Describing Objects and Animals – Physical Characteristics and Qualities

Grade 7 · French

Semester 2 | Period 4 | Week 20

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Subject: French

Semester: 2

Period: 4

Week: 20

School Name: ___________________________________
Teacher’s Name: ___________________________________
Subject: French
Grade Level: Grade 7
Date: Week 20
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 20, Period 4
Topic: Describing Objects and Animals – Physical Characteristics and Qualities
Sub-topic: Structures with C’est + article + adjective + noun and avoir + adjective + noun

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

  1. Describe objects and animals using C’est + article + adjective + noun.
  2. Use avoir + adjective + noun to express physical traits or qualities.
  3. Expand vocabulary with classroom objects, animals, and everyday items.
  4. Construct accurate sentences combining articles, adjectives, nouns, and verbs.
  5. Communicate descriptions orally and in writing with clarity and correctness.

 

Previous Knowledge

Students already know:

  • Articles (un, une, des) and noun genders
  • Present tense of être and avoir
  • Adjectives for physical description (grand, petit, gros, petit(e), beau/belle, jeune, vieux/vieille)
  • Basic sentence structure and vocabulary for people and classroom items

 

Instructional Materials

  • Flashcards with classroom objects, animals, and adjectives
  • Pictures or models of animals and everyday objects
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Worksheets for sentence construction using C’est and avoir
  • Students’ notebooks and writing materials

 

Lesson Development – ABC Model

A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)
Time: 5–10 minutes

  • Teacher shows pictures of objects and animals.
  • Pupils attempt to describe them orally using known adjectives.
  • Quick oral drill: “C’est… / Il a… / Elle a…”

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body

Time: 25–30 minutes

  1. Présentatif with C’est + article + adjective + noun
  • Teacher introduces the structure: C’est + un/une + adjective + noun (used to present or describe things).
  • Teacher writes examples on the board:
    • C’est un gros livre. (This is a big book.)
    • C’est une petite table. (This is a small table.)
    • Voici un chien méchant. (Here is a mean dog.)
    • Voilà une belle maison. (That is a beautiful house.)
  • Teacher emphasizes gender and number agreement:
    • un petit stylo / une petite chaise
    • des gros sacs / des grandes maisons
  • Pupils practice orally by repeating after teacher.

 

  1. Structures with Avoir + adjective + noun
  • Teacher explains: Il/Elle a + article + adjective + noun (used to describe someone as “having” a feature).
  • Examples:
    • Il a un gros ventre. (He has a big belly.)
    • Elle a de grands yeux. (She has big eyes.)
    • Le chien a de petites oreilles. (The dog has small ears.)
    • La maison a une belle porte. (The house has a beautiful door.)
  • Teacher highlights plural forms: de grands yeux, de belles fleurs.
  • Guided practice: Pupils use “avoir” to describe animals, classmates, or objects in class.

 

  1. Vocabulary Expansion
  • Teacher introduces new nouns (with pictures or flashcards):
    • Animals: chat (cat), chien (dog), cheval (horse), oiseau (bird).
    • Classroom objects: table (table), chaise (chair), livre (book), stylo (pen).
    • Everyday items: sac (bag), montre (watch), ballon (ball), maison (house).
  • Pupils repeat vocabulary after teacher (choral → individual).
  • Matching activity: teacher shows a picture, pupils provide correct article + adjective + noun.
    • Teacher: (shows a bag) → Pupils: C’est un grand sac.
    • Teacher: (shows a cat) → Pupils: C’est un petit chat.

 

  1. Practical Classroom Activities

Pair Work:

  • Pupils pick any object (book, pen, bag) or animal picture and describe it in two ways:
    • C’est un petit stylo.
    • Il a une belle couleur.

Group Work:

  • Each group prepares a mini-poster describing 3–5 objects or animals using both C’est and Avoir structures.
    • Example poster:
      • C’est une grande maison. Elle a une belle porte.
      • C’est un ballon rouge. Il a une forme ronde.

Class Game – “Qui suis-je?” (Who am I?):

  • Teacher or pupil describes an object/animal without naming it:
    • C’est un animal. Il a de longues oreilles. C’est… (Answer: un lapin).
  • Pupils guess the object/animal being described.

 

Learners’ Activities (Expanded & Detailed)

  1. Repetition Drill – Practice orally the two structures with teacher.
  2. Pair Work – Each pair describes objects around them (e.g., book, chair, pen, bag).
  3. Group Work – Groups prepare mini-posters or charts describing objects/animals.
  4. Written Practice (Worksheet exercises):
    • Fill in blanks:
      • C’est ___ (un/une) ___ (adjective) ___ (noun).
      • Il/Elle a ___ (article + adjective + noun).
    • Transform sentences:
      • C’est un gros livre. → Il a un gros livre.
      • C’est une belle fleur. → Elle a une belle fleur.
    • Correct the errors:
      • C’est une beau table. → C’est une belle table.
  1. Oral Presentation – Groups present their posters; other pupils check for article, adjective, and noun agreement.

 

Assessment Checks

  1. Oral Assessment – Teacher asks individuals to describe a classroom object with C’est and
    • Example: Teacher points to a chair → Pupil: C’est une petite chaise. Elle a quatre pieds.
  2. Pair Performance – Teacher monitors dialogues for correct sentence formation.
  3. Written Assessment – Pupils complete worksheets with fill-in-the-blank, sentence transformations, and corrections.
  4. Peer Review – Pupils exchange notebooks and check sentences for correct gender/number agreement.

 

Notes (Expanded & Detailed)

  • Emphasize differences:
    • C’est introduces/identifies objects: C’est un grand livre.
    • Avoir shows possession/characteristics: Il a une belle couverture.
  • Reinforce gender and plural agreement of adjectives with nouns.
  • Encourage pupils to use more than one adjective in descriptions.
  • Link to prior learning: physical description of people (Week 19) → now objects/animals.

 

Assignment (Homework)

  1. Write 5 sentences describing classroom objects using C’est + adjective + noun.
    • Example: C’est un petit stylo bleu.
  2. Write 5 sentences using Avoir + adjective + noun for animals or items at home.
    • Example: Mon chien a de grandes oreilles.
  3. Draw one object or animal and write 3 sentences describing it (using both C’est and Avoir).
  4. Oral practice with a family member: describe 3 objects at home.

 

 

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)
Time: 5–10 minutes

  • Recap sentence structures and key vocabulary.
  • Volunteers describe objects or animals in front of the class.
    Evaluation Method: Quick oral quiz – pupils form 2–3 sentences using C’est + adjective + noun or avoir + adjective + noun.
    Follow-up Activity: Pupils prepare for Week 21 – Describing People’s Personality Traits and Objects’ Qualities.

 

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies

  • Struggling learners: Visual prompts, guided sentence starters, repetition drills.
  • Advanced learners: Describe multiple objects or animals using compound sentences with several adjectives.
  • Students with disabilities: Extra time, peer support, written prompts.

 

Teacher’s Reflection:

  • What worked well? ___________________________________________
  • What needs improvement? ____________________________________
  • Students’ engagement level: ☑ High ☐ Medium ☐ Low