Class: Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1, SS 1, SSS1, SSS 1)
Term: 3rd Term
Week: 3
Age: 15 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: French Language
Curriculum Theme: French Language
Previous Lesson: Exprimer Ce Qu’il Ne Faut Pas Faire: Prohibitions and Negation.
Topic: Donner les raisons des sentiments variés.
Subject Matter: Expressing feelings (fâché, content, fatigué); asking and answering why using pourquoi, parce que, à cause de, c’est la faute de; writing a short composition on reasons for different feelings; opinion phrases (à mon avis, de ma part); giving reasons for likes and dislikes.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain:

Define “sentiments” and “raisons” and identify words used to express feelings and reasons in French.
State the meanings and uses of pourquoi, parce que, à cause de, and c’est la faute de.
Construct correct sentences that give reasons for feelings, likes, and dislikes.

Affective Domain:

Show readiness to express feelings politely and listen to others with respect.
Appreciate that feelings often have reasons and can be explained calmly.

Psychomotor Domain:

Pronounce key feeling words and reason connectors correctly during oral practice.
Write a short composition giving reasons for different feelings using correct structures.

Participate in turn-taking discussions on feelings and reasons without interrupting others.
Work cooperatively in pairs to practise question-and-answer dialogues using pourquoi and parce que.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
State Unified Scheme of Work
Recommended French textbook for Senior Secondary Schools (e.g., French for Senior Secondary Schools, Book 1)
TV5MONDE Apprendre le français
Larousse French Dictionary
BBC Bitesize French

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

Adapted dialogue texts (textes de dialogues adaptés)
Newspaper cuttings (coupures de journaux) showing situations that cause feelings
Short film clips on daily-life emotions and reactions
Audio materials: CDs or cassettes for listening practice
Flashcards/charts showing feelings and reason connectors
Short writing guide for a paragraph composition (topic sentence, reasons, conclusion)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils explain feelings and give reasons in French during real conversations. It also improves writing and speaking by teaching pupils how to ask “why” and answer clearly.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can form simple French sentences, ask basic questions, and use common verbs and adjectives in short expressions.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Donner les raisons des sentiments variés (Giving Reasons for Different Feelings)

Meaning of feelings and reasons

Feelings are emotions or states of mind (e.g., happy, angry, tired). Reasons are explanations for why a person feels a certain way.

Common feeling words (sentiments)

The following are common French words used to express feelings:

Fâché(e) – angry/annoyed.
Content(e) – happy/pleased.
Fatigué(e) – tired.

Asking “why” using “Pourquoi”

“Pourquoi” is used to ask for a reason. It means “why”.

The following are examples of questions with “pourquoi”:

Pourquoi es-tu fâché(e) ?
Pourquoi es-tu content(e) ?
Pourquoi es-tu fatigué(e) ?

Answering with “Parce que”

“Parce que” introduces a reason in a sentence. It means “because”.

The following are examples using “parce que”:

Je suis fâché(e) parce que tu as menti.
Je suis content(e) parce que j’ai réussi mon test.
Je suis fatigué(e) parce que j’ai beaucoup travaillé.

Giving reasons with “À cause de”

“À cause de” is used to state a cause, often a negative one. It means “because of” and is followed by a noun or noun phrase.

The following are examples using “à cause de”:

Je suis en colère à cause du bruit.
Je suis fatigué(e) à cause du travail.
Je suis fâché(e) à cause du retard.

Blaming using “C’est la faute de”

“C’est la faute de” is used to say who or what is responsible. It means “it is the fault of”.

The following are examples using “c’est la faute de”:

Je suis fâché(e). C’est la faute de Paul.
Je suis en retard. C’est la faute du trafic.
Je suis fatigué(e). C’est la faute du match.

Opinion phrases for giving reasons

Opinion phrases are used to introduce personal views before giving reasons.

The following are common opinion phrases:

À mon avis – in my opinion.
De ma part – as for me/from my side.

Giving reasons for likes and dislikes

The following are examples of giving reasons for likes and dislikes:

J’aime lire parce que c’est intéressant.
Je n’aime pas le bruit à cause de la fatigue.
À mon avis, il faut faire du sport parce que c’est bon pour la santé.
De ma part, je préfère la musique parce qu’elle me détend.

Short composition: reasons for different feelings

A short composition is a short paragraph that explains feelings and gives reasons clearly.

The following are guidelines for the composition:

Write a short title or topic sentence about feelings.
Mention at least two feelings (fâché, content, fatigué).
Give reasons using pourquoi/parce que and one of à cause de or c’est la faute de.
End with a simple concluding sentence.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Role Play, Guided Writing, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents short situations (late to class, good result, tired after chores) and asks pupils to name the feeling, then introduces the topic and key words on the board.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify feelings from the situations and respond with simple French words where possible.
Learning Point: Feelings can be named and explained with reasons.

Step 2: Presentation of feeling words

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation and Drill
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher teaches fâché, content, fatigué, explains meaning and agreement, and leads pronunciation drills with short sentences.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat and use each word in one short sentence orally.
Learning Point: Basic feeling words can be used correctly in sentences.

Step 3: Teaching “Pourquoi” and “Parce que” (question and answer)

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration and Guided Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher models questions with pourquoi and answers with parce que, then guides pupils through pair practice with different situations.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils ask and answer in pairs using pourquoi and parce que correctly.
Learning Point: “Pourquoi” asks for a reason and “parce que” gives a reason.

Step 4: Teaching “À cause de” and “C’est la faute de”

Time: 6 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation and Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains how to use à cause de and c’est la faute de with examples and corrects common errors in sentence formation.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils form two oral examples using each structure based on given prompts.
Learning Point: Reasons can be expressed with “à cause de” and responsibility can be stated with “c’est la faute de”.

Step 5: Role play and turn-taking discussion

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Communication and Classroom Interaction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides short role plays where pupils explain why they are annoyed, happy, or tired, using opinion phrases and reason connectors.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils speak in turns, explain their feelings with reasons, and participate in short role plays.
Learning Point: Pupils can give reasons for feelings in spoken French.

Step 6: Guided writing (short composition)

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Writing
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher gives a simple writing guide and a sample outline, then supervises pupils as they write a short paragraph giving reasons for different feelings.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils write a short composition using at least two feelings and correct reason expressions.
Learning Point: Pupils can write a short paragraph explaining feelings and reasons.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

Define feelings (sentiments) and give three examples in French.
State the meaning of “pourquoi” and “parce que” and use them in one question and one answer.
List two sentences using “à cause de” and two sentences using “c’est la faute de”.
Explain two guidelines for writing a short composition on reasons for feelings.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summary and Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes key expressions, corrects errors, and gives an assignment: write eight sentences giving reasons for feelings and likes/dislikes using parce que, à cause de, and c’est la faute de at least once each.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask questions where needed, and copy the assignment.
Learning Point: Pupils can explain feelings and give reasons clearly in French.

Lesson Keywords

Sentiments – feelings or emotions.
Raisons – reasons or explanations.
Fâché(e) – angry/annoyed.
Content(e) – happy/pleased.
Fatigué(e) – tired.
Pourquoi – why.
Parce que – because.
À cause de – because of (often negative cause).
C’est la faute de – it is the fault of.
À mon avis – in my opinion.

Differentiation

Support slower learners with sentence frames such as “Je suis … parce que …” and a list of verbs and nouns to choose from, while faster learners write longer compositions that include opinion phrases and both positive and negative reasons.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Ensure pupils use correct agreement for adjectives (fâché/fâchée, content/contente, fatigué/fatiguée). Emphasize the difference between parce que (clause) and à cause de (noun phrase), and correct blame statements to remain respectful during discussions.