Lesson 4 - die Schule
In Germany, on the first day of school the children get a welcome package from their parents called a Schultüte. Inside are all sorts of special goodies, like school supplies and candy. It is such a fun way to start off your first day! See the link below to learn how to make your very own Schultüte!
In this lesson we are learning about die Schule! The school system in Germany is different than here in the U.S. and we will learn how those differences work. You will quickly form your opinion on which one is better. As well, we will learn a new German case for nouns. Even though I have not explained it yet, we are already familiar with the first German case - the nominative. The last topic for this chapter are your question words. We review the some of the question words we already know and add a new one - Wen.
In this lesson we are learning about die Schule! The school system in Germany is different than here in the U.S. and we will learn how those differences work. You will quickly form your opinion on which one is better. As well, we will learn a new German case for nouns. Even though I have not explained it yet, we are already familiar with the first German case - the nominative. The last topic for this chapter are your question words. We review the some of the question words we already know and add a new one - Wen.
Objectives:
1. Students will compare and contrast the German and American school systems. They will explain which system is better and justify their answer. 2. Students will identify basic school vocabulary and translate sentences that contain school vocabulary. 3. Students will create sentences using accusative and nominative objects. 4. Students will create questions using the question words: wer, wen, and was. |
Grading Information
For this lesson, the grading breaks down as follows:
20 points are possible for each of the three assignments, for a total of 60 points
30 points are possible for each project, for a total of 60 points
10 points are possible for each quiz, for a total of 30 points
The total points possible for this lesson are: 150
Weighting
Assignments are 40% of the total grade
Projects are 40% of the total grade
Quizzes are 10% of the total grade
Grading Scale
Below is the grading scale for this class
90% - 100% = A
80% - 89% = B
70% - 79% = C
60% - 69% = D
0% - 59% = F
20 points are possible for each of the three assignments, for a total of 60 points
30 points are possible for each project, for a total of 60 points
10 points are possible for each quiz, for a total of 30 points
The total points possible for this lesson are: 150
Weighting
Assignments are 40% of the total grade
Projects are 40% of the total grade
Quizzes are 10% of the total grade
Grading Scale
Below is the grading scale for this class
90% - 100% = A
80% - 89% = B
70% - 79% = C
60% - 69% = D
0% - 59% = F
Resources
Activity 1 - das deutsche Schulsystem
The German school system begins very similar to the American school system. They start with a pre-school and attend Kindergarten (however, this is all called Kindgergarten). From there they move into grade school called Grundschule. After Grundschule, the system gets very complicated. I think it is better to watch the two videos below to get the clear explanation before starting work on your assignments. The American does a terrible job pronouncing the word "Gymnasium". Please use Katja as a point of reference for pronunciation. Gymnasium should start with a hard G sound and the a is pronounced as an "ah". The vocabulary you will need to know is listed below.
Vocabulary
das deutsche Schulsystem - German school system
Kindergarten - pre-school and Kindergarten
Grundschule - elementary school
Gymnasium - college prep high school - nothing to do with sports!
Realschule - high school where students can move to Gymnasium or can leave by grade 10 and attend apprenticeship programs
Hauptschule - high school where students leave by grade 10 and attend apprenticeship programs
Universität - University
Berufslehre - apprenticeship
Hochschule - higher education institute
Berufsschule - vocational school
die Note - grade (as in A, B, C, etc.)
die Klasse - grade level (as in 1st, 2nd, etc.=´)
Vocabulary
das deutsche Schulsystem - German school system
Kindergarten - pre-school and Kindergarten
Grundschule - elementary school
Gymnasium - college prep high school - nothing to do with sports!
Realschule - high school where students can move to Gymnasium or can leave by grade 10 and attend apprenticeship programs
Hauptschule - high school where students leave by grade 10 and attend apprenticeship programs
Universität - University
Berufslehre - apprenticeship
Hochschule - higher education institute
Berufsschule - vocational school
die Note - grade (as in A, B, C, etc.)
die Klasse - grade level (as in 1st, 2nd, etc.=´)
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Project 1a - das deutsch Schulsystem
Create your own graphic organizer that explains the German school system. Include in your graphic the names of the schools in German, what ages you attend each school, how you can move from one school to another, and where you go after their high school equivalents. It is your choice how your graphic will look, you can use Google Docs, Word, or some other program. Please submit the final assignment through the Assignment link on the home page. Make sure your name and the activity are on your submission. See the attached scoring list for help on how you will be graded. |
Project 1b - Welches System ist besser?
For this assignment you will answer the questions, providing your own opinion on the German school system. Please provide specific examples to support your opinion. Use complete sentences for this activity. Use Google Docs or Word to complete this assignment. Submit it through the Assignment link on the home page. Make sure your name and the activity are on your submission. What are the advantages and disadvantages to the German school system? What are the advantages and disadvantages to the American school system? In your opinion, which school system is better - the American or the German? Why? See the attached rubric to now how you will be graded. You need to list at least 4 advantages and disadvantages for each type of school system. You will need to give a thorough explanation for which school system is better. Welches System ist besser? Grading List |
Activity 2 - die Schule
Since we are discussing German within a school setting, it is imperative to know the words that we encounter in the everyday. In this section, we will become familiar with basic school vocabulary and questions. For the activity, you will be asked to answer some questions about school for you. In the quiz, you will be asked to translate sentences that use school vocabulary.
School Vocabulary
der Bleistift - pencil der Bleistiftspitzer - pencil sharpener der Bus - bus das Fach - subject der Farbstift - colored pencil der Filzstift - marker die Hausaufgabe - homework das Heft - notebook die Heftklammer - stapler die Klasse - class das Klassenzimmer - classroom der Kuli - pen die Landkarte - map der Lehrer - teacher (male) die Lehrerin - teacher (female) das Lineal - ruler die Note - grade das Papier - paper (not an assignment) die Pause - break der Radiergummi - eraser der Rechner - calculator die Schere - scissors der Schreibtisch - desk der Schüler - male student die Schülerin - female student der Schulfreund - schoolmate die Schultasche - school bag der Stuhl - chair der Stundenplan - class schedule die Tafel - board der Tisch - table der Wischer - board eraser |
School Subjects
die Algebra - algebra die Band - band die Biologie - biology der Chor - choir das Deutsch - German das Englisch - English die Erdkunde - geography das Französisch die Geschichte - history die Informatik - computer science das Latein - Latin das Lieblingsfach - favorite subject die Mathematik (Mathe) - math die Naturwissenschaften - natural sciences die Physik - physics die Religion - religion die Robotertechnik - robotics der Sport - PE Other Vocabulary brauchen - to need finden - to find kennen - to know (be familiar with) kosten - to cost langsam - slow langweilig - boring leicht - easy lernen - to study, learn nervös - nervous schwer - difficult treffen - to meet warten - to wait |
Fragen
Welche Fächer hast du? - Which subjects do you have?
Ist Mathe schwer? - Is math difficult?
Ist Biologie leicht? - Is biology easy?
Was ist dein Lieblingsfach? - What is your favorite subject?
Wie findest du Deutsch? - How do you find German?
Wann hast du Naturwissenschaft? - When do you have natural science?
Wer ist dein Mathelehrer? - Who is your math teacher?
Welche Fächer hast du? - Which subjects do you have?
Ist Mathe schwer? - Is math difficult?
Ist Biologie leicht? - Is biology easy?
Was ist dein Lieblingsfach? - What is your favorite subject?
Wie findest du Deutsch? - How do you find German?
Wann hast du Naturwissenschaft? - When do you have natural science?
Wer ist dein Mathelehrer? - Who is your math teacher?
Activity 2 Assignment - Fragen
For this activity, you will be writing out full answers to the questions below. You will need to create a Word or Google Doc and then submit you assignment through the Form on the home page. Remember to type the title of the assignment, along with your name on the document so that you will receive credit. You will need to type the questions and answers. 20 points are possible for completely answering the questions and using correct spelling. Sentence Writing Checklist
1. Was ist dein Lieblingsfach?
2. Ist Mathematik leicht?
3. Welche Fächer hast du?
4. Ist Englisch schwer?
5. Wie findest du Sport?
6. Welches Fach hast du nicht gern?
7. Was für Note bekommst du in Geschichte?
9. Wann hast du Mathematik?
10. Wer ist deine Deutschlehrerin?
For this activity, you will be writing out full answers to the questions below. You will need to create a Word or Google Doc and then submit you assignment through the Form on the home page. Remember to type the title of the assignment, along with your name on the document so that you will receive credit. You will need to type the questions and answers. 20 points are possible for completely answering the questions and using correct spelling. Sentence Writing Checklist
1. Was ist dein Lieblingsfach?
2. Ist Mathematik leicht?
3. Welche Fächer hast du?
4. Ist Englisch schwer?
5. Wie findest du Sport?
6. Welches Fach hast du nicht gern?
7. Was für Note bekommst du in Geschichte?
9. Wann hast du Mathematik?
10. Wer ist deine Deutschlehrerin?
Use this button to practice your vocabulary before trying the quiz.
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Activity 2 Quiz
Click on the link below and fill in the Google Quiz. Please then submit your answers. Your quiz will automatically be graded and your results will be sent to your e-mail. die Schule Quiz |
Activity 3 - Akkusativ
In German, nouns take different cases. When you change a noun to fit a particular case, it is called declining a noun. The reasons Germans decline nouns, is to show what the function of the noun is in the sentence. It is imperative that you do this correctly in order to be clear in your meaning. As of now we are already familiar with one of the four German cases. This is called the nominative case. The nominative is when the noun functions as a subject. So what is important to remember is that 1. all German nouns have grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, and neuter) and 2. all German nouns will show case. For the nominative case, the definite articles (forms of the) are der (masculine), die (feminine), das (neuter).
The new case we are looking at is the accusative case. An accusative object is the direct object. A direct object is a noun that is being acted on directly by the verb. For example: The student finds the calculator. The subject is student, while the direct object (or what the student finds) is calculator. Direct objects always answer the question "What?" Look at the sentences below and identify both the subject and direct object.
1. The teacher has the pencil.
2. The student is buying a computer.
3. I need the notebook.
With the first sentence, the subject is teacher. The direct object is pencil, it answers the question - what does the teacher have?
In the second sentence, the subject is student. The direct object is computer, it answers the question - what is the student buying?
In the third sentence, the subject is I. The direct object is notebook, it answers the question - what do I need?
In German, the definite articles change, when the noun becomes a direct object. Germans do this, because word order does not have the same rules as it does in English. It is possible to say in German, "the notebook I need". The only article that changes in this case is the masculine article der, which changes to den. See the image to the right for visual help.
When creating sentences that use a direct object, you must pay attention to the function of the noun in the sentence. Next, you need to identify the gender of the noun. So let´s look at our original sentences now that we have identified the function of each noun in the sentence.
1. The teacher has the pencil.
In German, teacher is "der Lehrer" and pencil is "der Bleistift". Since teacher is the subject, the article will stay der. Since pencil is the direct object, der must change to den. So the sentence translated in German is: Der Lehrer hat den Bleistift.
2. The student is buying a computer.
In German, student is "der Schüler" and computer is "der Computer". Since student is the subject, the article will stay der. As computer is the direct object, der must change to den. So the sentence translated in German is: Der Schüler hat den Computer.
3. I need the notebook.
In German, I is "ich" and notebook is "das Heft". Since ich is the subject, it will not change. Heft is the direct object and the definite article is neuter. Looking up at the chart, neuter articles do not change. Therefore, the sentence translated in German is: Ich brauche das Heft.
Even though some of the exercises below do not have words you currently know, they provide some excellent practice. The first button is actually a dictionary. Use this to identify the gender of the nouns before figuring out if you are using den, die, or das. The video below does a good job reviewing the information. Do not worry about the indefinite article (ein). We will be covering this information in the next lesson.
The new case we are looking at is the accusative case. An accusative object is the direct object. A direct object is a noun that is being acted on directly by the verb. For example: The student finds the calculator. The subject is student, while the direct object (or what the student finds) is calculator. Direct objects always answer the question "What?" Look at the sentences below and identify both the subject and direct object.
1. The teacher has the pencil.
2. The student is buying a computer.
3. I need the notebook.
With the first sentence, the subject is teacher. The direct object is pencil, it answers the question - what does the teacher have?
In the second sentence, the subject is student. The direct object is computer, it answers the question - what is the student buying?
In the third sentence, the subject is I. The direct object is notebook, it answers the question - what do I need?
In German, the definite articles change, when the noun becomes a direct object. Germans do this, because word order does not have the same rules as it does in English. It is possible to say in German, "the notebook I need". The only article that changes in this case is the masculine article der, which changes to den. See the image to the right for visual help.
When creating sentences that use a direct object, you must pay attention to the function of the noun in the sentence. Next, you need to identify the gender of the noun. So let´s look at our original sentences now that we have identified the function of each noun in the sentence.
1. The teacher has the pencil.
In German, teacher is "der Lehrer" and pencil is "der Bleistift". Since teacher is the subject, the article will stay der. Since pencil is the direct object, der must change to den. So the sentence translated in German is: Der Lehrer hat den Bleistift.
2. The student is buying a computer.
In German, student is "der Schüler" and computer is "der Computer". Since student is the subject, the article will stay der. As computer is the direct object, der must change to den. So the sentence translated in German is: Der Schüler hat den Computer.
3. I need the notebook.
In German, I is "ich" and notebook is "das Heft". Since ich is the subject, it will not change. Heft is the direct object and the definite article is neuter. Looking up at the chart, neuter articles do not change. Therefore, the sentence translated in German is: Ich brauche das Heft.
Even though some of the exercises below do not have words you currently know, they provide some excellent practice. The first button is actually a dictionary. Use this to identify the gender of the nouns before figuring out if you are using den, die, or das. The video below does a good job reviewing the information. Do not worry about the indefinite article (ein). We will be covering this information in the next lesson.
Activity 3 - Assignment
For this assignment, please translate the sentences listed below from English into German. Make sure to pay attention to the gender of the nouns along with the case. Type the assignments into a Word or Google Doc. Please submit the final assignment through the Assignment link on the home page. Make sure your name and the activity name are on your submission. 20 points are possible for this assignment for using correct spelling and correctly translating the sentences. Sentence Writing Checklist 1. The father finds the pen. 2. The teacher (male) needs paper. 3. The student (female) buys the computer. 4. The school friend has the eraser. 5. I have the chair, desk, and table. |
Activity 3 Quiz
Click on the link below and fill in the Google Quiz. Please then submit your answers. Your quiz will automatically be graded and your results will be sent to your e-mail. Accusative Case Quiz |
Activity 4 - Fragewörter
Our last topic for this lesson are the question words: wer, wen, and was. Wer and was are already familiar to us from past topics. Wer means who, such as "Wer ist das?" or "Wer kommt um 8 Uhr?" Wer is ONLY used when the answer is the subject.
Was means what. We use it in questions like "Was ist das?" und "Was machst du gern?" Was is used when looking for an object and it does not matter if the answer is a subject or direct object.
Wen is more difficult for English speakers, because we do not use it correctly in English. Wen means whom and is used when the answer is a direct object. For example: Wen kennst du? (Whom do you know?) To use the correct question word, you must go through a similar process as with writing sentences with direct objects. The only difference is asking yourself if the answer is discussing who is doing the action or to whom the action is being done. Look at the answers below and see if you can identify the subject and the direct object.
1. Ich habe Herr Jensen in Mathe.
2. Die Lehrerin kennt den Junge.
3. Susi hat den Rechner.
In sentence 1, ich is the subject and Herr Jensen is the direct object. In sentence 2, die Lehrerin is the subject and den Junge is the direct object. In sentence 3, Susi ist the subject, while den Rechner is the direct object.
Now, we are going to create sentences based on each of these answers. Using sentence 1 as an answer, there are two possible questions you can create, based on what information you need. These questions in English are: Who has Mr. Jensen in math? or Whom do you have in math? The first question is German is: Wer hat Herr Jensen in Mathe? (Notice that the structure is the same as in English). The second question is: Wen hast du in Mathe? Wer changes to wen, since the information we are seeking goes along with the direct object - Herr Jensen.
For answer 2, there are 2 possible questions as well. Who knows the boy? and Whom does the teacher know? In German, these questions are Wer kennt den Junge? and Wen kennt die Lehrerin?
For answer 3, there are 2 possible questions. Who has the calculator? and What does Susi have? In German, these questions are Wer hat den Rechner? and Was hat Susi?
Watch the video below for a further explanation. There is also a game to try out, so you can have some more practice with the question words wen and was.
Was means what. We use it in questions like "Was ist das?" und "Was machst du gern?" Was is used when looking for an object and it does not matter if the answer is a subject or direct object.
Wen is more difficult for English speakers, because we do not use it correctly in English. Wen means whom and is used when the answer is a direct object. For example: Wen kennst du? (Whom do you know?) To use the correct question word, you must go through a similar process as with writing sentences with direct objects. The only difference is asking yourself if the answer is discussing who is doing the action or to whom the action is being done. Look at the answers below and see if you can identify the subject and the direct object.
1. Ich habe Herr Jensen in Mathe.
2. Die Lehrerin kennt den Junge.
3. Susi hat den Rechner.
In sentence 1, ich is the subject and Herr Jensen is the direct object. In sentence 2, die Lehrerin is the subject and den Junge is the direct object. In sentence 3, Susi ist the subject, while den Rechner is the direct object.
Now, we are going to create sentences based on each of these answers. Using sentence 1 as an answer, there are two possible questions you can create, based on what information you need. These questions in English are: Who has Mr. Jensen in math? or Whom do you have in math? The first question is German is: Wer hat Herr Jensen in Mathe? (Notice that the structure is the same as in English). The second question is: Wen hast du in Mathe? Wer changes to wen, since the information we are seeking goes along with the direct object - Herr Jensen.
For answer 2, there are 2 possible questions as well. Who knows the boy? and Whom does the teacher know? In German, these questions are Wer kennt den Junge? and Wen kennt die Lehrerin?
For answer 3, there are 2 possible questions. Who has the calculator? and What does Susi have? In German, these questions are Wer hat den Rechner? and Was hat Susi?
Watch the video below for a further explanation. There is also a game to try out, so you can have some more practice with the question words wen and was.
Activity 4 Assignment
For this assignment, please translate the questions listed below from English into German. Make sure to pay attention to the question words being used. Type the assignments into a Word or Google Doc. Please submit the final assignment through the Assignment link on the home page. Make sure your name and the activity name are on your submission. 20 points are possible for this section for correct spelling and correctly translating the questions. Sentence Writing Checklist 1. Whom does the teacher know? 2. What are you (formal) buying? 3. Who has the marker? 4. Whom do you (sg) have in history? 5. What do you (plural) need? |
Activity 4 Quiz
Click on the link below and fill in the Google Quiz. Please then submit your answers. Your quiz will automatically be graded and your results will be sent to your e-mail. Wer, Wen, Was Quiz |
Lesson 4 Summary - die Schule
Phew! We learned an incredible amount of information! What is even more exciting? We are halfway done with our first year in German. Gratuliere! This lesson covered the differences between the American and German school systems. We learned basic vocabulary to use in school. We now can make complex sentences that use more than just a subject, these sentences now include direct objects. Lastly, we expanded our questions to include the ever elusive question word - wen. In the next lesson, we will learn about the weather, seasons, and months. Our grammar topic will include the indefinite article (ein) and we will finally learn how to make our nouns plural. I look forward to continuing our study of German in 2017! Tschüs 2016! Ich wüsche euch eine fantastische Weihnachtsferien und ein glückliches neues Jahr!