NOV20
All country briefings

Europe · Country briefing

France

A child-friendly mission briefing for 20 November — capital, climate, school day, languages, fun facts, native animals, and five questions to ask the class on the other side of the world.

  • Capital
    Paris
  • Population
    ~68 million
  • Time zone
    Europe/Paris (UTC +1)
  • Currency
    Euro (EUR)
France, with Paris marked
loading map…

Climate in November: Cool autumn; rain in many regions.

Paris, the capital of France

The capital

Paris

Photo · Unsplash

Fun facts

What makes France a bit special.

  • Eiffel Tower

    324m, built in 1889

  • Bread

    Baguettes baked fresh daily

  • Tour de France

    3,500 km bike race every July

  • Louvre

    World's most visited museum

  • Mont Blanc

    Tallest peak in the Alps · 4,809m

  • Cheese

    Over 1,000 varieties

Native animals

Wildlife your partner class might know best.

  • 🐻

    Brown bear

    Lives in the Pyrenees mountains

  • 🐐

    Chamois

    A goat-like animal of the Alps

  • 🐰

    European hare

    Faster than most dogs

  • 🐗

    Wild boar

    Roams forests across France

  • 🦩

    Flamingo

    Wild flamingoes live in the Camargue wetlands

School life

In a France classroom

Lunch in French schools is often a sit-down hot meal of around an hour.

Typical school day: Often 08:30–16:30 with a long lunch.

School year: September to early July.

Greetings to learn

Say hello like a local

  • Bonjour!
    French · bohn-JOOR
  • Salut!
    French · sah-LOO

Five questions to ask

Conversation starters

  1. 01How long is your lunch at school?
  2. 02What's your favourite French word?
  3. 03What's a great book you've read this year?
  4. 04Where in France do you live?
  5. 05What do you love about your school?

What not to assume

Friendly cautions

  • ℹFrance includes overseas regions in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific.
  • ℹWednesdays are sometimes a half-day in many schools.

Culture

Food, music, sport, festivals.

  • Food

    • Baguette
    • Crêpes
    • Ratatouille
    • Cheese

  • Music

    • Chanson
    • Electronic
    • Rap français
    • Classical traditions

  • Sport

    • Football
    • Rugby
    • Cycling

  • Festivals

    • Toussaint
    • Christmas markets
    • Bastille Day (July)
Reflection prompts
  • “How would a longer lunch change your day?”
  • “What language would you like to learn next?”

Could your class meet France?

Choose Francewhen you register — we’ll show you the time-zone feasibility.

Register your classroom