Who can use this site?
The website will be designed
primarily for intermediate to advanced college-level French students. It is
necessary that students are familiar with written and spoken French so that
historical and political ideas can be explained in French with a limited amount
of background information. The knowledge base of the students could vary in
that it is anticipated that some students will be very aware of cultural variations
and/or consumers of international current events. However, it is expected
that the majority of the students will have limited, if any, knowledge of
the functions of the French judicial system. Ideally, students would be interested
in becoming internationally aware and have a minimal level of understanding
of at least some current events in France and/or the United States. Furthermore,
it is expected that students will be interested in learning some of the basic
elements of French culture. The age of the students may vary, but it is expected
that the majority of students will be aged 18-24 years.
It is anticipated that the students will have a mix of learning styles, including
visual, oral and learners who use a combination thereof. Therefore, the website
will contain elements that appeal to and facilitate learning for each type
of learner. However, due to limitations of media, visual information will
be presented more often than other types of information. The activities provided
for the end of the lesson, including group discussion could facilitate learning
for those students who tend to prefer non-visual information.
The majority of information presented on this site is in English due to the fact that the terminology used to express such complex and specialized topics tend to be difficult even in the students' native language. This site is still a valuable tool for foreign language instructors in that the vocabulary and activity sections are in French, so students will be required to relay their understanding of the topic in the target language.
What are the Objectives for this Site?
What's on this site?
A website will be presented
that provides interactive activities for students designed to educate students
about the basic framework of the judicial system in France. Text and images
are an integral part of these activities. Additionally, links will be used
as appropriate to direct students to other sites that might be of interest
or enrichment.
The website utilized by the students will consist of the following:
-A page specifically designed for teachers that contains suggested uses
and activities for users of the website.
-A vocabulary page which lists the most useful and important terms that
students need to be familiar with in order to gain understanding of topics
presented within the website.
-An activities page which contains a multiple-choice activity for students
to complete while using the website. Instructors might also use these activities
to check for
comprehension of the website's contents.
-A "Kissin' Cousins" page which contains information about the
major political parties in France
- A bizarre page which contains a listing of some of the more outrageous
laws of France.
-A venues page which shows pictures and locations of the most prominent
locations for the French judicial system.
-A people page in which photographs of key players will be presented along
with a brief biography of each.
-A procedures page containing a chart demonstrating a schematic plan of
the French judicial system. Additionally, in this section a brief explanation
of how French laws are made will be presented.
Using each of these sections, students will participate in a lesson that
requires students to use the information presented to complete a lesson
on the French judicial system. The best way to approach learning in this
instance is to encourage discovery learning but to utilize activities as
the students explore to ensure that students are meeting the desired objectives
of the activity.
The equipment necessary for the project will be provided from the University
of Arkansas and therefore funding is not an issue for this particular project.
Since the Internet will be a primary source for researching the topic, the
information will be current and accurate. Although there is no way to guarantee
that the material will be free from all bias, the majority of the information
presented will be factual in nature and therefore less likely to be affected
by bias.
For this activity,
students will visit the "Système Judiciaire Français"
website and use its contents to learn more about the French judicial system.
The over-riding objective of the website is to familiarize the audience with
the French judicial system and its components. However, this overall objective
must be broken down into smaller and more specific objectives in order to
ensure and therefore evaluate student success with the materials. Therefore,
the specific objectives for this project are that using the "French Judicial
System"website:
1. Advanced college-level French students will be able to identify and name
several important figures within the French judicial system with few errors.
2. Students will be able to accurately demonstrate appropriate vocabulary
to describe and illustrate the basic components of the French judicial system.
3. Users of the website will be able to describe the levels of French courts
and briefly describe the main function of each.
Why this site at this time?
Although they
may be very familiar with the French language, many students are unfamiliar
with an important component of French culture. Specifically, most students
know little or nothing about the judicial system in France and how its historical,
political, and social background influences daily life in France. Recent studies
show that the majority of the American population is ignorant of the judicial
system in the United States, so knowledge of another system is sporadic at
best. Since the French and American systems are closely related to one another
and based upon similar "natural laws", it is important for students
to understand the basic judicial framework in France.
Furthermore, students who understand the basics of French law and political
thought more easily understand cultural similarities and differences in the
social and political beliefs of the French. Therefore, with instruction into
the workings of the French judicial system, students can understand the foundations
upon which culture is built and can therefore be more tolerant and open to
opinions that differ from their own. Additionally, in light of the recent
political events regarding France's hesitation to provide military resources
for the current war in Iraq and the perceived strain on French-American relations,
it is important for students to be familiar with the legal framework within
which such decisions are made. Hopefully, students will realize that France
is a sovereign country with its own political beliefs and agendas and perhaps
understand why the French have chosen not to assist the United States at this
time.
Also, students who wish to travel, work, or live in France need to be aware
of the French legislative system because they will be expected to operate
within this system. An important cultural fact that students need to be aware
of is the fact that the French tend to be very politically aware and tend
to be interested in debating world affairs. In this way, students will be
aware of the basic functions and operations of the French judicial system
and therefore more prepared to function within a system to which they are
not accustomed as well as to be prepared to understand the viewpoints of another
culture.
For Teachers
This site is designed to give students an inside look at the French judicial sytem; it's workings, key players, and most important influences on French culture and international affairs.
This site is designed to give instructors some practical information on the use of this site and how they might utilize it in their own classrooms. Below are some questions you might have and an explanation of how this site can be of benefit to you as a teacher as well as to your students. Explore the topics below as well as the site and get ready to open the doors of this important aspect of French culture!
How can I be sure my students understand?
In addition
to instructors' observation of student behavior, students will be required
to turn in their scavenger hunt pages for a homework grade. Additionally,
homework will be assigned in which students respond to what they learned within
the activity. For instance, a general question such as "Write a paragraph
about one thing that you think the French judicial system is doing right."
Students would then be utilizing the information they learned in class while
the instructor can verify comprehension of the students and what they learned
from the lesson.
In addition, the designer of the materials will evaluate the material's effectiveness
as observed by the students' interaction with the materials and make appropriate
changes as dictated by the performance of the materials and feedback from
the users of the web site. I often find that students' comments are particularly
helpful in identifying areas for improvement. For this reason, I will most
likely give students a chance to relay feedback about their responses to the
website. I might provide them an evaluation form in which they rate key features
or I might just take comments from students after they have completed the
activity. I fully anticipate that such feedback will provide valuable information
to me so that I can make the materials more accessible to students and more
beneficial for the instructors that use them. If the activity is successful,
I would consider allotting more time for the completion of the exercise and
then perhaps extending the activity into other lessons. If the activity is
extremely successful, I would be interested in the possibility of expanding
the lesson to integrate a historical component to delve deeper into the French
political system and its basic workings and influence upon French culture.
An interesting possibility for extending this activity might be to team up
with a colleague who specializes in history or political science. This would
be a great opportunity to stress cross-curricular learning. Additionally,
with some modification, the activity might be tailored to fit various audiences,
including basic French learners, students in other disciplines, and younger
students. I am looking forward to getting feedback from others and revising
this project to fit the needs of the users.