France

Bridget Fry and Caroline Hudson

Objectives - Today we will learn about France’s
- Culture
- Geography
- Food
- Education
Video
Culture - Language
- Most popular language spoken is French
(88%)
- The other 12% includes
- German (3%)
- Italian (1.7%)
- Arabic (1.7%)
- Other languages are spoken by less
than 1% of the population
- Population
- The French population is made up of over
65.1 million people
- France is the 22nd largest populated
country in the world
- France makes up 0.84% of the world’s
population
- Paris is the most populated city in France
with over 2.1 million people
Culture (cont.) - Holidays
- France celebrates both civic and religious
(Catholic) holidays
- Civic holidays include New Year’s, May
Day, Victory in Europe Day, Bastille Day,
and WWI Armistice Day
- Catholic holidays include Easter Monday,
Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Assumption
Day, All Saints’ Day, Christmas
- Religion
- Most common religion is Christian
(63.0%)
- 60.4% of French Christians are Catholic
- 28.0% are unaffiliated with religion
- 7.5% are Muslim
- Other religions - Buddhist, Folk Religion,
Notre-Dame Church Hindu, Jewish - make up less than 1% of
the population
Activity Multiple Choice Question:

The most common religion in France is

a. Jewish
b. Christian
c. Muslim
d. Unaffiliated with religion
 ● Largest country in Western Europe
● Bordered to the northwest by the English
Geography of Channel, the northeast by Belgium and

France Luxembourg, to the east by Germany,

Switzerland, and Italy, to the south by the
Meditarrianian, to the southwest by Spain and
Andorra, and to the west by the Atlantic ocean.
○ Nicknamed ‘L’ Hexagone’ because of its
shape
 ● Scenery of France
○ France has lots of scenery such as the mountain
Geography of ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees; the Loire, Rhone,

France (con.)
and Dordogne river valleys, and the countrysides of
Normandy and the Atlantic Coast
○ France has 1,800 miles of coast line
● French Administered Departments and Regions
Overseas
○ Guadeloupe
○ Reunion Island
○ French Guiana
○ Martinique
○ Mayotte
 ● Great place to visit all year round
○ Summers (June- August)
■ Long, warm, and sunny
● Especially hot in St. Tropez
● Very busy because of major sights,
attractions, and resorts along the
WEATHER AND ○ Winters
French Riviera

CLIMATE: Seasons ○
■ Cool weather
Spring (March - May)

of France ■ Much quieter and cheaper prices during

these months
○ Fall (September - October)
■ Best during fall because it is less crowded,
has warm days and cool nights, as well as
many wine harvest festivals.
■ Quieter and cheaper during these months
 ○ Bordeaux Region
■ Popular wine region in france and largest growing
wine region in the country
○ Alps and Pyrenees Mountains Region
■ Draws large crowds during winter ski season
■ Lots of hikers come to hike mountains due to
WEATHER AND many trails and wild flowers.
○ Northeastern Areas
CLIMATE: Regions ■
■
Warm summers and colder winters
Evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year
of France ○
■ Snow during the winter
Western coastal Areas (Loire to Basque region)
■ Greatly influenced by the Atlantic ocean
■ Temperate weather
■ Mild rainfall
■ Very hot and sunny summers
○ Provence Region
■ Lavish lavender fields during summers
■ Mid june is not as busy
■ Mid August is busiest time of year
 ● Paris
Capital of France ○ Nicknamed the "city of light"
○ Largest city in France
○ About 2.15 million people live here
○ One of western Europe’s major centers of culture
and business
○ Famous artists, writers, scholars, fashion
designers, and chefs have lived in Paris.
○ Famous for its beauty
○ Seine River flows through the center
○ Home to many famous landmarks:
■ Eiffel Tower
■ Arc de Triomphe
■ Cathedral of Notre-Dame
■ Louvre Museum
 Multiple Choice Questions:

Activity 1. France is the _____ country in Western

Europe.
a. Largest
b. Smallest
c. Coldest
d. Warmest

2. The Capital of France is ____.

a. Chamonix
b. Paris
c. Washington
d. Bordeaux
Food - Hors d’Oeuvres (Appetizers)
- Escargots à la Bourguignonne (snails in
garlic-herb butter)
- Provençal Stuffed Squid (squid from
Provence stuffed with herbs, chard, and
bread crumbs)
- Black Olive Tapenade (Provençal
condiment put on toast and grilled fish)
- Gougères (cheese puffs)
- Fromage Blanc Spread (herbal white
cheese spread)
Food (cont.) - Entrées
- Soupe à L’oignon (French onion soup)
- Coq au Vin (chicken with wine,
mushrooms, pork or bacon, mushrooms,
onion, and garlic
- Boeuf Bourguignon (stew with beef, red
wine, pearl onions, mushrooms, and
seasoned vegetables)
- Flamiche (puff pastry with cheese and
vegetables - like a quiche)
- Ratatouille (baked vegetables)
- Desserts
- Chocolate soufflé
- Tarte Tatin (apple pie)
- Wine and Cheese Plate
Activity Open Ended Question:

If you could eat one French meal, what would

you choose?

Reminder:

Hors d’Oeuvres - Escargots a la

Bourguignonne, Provençal Stuffed Squid, Black
Olive Tapenade, Gougères, Fromage Blanc
Spread

Entrées - Soupe à L’oignon, Coq a Vin,

Boeuf Bourguignon, Flamiche, Ratatouille

Desserts - Chocolate soufflé, Tarte Tatin,

Wine and cheese plate
 ○ The education system of France consists
of three stages:
■ Stage 1: Primary education
■ Stage 2: Secondary education
Educational System ■ Stage 3: Higher education
○ Many of the schools and universities in
of France: General France are public institutions

Facts ○ In primary and secondary education,

curricula are standardized in all schools for
all grades.
 ● Many children begin school in kindergarten at
age three or begin daycare at age two.
○ Daycare and kindergarten are not mandatory, but
children must begin school by six years of age.
Educational System ○ Primary school goes from about age six to

of France: Stage 1-
eleven.

Primary Education
 ● Secondary education is divided into two stages:
■ Collège (similar to middle school in the U.S.)
● Four years long
● Age eleven to fifteen
Educational System ● Students receive a brevet des collèges
after completing this stage.
of France: Stage 2- ■ Lycée (similar to high school in the U.S.)

Secondary
● Three years long
● Students take an exam to receive their

Education baccalauréat qualification (similar to

high school diploma in the U.S. with the
exception that it requires preparatory
study).
 ○ After Lycée, students either work toward a
vocational or academic diploma.
■ Vocational:
● Diplôme Universitaire de
Educational System Technologie (DUT) and brevet de
of France: Stage 3- technicien supérieur (BTS) are
examples of these degrees, they are
Higher Education specifically degrees for technology.
DUT is a degree at the university
level and BTS is a degree at the
highschool level.
● If students choose, they can take
one more year of study to earn their
licence professionnelle degree.
 ■ Academic diplomas:
● In France, there are three higher education institutions:
Educational System
of France: Stage 3-
Higher Education
(con.)
○ Universities:
■ Public institutions
● Offer academic, technical, and
professional degrees to students
who have a baccalauréat or its
forigen equivalent.
○ Grandes écoles:
■ Selective public and private institutions
● Usually offer a more specialized
course study.
○ Examples of studies include
business, public
administration, or
engineering.
○ Three years long
○ Specialized schools:
■ Public or private institutions
■ Train students for professional careers in
specific fields.
● Examples of fields include art,
architecture, social work, or tourism.
Activity
Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How many stages are there in the

Education system of France?

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
Assessment Open Ended Question:

What are two facts you learned about France

today?
 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/countries/fra
nce.shtml

References
- https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/france-population/
- https://frenchmoments.eu/holidays-and-celebrations-in-france/
- http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/france#/?affiliations
_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countr
ies&restrictions_year=2016
- https://www.saveur.com/gallery/French-Appetizers/
- https://www.expatica.com/fr/lifestyle/food-drink/top-french-foods-wit
h-recipes-106720/

Paris. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from

https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Paris/345991

Study in France. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from

https://fulbright-france.org/en/study-france/understanding-french-edu
cation-system

What is the weather, climate and geography like in France. (2019,

May 26). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from
https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/europe/france/weather-clima
te-geography/