JW Students Bring French Culture to Life

"Any time you do something that brings real life to the classroom, it's much more memorable," according to John Witherspoon Middle School Teacher Alisa Dupuy. If you happen to be studying French, "real life" encompasses a delicious grand repas, or French dinner, for everyone to enjoy.

As part of a unit on food, students in Dupuy's eighth-grade French classes recently sat down to a three-course meal that included a salad, roast, ratatouille, three types of cheeses and, for desert, a delicious tarte.

"The students love it," said Dupuy. "Many of them try new things for the first time and discover they like them." Also highighted in the lesson are important cultural norms, such as how to set the table the French way, and questions of etiquette, such as where to place your hands during dinner ("Sur la table!")

Students interacted entirely in French, engaging in lively dinner discussion and commenting on the food ("C'est bon!"), which was served by parent volunteers offering platefuls of culinary delights.

"Some students will never have the opportunity to go to France, eat at a French restaurant or with a French family," said Dupuy. "This brings the French culture into the classroom."

-Submitted by Princeton Public Schools