Describing People – Physical Structure, Size, and Shape

Grade 7 · French

Semester 2 | Period 4 | Week 19

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Subject: French

Semester: 2

Period: 4

Week: 19

School Name: ___________________________________
Teacher’s Name: ___________________________________
Subject: French
Grade Level: Grade 7
Date: Week 19
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 19, Period 4
Topic: Describing People – Physical Structure, Size, and Shape
Sub-topic: Vocabulary and Structures with être + adjective

Learning Objectives

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

  1. Identify and use vocabulary for describing physical appearance.
  2. Construct sentences using être + adjective to describe people.
  3. Distinguish masculine/feminine forms of adjectives and singular/plural forms.
  4. Apply descriptive vocabulary in oral and written exercises.
  5. Gain confidence in describing themselves, peers, and other people accurately.

 

Previous Knowledge

Students already know:

  • Basic pronouns: il, elle, ils, elles
  • Conjugation of être in present tense: je suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont
  • Basic adjectives and gender agreement rules
  • Classroom vocabulary and polite expressions

 

Instructional Materials

  • Flashcards with adjectives for physical description
  • Pictures of people of different sizes, ages, and shapes
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Worksheets for adjective agreement and sentence construction
  • Students’ notebooks and writing materials

 

Lesson Development – ABC Model

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

  • Teacher shows pictures of different people.
  • Pupils describe what they see using simple adjectives (grand, petit, jeune, vieux).
  • Quick oral drill: “Il est… Elle est…” to recall être + adjective structures.

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes

  1. Vocabulary for Physical Description
  • Teacher introduces adjectives (written on board and with visual aids like flashcards/pictures):
    • grand(e) (tall), petit(e) (small/short), gros(se) (fat/big), mince (slim), beau/belle (handsome/beautiful), jeune (young), vieux/vieille (old).
  • Pupils repeat after teacher for correct pronunciation (choral then individual).
  • Teacher shows pictures:
    • A tall boy → Il est grand.
    • A small girl → Elle est petite.
    • An old man → Il est vieux.
    • A young woman → Elle est jeune.
  • Emphasis on gender forms: grand vs grande, beau vs belle, vieux vs vieille.
  • Teacher highlights plural forms: grands, petites, vieux, belles.

 

  1. Structures with Être + Adjective
  • Explanation: Subject + être + adjective
  • Teacher writes examples on the board and explains agreements:
    • Il est grand. (He is tall.)
    • Elle est petite. (She is small.)
    • Ils sont grands. (They are tall – masculine plural.)
    • Elles sont petites. (They are small – feminine plural.)
    • Il est beau. (He is handsome.)
    • Elle est belle. (She is beautiful.)
  • Teacher emphasizes rules: adjectives agree with the gender and number of the subject.

 

  1. Guided Practice
  • Pupils form sentences orally using classmates as examples:
    • Fatou est belle.
    • Moussa est grand.
    • Ils sont jeunes.
  • Teacher corrects pronunciation and checks for gender/number agreement.
  • Pupils also describe pictures on the board:
    • A group of children → Ils sont petits.
    • A woman with glasses → Elle est belle et mince.

 

  1. Practical Classroom Activities

Pair Work:

  • Each pupil describes a partner using at least 3 adjectives in full sentences.
    • Example: Mon ami est grand, mince et beau.

Group Work:

  • Groups create a poster of a famous person/character (e.g., Nelson Mandela, Samuel Eto’o, or a cartoon character).
  • Write at least 5 sentences describing him/her using être + adjective.
    • Example: Mandela est vieux, sage et grand. Il est célèbre. Il est important.

Role-play:

  • A short class “fashion show”: pupils take turns walking to the front and classmates describe them in French using adjectives.

 

Learners’ Activities (Expanded & Detailed)

  1. Repetition Drill – Pupils repeat vocabulary and sample sentences chorally and individually.
  2. Pair Work – Describe a classmate or family member using être + adjective.
  3. Group Work – Create a descriptive poster with at least 5 sentences.
  4. Written Practice – Worksheets:
    • Fill in blanks: Elle ___ (être) jeune et ___ (mince).
    • Transform masculine to feminine: Il est beau → Elle est belle.
    • Change singular to plural: Il est petit → Ils sont petits.
  5. Oral Presentation – Groups present posters and sentences to the class; peers listen and provide feedback.

 

Assessment Checks

  1. Oral Assessment – Teacher asks: Décris ton ami(e) avec trois adjectifs. (Describe your friend with 3 adjectives.)
  2. Pair Performance – Teacher monitors partner work for correct adjective agreement.
  3. Written Assessment –
    • Fill-in-the-blank: Il ___ (être) grand et ___ (jeune).
    • Correct errors: Elle est beau → Elle est belle.
    • Translate: “They are small.” → Ils sont petits.
  4. Peer Review – Pupil exchange notebooks, check gender/number agreement, and correct errors.

 

Notes (Expanded & Detailed)

  • Stress agreement rules: adjectives must match gender (masc/fem) and number (sing/plural).
  • Reinforce use of multiple adjectives: Il est grand et mince.
  • Contextualize to real life: classmates, family members, Liberian figures (e.g., George Weah, Leymah Gbowee).

Assignment (Homework)

  1. Write 5 sentences describing family members using être + adjective.
    • Example: Mon père est grand. Ma mère est belle.
  2. Write a short paragraph (5–6 lines) describing a famous person or friend using at least 5 adjectives.
  3. Practice orally with a family member or classmate: describe them in 3 sentences.
  4. Bonus: Draw a picture of someone and write 4 sentences describing them in French.

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

  • Recap key adjectives and sentence structures.
  • Volunteers describe a classmate or a picture in front of the class.
    Evaluation Method: Quick oral quiz – pupils form 2–3 sentences using être + adjective.
    Follow-up Activity: Prepare for Week 20 – Personality Traits and Describing People’s Character.

 

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies

  • Struggling learners: Visual prompts, sentence starters, repetition drills.
  • Advanced learners: Longer descriptive sentences combining multiple adjectives and plural forms.
  • Students with disabilities: Extra time, peer support, written prompts.

 

Teacher’s Reflection:

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