Describing People – Physical Traits, Size, and Shape

Grade 9 · French

Semester 1 | Period 3 | Week 13

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Subject: French

Semester: 1

Period: 3

Week: 13

School Name: ___________________________
Teacher’s Name: _________________________
Subject: French
Grade Level: Grade 9
Date: Week 13
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 13, Period 3
Topic: Describing People – Physical Traits, Size, and Shape
Sub-topic: Vocabulary (gros / petite / mince / grand / petit / beau / belle / jeune / vieux), Grammar: être + adjective (masc./fem.)

Learning Objectives

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

  1. Identify and use vocabulary for physical traits, size, and appearance.
  2. Conjugate and apply être + adjective correctly in masculine and feminine forms.
  3. Describe people orally and in writing using full sentences.
  4. Engage in pair and group activities describing classmates.
  5. Draw and label a classmate with correct adjectives.

 

Previous Knowledge

Students already know:

  • Greetings, introductions, nationality, profession, age, articles, pronouns, numbers 1–1000.
  • Present tense of s’appeler, être, avoir, habiter.
  • Writing letters, telephone conversations, invitations, and future tense verbs.

 

Instructional Materials

  • Textbook: French for Beginners, Grade 9
  • Flashcards: adjectives for physical traits
  • Charts: être + adjective conjugation (masc./fem.)
  • Audio clips: pronunciation of adjectives
  • Students’ notebooks, writing materials, and drawing sheets

 

Lesson Development – ABC Model

A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)

Time: 5–10 minutes
Activity:

  • Teacher shows pictures of people or classmates and asks:
    “Comment est-il ? Comment est-elle ?”
  • Students attempt oral descriptions using known adjectives.
    Teacher’s Role: Prompt, model correct pronunciation, and correct errors.
    Learners’ Role: Participate orally, recall prior knowledge, describe images actively.

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes

Step 1: Introduce Vocabulary – 5–6 minutes

Key Adjectives (Physical Traits and Appearance):

  • gros / grosse → big / fat
  • mince → thin
  • grand / grande → tall / big
  • petit / petite → small / short
  • beau / belle → handsome / beautiful
  • jeune → young
  • vieux / vieille → old

Teaching Strategy:

  • Teacher pronounces each adjective slowly; students repeat chorally, then individually.
  • Highlight gender forms explicitly:
    • Masculine: gros, mince, grand, petit, beau, jeune, vieux
    • Feminine: grosse, mince, grande, petite, belle, jeune, vieille

Additional Examples for Students:

  • Il est gros → He is big
  • Elle est grosse → She is big
  • Il est beau → He is handsome
  • Elle est belle → She is beautiful

Practice:

  • Drill students: Teacher calls out adjectives; students say masculine and feminine forms aloud.
  • Quick flashcard activity: Show a picture; students call out appropriate adjective with gender agreement.

 

Step 2: Grammar – être + adjective – 6–7 minutes

Structure: être + adjective

  • Conjugation examples:
    • Il est grand et mince.
    • Elle est petite et jolie.
    • Il est jeune et beau.
    • Elle est vieille et gentille.

Practice Sentences:

  • Describe classmates: Il est petit et mince.
  • Describe famous people: Elle est grande et belle.

Class Activity:

  • Teacher says: “Describe the tall student in the front row.”
  • Students respond using être + adjective structures.

 

Step 3: Oral Practice – 6–7 minutes

Pair Work:

  • Students ask and answer:
    • “Comment est ton ami / ta camarade ?”
    • Response: “Il est… / Elle est…”
  • Encourage using 2–3 adjectives per sentence:
    • Il est grand, mince et jeune.
    • Elle est petite, belle et gentille.

Group Work:

  • Each group describes 2–3 classmates orally.
  • Peers must guess who is being described.

 

Step 4: Drawing & Labeling – 6–7 minutes

Activity:

  • Students draw a classmate, friend, or fictional character.
  • Label physical traits with correct adjectives and gender agreement.

Example Labels:

  • Elle est petite, mince et jeune.
  • Il est grand, beau et vieux.
  • Elle est grosse et gentille.

Additional Practice:

  • Students pair up and exchange drawings; partner reads description aloud.
  • Teacher circulates to correct any gender or adjective placement errors.

 

Step 5: Integrative Practice – 5–6 minutes

Oral Game:

  • Students describe a friend or character without naming them.
  • Partner guesses who is being described.
  • Emphasize:
    • Correct use of être + adjective
    • Gender agreement
    • Use of multiple adjectives per sentence

Optional Extension:

  • Students write 3–4 sentences about someone they know well, integrating at least 4 adjectives, then read aloud to the class.

 

Assessment (Formative, during lesson)

Oral Assessment:

  • Students describe classmates or drawings using être + adjective accurately.
  • Check for correct gender agreement and use of multiple adjectives.

Written Assessment:

  • Students label drawings with adjectives.
  • Write short descriptive sentences about classmates, friends, or famous people.

Peer Review:

  • Swap drawings and check each other’s descriptions for:
    • Grammar accuracy
    • Gender agreement
    • Spelling and placement of adjectives

Additional Teacher Check:

  • Quick quiz: Show a picture, students orally say 2–3 adjectives describing the person/object with correct agreement.

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)

Time: 5–10 minutes

  • Quick recap: Pronunciation of adjectives, être + adjective, and agreement rules.
  • Exit activity: Write 3 sentences describing 2 classmates.

Assessment Checks:

  1. Oral: Describe a partner using at least 3 adjectives.
  2. Written: Sentences checked for adjective agreement (masc./fem., singular/plural).
  3. Pair/group: Correct pronunciation and complete sentences observed.

 

Assignment (Homework)

  1. Write a paragraph (5–6 sentences) describing 3 family members using être + adjective.
  2. Practice pronouncing all adjectives learned.
  3. Label a picture of a famous personality using at least 5 adjectives.

 

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies

  • Struggling learners: Provide sentence starters, visual cues, and peer support.
  • Advanced learners: Use multiple adjectives, compound sentences, and comparative forms.
  • Learners with disabilities: Extra time, large print flashcards, and guided sentence writing.

 

Teacher’s Reflection

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