Resources CD: Template for 100 square grid – Transcript and translation of songs – Coloured images of eggs for the song – Image of an egg, a flower, a fish, a moss covered stone and a butterfly – Template with images of the egg – Words for the 4 eggs activity
Songs/Sound CD: French song ‘Œufs de Pâques’, track 1 – Correct pronunciation for the 4 eggs activity, track 3.
Other: Bunch of spring flowers, an egg.
Ideas and suggestions:Welcome everyone in to the hall with the song ‘Easter Eggs’ playing on CD. Do the children recognise the tune? Ask the children to listen to the song and show the lyrics on whiteboard. The song introduces simple vocabulary including colours. Use the coloured images of eggs available on the Resources CD and then ask them to sing along. Allow them to continue on their own with the instrumental version at the end. Tell the children they will sing it again at the end of the day. See page 2 for transcripts.
Bring the children’s attention to the spring flowers you have brought to the assembly. What do they remind us off and what is this time of year special for? Tell the children that throughout the day they will be doing activities related to Spring and the festival of Easter that always falls within Spring.
Four eggs activity: Show the children 4 eggs, plastic ‘Kinder’ surprise eggs for example, or show the image of an egg on a whiteboard (see image provided with question mark on resource CD). Tell the children that inside each egg something is hiding. Could they guess what?
Egg 1 A flower to show that new life is starting in Spring (use vocabulary for ‘flower’ and ‘what’s inside the egg? ’). If you haven’t got a real flower, show the image of a flower provided.Egg 2 A moss-covered stone, to show that things can grow in difficult places (use vocabulary for ‘stone’ and ‘moss’ and ‘what’s inside the egg? ’). If you haven’t got a real stone and moss, show the coloured image provided on the resources CD.Egg 3 A butterfly to show that things change from one thing to another and that there is beauty everywhere (use vocabulary for ‘butterfly’ and ‘what’s inside the egg? ’). Show the coloured image of a butterfly provided on the resources CD.Egg 4 Nothing... inside the last egg is air and without air there is no new life. Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not important (use vocabulary for ‘air’ ‘nothing’ and ‘what’s inside the egg? ’).
Ask the children ‘What would you put in your egg? ’. Perhaps the children could have a competition to put something in an egg and find out the French word for it. The winner is picked out in a future assembly. Distribute the black and white image of an egg provided (see template with images of the egg).
Show the children a picture of a fish, an egg and a 100 square grid. Say that by the end of the day they will be able to tell the rest of the school what they mean and why they are significant to today’s theme.
The children leave the hall listening and joining in with the song: ‘Easter Eggs’.
Œufs de Pâques – CD track 1Oeufs de Pâques, oeufs de PâquesCachez-les, cachez-lesLes bleus et les rougesLes jaunes et les vertsDans le jardin, dans le jardin.
What’s inside the egg? – CD track 3Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dans l’oeuf?Une fleur.
Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dans l’oeuf?De la mousse sur une pierre.
Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dans l’oeuf?Un papillon.
Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dans l’oeuf?Rien! De l’air.
Easter eggsEaster eggs, Easter eggsHide them, hide themThe blue ones and the red onesThe yellow ones and the green onesIn the garden, in the garden.
4 Recall and sequence traditions around Spring and Easter in France Here the children will learn about another country’s Spring and Easter traditions.
What you will need:
Resources CD: Images of traditions with dates – Information on Spring and Easter in France – Images for Spring and Easter – List of key vocabulary – Set of black and white images.
Song/Sounds CD: Correct pronunciation for key vocabulary, track 9.
The teacher shares with the children what happens across France in the Spring and at Easter, using the images provided to illustrate the events. The children then have the opportunity to ask questions about what they’ve heard and seen. They are then given, as a group or individually, a set of the black and white images and they have to sequence them correctly remembering what happens when. The children then share their sequenced pictures and images with a friend or another group, retelling the traditions around Spring time and Easter from another country.
5 Calendar Activity Here the children will develop their season and month sequencing skills.
What you will need:
Resources CD: Template for personal profile – Words for numbers (1 – 31) – Words for seasons – Words for months – Template with images of seasons and their corresponding months.
Song/Sounds CD: Correct pronunciation for numbers, track 15; seasons, track 8 and months, track 7.
Display the words for numbers, months and seasons clearly for all to see. Go through the words with the children yourself or use the sound CD, see page 16 for transcript. This activity is best held in the hall or outdoors. Photocopy and distribute the personal profile template, one per child.
The children have to complete their personal profile which asks them their name and their date of birth and the season they were born in. At the same time they check on their pronunciation skills. They then go to the hall or outside and they work together as a class to sequence the birthdays from 1st January to 31st December. As the children stand in a row or circle they say in French their name and their date of birth (date and month), and the season they were born in. They can refer to the list of the colour coded months available on the resources CD which you can enlarge.
Youpi! C’est le printemps! – CD track 4Youpi! C’est le printemps! Mon jardin tout vert Remplace l’hiver. Youpi! C’est le printemps!Poules, lapins, brebis, Le froid est parti!
Youpi! C’est le printemps!Vois les canetonsToute la neige fond.
Youpi! C’est le printemps!Les petits moineauxMangent les vermisseaux.Youpi! C’est le printemps!Et près du ruisseau Naissent les petits veaux.
Youpi! C’est le printemps!Vois les canetonsToute la neige fond.
Youpi!
Instrumental – CD track 5
Yippee! It’s spring!
Yippee! It’s spring!My green gardenReplaces winter.Yippee! It’s spring!Hens, rabbits, ewes,The cold weather has gone!
Yippee! It’s spring!See the ducklingsAll the snow is melting.
Yippee! It’s spring!The little sparrowsEat worms.Yippee! It’s spring!And near to the streamCalves are born.
Yippee! It’s spring!See the ducklingsAll the snow has melted.
Yippee!
Œufs de Pâques – CD track 1 Oeufs de Pâques, oeufs de PâquesCachez-les, cachez-lesLes bleus et les rougesLes jaunes et les vertsDans le jardin, dans le jardin.(Repeated)
Instrumental – CD track 2
Easter eggs Easter eggs, Easter eggsHide them, hide themThe blue ones and the red onesThe yellow ones and the green onesIn the garden, in the garden.
Months – CD track 7janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, september, octobre, novembre, décembre
Seasons – CD track 8printemps, été, automne, hiver.
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
spring, summer, autumn, winter.
Key vocabulary – CD track 9Mardi Grasune crêpeun beignetle carnavalla bataille de fleursles clochesle jour de Pâquesla chasse aux œufsles confiseriesles chocolateries
