During the fall trimester, the French III students read an excerpt from Dumas’ classic, The Count of Monte Cristo. In the story, the hero, Edmond Dantès, is wrongfully imprisoned in the island fortress, Chateau d’If. With the help of a “crazy” priest, Dantès escapes from the island and sets off to find the fortune that awaits him on Monte Cristo. Back in Maine, the students fittingly researched famous francophone prisons. But, now the fun began….
Each student, once familiar with his or her particular prison, prepared a “How to get out of jail” video. Why? To practice the imperative, of course! The students learned how to write formal written commands. This form is used on information bulletins or safety notices: for example, “Keep your eyes closed during an eclipse”. Mr. Crofton taught them how to use the App “Explain Anything”. The finished projects were not just informative; they were humorous as well! The videos featured oral and written text as well as instances of animation.
Will these videos be helpful to the inmates? Probably not, but the students certainly learned a lot from this experience.
Ms. Reedy, French Teacher