The Arts

National French Week

Incorporate these ideas into your classroom and community

ask faculty at a university to plan a French film series
plan a photography exhibit at the local library commemorating the Lumière brothers
perform parts of famous Broadway plays with a French theme such as Les Misérables
plan a film festival of American films which take place in French-speaking places

write poetry while listening to French music or in the style of a particular author and display it in the school
read French poetry or perform a skit from a famous play in a public forum
have a competition for the best costumes representing famous people in the Arts
create a living time line of the Arts illustrating how poets, writers, painters, actors and actresses of different time periods might interact as they speak with one another

create commemorative displays about famous people in the Arts
plan a trivia contest on the Arts between classes
invite local French-speaking artists to speak at a school assembly
make tee-shirt designs, incorporating the contributions of famous French or francophone artists
create a mural depicting many of the French or francophone celebrities in the Arts
visit, via the Internet, various museums in la francophonie
visit museums on a field trip and invite parents or school board members as guests
plan a commemorative stamp exhibit at the local post office with student drawings of famous French or francophone artists and their work
- or using real French postage stamps for which the students have prepared background information and historical context

Thomas Field (MD)
Gladys Lipton (MD)
Robert Peckham (TN)
Davara Potel (OH)
Harriet Saxon (NJ)

Adapted from the AATF National Bulletin, Special Issue, Vol. 24 No. 5 (May 1999)