“Le temps des sucres”.

1
In this lesson, I will view an animation titled “Le temps des sucres”.
1. Open Section Two, Day One of the Workbook and complete the Reflection.
2. Read the context below then view the animation “Le temps des sucres” on the
Animation CD or Website.
Context: Mai and the rest of the grade seven class have just arrived in Québec
city for a student exchange. Mai is introduced to her partner Jasmine and
Jasmine’s father at the airport. While driving home, the girls discuss their
families and the activities they will do this week. The fun will start at the cabane
à sucre the next day.
The maple sugaring season in French, is called Le temps des sucres or La cabane à sucre.
This season announces the arrival of spring. In Québec, the Maple Sugaring season
traditionally starts early March and ends late April. Many French communities in Alberta also
celebrate their own version of La cabane à sucre.
The custom of collecting maple water (l’eau d’érable) comes from the First Nations. They
understood its energetic and nutritional value. Using their tomahawk to make a tap hole, they
would attach a wood shaving on the bottom which channeled the maple water towards a bark
container. The maple water was then boiled in clay pots to obtain maple syrup.
The Aboriginal people taught the settlers how to tap the tree trunks at springtime, how to
collect the maple water and how to boil it down. This practice rapidly became a part of
everyday life for the settlers. This syrup was an important source of sugar in the 17th and
18th centuries.
Today, many sugar shacks have a sophisticated tubing system in place to collect sap but
there are still some which use the traditional methods of collecting maple water.
There are 13 varieties of maple trees in North America but the sugar maple leaf is the symbol
of Canada and it is found on the Canadian flag.
3. Open Section Two, Day One of the Workbook and do questions 1, 2, and 3.
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2
In this lesson, I will review the names of family members in French.
1. View again the animation “Le temps des sucres” on the Animation CD or
Website. Pay attention to the different family members that Jasmine and Mai
mention.
2. How many of the family members mentioned in the animation did you recognize?
Read the French names of the different family members illustrated below.
Consult the Glossary to verify the pronunciation of any family members you are
unsure of.
la belle-mère
le beau-père
le cousin
la cousine
le demi-frère
la demi-sœur
le frère
la grand-mère
les grandsparents
le grand-père
les jumelles
les jumeaux
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2
Maman
la mère
l’oncle
Papa
les parents
le père
la sœur
la tante
3. Open Section Two, Day Two of the Workbook and do questions 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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3
In this lesson, I will learn about the foods that are served at la cabane
à sucre.
1. Read the context below then listen to Track 18 on the Module 4 CD. Use the
following pictures to help you understand.
Context: The students have just come in from the sleigh ride. They enter the
cabane and check out the food choices on the menu.
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3
2. Listen to Track 19 on the Module 4 CD. You will hear the food items illustrated
below being named. Practice saying each word after you hear it, and then record
yourself saying them. Listen to your recording and compare it to the track. How
is your pronunciation? Practice any words that are difficult for you a second time.
le café
les crêpes
les fèves au
lard
le jambon (à
l’érable)
le lait
les œufs (dans
le sirop)
l’omelette
les oreilles de
crisse
le pain
(maison)
le pain doré
les pommes de
terre rissolées
les saucisses
(dans le sirop
d’érable)
le sirop
d'érable
la soupe aux
pois
la tarte au
sucre
le thé
la tire d'érable
3. Open Section Two, Day Three of the Workbook and do question 1.
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3
When you want to know what someone wants to eat or order, you ask one of the following
questions:
Qu’est-ce que tu vas manger?
(What are you going to eat?)
Qu’est-ce que vous allez commander? (What are you going to order?)
Possible answers to these questions include:
Je vais manger une omelette et des saucisses.
Je vais commander du pain doré et du jambon.
Nous allons manger de la tarte au sucre.
Nous allons commander des oreilles de crisse et des œufs cuits dans le sirop.
Notice that the question asked with the pronoun Tu is answered with the pronoun Je, and the
question asked with the pronoun Vous is answered with the pronoun Nous.
The questions above can be modified if you want to know what a particular person wants to
eat or order. Look at the sample questions and answers below.
Qu’est-ce que Jasmine va manger?
Elle va manger des crêpes.
Qu’est-ce que tes parents vont commander ? Ils vont commander de la tire.
Notice how pronouns were used in the answers to replace the name or noun used in the
question. Elle replaces Jasmine and Ils replaces tes parents. Remember that in French,
we use the pronoun ils when talking about a group that is made up of males and females.
The conjugated form of the verb aller, in the present tense, precedes the verbs manger (to
eat) and commander (to order) in all the examples above. The conjugation chart below is
provided as a reference.
Aller
Je
vais
Nous
allons
Tu
vas
Vous
allez
Il/Elle
va
Ils/Elles
vont
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3
When describing foods we want to eat or order, we use the preposition de plus a definite
article to express ‘some’. This preposition changes forms depending on the gender and
number of the noun it precedes. Use the chart below to guide you.
Noun
de + definite article
Form to use
Masculine, Singular
de + le
du
Feminine, Singular
de + la
de la
Masculine or Feminine,
Singular
(used with nouns that
start with a vowel or an h,
which is a silent letter in
French.)
de + l’
de l’
Masculine or Feminine,
Plural
de + les
des
Notice that with masculine nouns and plural nouns this preposition takes a new form. If you
are unsure of the gender of a certain word, use the Glossary or a French –English dictionary
to find the answer.
It is important to note that with the nouns omelette and crêpe, you use the indefinite article
une to express that you are eating these items.
Je vais manger une omelette et une crêpe.
Why? This is because you are eating the ‘whole’ item and not just ‘some’. In the event that
you are eating ‘some’ of these you would say:
Je vais mange de l’omelette et de la crêpe.
We use the verb aimer to indicate what one likes or dislikes eating. Look at the examples
below.
J’aime manger des fèves au lard.
Il aime manger de la tire.
Nous n’aimons pas manger de la soupe aux pois.
Elles n’aiment pas manger du pain.
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Notice how the verb is conjugated according to the subject of the sentence. The different
verb endings ‘terminaisons’ are indicated in red in the chart below.
Aimer
J’aime
Tu
aimes
Il/Elle
aime
Nous
aimons
Vous
aimez
Ils/Elles
aiment
When indicating you don’t like a particular food item, we use the expression ne….pas. The
ne comes before the conjugated form of the verb aimer and pas comes right after it. Notice
that ne become n’ because the verb aimer starts with a vowel.
4. Open Section Two, Day Three of the Workbook and do questions 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6.
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4
In this lesson, I will review money expressions and how to write
money amounts in French.
1. Read the context below then listen to Track 20 on the Module 4 CD. Use the
following picture to help you understand.
Context: Now that the students know what foods and drinks are served at la
cabane à sucre, they examine the menu more closely to see how much things
cost. Each student has only $10 to spend so they calculate the total of the items
they would like to order.
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4
When you write money amounts in French the dollar sign ($) is written at the end of the
amount where as in English it is written at the beginning. Another difference is that in French
we use a comma instead of a period.
We use the question starter “Combien coûte…?” to ask how much something costs. Study
the examples below.
Combien coûte la soupe aux pois?
La soupe aux pois coûte 2,50 $.
Combien coûtent les oreilles de crisse?
Les oreilles de crisse coûtent 3 $.
You simply write the food or drink after the start of the question. However we use coûte
when asking the price of one item and coûtent for more than one item.
We use the word plus to add values together.
1,50 $ plus 3 $ font 5,50 $.
($1.50 plus $3 equals $5.50.)
We use the verb avoir when we want to say how much money we have and the expression il
me reste to say how much money we have left.
J’ai 10 $.
(I have $10.)
Il me reste 4,50 $ pour le dessert.
(I have $4.50 left over for dessert.)
2. Open Section Two, Day Four of the Workbook and do questions 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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5
In this lesson, I will learn how to order food.
1. Read the context below then listen to Track 22 on the Module 4 CD. Use the
following picture and the menu on Day Four to help you understand.
Context: The students have made their food choices and calculated how much
everything will cost. Jasmine saves a table while the others go to the food
counter and place their orders.
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5
A cashier or server will usually ask you one of the following questions when you order
something to eat or drink. Both of these questions ask what you would like.
Qu’est-ce que vous désirez?
or
Qu’est-ce que vous voulez?
Remember that vous is the formal form of you and is used when you don’t know someone
very well or as a sign of respect. In less formal situations, the pronoun tu is used. The
questions above would then be:
Qu’est-ce que tu désires?
or
Qu’est-ce que tu veux ?
There are a few different ways one can order food in French. Here are examples.
Je veux une omelette et du pain maison.
(I want an omelet and homemade bread.)
Je prends des œufs et du jambon.
(I’ll take eggs and ham.)
Est-ce que je peux avoir des crêpes et un café?
(May I have pancakes and a coffee?)
There are also many questions that a server or a cashier could ask you once you have placed
your order. Study the examples below.
Est-ce que vous voulez du sirop d’érable?
(Would you like some maple syrup?)
Est-ce que tu veux quelque chose à boire?
(Would you like something to drink?)
Est-ce que tu veux ton œuf cuit dans le sirop?
(Would you like your egg cooked in syrup?)
Est-ce que vous désirez autre chose?
(Would you like anything else?)
Qu’est-ce que vous prenez dans votre café/thé?
(What do you take in your coffee/tea?)
Qu’est-ce que tu prends pour dessert?
(What would you like for dessert?)
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Notice that the question starter “Est-ce que…” is used to express ‘would you’ and “Qu’est-ce
que…” is used to express ‘what would you’. Of course there are other questions that a server
or cashier could ask you. Use a French – English dictionary to help you find the words for
other questions you may wish to ask.
2. Open Section Two, Day Five of the Workbook and do questions 1, 2, and 3.
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6
In this lesson, I will review different activities that one can participate
in at la cabane à sucre.
1. Read the context below then listen to Track 24 on the Module 4 CD. Use the
following pictures to help you understand.
Context: The students are quite full after brunch so they decide to watch the
show on the stage. While watching the show, they discuss various activities that
happen at la cabane à sucre.
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6
The students participated in different activities at La cabane à sucre. Let’s look at a few
examples.
Je mange de la tire sur la neige.
Jasmine danse la gigue.
Nous regardons le spectacle.
Vous faites une randonnée en traîneau.
Les garçons jouent des jeux d’hiver.
Mai et Élise chantent des chansons.
(I eat maple taffy.)
(Jasmine dances the jig.)
(We watch the show.)
(You go on a sleigh ride.)
(The boys play winter games.)
(Mai and Élise sing songs.)
Notice how the verbs are conjugated according to the subject of each sentence. Study the
verb conjugation charts below.
Manger
Danser
Regarder
Je mange
Tu manges
Il/Elle mange
Nous mangeons
Vous mangez
Ils/Elles mangent
Je danse
Tu danses
Il/Elle danse
Nous dansons
Vous dansez
Ils/Elles dansent
Je regarde
Tu regardes
Il/Elle regarde
Nous regardons
Vous regardez
Ils/Elles regardent
Faire
Jouer
Chanter
Je fais
Tu fais
Il/Elle fait
Nous faisons
Vous faites
Ils/Elles font
Je joue
Tu joues
Il/Elle joue
Nous jouons
Vous jouez
Ils/Elles jouent
Je chante
Tu chantes
Il/Elle chante
Nous chantons
Vous chantez
Ils/Elles chantent
All of the verbs that end in er follow the same conjugation pattern. The verb endings or
terminaisons which change according to the pronoun are shown in red. The verb faire (to
do / to make) is irregular so it doesn’t follow the same pattern as the other verbs. The verb
conjugations for this verb are shown in green.
2. Open Section Two, Day Six of the Workbook and do questions 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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7
In this lesson, I will review clothing vocabulary.
1. Open Section Two, Day Seven of the Workbook and complete the Reflection.
2. Read the context below then listen to Track 25 on the Module 4 CD. Use the
following pictures and the clothing pictures on the next page to help you
understand.
Context: The students have been outside taking part in various activities. Yvan
complains that he needs to go inside because he’s freezing. His friends explain
that’s because he’s not dressed for the winter weather.
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3. How many articles of clothing did you recognize in the dialogue? Try naming in
French each article of clothing illustrated below. Feel free to check the Glossary
for the names of any items you don’t remember.
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7
We use the verb porter to say what we wear. Study the examples below.
En hiver, je porte un habit de neige.
En hiver, les enfants portent des mitaines et des foulards.
À la cabane à sucre, vous portez un chandail, un jean et un manteau.
À la cabane à sucre, nous portons des bottes de neige.
Notice how the verb is written differently depending on the pronoun being used. Refer to the
chart below to see how this verb is conjugated.
Porter
Je
porte
Nous
portons
Tu
portes
Vous
portez
Il/Elle
porte
Ils/Elles
portent
Another thing to notice when using the verb porter is that we always use indirect articles
(un, une, des) before the clothing item as shown in the sentences above.
Here are some examples of questions and answers we can ask about what someone is
wearing.
Qu’est-ce que tu portes?
Je porte un pantalon noir et une chemise blanche.
Qu’est-ce que vous portez?
Nous portons des gilets jaunes.
Qu’est-ce que Miguel porte?
Il porte un habit de neige rouge.
Qu’est-ce que Jasmine et Mai portent?
Elles portent des tuques brunes.
Colours are used in the answers above to describe the articles of clothing being worn.
Colours are adjectives and thus need to agree in gender and number with the item they are
describing. The colour orange is an exception to this rule. The different forms of common
colours are provided in the chart on the next page:
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Masculine
Singular
Feminine
Singular
Masculine Plural
Feminine Plural
blanc
blanche
blancs
blanches
bleu
bleue
bleus
bleues
brun
brune
bruns
brunes
gris
grise
gris
grises
jaune
jaune
jaunes
jaunes
noir
noire
noirs
noires
orange
orange
orange
orange
rose
rose
roses
roses
rouge
rouge
rouges
rouges
vert
verte
verts
vertes
violet
violette
violets
violettes
Did you notice that the pronouns Il and Elles were used in the last two sentences to replace
the characters’ names? You can always replace a person’s name or a noun with a pronoun
when answering a question. Refer to the chart below to see which pronouns to use at what
times.
Masculine
Singular
Feminine
Singular
Masculine Plural
Feminine Plural
Il
Elle
Ils
Elles
4. Open Section Two, Day Seven of the Workbook and do questions 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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In this lesson, I will review different verbs and learn songs about la
cabane à sucre.
1. Listen to Tracks 26 and 27 on the Module 4 CD. You will hear two songs that are
sung at la cabane à sucre. Follow along with the words below. The pictures next
to the different verses in each song will give you a better idea of what each one
is about.
À la cabane à sucre
À la cabane à sucre
M’en allant promener
J’ai goûté l’eau d’érable
Et je l’ai adorée
Il y a longtemps que je l’aime
J’ai un p’tit bec sucré.
À la cabane à sucre
M’en allant promener
J’ai mangé tant de tire
J’avais les doigts collés
Il y a longtemps que je l’aime
J’ai un p’tit bec sucré.
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La cabane à sucre
C’est à la cabane à sucre
À la mode, à la mode
C’est à la cabane à sucre
Qu’on s’est donné rendez-vous
On a rempli nos bedons
À la mode, à la mode
On a rempli nos bedons
Oh la la! Comme c’était bon!
On est entré dans la danse
À la mode, à la mode
On est entré dans la danse
Sur un p’tit air de violon
Et on a dansé si fort
À la mode, à la mode
Et on a dansé si fort
Qu’on a défoncé l’plancher
2. Open Section Two, Day Eight of the Workbook and do question 1.
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When you listen to a French song for the first time, you may not understand every word. It is
more important that you have a general idea of what the song is conveying.
Here are a few things you can do to facilitate your understanding:
•
•
•
•
Look for visual clues in the pictures that accompany the lyrics.
Listen for words you already know.
Listen for words or patterns that are repeated in the song.
Listen to the song a few times to familiarize yourself with the lyrics.
An important part of learning a second language is the ability to remember and use
vocabulary in context. The strategies below will help you recall and/or learn a particular
song.
•
•
•
Break down the song into lines and practice each line silently or aloud.
Associate a few lines of each song with an image.
Repeat the entire song silently or aloud.
How many verbs did you recognize while listening to the songs? You are likely familiar with
some verbs like manger and danser. Of course there are others that you may not have
heard of, such as goûter and tomber. The chart below contains the English translation for
the verbs mentioned in the songs as well as a few others associated with la cabane à sucre.
VERB
ENGLISH EQUIVALENT
manger
to eat
danser
to dance
se promener
to take a walk
goûter
to taste
adorer
to like a lot / to adore
remplir
to fill
défoncer
to break up / to smash in
tomber
to fall down
faire
to do / to make
essayer
to try
boire
to drink
porter
to wear
regarder
to watch
écouter
to listen to
jouer
to play
chanter
to sing
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We use the structure Je vais + the infinitive form of a verb to say that you are going to do a
particular activity. The infinitive form is simply the natural form of a verb before it is
conjugated. The sentences below are examples of different activities one might do at la
cabane à sucre.
Je vais manger des oreilles de crisse.
(I am going to eat salted pork crisps.)
Je vais goûter la soupe aux pois.
(I am going to taste pea soup.)
Je vais porter une tuque et des mitaines.
(I am going to wear a toque and mittens.)
Je vais écouter des chansons.
(I am going to listen to songs.)
Je vais faire un bonhomme de neige.
(I am going to make a snowman.)
3. Open Section Two, Day Eight of the Workbook and do questions 2, 3, and 4.
Then complete the Reflection.
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In this lesson, I will learn about different places to visit in the city of
Québec.
1. Open Section Two, Day Nine of the Workbook and complete the Reflection.
2. View one last time the animation “Le temps des sucres” on the Animation CD or
Website. Pay attention to the different places Jasmine mentioned that one
should see in Québec City.
There are lots of interesting places to see and things to do in Québec besides going to la
cabane à sucre. One of the most recognized places is Le Château Frontenac. In fact the
United Nations has named it as a World Heritage Site. This hotel overlooks the Saint
Lawrence River. It was built in 1893 as a stopover for passengers who were traveling on the
Canadian Pacific Railway.
Le fleuve Saint-Laurent is a very important waterway in Canada. Historically it was the
launching spot for the exploration of North America and the site of landmark battles. Today it
is often referred to as the gateway to North America because all the tankers and cargo boats
traveling to the interior of the continent must pass Québec City.
Another recognizable site is La Citadelle which is situated on Cap Diamant, the highest point
in the city. It is the most important fortification built in Canada under British rule. It was
built in the 17th century and has served as the home of the Royal 22nd Regiment of the
Canadian Forces since 1920. Although a national historical site, it is still an active military
garrison today.
Le Vieux Québec is the most popular area in Québec City. It too was named a World
Heritage Site in 1985. The old city is surrounded by high stone walls which one can enter by
passing through one of four gates. Half of the buildings in the old city were built before 1850.
The city is divided into upper town and lower town. In both parts of Vieux Québec, you can
find fashion boutiques, souvenir shops, cafés and restaurants. Tourists visiting Québec City
should make a point of walking along the narrow streets or taking un tour en calèche
through Vieux Québec.
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The most famous church is called la Cathédrale Notre-Dame, which is the oldest parish in
North America. The original church was built in 1647 but was destroyed during the English
conquest in 1759. The church was then rebuilt but destroyed again by fire in 1922. The
church that exists today is an exact replica of the original.
3. Open Section Two, Day Nine of the Workbook and do questions 1 and 2. Then
complete the second Reflection.
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In this lesson, I will review concepts from previous lessons in Section
Two.
1. Before moving to today’s activities, take some time to review this section and be
aware of all that you have learned.
Day One:
How do we say “maple sugaring season” in French? How did the tradition of
collecting maple water start?
Day Two:
Name three family members you would invite to go with you to la cabane à
sucre.
Day Three:
Write sentences indicating which of the food items illustrated below you like and
which ones you don’t like.
Day Four:
Choose three items served at la cabane à sucre and write down how much each
one costs. Then write a sentence telling the total cost of all three items. Follow
the same structure you used in the Workbook activity.
Day Five:
Write down three questions that a server or a cashier could ask you about the
food items you chose above.
Day Six:
Name three activities that you can participate in at la cabane à sucre.
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Day Seven:
Name the different articles of clothing illustrated below.
Day Eight:
Sing one of the songs you learned. Write two sentences using the structure Je
vais…. telling what two things you would do at la cabane à sucre.
Day Nine:
Choose two places you could visit in Québec City and share one thing you learned
about each one.
2. Open Section Two, Day Ten of the Workbook and do questions 1 and 2. Then
complete the Reflection and do question 3.
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