Baron’s 2009 AP French Language study guide ● French-English / English-French dictionary ● 3-ring binder notebook, 3 inch thick spine ● 10 notebook dividers
● plenty of lined notebook paper (3-hole), wide-lined
● pens and pencils (always working and sharpened; at least one pen which is red) ● a highlighter
A reminder about a few school rules which are outlined in the student planner and in the Student
Rights and Responsibilities: 1) You must have your planner with you at all times; you will not be permitted to leave the room without it; 2) Your attire should be appropriate for the school environment (the dress code will be enforced); 3) All electronic equipment must be turned off and out of sight. I will confiscate equipment if I see it or hear it.
I have the highest expectations for your child ―I know that if the effort is made, and the work completed, at the end of the course there will be much to be proud of. Please sign and date the slip below and make sure your child returns this letter to me. Please feel free to contact me at any moment about anything. I anticipate an interesting and successful year. I look forward to teaching this year and the occasion, hopefully, of meeting you. Sincerely,
