Empreintes 2.9 Mer de plastique

Mer de plástique is a French 4 CI curriculum unit from the Empreintes 2 sequence designed to build proficiency through environmental awareness, global responsibility, and meaningful comprehensible input. In this 13‑day unit, students explore plastic pollution in the world’s oceans, examining how single‑use plastics and synthetic materials impact marine ecosystems and sea life.

This proficiency‑based French 4 curriculum unit targets Goal 14: Life Below Water from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and supports interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication. Students engage with background information, readings, visuals, and discussion to understand the causes and consequences of ocean pollution. As the unit progresses, learners move from awareness to action, using French to propose solutions, reflect on personal habits, and consider ways to create change within their own communities.

Mer de plástique can be used as a stand-alone French 4 thematic unit or as part of the growing Empreintes 2 curriculum sequence. The unit is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing teachers to move at their own pace and extend learning through optional community outreach or action projects.

What’s included

• Full 13‑day lesson plan
• 10‑day remote learning & sub plans
• Thematic resources focused on ocean pollution and plastics
• Activities examining single‑use plastics and synthetic fabrics
• Interpretive readings and visual texts
• Guided discussion and reflection tasks
• Opportunities for student‑led inquiry and solution‑based thinking
• Assessment options
• Explicit connections to the Sustainable Development Goals

Grammatical Feature

In Mer de plástique, students will explore the subjunctive mood to make recommendations. They will also use the present perfect tense to discuss recyclable and reusable products, and the conditional tense to consider what would happen if they made changes to their use of plastics. 

Why teachers love this unit

• CI‑driven instruction centered on a highly relevant global issue
• Strong focus on environmental responsibility and student agency
• Clear progression from awareness to action
• Flexible pacing and opportunities for real‑world impact
• Ready‑to‑use lessons that save planning time

This unit is part of the Empreintes 2 French 4 CI curriculum, a cohesive, proficiency‑based program built on comprehensible input and thematic instruction. Use this unit on its own or pair it with other Empreintes 2 units to create a coherent French 4 curriculum sequence.

Pair this unit with other CI units from Somewhere to Share:

• Comprehensible Input (CI) Empreintes Curriculum Growing Bundle

French 4 Curriculum Unit | CI Comprehensible Input French 4 | Proficiency‑Based Unit | Empreintes Curriculum | Mer de plástique

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