Accueil | Activité: Grenouille/Bœuf

Activité: La Grenouille et Le Bœuf
(La Grenouille qui veut se faire aussi grosse que le Bœuf)

This activity is a competition among teams of classmates. The object is for teams to construct sentences in French accurately and faster than the other teams. It's a fast and fun pre-reading activity for upper level high school students.

What the teacher does in advance:

	Prepare the sentences as described. Each team needs one set. The number of sets needed depends on how many groups are formed. A set is five envelopes, each one having a sentence in English written or printed on the outside and the words in French for that sentence on cut up pieces of paper inside the sealed envelope. (For this activity, I have selected 5 sentences accompanied by suggested translations.)
	Prepare the envelopes. How many envelopes you need depends on how many teams you have. For example, if you have 4 groups doing this 5-sentence activity, you'll need 20 envelopes, i.e., 4 copies of each of the 5 sentences. On the outside of each envelope you will write one sentence in English. "Techies" may want to use the computer to print these sentences on the outside of the envelopes. You may prefer to make "envelopes" out of old construction paper.
	Print each sentence in French on paper. (As in the above example of 4 groups, each of 5 sentences must be printed 4 times.) Then, cut each printed sentence into strips, then cut apart the words into pieces, and put the words of each sentence into the appropriate envelope and seal.

Here are the sentences for this fable. (Feel free to choose other sentences or to alter the English.)

Une grenouille vit un boeuf qui lui sembla de belle taille.
A frog saw a steer who seemed really big to him.

Elle, envieuse, s'étend, et s'enfle, et se travaille pour égaler l'animal en grosseur.
It [The frog], jealous, stretches out, and swells up, and works at getting as fat as the animal.

La chétive pécore s'enfla si bien qu'elle creva.
The puny critter swelled up so much that she croaked.

Le monde est plein de gens qui ne sont pas plus sages.
The world is full of people who are no wiser.

Tout bourgeois veut bâtir comme les grand seigneurs.
Every middle class person wants to build [mansions] like upper class folks.

Now for the activity in class:.

OPTION 1: Each team is given an envelope with the same sentence. When the teacher gives the signal, teams open their envelope and try to construct the sentence correctly in French. When students think their team has the correct sentence, they go write it on the board. The first team with the correct sentence in French wins a point. Continue until all 5 sentences are done. The team with the most points wins.

OPTION 2: Give each team all 5 envelopes. They need a blank sheet of paper and glue or tape. For this option, it's helpful if the envelopes are numbered 1-5 and if the blank paper is also numbered 1-5. This way it's easier for the teacher to match the answers to his/her key. Teams open each envelope and glue or tape the sentences on their answer paper. The first team to construct all 5 sentences accurately in French wins.

Questions about the activity? Contact Leah Bolek, Zion-Benton High School {bolekjj@wwa.com}