Expressing Identity and Age

Grade 8 · French

Semester 1 | Period 1 | Week 2

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Subject: French

Semester: 1

Period: 1

Week: 2

School Name: ___________________________
Teacher’s Name: _________________________
Subject: French
Grade Level: Grade 8
Date: Week 2
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 2, Period 1

Topic: Expressing Identity and Age
Sub-topic: Être + nom, C’est + noun, Voici/Voilà + noun, Avoir + âge

Learning Objectives

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

  1. Use être + nom and c’est + noun to identify people and objects.
  2. Apply voici/voilà in introducing or pointing out someone/something.
  3. Express age correctly using avoir + âge.
  4. Conjugate être and avoir in the present tense.
  5. Engage in role-plays introducing others, stating their identity and age.

 

Previous Knowledge

Students already know:

  • How to greet and introduce themselves in French.
  • The verb s’appeler in the present tense.
  • Numbers 1–20 in French (for stating ages).

 

Instructional Materials

  • Textbook: French for Beginners, Grade 8
  • Flashcards with personal pronouns and nouns (élève, professeur, ami, etc.)
  • Chart of être and avoir conjugations
  • Real objects/pictures for demonstrations (e.g., books, chairs)
  • Students’ notebooks and writing materials

 

Lesson Development – ABC Model

A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)

Time: 5–10 minutes

Activity:

  • Teacher points to self and says: Je suis professeur.
  • Points to a student: Tu es élève.
  • Points to a book: C’est un livre.
  • Asks students: “How do we say ‘This is my friend’ in French?”

Teacher’s Role: Model new expressions, ask guiding questions.
Learners’ Role: Observe, repeat after teacher, guess meanings.

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes

Teacher’s Role (Expanded with Details & Examples)

  1. Être + nom (To be + noun/identity)
  • Teacher introduces the present tense of être on the board:
    • Je suis (I am)
    • Tu es (You are – singular, informal)
    • Il/Elle est (He/She is)
    • Nous sommes (We are)
    • Vous êtes (You are – plural/formal)
    • Ils/Elles sont (They are – masculine/feminine)

Examples in Sentences:

  • Je suis élève. (I am a student.)
  • Tu es professeur. (You are a teacher.)
  • Il est médecin. (He is a doctor.)
  • Nous sommes camarades. (We are classmates.)
  • Vous êtes mon ami. (You are my friend.)
  • Elles sont étudiantes. (They are students – female).

 

  1. C’est + noun
  • Teacher explains C’est = “This is/It is” (used before nouns).
  • Contrast with Il/Elle est (used before adjectives/professions).

Examples:

  • C’est un livre. (This is a book.)
  • C’est Marie. (This is Marie.)
  • C’est mon frère. (This is my brother.)
  • Il est médecin. (He is a doctor.)
  • Elle est élève. (She is a student.)

 

  1. Voici / Voilà + noun
  • Teacher explains usage:
    • Voici → “Here is…” (something close/being introduced).
    • Voilà → “There is…” (something further away/pointing out).

Examples:

  • Voici mon ami. (Here is my friend.)
  • Voilà la classe. (There is the classroom.)
  • Voici mon livre. (Here is my book.)
  • Voilà le professeur. (There is the teacher.)

 

  1. Avoir + âge (To have + age = To be ___ years old in English)
  • Teacher introduces the present tense of avoir:
    • J’ai (I have)
    • Tu as (You have)
    • Il/Elle a (He/She has)
    • Nous avons (We have)
    • Vous avez (You have – plural/formal)
    • Ils/Elles ont (They have)

Examples (Age Use):

  • J’ai quinze ans. (I am 15 years old.)
  • Tu as douze ans. (You are 12 years old.)
  • Il a dix ans. (He is 10 years old.)
  • Elle a seize ans. (She is 16 years old.)
  • Nous avons treize ans. (We are 13 years old.)

 

  1. Role-Plays (Integrating Vocabulary & Grammar)
    Dialogue 1
  • A: Voici mon ami. Il s’appelle Paul. Il a treize ans.
  • B: C’est Marie. Elle est élève. Elle a quinze ans.

Dialogue 2

  • A: Bonjour ! Voici mon frère. Il s’appelle Ali.
  • B: Bonjour, Ali. Tu as quel âge ?
  • A: Il a douze ans.

Dialogue 3

  • A: C’est le professeur. Il est enseignant.
  • B: Voici mon amie, Aisha. Elle est élève. Elle a quatorze ans.

 

Learners’ Activities (Expanded & Practical)

  1. Repetition Drill – Pupils repeat the conjugations of être and avoir after teacher, both chorally and individually.
  2. Pair Practice – In pairs, pupils introduce themselves and a friend: name, profession/identity, and age.
    • Example: “Voici mon ami. Il s’appelle David. Il est élève. Il a quinze ans.”
  3. Group Role-Plays – Pupils in groups of 3–4 create short dialogues introducing classmates using être, avoir, c’est, voici, voilà.
  4. Written Exercise – Fill-in-the-blank activity:
    • Je ____ élève. (suis)
    • Elle ____ treize ans. (a)
    • ____ Marie. (C’est)
    • ____ mon professeur. (Voici/Voilà)
  5. Sentence Building – Pupils write 5 sentences:
    • 2 with être (identity/profession).
    • 1 with c’est.
    • 1 with voici/voilà.
    • 1 with avoir + âge.

Assessment Checks

  1. Oral Assessment
    • Teacher asks: “Conjugue le verbe être.” → pupil recites.
    • Teacher asks: “Quel âge as-tu ?” → pupil answers with avoir + âge.
  2. Pair Performance
    • Pupils perform short dialogues introducing a friend. Teacher checks accuracy.
  3. Written Assessment
    • Pupils complete a worksheet with 10 sentences requiring correct forms of être, avoir, c’est, voici, voilà.
  4. Peer Review
    • Pupils exchange written sentences and correct one another’s use of verbs.

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)

Time: 5–10 minutes

  • Teacher reviews: être, c’est, voici/voilà, avoir + âge.
  • Quick oral drill: teacher points to objects/persons → students respond with C’est… / Voici… / Voilà…
  • Exit slip/quiz: Write 3 sentences—one with être, one with c’est, one with avoir + âge.

 

Assessment Checks

  1. Oral: Introduce a classmate using voici/voilà.
  2. Written: Conjugate avoir in present tense.
  3. Dialogue: Voici mon ami. Il est élève. Il a 14 ans.
  4. Translation exercise:
    • This is my teacher.
    • I am a student.
    • She is 12 years old.

 

Assignment (Homework)

  1. Write 5 sentences introducing your family members with être and avoir + âge.
    • Example: C’est mon père. Il est médecin. Il a quarante ans.
  2. Memorize present tense conjugation of être and avoir.
  3. Prepare a short role-play introducing two people with their names and ages.

 

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies

  • Struggling learners: use flashcards and sentence starters.
  • Advanced learners: add profession or nationality to introductions.
  • Learners with disabilities: oral practice supported with written prompts.

 

Teacher’s Reflection

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