Author:
Mimi Fahnstrom, Camille Daw, Brenna McNeil, Amber Hoye, Rylie Wieseler
Subject:
Languages
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Level:
High School, College / Upper Division
Tags:
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • French
  • L'environnement
  • L'énergie Nucléaire
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Opinions
  • Subjonctif
  • Subjunctive
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution
    Language:
    English, French

    French Level 4, Activity 07: L'énergie nucléaire en France / Nuclear Energy in France (Online)

    French Level 4, Activity 07: L'énergie nucléaire en France / Nuclear Energy in France (Online)

    Overview

    In this activity, students will learn more about nuclear energy use in France and practice sharing their opinions using the subjunctive tense.

    Activity Information

    Did you know that you can access the complete collection of Pathways Project French activities in our new Let’s Chat! French pressbook? View the book here: https://boisestate.pressbooks.pub/pathwaysfrench 

    Please Note: Many of our activities were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner. 

    Nuclear Energy in France / L'énergie nucléaire en France

    Description

    In this activity, students will learn more about nuclear energy use in France and practice sharing their opinions using the subjunctive tense.

    Semantic Topics

    Nuclear energy, energy, environment, opinions, subjunctive, l'énergie nucléaire, l'environnement, subjonctif

    Products

    Nuclear energy

    Practices

    Using nuclear energy sources

    Perspectives

    In France, it is seen as a positive for the environment to use nuclear based energy. 70% of France's electricity is produced by nuclear generators!

    World-Readiness Standards 

    • Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations or correspondence in French to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
    • Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret spoken and written French on a variety of topics.
    • Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the cultures of the francophone world.
    • Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through French.

    Idaho State Content Standards

    • COMM 1: Interact with others in the target language and gain meaning from interactions in the target language.
    • COMM 2: Discover meaning from what is heard, read or viewed on a variety of topics in the target language.
    • CLTR 2: Investigate, explain and reflect on the relationship between the products and perspectives of the cultures studied in the target language.
    • CLTR 2.1: Analyze the significance of a product (art, music, literature, etc...) in a target culture.
    • CONN 1: Build, reinforce, and expand knowledge of other disciplines while using the target language to develop critical thinking/creative problem solving skills.

    NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements

    • I can discuss renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
    • I can share my opinion on nuclear energy.
    • I can propose alternative renewable energy sources to replace nuclear energy.
     

    Materials Needed

    Warm-Up

    Warm-Up

    1. Begin the activity by opening the Google presentation and introducing the Can-Do statements.

    2. Ask the students these questions:

    • Connaissez-vous des sources d’énergies renouvelables ? Donnez-nous quelques exemples. (Do you know any renewable energy sources? Give some examples.)
    • Connaissez-vous des sources d’énergies non-renouvelables ? Donnez-nous quelques exemples. (Do you know any non-renewable energy sources? Give some examples.)

    Main Activity

    Main Activity

    Le débat

    1. Split the students into teams and assign them a debate question. *If the class is small, you can have 1 student per team.

    Aujourd'hui nous allons faire un débat. Je vais vous donner un(e) partenaire et une question. Pour chaque question, il y aura 2 équipes. 

    2. Here are the 3 questions:

    • À votre avis, l'énergie nucléaire est-elle bonne ou mauvaise ? (In your opinion, is nuclear energy good or bad?)
      • Equipe 1 - L'énergie nucléaire est bonne.
      • Equipe 2 - L'énergie nucléaire est mauvaise.
    • Quel type d'énergie renouvelable choisiriez-vous pour remplacer l'énergie nucléaire en France ? Pourquoi ? (What type of renewable energy would you choose to replace nuclear energy in France? Why?)

    *Example for the 2 different teams:

      • Equipe 1: énergie éolienne (Wind energy)
      • Equipe 2: énergie solaire (Solar energy)
    • D'après vous, les Etats-Unis devraient-ils augmenter leur production d'énergie nucléaire ? (In your opinion, should the US increase their production of nuclear energy?)
      • Equipe 1 - Les Etats-Unis devraient augmenter leur production d'énergie nucléaire.
      • Equipe 2 - Les Etats-Unis ne devraient pas augmenter leur production d'énergie nucléaire.

    *NOTE: Remind the students to try and formulate their responses using the subjunctive.

    Essayez d'utiliser le subjonctif en créant vos réponses !

    3. Here is a document with prompting phrases that use the subjunctive: Prompting Phrases.

    4. Send this document to the students using the chat.

    5. Share Slide 7 with the students before starting the debates. On this slide is background information that they can use to create their arguments.

    Voilà quelques informations de base que vous pouvez utiliser pour créer vos arguments.

    • If necessary, students can use their phones to research information or make up their own statistics. (Si nécessaire, vous pouvez utiliser votre portable pour rechercher plus d'information.)

    6. Give each student/team 4-5 mins to make their initial argument. Then switch to the other student/team.

    Chaque équipe aura  4-5 minutes pour présenter leur premier argument.

    7. Then give each side 2-3 minutes to form a rebuttal in response to the opposing teams argument.

    Puis, vous aurez 2-3 minutes pour formuler votre réfutation (counter-argument).

    • If the group has 2 or more students, you can send them to breakout rooms to discuss their rebuttal arguments.

    8. Finally, have them present their rebuttal arguments in 4-5 mins.

    Enfin, chaque équipe aura 4-5 minutes pour présenter votre réfutation.

    9. Repeat steps 2-4 until all groups have gotten to debate.

    Répétez ces étapes jusqu'à ce que toutes les équipes avaient eu l'opportunite de faire leurs débats.

    *Encourage students who aren’t debating to actively listen until it is their turn.

    Si vous ne débattez pas, écoutez activement jusqu'à votre tour.

     

    Wrap-Up

    Wrap-Up

    Ask the following question(s) to finish the activity:

    • Existe-t-il des exemples de sources d'énergie renouvelables dans votre état d'origine? (Are there examples of renewable energy sources in your home state?)

    Cultural Resources

    France's nuclear energy policy

    France 24 discusses nuclear energy in France

    How about the nuclear option? France goes all in on atomic energy

    End of Activity

    • Can-Do statement check-in… “Where are we?”
    • Read can-do statements and have students evaluate their confidence.
    • Encourage students to be honest in their self evaluation
    • Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future activities!

    NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements 

    • I can discuss renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
    • I can share my opinion on nuclear energy.
    • I can propose alternative renewable energy sources to replace nuclear energy.