City of Edinburgh French Early Level Colours

Early Level Significant Aspects of Learning Use language in a range of contexts and across learning Develop confidence and enthusiasm to communicate using the language being learnt Begin to develop an awareness of other countries, cultures and languages Listen and join in with simple songs, stories and rhymes Explore and recognise patterns and sounds of language through listening, watching and playing Understand, respond to and say simple greetings and personal information (e.g. name) Repeat and understand simple familiar language from a familiar source Actively take part in simple daily routine language Participate in familiar games including outdoor learning Begin to explore resources to support my learning e.g. picture dictionaries

Vocabulary Colours Aim to teach at least 5 of the colours at Early Level initially and build up as pupils progress towards First Level. C’est de quelle couleur? What colour is it? C’est It is bleu blue blanc white rouge red vert green jaune yellow rose pink noir black gris grey violet purple marron brown

C’est de quelle couleur? What colour is it?

C’est bleu

C’est blanc

C’est rouge

C’est vert

C’est jaune

C’est rose

C’est noir

C’est orange Note that you pronounce the T on the end of C’est when it’s followed by a vowel!

C’est gris

C’est violet

C’est marron

Embedding the language Whenever colours feature as part of an activity or story ask the question, “C’est de quelle couleur?” to prompt pupils to tell you what colour something is in French. For example in art activities, colour mixing, stories, looking a pictures etc.

Sample activities You will find a bank of sample activities which you can use to practise the vocabulary in the classroom. This is not a prescriptive list of activities and you can use or adapt them to suit the needs of your class.

Activité 1 Trouve le!

Trouve le! Trouve le means “Find the” Pupils have a selection of objects which are different colours in front of them. Teacher calls out “trouve le” and adds a colour onto the end e.g. Trouve le rouge! The pupils must then hold up whichever object is that colour. You can ask pupils to then say what colour it is e.g. C’est rouge. Pupils can also then take a turn of asking others to “Trouve le…”

Activité 2 Colour circles

Colours circle game Pupils sit in a circle, close their eyes and count to ten in French – “fermez les yeux!” Whilst they are counting the teacher puts an object in the centre of the circle. Once they reach ten they open their eyes (ouvrez les yeux!) They then have to say what colour the object is. This can be extended by passing the object around the circle and counting and whoever it lands on at the count of ten, has to say what colour it is e.g. “C’est bleu” or just “bleu”

Activité 3 Modelling dough

Modelling dough Modelling dough is a good kinesthetic way to reinforce the colours and can be used to create objects with the teacher asking for particular colours in French. For example can ask pupils to “Créez quelquechose de couleur…bleu!” (create something…blue!) and then they pick the correct colour and make an object. Another approach would be to combine numbers and colours e.g. Cinq rouges! And pupils would have to form whatever number of coloured balls using the modelling dough. The sound file is added here for Créez quelquechose de couleur… so that you just need to add the colour to the end.

C’est de quelle couleur? Activité 4 C’est de quelle couleur? What colour is it?

C’est de quelle couleur? Pupils have to look at the following pictures and say what the colour is in French using “C’est” + the colour. You could continue this in class and ask pupils to pick up objects around the room, show them to the rest of the class and ask, “C’est de quelle couleur?” Note that when C’est is followed by a vowel in French, you pronounce the t e.g. C’est orange. Otherwise, the t at the end of C’est is silent!

C’est de quelle couleur? C’est bleu!

C’est de quelle couleur? C’est rouge!

C’est de quelle couleur? Oui! C’est vert!

C’est de quelle couleur? C’est orange!

C’est de quelle couleur? Super! C’est jaune!

C’est de quelle couleur? Regarde des pingouins! Means oh look, penguins! Oui! C’est blanc!

C’est de quelle couleur? C’est noir!

C’est de quelle couleur? C’est violet!

C’est de quelle couleur? Très bien! C’est rose!

C’est de quelle couleur? C’est gris!

Activité 5 Où est le….?

Où est le….? Où est means where is…. Voici means here is! For this activity, the pupils have to find where each colour is on the screen. Où est means where is…. Voici means here is! You can continue this in the class or in a circle game.

Où est le jaune? Voici means here is Voici le jaune!

Où est le rouge? Voici means here is Oui! Voici le rouge!

Où est le bleu? Voici means here is Oui! Voici le bleu!

Où est l’orange? Voici means here is Oui! Voici l’orange!

Où est le rose? Voici means here is Super! Voici le rose!

Où est le blanc? Voici means here is Oui, très bien! Voici le blanc!

Où est le vert? Voici means here is Voici le vert!

Songs and videos! You will find a bank of sample songs and videos which you can use to practise the vocabulary in the classroom. This is not a prescriptive list of songs and you can use or adapt them to suit the needs of your class.

Image links to French Youtube video with colours and some activities Image links to French Youtube video with colours and some activities. Please note when it says “trouve le…” it’s asking you to find a particular colour!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPPIT1nbe7Q&list=PLigkPqzqXZxc0ohQiWcnVFA2eXxd5Ruqm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zduapTwsSwA

Poème des couleurs C’est rouge? Oui, c’est rouge! C’est vert? Oui, c’est vert! C’est orange? Oui! C’est orange! C’est jaune? Oui, c’est jaune! Qu’est-ce que c’est? C’est un arc en ciel! Qu’est-ce que c’est means What is it? And C’est un arc en ciel means it’s a rainbow! You can further develop this poem by adding in more colours and asking pupils to add them in as they know them. It could also be used as a display with pupils own rainbows alongside it 

Couleurs (to tune for Frère Jacques) Bleu, blanc, jaune, vert Violet Orange, gris et marron Rouge, noir, rose Once pupils are confident as a group with this song, you can give them colour cards in groups (e.g. one group would have bleu, violet and orange and another group would have a different set of colours). They can then hold up their colour cards as they sing their own colour part of the song. Another sample activity would be to have colour cards on pupils desks so they could point to each colour as they sing or listen and put them into the correct order of the song.

ICT Resources online You will find a bank of sample ICT activities which you can use to practise the vocabulary in the classroom. This is not a prescriptive list of activities and you can use or adapt them to suit the needs of your class. Each of the slides contains an image of the website page. If you click on the image it will take you to the page. Alternatively you can use a link address which you will find in the slide notes.

BBC Schools – French colours http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryfrench/pf2/colour/cartoon_flash.shtml

Cartoonito http://www.cartoonito.co.uk/games/french-word-fun-colours

The Lingo Show http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/lingo-show/watch/lingo-show-frenchcolours/

Primary French Resources http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/mfl/mfl_french.htm This site has a range of materials which can be downloaded and adapted.

Au revoir!