what did franz notice that was unusual about the school that day

Franz noticed several unusual things about the school that day. First, the school was unusually quiet and peaceful, unlike the usual noisy bustle of students opening and closing desks and repeating lessons in unison. Second, the teacher, M. Hamel, was dressed in his best clothes, which he usually wore only on special occasions. Third, the village elders, who normally did not come to school, were sitting quietly on the back benches. Additionally, the atmosphere was solemn and tense, with a sense of unease and sadness among everyone present. These unusual observations were linked to the fact that it was the last French lesson before German was imposed by an order from Berlin, banning the teaching of French in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.