The world’s is going video. “In five years, most of [Facebook] will be video,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said (pictured on left) .
People prefer to communicate using rich media, i.e.: video.
Research has shown that the new language of kids is VIDEO. The bar graph pictured here shows that instagram had tied Facebook in the year between 2012 and 2013 as the most important social media for teens.
Even adults are using videos where it used to be unthinkable. Video abstracts is the latest trend in scientific publishing. Will “publish or perish” soon include “video or vanish”?
Given the quality of what kids see on TV and in films, how do you think French second language videos stack up ? Most of them are as engaging as a bowl of dried seaweed.
Students don’t respond to that, and how does that make French as a subject look ?
Students need French videos that are easy enough for them to understand, yet interesting and relevant. They need corresponding activities and books to match.
That’s why we put so much attention to detail in Booksmarts French kits.
Even if you don’t use Booksmarts videos, I’d like to give you a couple of techniques you can use with any video in your French class. To read about those techniques, CLICK HERE.
Booksmarts French kits feature 21st century pedagogy. The teacher’s guides give you step by step activities leading to a summative unit task. By the end of the unit, your students will be able to do the task in French. To preview the pedagogy behind the kits,CLICK HERE.
We offer 6 different French culture kits. They’re available individually, or as French Packs. Each Pack is comprised of several kits.
HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT KITS:
LE CARNAVAL DE QUÉBEC ! Grades 2 through 12. Videos, activities, online eBook (3 yr teacher access) and books
The video and the book feature:
Bonhomme Carnaval interview
Le Palais de glace
Les sculptures sur neige
Les courses de canots à glace sur le St-Laurent
La carte des sites et les Plaines d’Abraham
La température
Les glissades géantes, l
a Grande Virée,
le Bain de neige,
l’Histoire du Carnaval and more !The videos and the book go hand in hand. The books has a variety of texts and genres including descriptive texts, narration, dialogues, and more!
To immediately see a video preview of the kits, CLICK HERE
Kit Bienvenue en France. Reg. over $600, special now. All about France, the places, the people, the food, the history and what it’s like to go to France today, in levelled French ! Kit includes: 10 copies of the book, 1 DVD with over 20 videos, Digital version of the book so you can project on the whiteboard (plus it’s narrated !), Teacher’s guide/activities & summative task available separately. For more details, click here.
La Tour Eiffel
La Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris
L’Arc de triomphe
Le musée du Louvres
La bouffe, les restaurants, les repas
Versailles
La France
La Seine, le Pont des Arts, les bateaux mouches, les bouquinistes
Montmartre
La vallée de la Loire: La cathédrale de Chartres
Le chateau d’Angers
Le déjeuner
Le chateau de la Bourdassières
On fait du vin dans un vignoble millénaire
Bienvenue en France !
L’ÉRABLIÈRE: Grades 2 through 12. Videos, activities, online eBook (3 yr teacher access) and books.
* A visit to all the attractions of a large sugar shack.
* Maple syrup harvesting and transformation.
* A sleigh ride in the woods, visit a maple museum.
* Interview with family members operating an “erablière” over 4 generations. Quebec culture doesn’t get any more authentic than this !
* The special food, dancing, taffy on snow (“tire”), mini farm, …
* Interview in a maple products Co-op, nutrition and history.
To immediately see a video preview of the kits, CLICK HERE
L’HISTOIRE ET LA CULTURE DE MONTRÉAL:Grades 2 through 12. Videos, activities, online eBook (3 yr teacher access) and books.
The history of French Canada starts in Montréal. We visit all the fun, iconic places in Montréal and meet the people.
Le Vieux-Montréal
Le musée Pointe-à-Callière
Expo 67
Stade Olympique
Les Bagels
Petite Italie
Le Mont-Royal
L’Oratoire St-Joseph
Le hockey des Canadiens de Montréal…and more !
To immediately see a video preview of the kits, CLICK HERE
LES FRANCO-ONTARIENS: Grades 2 through 12. Videos, activities, online eBook (3 yr teacher access) and books.
Over 20 videos on 10 topics. In Levelled French for grades 2 to 12.
Champlain, les explorateurs,
regions of Ontario,
Food,
French media, and more !
We meet French Canadian musicians,
teachers,
we visit a mine in Sudbury,
we go to Ottawa for a Franco-Fête,
we interview scholars,
meet radio announcers at Radio Le Loup in Northeastern Ontario,
learn how to make a French newspaper,
how to make poutine,
learn about the Franco-Ontarian flag,
why canoes were important in early exploration,
trace back the routes of early Canadian explorers,
go over the history of Ontario and its key periods, and much more !
LA ST-JEAN-BAPTISTE: Grades 2 through 12. Videos, activities, online eBook (3 yr teacher access) and books.
La St-Jean is the biggest French culture celebration in Canada.
We discover the Province of Quebec
All the fun celebrations
All the cool people, historical and today
The music and the culture of Quebec
Whatever resource you use in class, always try to incorporate videos. It takes your students “out of the classroom” and instantly makes your subject more engaging and relevant.