Grade by Grade
C. Reading / D. Writing · Reading and Writing in French: Media, Stories and Communities

Le processus d'écriture : Writing a Grade 8 Yearbook Page

C2 D1 D2 D3About 60 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can identify the features of a yearbook page: memories, thanks, plans and advice.
  • I can use all the tenses I know in one text: imparfait, passé composé, présent, futur and conditionnel.
  • I can choose tu or vous and the right level of language for each reader (a friend, a teacher, everyone).
  • I can go through every stage of the writing process: plan, draft, revise, edit, publish and reflect.
  • I can give and use feedback with a checklist.

Words to know

le processus d'écriture
The writing process: planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing.
le brouillon
The rough draft.
réviser
To revise: improve the ideas, the order and the word choice.
corriger
To edit: fix spelling, agreement, accents and punctuation.
la rétroaction
Feedback (used in Québec and other parts of Canada).
le registre de langue
The level of language: familiar (Salut ! T'es génial !), standard, or formal (Je vous remercie).
un finissant, une finissante
A graduating student (used in Québec and other parts of Canada).

The last page of elementary school

Grade 8 is the year you graduate from elementary school. Many schools make a yearbook (un album des finissants) where each student writes a short page: favourite memories, thanks, plans for high school and advice for younger students.

It's the perfect final project for this unit, because it uses every tense you know, and it needs the whole writing process. Remember from Grade 7: you took a short story through planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. This time you will also think about who will read each part: a best friend, a teacher, the whole school.

A graduation cap with a gold tassel, a rolled diploma tied with a red ribbon and an open scrapbook with blank pages and coloured pens.
Grade 8 graduation! A yearbook page starts as a blank page like this one, then goes through planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. AI-generated image
Worked example

Let's read a yearbook page

L'album des finissants · Mes années à l'école des Érables par Sofia, 8e année (a yearbook page written for this lesson; École des Érables is a made-up school)

Quand je suis arrivée à l'école des Érables en 4e année, je ne connaissais personne. J'étais très timide et je parlais peu. Le premier jour, une élève qui s'appelait Hana m'a invitée à jouer au ballon chasseur. Depuis ce jour-là, nous sommes inséparables. Hana, tu es la meilleure !

Mon meilleur souvenir ? Le voyage à Québec en 8e année, où nous nous sommes promenés dans le Vieux-Québec le soir.

J'ai beaucoup appris ici. Avant, j'avais peur de parler devant la classe. Maintenant, je présente mes projets sans problème.

L'année prochaine, j'irai à l'école secondaire. Je suivrai des cours de français et de sciences. Plus tard, j'aimerais devenir vétérinaire.

Si je pouvais donner un conseil aux élèves de 7e année, je leur dirais : « Profitez de chaque moment ! »

Merci à Mme Lavoie, qui m'a aidée à croire en moi. Vous allez me manquer !

Bonne chance à tous et à toutes !

Glossaire: l'album des finissants = the graduation yearbook · un finissant, une finissante = a graduating student (used in Québec and other parts of Canada) · timide = shy · le ballon chasseur = dodgeball (used in Québec and other parts of Canada) · inséparables = inseparable · un souvenir = a memory · avoir peur de = to be afraid of · suivre un cours = to take a course · devenir = to become · profiter de = to make the most of · croire en moi = to believe in myself · Vous allez me manquer = I will miss you

  1. Form (C2): a title, the writer's name, short paragraphs on different topics (arrival, best memory, growth, plans, advice, thanks), and a friendly closing.
  2. Purpose and readers: to remember, to thank, and to say goodbye. Readers: classmates, teachers, families and younger students.
  3. Past: imparfait for description (je ne connaissais personne, j'étais très timide) and passé composé for events (je suis arrivée, Hana m'a invitée, nous nous sommes promenés).
  4. Present: nous sommes inséparables, je présente mes projets. Future: j'irai, je suivrai. Wish: j'aimerais devenir vétérinaire. Hypothesis: Si je pouvais..., je leur dirais.
  5. Register (D3): Hana, tu es la meilleure ! (familiar, to a friend) · Merci à Mme Lavoie... Vous allez me manquer ! (respectful vous for a teacher) · Profitez (vous for a group of students).
  6. Growth: Avant, j'avais peur... Maintenant, je présente... The contrast avant / maintenant shows how Sofia changed.

Sofia's page moves from past (arriving shy in Grade 4) to present (confident) to future (high school, becoming a vet), and uses tu for her friend and vous for her teacher and for the younger students.

PASSÉimparfait :j'étais timidepassé composé :je suis arrivéePRÉSENTprésent :je présenteFUTURfutur simple :j'irai, je suivraiSI... (rêve)conditionnel :j'aimeraisje leur dirais
Sofia's page travels through time: past memories, who she is now, her plans, and her dreams or advice. Each part has its own tense.

The writing process, step by step

  1. Planifier: brainstorm memories, people to thank, plans; choose 5 or 6 topics; put them in order.
  2. Rédiger: write a first draft quickly. Don't worry about mistakes yet.
  3. Réviser (the ideas): Is each paragraph about one topic? Are there details and feelings? Did you use connecting words (d'abord, ensuite, avant, maintenant, plus tard)? Is the register right for each reader?
  4. Corriger (the language): use a checklist: verb endings, agreement, accents, de after a negative, punctuation (« guillemets », a space before ! ? : in French).
  5. Publier: write a clean copy, add a photo or drawing, share it.
  6. Réfléchir: What did I do well? What will I do differently next time?

Revising often sends you back to drafting. That's normal: good writers go around the loop more than once.

on recommence !1. Planifieridées, plan2. Rédigerle brouillon3. Réviserle contenu4. Corrigerl'orthographe5. PublierpartagerRéfléchir (métacognition) : Qu'est-ce qui a bien marché ?
The writing process is a loop, not a straight line: after revising, you may draft again. At the end, reflect on what worked.

Editing checklist (Grade 8)

  • Tenses: imparfait for descriptions, passé composé for events, futur for plans, conditionnel after si + imparfait.
  • être verbs and reflexive verbs: agreement (je suis arrivée, nous nous sommes promenés).
  • Pronouns before the verb: je leur dirais, il m'a aidé(e), j'y vais, j'en ai.
  • Negatives: ne ... jamais / plus / rien / personne; de after a negative.
  • Accents: é, è, ê, à, ç (élève, très, être, à, français).
  • Punctuation: in French, put a space before ! ? : ; and use « guillemets ».
Worked example

Let's take one paragraph through the process

Topic: My plans for next year. Take it from a plan to a published paragraph.

  1. Plan: high school · French Immersion or Core French? · a new sport · a future job · a feeling.
  2. Draft: L'année prochaine, je vais a l'ecole secondaire. Je joue au volleyball. Plus tard je veux etre ingénieur. Je suis nerveux.
  3. Revise (ideas): use the futur for plans, add a reason and a connecting word, add a wish with the conditionnel, and make the feeling more precise: Je suis un peu nerveux, mais surtout curieux.
  4. Edit (language): accents (à l'école, être), futur endings (j'irai, je jouerai), comma after Plus tard.
  5. Publish: L'année prochaine, j'irai à l'école secondaire Garneau. Je jouerai au volleyball, parce que j'adore les sports d'équipe. Plus tard, j'aimerais être ingénieur et construire des ponts. Je suis un peu nerveux, mais surtout curieux !
  6. Reflect: Ce qui a bien marché : le futur. La prochaine fois, je vérifierai les accents dès le brouillon.

L'année prochaine, j'irai à l'école secondaire Garneau. Je jouerai au volleyball, parce que j'adore les sports d'équipe. Plus tard, j'aimerais être ingénieur et construire des ponts. Je suis un peu nerveux, mais surtout curieux !

(This writer is a boy: nerveux, curieux. A girl would write nerveuse, curieuse. École secondaire Garneau is a made-up name.)

Just for fun

A first draft is like the first pancake: it's a bit lumpy, nobody shows it to guests, and it's still a very important step. By the third revision, you're serving perfect crêpes!

Hands-on activity

My yearbook page

You need: paper or a computer, a photo or drawing of yourself (optional), and a family member or friend to give feedback.

  1. Plan: make a web with 6 bubbles: mon arrivée, un souvenir, ce que j'ai appris, mes projets, un conseil, merci.
  2. Draft: write one short paragraph per bubble (2 to 3 sentences each).
  3. Feedback: ask your reader to put a ✔ next to their favourite sentence and a ? next to anything unclear. Change the ? parts.
  4. Revise and edit: use the checklist above. Highlight one example of each tense: imparfait, passé composé, présent, futur, conditionnel.
  5. Register: include one sentence with tu (to a friend) and one with vous (to a teacher or a group).
  6. Publish a clean copy with a title and your name.
  7. Reflect: write two sentences: Ce qui a bien marché : ... La prochaine fois, je ...

Look for: all five tenses, correct agreement, the right register for each reader, and a clean final copy.

Your turn

1

In what grade did Sofia arrive at École des Érables, and how did she feel?

2

Who is Hana, and what did she do on the first day?

3

What is Sofia's best memory?

4

How has Sofia changed? Quote the two sentences that show it.

5

What are Sofia's plans? Name the tenses she uses.

6

Why does Sofia say tu to Hana and vous to Mme Lavoie?

7

What advice does she give to Grade 7 students?

More practice: warm-up

1

What does le brouillon mean?

2

Which stage fixes spelling and accents: réviser or corriger?

3

Put in order: corriger, planifier, publier, rédiger, réviser.

4

Which pronoun do you use to thank a teacher: tu or vous?

5

What tense is j'irai?

More practice: on your own

1

Correct the accents and punctuation: A l'ecole, j'ai appris a etre patient!

2

Revise to be more precise: Le voyage était bon.

3

Change to the familiar register for a friend: Je vous remercie pour votre aide.

4

Complete with the right tense: Quand j'___ (être) petite, je ___ (jouer) au ballon chasseur tous les jours. (le ballon chasseur = dodgeball, used in Québec and other parts of Canada)

5

Write the advice sentence for Grade 7 students in a different way, with si + imparfait and the conditionnel.

Challenge

1

Find and fix the four mistakes: Quand je suis arrivé en 4e année, Hana m'a invité. Si je pourrais, je resterai ici ! (The writer is Sofia.)

2

Explain the difference between revising and editing, with one example of each.

3

Write a 4-sentence yearbook paragraph about yourself that uses the imparfait, the passé composé, the futur and the conditionnel.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which stage of the writing process improves the ideas and organization?

2.

Quand j'___ petite, j'avais peur du noir.

3.

L'année prochaine, je ___ des cours de sciences.

4.

Which sentence is right for thanking a teacher?

5.

In the French typography used in this course, which is correct?

6.

Why is reflecting (réfléchir) part of the process?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Your child reads a yearbook page and notices its form (C2), writes their own page using all the tenses learned this year (D1), goes through the full writing process with feedback and reflection (D2), and chooses the right register (tu or vous) for each reader (D3).

How to help:

  • Be the feedback partner: mark a favourite sentence and anything unclear. Ask questions rather than fixing mistakes for your child.
  • Share a memory of your own last year of elementary school. It's a lovely conversation starter for the brainstorm.

Common difficulties:

  • Writing the whole page in the present tense. Point to the time words (quand j'étais, l'année prochaine, si je pouvais).
  • Skipping revision and only correcting spelling. Ask: Can you add a detail or a feeling here?
  • Mixing tu and vous for the same person.

Canadian French used (used in Québec and other parts of Canada): un finissant / une finissante, l'album des finissants, le ballon chasseur, la rétroaction.