Pink Shirt Day is a powerful movement promoting anti-bullying and kindness in schools worldwide. Observed on the last Wednesday of February, it encourages students and educators to stand together against bullying. If you’re a French teacher looking for meaningful and engaging ways to incorporate Pink Shirt Day into your lessons without spending a dime, this blog post is for you! Here are three free activities you can do with your students to promote kindness while practicing French.
1. Pink Shirt Day in French class: Les Mots Gentils - A Compliment Chain
One of the simplest yet most impactful ways to celebrate Pink Shirt Day in French class is by encouraging students to uplift each other through kind words. This activity helps students expand their vocabulary, practice writing full sentences, and develop a positive classroom environment.
How It Works:
Start by discussing the importance of kindness and the role words play in making others feel valued.
Brainstorm a list of positive adjectives and phrases in French that can be used to compliment someone. Some examples include:
Tu es très créatif/créative!
J’admire ta gentillesse.
Tu es un(e) ami(e) formidable!
Ton sourire illumine la classe!
Each student writes a compliment on a slip of paper and gives it to a classmate. To make it more interactive, turn it into a compliment chain: each student writes their name at the top of a page, and it gets passed around for others to add kind words.
Once everyone has received their compliment-filled papers, allow students to read them silently and reflect on the power of kind words.
Why This Works:
It fosters a positive classroom atmosphere where students feel valued.
It reinforces French writing skills in a meaningful context.
It helps students practice adjectives, sentence structure, and agreement while spreading positivity.
2. Pink Shirt Day in French class: Storytelling and Role-Playing
Storytelling is an excellent way to engage students in language learning while addressing important themes like bullying, kindness, and inclusion. In this activity, students will create and act out scenarios related to Pink Shirt Day, all in French.
How It Works:
Warm-up Discussion:
Ask students if they know the origins of Pink Shirt Day. Share the story of how two students in Canada started the movement after seeing a peer bullied for wearing a pink shirt.
Discuss bullying-related vocabulary in French:
L’intimidation (bullying)
Un témoin (a bystander)
Un intimidateur / Une intimidatrice (a bully)
Le respect (respect)
Le courage (courage)
Group Activity:
Divide students into small groups and assign them different bullying-related scenarios. Examples include:
A new student is excluded from a game.
A classmate is being teased for their clothing choices.
Someone stands up to a bully and supports a friend.
Each group creates a short skit demonstrating the scenario and an ideal resolution, using as much French as possible.
Encourage students to use key phrases such as:
C’est méchant, arrête!
Nous sommes tous égaux.
Tout le monde mérite du respect.
Je suis là pour toi.
Presentation and Reflection:
Groups perform their skits in front of the class.
After each skit, the class discusses what happened and how the situation could be handled in real life.
Why This Works:
It boosts confidence in speaking French in a real-world context.
It enhances listening and comprehension skills.
It promotes critical thinking and discussion about social issues.
3. Pink Shirt Day in French class: Les Affiches de Gentillesse - Collaborative Kindness Posters
A visual, hands-on activity is a fantastic way to reinforce the themes of Pink Shirt Day in French while allowing students to express themselves creatively.
How It Works:
Preparation:
Divide students into small groups and give each group a large sheet of paper or a digital workspace (if using an online tool like Google Slides).
Assign each group a theme related to kindness, such as l’inclusion, le respect, l’amitié, or le soutien.
Creating the Poster:
Each group designs a poster in French that promotes their assigned theme.
Encourage them to include:
A slogan in French (e.g., Soyons gentils les uns envers les autres! / Le respect, c’est pour tout le monde!)
A drawing or collage that illustrates their message.
Examples of kind actions in French (e.g., Aider un camarade, Dire merci, Écouter les autres).
If technology is available, students can create digital posters to be shared on school websites or social media.
Presentation and Display:
Each group presents their poster to the class, explaining their design and message in French.
Display the posters in the classroom or hallways to spread awareness and positivity beyond French class.
Why This Works:
It allows for collaborative learning and teamwork.
It integrates visual arts with language learning.
It creates a lasting impact by displaying student work in a meaningful way.
Incorporating Pink Shirt Day in French class is a wonderful opportunity to teach not only the language but also valuable life lessons about kindness, empathy, and standing up for others. These three free activities—Pink Shirt Day in French: Les Mots Gentils, Pink Shirt Day in French: Storytelling and Role-Playing, and Pink Shirt Day in French: Les Affiches de Gentillesse—are easy to implement and highly effective in engaging students while reinforcing their French skills.
By creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment, we help students understand that their words and actions matter. Whether through compliments, storytelling, or creative expression, every effort to promote kindness counts.