IGCSE French 0520 – The World Around Us: Measurements (size & shape)
1. Lesson Overview
- Goal: Students will describe, compare and calculate the size and shape of objects, distances, areas and volumes in French, using the required vocabulary, grammar and formulas.
- Duration: 90 minutes (integrated listening, reading, speaking and writing).
- Key outcomes
- Use measurement adjectives, nouns and verbs correctly.
- Apply comparative structures : plus… que, moins… que, aussi… que.
- State and calculate area and volume using French terminology.
- Produce short spoken and written texts that incorporate measurement language.
2. Syllabus Alignment (Cambridge IGCSE French 0520)
| Assessment Objective (AO) | How the lesson meets it |
|---|
| AO1 – Listening & Reading | Pure listening task (market vendor), listening‑reading of a museum description, short reading passage on a park’s dimensions. |
| AO2 – Speaking & Writing | Real‑estate role‑play, written description of a personal item, translation and calculation tasks. |
| AO3 – Grammar & Vocabulary | Focused practice on measurement adjectives, nouns, verbs (mesurer, avoir la forme de), comparative forms, and formulas for area/volume. |
| AO4 – Integrated Skills | Project‑brief task: design a school garden, requiring listening, calculation, written report and oral presentation. |
3. Linking Measurements to the Five Broad Topic Areas
Each activity explicitly connects to one of the five syllabus topics (A–E). The Topic‑Bridge Worksheet at the end consolidates the links.
- A – Everyday Activities: Sugar in a café latte; cheese on a pizza; oral question “Combien de grammes de fromage sur une pizza ?”
- B – Personal & Social Life: Compare a sibling’s T‑shirt size; describe a personal backpack using three measurement adjectives.
- C – The World Around Us: Main focus – size, shape, area and volume of natural and built environments.
- D – The World of Work: Real‑estate agent role‑play; description of a future workplace (bureau, atelier, poste de travail) using job‑related vocabulary.
- E – The International World: Eiffel Tower vs. Statue of Liberty vs. Burj Khalifa; cultural note on metric vs. imperial units in francophone countries (Canada, Switzerland).
4. Core Vocabulary
| French (adjectives / nouns / units) | English |
|---|
| grand(e) | big, tall |
| petit(e) | small, short |
| long(ue) | long |
| court(e) | short (length) |
| large | wide |
| étroit(e) | narrow |
| rond(e) | round |
| carré(e) | square |
| triangulaire | triangular |
| cylindrique | cylindrical |
| mince | thin, slender |
| épais(se) | thick |
| largeur | width |
| hauteur | height |
| longueur | length |
| diamètre | diameter |
| surface | area |
| volume | volume |
| mètre (m) | metre |
| kilomètre (km) | kilometre |
| centimètre (cm) | centimetre |
| millimètre (mm) | millimetre |
| kilogramme (kg) | kilogram |
| gramme (g) | gram |
| litre (l) | litre |
5. Useful Expressions
- Il/elle mesure … mètres / centimètres. – He/She/It measures …
- La hauteur est de … – The height is …
- Le diamètre est de … – The diameter is …
- Il/elle est plus grand(e) que … – … is taller than …
- Il/elle est plus petit(e) que … – … is shorter than …
- Il/elle est plus long(ue) que … – … is longer than …
- Il/elle est plus large que … – … is wider than …
- Il/elle a la même forme que … – … has the same shape as …
- La surface de … est de … mètres carrés. – The area of … is … square metres.
- Le volume de … est de … mètres cubes. – The volume of … is … cubic metres.
- Comparatives : plus… que, moins… que, aussi… que.
- Verbes de description : mesurer, mesurer la surface, mesurer le volume, avoir la forme de.
6. Mathematical Formulas (French terminology)
Write the formulas both symbolically and in words.
- Rectangle – aire :
A = longueur × largeur « A égale longueur fois largeur »
- Triangle – aire :
A = ½ × base × hauteur « A égale un demi‑fois base fois hauteur »
- Cercle – aire :
A = π × r² « A égale π fois le rayon au carré »
- Parallélépipède rectangle – volume :
V = longueur × largeur × hauteur « V égale longueur fois largeur fois hauteur »
- Cylindre – volume :
V = π × r² × h « V égale π fois le rayon au carré fois la hauteur »
7. Sample Sentences (Model Language)
- Le tableau mesure deux mètres de large et un mètre de haut.
- Cette boîte est plus petite que celle‑ci.
- Le parc a une surface de 3,5 hectares.
- Le réservoir contient 2 500 mètres cubes d’eau.
- Le cercle a un diamètre de 10 centimètres, donc son rayon est de 5 cm.
- La tour Eiffel mesure 324 m de haut, alors que la Statue de la Liberté mesure 93 m.
- Le Burj Khalifa mesure 828 m, soit plus de deux fois la hauteur de la tour Eiffel.
8. Integrated Practice Activities
- Vocabulary Matching (Reading)
Match each French word with its English meaning.
| French | English |
|---|
| étroit(e) | ______ |
| carré(e) | ______ |
| long(ue) | ______ |
| large | ______ |
| rond(e) | ______ |
| mince | ______ |
| épais(se) | ______ |
- Pure Listening – Market Vendor (AO1)
Audio (≈ 1 min) of a vendor at a French market giving the size and price of cheeses, fruits and breads. Students answer five short‑answer questions in French (e.g., “Quel est le poids du camembert ?”).
- Describing a Personal Item (Writing – Topic B)
Write a short paragraph (≈ 60 words) describing your backpack, using at least three measurement adjectives and one comparative structure.
- Describing Objects (Writing – Topic C)
Write a description for each object, using a minimum of three measurement adjectives.
- Une table rectangulaire : 1,5 m de long, 0,8 m de large, 0,75 m de haut.
- Un petit vase rond : diamètre 12 cm.
- Une tour cylindrique : 30 m de haut, diamètre de base 5 m.
- Calculations (Writing & Numeracy – Topic C)
Compute the requested area or volume, then write the result in French.
- L’aire d’un jardin de 20 m de long et 15 m de large.
- Le volume d’une piscine : 25 m × 10 m × 2 m.
- La surface d’un étang circulaire de rayon 4 m.
- Comparisons (Grammar – Speaking – Topic C)
Complete each sentence with the correct comparative form.
- Le stade est __________ (large) le gymnase.
- Cette boîte est __________ (petit) la boîte de droite.
- Le cylindre est __________ (haut) le cône.
- Translation (Writing – Topic A)
Translate into French.
- The bridge is 200 metres long.
- Our classroom has a surface area of 45 square metres.
- The bottle contains 750 ml of water.
- Listening & Note‑taking (AO1 – Integrated)
Play a 2‑minute audio of a French tour guide describing the dimensions of the Louvre’s glass pyramid. Students take notes and answer five comprehension questions in French.
- Speaking Role‑play (AO2 – Topic D)
Pairs act as a real‑estate agent and a client. The agent must describe a house (size, number of rooms, garden area, garage volume) using measurement language and job‑related vocabulary (bureau, atelier, poste de travail, surface habitable). Each turn lasts 1 minute.
- Integrated Project – School Garden (AO4)
Students receive a brief (in French) for designing a school garden.
- Listen to a site description (audio).
- Calculate total planting area (subtract pathways, benches, etc.).
- Write an 80‑word report summarising dimensions and recommendations.
- Present the report orally to the class.
- Sample Paper‑Style MCQ (AO1)
Select the correct answer.
- Quel est le volume d’un cube de 3 m de côté ?
A. 9 m³ B. 27 m³ C. 81 m³ D. 3 m³
- « La surface du terrain est de 2 500 m² ». Cette phrase utilise le mot « surface » comme…
A. un verbe B. un adjectif C. un nom D. un adverbe
- « Cette boîte est plus petite que celle‑ci. » Le mot souligné est un…
A. adjectif comparatif B. adverbe C. pronom démonstratif D. verbe
- Quel terme désigne la mesure de la largeur d’un rectangle ?
A. hauteur B. longueur C. largeur D. profondeur
- « Le Burj Khalifa mesure 828 m de haut. » Le nombre 828 représente…
A. une surface B. un volume C. une longueur D. un poids
9. Topic‑Bridge Worksheet (Connecting to A, B, D & E)
Answer each prompt in French, using at least one measurement expression.
- A – Everyday Activities : “Combien de grammes de sucre y a‑t‑il dans un café au lait ?”
- B – Personal & Social Life : “Ma sœur porte une jupe plus courte que moi. Quelle est la différence de longueur ?”
- D – The World of Work : “Décrivez le bureau de votre futur emploi (poste de travail, atelier, espace de rangement) en utilisant trois adjectifs de taille ou de forme.”
- E – The International World : “Comparez la hauteur de la Tour Eiffel avec celle du Burj Khalifa.”
10. Homework / Extension
- Create a bilingual poster (French/English) that shows the formulas for area and volume with labelled diagrams.
- Record a 30‑second video describing the dimensions of an object in your bedroom; upload to Padlet for peer feedback.
- Complete the online quiz on measurement vocabulary (Kahoot or Quizizz) before the next lesson.
- Write a short paragraph (≈ 80 words) about a Canadian product that uses both metric and imperial units (e.g., a bottle labelled “500 ml / 16 oz”).
11. Teacher Tips
- Measurement Station: Provide rulers, tape measures, a cylindrical container, and a scale. Let students handle the objects before the calculation tasks.
- Gender & Agreement: Emphasise adjective agreement (grand / grande, petit / petite, mince, épais / épaisse) when students write descriptions.
- Formulas in Words: When presenting a formula, write the symbolic version on the board and then say it aloud in French (“A égale longueur fois largeur”).
- Reflexive‑Verb Check: Clarify that se mesurer is not used for size; instead use mesurer or expressions like se sentir grand(e).
- Cultural Note on Units: Briefly discuss that most francophone countries use the metric system, but Canada also uses “pieds” and “pouces” in some contexts; this can appear in exam texts.
- Measurement Notebook: Encourage students to record any new measurement vocabulary they encounter in other subjects (science, geography, maths).
- Exam‑Style Practice: Use the MCQ set at the end of the lesson for quick revision; remind learners of the timing (1 minute per question).