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So you have adopted a herd of homeless Escargots.
What next?
Most of these Bonnes Idées have been used by profs de français
currently using Adopt an Escargot.
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^{BEFORE ADOPTION DAY}
Quelques bonnes idées:
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DEMANDE  D'ADOPTION
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One of our Escargot Profs has shared this application
to become an adoptive Escargot parent, or a

"Demande d'Adoption d'un Escargot"

We fully agree that it is essential that students be ready
to take on this very serious responsibility.
This "demande" examines the depth of commitment
that lies ahead.
 

Nouvelle bonne idée
from une bonne prof:

As a surprise to kick off National French Week, I bought
little baby favor boxes at the Dollar Tree and had each student's Escargot
in the box along with the profile.
I had placed each Escargot with a student according to an application that I
had them fill out during the previous class. The application included what they
liked to do, favorite foods, etc. (I pretty much asked the students for the same
information that was included in the profiles for the Escargots.)
After I handed them out, I had them write out what they thought was in the box.
(I had given them series of hints in previous days.)
They then opened their boxes and decided on a name for their Escargot.
They had to introduce their Escargots to the class.

I told them that right now, they are only foster parents. Their first project was to
introduce their Escargot to teachers, staff and administrators in the building. I had
e-mailed my colleagues at school and asked them to participate several days before
the Escargots reached the hands of the students.
The response was great! The Escargots became regular faculty lunchroom
conversation! Each of my colleagues who agreed to help is worth a set number
of points depending upon the difficulty of the task. They had to get at least 60
points in order to formally adopt the Escargots. They even could get extra
credit for getting a photo with the other teachers/staff members along with their Escargots.

We will soon have the official adoption ceremony with a real judge officiating!
One teacher's husband is a judge and he has agreed to administer the Oath of Escargot.
The principal will hand out the certificates and one colleague who has adopted children
is going to be the witness who will give them their baby books. Another staff member
has agreed to photograph the official adoption.

(More information to come...)
30 novembre, 2009
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OATH OF ESCARGOT
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The following was sent by another of our Escargot Profs.
It is en anglaisso that the principal and some parents
could be included in the Adoption Ceremony.
(By "parents," we mean parents of the students,
who are parents of the Escargots;
we should call them "grandparents.")
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The OATH OF ESCARGOT
may be administered by a principal, counselor, etc.:
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"I, ______________________ ,
swear to take full responsibility for the
Escargot named ____________________,
to provide him/her with safe housing, adequate clothing and
educational opportunities.
I further pledge to participate in class activities and keep in
regular contact with Le Grand Escargot
so that  _________________  (name of Escargot)
may stay connected with his/her culture and heritage.
I also swear to never spill salt or eat shrimp, lobster, or crab
in the presence of my Escargot."
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When my students said the OATH OF ESCARGOT,
they had to put their right hand on a copy of a
French-English Dictionary
as they took the oath.
We had a photographer capture the moment.
A group shot of all students with their new "bundles" was
sent to our new penpals.
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SIGNS IN HALLWAY
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"This year I put posters up in the hallways that read:
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"ESCARGOTVILLE  50 km"

"ESCARGOTVILLE 20 km"
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...and so on with arrows leading to the French room
and a big sign above the door that says
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"ESCARGOTVILLE"
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I've found that gets everyone interested in what in the world
we're doing in that classroom!

It was also quite an experience to see the superintendent
attempt to speak French this morning....
it really got the attention of my students!
I put the bébés in the basket, which she delivered to us.
I find that I'm excited about the project as well,
and don't all teachers need a little boost this time of year!?
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MORE SIGNS IN HALLWAY:
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"Sauvons les Escargots du génocide gastronomique!
Adoptez un Escargot!"
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"Sauvez l'Escargot!"
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MORE IDEAS FOR GOOD BEGINNINGS
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The assignment for today was to pick out 2 names - one for a girl
and one for a boy, because at the adoption ceremony
"you will have to give the name immediately."
When is it?
"That depends on when the babies arrive from France"... etc.
Some of the names are terrific. Of course this was all in French...
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Wait till they get called to the main office tomorrow!
The principal will do the official adoptions,
calling the students down to sign the certificates... What a riot!
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When I told the class we would have a special guest to present their
Escargots at a ceremony, they decided to celebrate by planning (en français)
 what each student would bring for the occasion.
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The principal exhorted each student to be a good parent and
made them swear to it. She also made each one translate
the personality profile for her...
My students have almost all made homes and we have started our
ESCARGOTVILLE.
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"Escargotville est devenue trop grande. Nous avons fait une autre ville:
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ST. ESCARGOT
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Les Escargots sont très heureux!"
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A short time after they had gone through the adoption of their Escargots
and had become familiar with the profiles of their Escargots,
I had them write a Haiku pertaining to their escargots.
The kids really enjoyed this activity and did a great job using nouns,
adjectives, and verbs to create their Haiku.
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Encore de bonnes idées pour les classes de français:
Voici des pages pour les classes chez Mme Cunia
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TURTLE WAX?

"... and you absolutely wouldn't believe how beautiful it makes them
(as if they could more beautiful than they already are.)
For the little ones with ridges
one may have to use a Q-tip to get all the wax off.
I'll keep some wax handy on my cart so my students can provide
routine care for their babies. You can use old (clean) socks to rub the
wax once it's dry. The socks are good for erasing the white boards too."

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OR BABY OIL...
"To make your Escargot shells even more beautiful,
soak them in a solution of water and bleach.
Dry them thoroughly, coat them with baby oil, then wipe off the excess.
It really brings out their colors. Très joli!"
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When we do our Paris unit, we will certainly visit the Champs Elysées
page, because of course I already play Joe Dassin's song in class.
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Et maintenant, voici un bon projet pour votre bon Escargot...
Votre Escargot est artiste!

Comme ça: .  ...et comme ça: .
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"I'm decorating my bulletin boards Escargot-style
... putting up French recipes for Escargot,
using imitation Escargot (chicken, etc.)."
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Faux Escargot: Quelle bonne idée!
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Le Grand Escargot hesitates to put this on the Bonnes Idées page,
but there is no Mauvaises Idées page.
C'est de la folie des profs de sciences! (Ah, vous connaissez les profs de sciences!!)
Alors, le voici:
Voulez-vous faire de la bave?
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"In their journals, which they write in upon arrival to class,
students enter the date, time, the weather, and a remark-of-the-day
concerning their Escargot."
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"We did a fun activiy where the students used some 8" by 10" art paper
and wrote out their Escargot's personality profile in French.
When they got to the new words, they drew little sketches for he meanings,
then wrote small in French underneath. On the top,
I had them make a headline using the Escargot's name: (Mon Escargot, Pierre)...
It made for a good Friday activity, and they look great on the bulletin board."
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Up until now, we have always started each class with a "show and tell"
presentation by a student followed by a question and answer session.
We then work on a summary of what's been said and they record it in their notes.
Once all have presented, there is a quiz about their presentations.
For our next round I am going to ask them to tell us about the events of their
snail's life. It will be great because it gives them a chance to use more of the
third person grammatical structures.
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"Nous venons d'étudier le passé composé et l'imparfait; et alors,
les parents des Escargots devaient nous dire ce qu'ils ont fait
pendant le weekend avec leurs enfants...
Cette semaine nous étudions le futur, et je vais leur demander
ce qu'ils feront la semaine prochaine."
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Et un de nos professeurs remarque:
"Some of these Escargots are having a better afterlife than life
with all the amenities they never had.
One has a scooter, a sleeping bag, and some very fancy dinnerware..."
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"My principal or my assistant principal came into each class
to act as the adoption agent. They presented the students with their certificates,
the bios, the baby books, etc, then had the students recite the Oath of Escargot.
To get ready for it, they had to fill out an adoption application
and bring some kind of home for them so they wouldn't get lost."
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"Aujourd'hui, comme activité communicative, nous avons fait
des "interviews avec Le Grand Escargot".
Une moitié du temps mes élèves étaient "Le Grand Escargot",
l'autre moitié du temps ils étaient des parents qui voulaient adopter un Escargot
et ils devaient expliquer pourquoi ils voulaient en adopter un;
c'était très, très drôle!!
On n'a pas eu assez de temps de déterminer le meilleur
et le pire parent d'adoption, mais après la prochaine classe
je pourrai avertir le Grand Escargot... :-)  "
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"Some of the activities I've come up with:
description of E's physical and personnality traits, description of E's home,
description of E's favorite clothes, E's winter vacation, E's Spring Break, E
takes the TGV (or La Concorde?) E goes to Paris, Famous Escargots in Art, Famous
Escargots in History, E finds a job, E visits Alsace, E visits a
Francophone country, E opens a restaurant, E's business card,
what E used to do when E was a slug (not biologically correct!)"
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"J'ai annoncé que leurs bébés sont arrivés et je leur ai donné leur petit Escargot
avec l'explication de sa personalité.

Il y avait des personnes qui ont dit, "Mais non!  Je voudrais avoir un fils, pas une fille"
et une ou deux autres qui ont dit, "Je veux en avoir un avec une personalité différente"

J'ai arrêté la class.

Je leur ai dit:  "C'est possible que quand vous avez un vrai bébé,
vous ne recevrez pas ce que vous avez imaginé;
peut-être à cause de sa personalité,
peut-être à cause de quelque chose d'autre.
Vous avez été choisi d'avoir ce ou cette bébé en particulier pour l'accepter,
pour trouver le bon,
pour le guider,
pour l'aimer,
car vous serez son seul papa ou sa seule maman.
Ils dépendent sur vous!
Devenez fier de leur bons traits et soyez de bons parents.
Les parents que vous avez vous-mêmes ou que vous voudriez avoir.

Un peu plus tard ce garçon a dit a un autre étudiant, "Attention, ma fille est timide."
Ca m'a beaucoup plu.
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Sans doute, il y aura d'autres Bonnes Idées.
Si vous êtes prof de français avec un troupeau d'Escargots,
n'hésitez jamais à m'écrire avec vos bonnes idées
pour la classe de français qui adopte des Escargots.
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Le Grand Escargot
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©2007 ADOPT AN ESCARGOT
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PARLEZ AU GRAND ESCARGOT
RETOUR A ADOPT AN ESCARGOT