1 - Six Legs and Counting ~5 mins
How many legs does an insect have? Six. Now, how many insects can you name in English in twenty seconds?
Today we learn eight of them in French, and we listen hard for the long words that twist your tongue.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name eight insects in French
- Say the trickier ones out loud with care
- Spot insect words in a whole-class game
Take a quick round of English insect names before you move on. The point of the hook is energy and curiosity, not a complete list. Do not introduce the French yet; the flashcards in the next step do that work.
2 - Eight French Insects ~10 mins
Here are today's eight insects. We will see the English on the board, guess the French together, then reveal and chorus each one. Listen hard when a word is long: take an extra breath and say it slowly.
Run the flashcards on the board with the whole class. English shows first, so invite a volunteer to guess the French before each flip. Insist on the article every time: fourmi alone is not enough; it is la fourmi (lah foor-MEE).
Two mini-passes (do not rush all eight at once):
- Core five first: la fourmi (lah foor-MEE), l'abeille (lah-BAY), le papillon (luh pah-pee-YOHN), la guêpe (lah GHEP), la coccinelle (lah kok-see-NELL). Chorus each twice before moving on.
- Then the remaining three with extra audio: l'araignée (lah ah-reh-NYAY), la chenille (lah shuh-NEE-yuh), la libellule (lah lee-beh-LEWL). Replay audio twice and have the class chorus each one. Point out the soft ll in la chenille and the nasal ending in le papillon.
When the class nails la libellule together, make a small fuss, it is a four-syllable win.
3 - Dans Le Jardin ~10 mins
We are in a French garden. The wheel picks an insect at random. Teacher spins, your table says the French name together. Then one volunteer adds where you might see it (on a rose, near the lavande, on a tree trunk).
Before the first spin, run one full class chorus of all eight words (image + French on the wheel or board, class repeats). State the turn rule clearly on the board: Teacher spins, your table says it together. After the table chorus, invite one volunteer for a short garden fact in English.
Keep this pronunciation list to hand so you can model any word without jumping back:
- la fourmi (lah foor-MEE)
- l'abeille (lah-BAY)
- le papillon (luh pah-pee-YOHN)
- l'araignée (lah ah-reh-NYAY)
- la guêpe (lah GHEP)
- la coccinelle (lah kok-see-NELL)
- la chenille (lah shuh-NEE-yuh)
- la libellule (lah lee-beh-LEWL)
The wheel should show image + French so the class can see the target while saying it. Model mini-answers: "La coccinelle, on a rose leaf." / "L'abeille, on the lavande." If a pupil freezes, smile and say try the first half only — la li-, then rebuild; celebrate the retry. Allow a quick teacher model from the list above before a solo attempt if someone hesitates.
Optional stretch: Stronger pupils can try Je vois la/le… (I see the…) before their English fact. Accept the bare noun + article from everyone else.
Keep the pace brisk so the class hears all eight words again.
4 - Into Your Copy ~3 mins
Open your copy. Choose any four insects from the word bank on the board. Copy each one with its article (le, la or l'), then underline the bit that feels hardest to say.
Leave a full picture + French (with article) word bank of all eight insects visible on the IWB for the whole copy moment. Pupils choose any four from the bank, copy article + noun, and underline the trickiest syllable. Walk the room and check articles are going in: bare nouns will not carry the gender pairing. Do not collect these.
5 - Insect Bingo ~10 mins
You each have a bingo card. Cross off the insect when you hear its French name. Example: teacher says la fourmi → you mark the ant picture. First full line calls out!
How to Play Bingo:
Option 1: Students on Devices (Digital Version)
- Use the digital version where your teacher view of the lesson displays the cards that are being called out.
- Play the pronunciation sound of each word and the children mark it off their unique digital bingo card.
- Each student has a randomised bingo card so winners will vary!
Option 2: Print Out the Bingo Cards
- Print out the Bingo Cards from the attachment above, cut out the cards, and give one to each student.
- You call out the vocabulary words and students mark off their sheets.
- First student to complete a line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) calls "Bingo!" and wins.
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