Alberta · Grade 6
Core French 6
Alberta’s Grade 6 French course, from La boîte à outils — Grade 6 Grammar Concepts to La culture francophone — Francophone Alberta and Winter Festivals.
- Units
- 6
- Lessons
- 10
- Skills
- 20
- Provincial exam
- None
- Official curriculum
- Alberta Education
Unit by unit
Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.
Unit 1 · 8 skills
La boîte à outils — Grade 6 Grammar Concepts
Qu'est-ce que conjuguer un verbe ?
What "conjugating a verb" means
I can explain that "to conjugate a verb" means giving the verb its different forms for each subject pronoun.
Skill 1.1
The –er present-tense pattern
I can explain and use the –er present-tense pattern: keep the stem, change the ending for each pronoun.
Skill 1.2
Les sons, les accents et les articles
Matching French sounds to letters and accents
I can match a French sound to the letter, letter-combo or accent that spells it (é vs è, eau = "o").
Skill 1.3
No "a/an" before a job
I can say someone's job in French WITHOUT the word for "a/an".
Skill 1.4
Dire « du, de la, des » et les expressions avec avoir
Saying "some": du, de la, de l', des
I can say "some" in French with du, de la, de l' and des.
Skill 1.5
Expressions with avoir (J'ai faim)
I can use avoir (to have) for feelings English gives to "be": J'ai faim, J'ai soif, J'ai chaud.
Skill 1.6
Jouer à / faire de et les moyens de transport
jouer à vs faire de for sports and activities
I can choose jouer à for some sports and faire de for others.
Skill 1.7
The right word with each means of transport
I can use the right little word for each way of getting around: à pied, à bicyclette, en autobus.
Skill 1.8
The official wording · 8 outcomes
- 1.1
- that “to conjugate a verb” means naming the different forms a verb takes according to the personal subject pronoun used
- 1.2
- explain, orally in their own words, the –er verb conjugation pattern in the present tense
- 1.3
- associate the French sound with the letter or letter combination or diacritical mark
- 1.4
- that in French the indefinite article is not used when identifying one’s profession
- 1.5
- recognize that the words du, de la, de l’ or des are used to express “some” in English
- 1.6
- that in French the verb avoir is used in some expressions where the verb “to be” is used in English
- 1.7
- recognize that jouer à is used with certain sports and activities and that faire de is used with others
- 1.8
- that the preposition used in conjunction with the means of transportation varies according to the type of transportation being used
Key ideas
To CONJUGATE a verb = to give it the right form for who is doing the action: je (I), tu (you), il/elle (he/she), nous (we), vous (you all), ils/elles (they).
Accents change the sound: é = the "ay" sound [e] (café), while è = the more open "eh" sound [ε] (père).
Pick the "some" word by the noun: du (masculine: du pain), de la (feminine: de la soupe), de l' (before a vowel: de l'eau), des (plural: des fruits).
jouer à is usually for games/team sports with a ball or board: jouer au soccer, jouer au hockey, jouer aux cartes.
A "conjugation" is just a PATTERN — the same set of endings that works for a whole family of verbs.
Watch out for
- Thinking a verb has only one form ("parler" is the dictionary form; you almost never say it by itself in a sentence).
- Reading é and è as the same sound (they are different — é is closed, è is open).
- Dropping the "some" word because English does ("Je mange brocoli" ✗ → Je mange du brocoli).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 2 · 4 skills
Les verbes en action — Using Verbs and Vocabulary
Conjuguer les verbes du quotidien
Singular forms of common –er verbs
I can use the singular forms (je, tu, il/elle) of common –er verbs to say what people do.
Skill 2.1
Saying where things are with se trouver
I can use se trouver to say where a place is located.
Skill 2.2
Exprimer ses sentiments et ses préférences
Feelings, emotions and how you feel
I can say how I feel using expressions of feelings, emotions and physical state.
Skill 2.3
Saying how much: beaucoup, un peu, assez, trop
I can add "how much" to a sentence with beaucoup, un peu, assez and trop.
Skill 2.4
The official wording · 4 outcomes
- 2.1
- singular forms of common –er verbs
- 2.2
- selected forms of the verb se trouver
- 2.3
- expressions of feelings and emotions
- 2.4
- the adverbs of quantity and intensity beaucoup, bien, peu, assez, trop, plus and moins
Key ideas
Singular endings: je → -e, tu → -es, il/elle → -e. So regarder → je regarde, tu regardes, il regarde.
Emotions use être: Je suis heureux/heureuse (happy), Je suis triste (sad), Je suis fatigué(e) (tired).
A whole toolbox works this way: jouer, danser, regarder, travailler, manger (with a tiny spelling nudge: nous mangeons).
Aches and body states use avoir: J'ai mal à la tête (my head hurts), J'ai froid (I'm cold), J'ai faim (I'm hungry).
se trouver means "to be located": il/elle se trouve (it is located), ils/elles se trouvent (they are located).
Watch out for
- Mixing up tu (-es) and il (-e) endings ("tu regarde" ✗ → tu regardes).
- Making the feeling adjective disagree ("Elle est heureux" ✗ → Elle est heureuse).
- Pronouncing the final -es of tu forms — it is silent (regardes ≈ "regard").
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 3 · 2 skills
La nourriture et la santé — Understanding and Writing
À table ! — Listening and writing about food
Listening for key words about food and health
I can pull the key words and main idea from short spoken French about food and health.
Skill 3.1
Writing a short message about meals
I can write a short French message about meals by copying and changing a model.
Skill 3.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 3.1
- demonstrate understanding of key words and ideas contained in simple, concrete oral texts by responding with physical actions
- 3.2
- express simple written messages by copying, labelling, substituting words or using simple concrete sentences based on available models
Key ideas
Hunt the words you KNOW — they carry the message; you don't need every word (not understanding every word is normal, not failure).
Cognates are free meaning: le fruit, la salade, le chocolat, la pizza — plus food-group words (les légumes, les fruits) you've learned.
Start from a model and swap words: "Pour le déjeuner, je mange ____ et je bois ____." → fill in your own foods.
Use du/de la/des for "some" and simple verbs: Je mange des céréales. Je bois du lait.
Watch out for
- Freezing on the first unknown word instead of riding the known ones (tolerating ambiguity is the strategy).
- Trying to translate word-by-word instead of listening for the overall message.
- Writing English word order or leaving out "some" ("Je mange céréales" ✗ → Je mange des céréales).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 4 · 2 skills
Mon quartier — Reading and Presenting
Dans mon quartier — Reading and speaking
Reading short texts about a neighbourhood
I can read a short French text or map about a neighbourhood and pull out the key words.
Skill 4.1
A short oral presentation about my neighbourhood
I can give a short spoken presentation about my neighbourhood using a model.
Skill 4.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 4.1
- demonstrate understanding of key words and ideas in simple, concrete adapted or authentic written texts
- 4.2
- express simple oral messages by using one word utterances, memorized global expressions or simple, concrete sentences based on available models
Key ideas
Use the pictures, map and headings as anchors BEFORE reading words — they tell you what the text is about.
Neighbourhood words cluster: un magasin (store), un restaurant, une école, un parc, une banque — many are cognates.
Build from a frame: "Dans mon quartier, il y a ____. Je vais à ____ en/à ____." → drop in your own words.
You may use single words, memorized expressions or short model sentences — that IS the Grade 6 target, not full fluency.
Watch out for
- Ignoring the map/pictures that would give the meaning before reading a single word.
- Giving up at an unknown word instead of underlining what IS known and moving on.
- Trying to improvise long sentences and freezing — a short, modelled presentation is the goal.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 5 · 2 skills
L'Alberta et l'environnement — Vocabulary in Context
Où est l'Alberta ? Comment protéger la nature ?
Talking about where Alberta is
I can use French vocabulary to say where Alberta is within Canada and next to its neighbours.
Skill 5.1
Talking about protecting the environment
I can use French vocabulary about protecting the environment, often with il faut + verb.
Skill 5.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 5.1
- vocabulary describing Alberta’s location within Canada and in relation to its neighbours
- 5.2
- vocabulary related to the protection of the environment
Key ideas
Location words: dans l'ouest du Canada (in western Canada), au nord des États-Unis (north of the U.S.).
Cardinal and in-between points: le nord, le sud, l'est, l'ouest, le nord-est, le sud-ouest — pair them with se trouver.
Protection words: le recyclage (recycling), réutiliser (to reuse), protéger (to protect), l'environnement.
Il faut + infinitive says what we MUST do: Il faut recycler. Il faut protéger les animaux.
Watch out for
- Word-for-word translating "in the west" ("dans le ouest" ✗ → dans l'ouest, with l').
- Mixing up est (east) and ouest (west) — a common beginner slip.
- Conjugating the verb after il faut ("Il faut recycle" ✗ → Il faut recycler — the next verb stays infinitive).
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 6 · 2 skills
La culture francophone — Francophone Alberta and Winter Festivals
L'Alberta francophone et les fêtes d'hiver
Francophone communities in Alberta
I can name two Francophone communities in Alberta and roughly where they are.
Skill 6.1
Winter celebrations and Canada's two languages
I can name two winter Francophone celebrations and say Canada has two official languages.
Skill 6.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 6.1
- two predominantly Francophone communities in Alberta and their locations
- 6.2
- the names of two winter Francophone celebrations in Canada
Key ideas
Alberta has Francophone towns: Beaumont (au sud d'Edmonton), Saint-Isidore (dans le nord de l'Alberta), Legal, Falher.
Locate them with direction words: Beaumont est au sud d'Edmonton. Saint-Isidore est dans le nord.
Two winter Francophone celebrations: le Carnaval de Québec (Québec) and le Festival du Voyageur à Saint-Boniface (Manitoba).
Canada has two official languages: le Canada a deux langues officielles — le français et l'anglais.
Watch out for
- Thinking French is only spoken in Québec or France — the Francophonie starts right here in Alberta.
- Mixing up nord (north) and sud (south) when locating a town.
- Thinking Canada has only one official language, or that French is only for Québec.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Plan the term
Pick your term and the days you study. Each unit gets its share of the weeks and comes back a week later for a review. The last two weeks go over the whole course.
The official curriculum
This page follows Alberta’s own curriculum for Core French 6.
Study it in MapleMind
MapleMind teaches Core French 6 one skill at a time. Each skill gets a short lesson, practice as you go and a check worth up to three stars. It remembers where you stopped.
Course Companion
Your year in one workbook
A fun way to keep Core French 6 organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.
- Pages
- 35
- Fillable fields
- 1,357
- Price
- $4.99
Questions about Core French 6
What is Core French 6?
Alberta’s Grade 6 French course: 6 units and 20 skills, from La boîte à outils — Grade 6 Grammar Concepts to La culture francophone — Francophone Alberta and Winter Festivals.
What units are in Core French 6?
1. La boîte à outils — Grade 6 Grammar Concepts, 2. Les verbes en action — Using Verbs and Vocabulary, 3. La nourriture et la santé — Understanding and Writing, 4. Mon quartier — Reading and Presenting, 5. L'Alberta et l'environnement — Vocabulary in Context and 6. La culture francophone — Francophone Alberta and Winter Festivals.
Is there a provincial exam for Core French 6?
No. Alberta gives no provincial exam for Core French 6.
What comes after Core French 6?
French as a Second Language 7 (Nine-Year Program).
Can MapleMind help with Core French 6?
Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Core French 6, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.
Get ready for Core French 6
Practise every skill of Core French 6 in MapleMind, free with daily limits.
