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Category: German (Page 1 of 10)

German Conversation class

GERM SP24 Adv Queer History

May 3, 2024 /

Conversation Class Lesson Summary

Language Resident Name: Lea Marie Uhlending                                                   

Day and Date: Thursday, 04/11/24

Language and Level:  Advanced Class

Class theme/topics discussed:

Das Institut für Sexualwissenschaft and Magnus Hirschfeld – German queer history

Goals of the class:

shine a light on a part of German history that really isn’t talked about

How did you structure the class?

I first asked her if she had ever heard of the Institute for sexual science, she had not, and explained to her that we we’re going to dive in to a part of German history that not a lot of people know about (even in Germany). First I gave her a little overview of the man that founded the institute, and we discussed his impressive life. Then I talked to her about what the Institute was and what it offered to its patients/scientists/the people of Berlin. She was very surprised to learn about the range of treatments and events the institute offered. Afterwards I told her about the raid, destruction and book burning committed by the Nazis.

What technology, media or props did you use? (Internet resources, handouts, etc.)

powerpoint

What worked well in this class? What did not work?

Just as I thought the student hadn’t heard of the institute or Hirschfeld. But she was very interested in learning more about it. And due to her advanced level we could have an in depth discussion about why this part of German history is “hidden”.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

This is a topic that is very important to me. It is important to highlight how much progression the Nazi’s ruined and also show that queer people have always existed. I would really like to modify this class so that I could also teach it in my intermediate class.

GERM SP24 Adv German Politics “Das Geheimtreffen”

May 3, 2024 /

Conversation Class Lesson Summary

Language Resident Name: Lea Marie Uhlending                                                   

Day and Date: Tuesday, 01/30/24

Language and Level:  Advanced Class

Class theme/topics discussed:

The meeting between right wing extremist in Potsdam that was uncovered by CORRECTIV

Goals of the class:

Diving deep into current political/social issues in Germany

How did you structure the class?

Last week we had talked about this meeting being revealed and the general things that had been revealed then, for this week we watched a theatrical recreation of said secret meeting. The video was exactly one hour long, we watched the video and both took notes to discuss on Thursday

What technology, media or props did you use? (Internet resources, handouts, etc.)

the TV, laptop

What worked well in this class? What did not work?

The auto-generated subtitles were surprisingly good so that was probably helpful for my student. I also paused in moments where the story got a bit more convoluted to give her some explanations. The student was very very interested in this video and the entire topic, so the class was fun.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

The class worked well for someone that is as proficient and politically interested as my student is but I don’t think I would otherwise show the entire video to a class. For other classes I would’ve picked out some scenes to show.

Here is the video, it starts properly around 19 minutes

GERM SP24 Adv Politics and Music, “Alice und Sarah”

May 3, 2024 /

Conversation Class Lesson Summary

Language Resident Name: Lea Marie Uhlending                                                   

Day and Date: Wednesday, 01/30/24

Language and Level: Advanced Class

Class theme/topics discussed:

The song “Alice und Sarah” by the Broilers, and with it the leader of the ring wing party Alice Weidel

Goals of the class:

give them a deeper understanding of who Alice Weidel is and her hypocrisy

How did you structure the class?

At first we just watched the music video with no context and I asked them for their initial reaction. Then, I told them a little about the Band that wrote the song. After I gave them the song text and we listened to the song again. I gave them the background on the politician Alice Weidel and gave them some reminders about who/what the AfD is. I showed them a picture of Alice with her wife next to some quotes that Alice Weidel had made and then we looked at all the unknown vocab and went through the song line by line. We had a final discussion on their opinions on the song and Alice Weidel herself.

What technology, media or props did you use? (Internet resources, handouts, etc.)

handout, powerpoint, whiteboard

What worked well in this class? What did not work?

This class worked really well. The students had a lot to say about the song and also about Alice Weidel. They were very engaged. They actually stayed 20 minutes after class because they had so much to say so we just kept talking. Admittedly the conversation switched from at first Denglish to full on English at that point (since it was after class that was fine with me) but at least the topic was still German.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

I don’t think this class can be improved honestly. It’s why, I used the same class last semester for both my classes. In a way it worked even better this semester since it’s very topical with the things currently happening in Germany.

Alice-und-SarahDownload

GERM SP24 Int Karneval

May 3, 2024 /

Conversation Class Lesson Summary

Language Resident Name: Lea Marie Uhlending                                                   

Day and Date: Wednesday, 02/14/24

Language and Level:  Intermediate

Class theme/topics discussed:

Karneval

Goals of the class:

show them what Karneval is all about

How did you structure the class?

I started off by telling them that while it’s valentine’s day we weren’t going to talk about it because it’s not a thing in Germany. Instead we would talk about Karneval since it was also Ash Wednesday, the end of Karneval season. I started by showing them where in Germany we call Karneval what (depending on the region there’s a different name for it). And then I gave them some background info on Karneval and Weiberfastnacht. Then we moved on to the floats, I showed them pictures of the floats that were created for this year and asked them what they thought this was criticizing, who they were showing and so on. We ended class with me showing them pictures of “Nubbelverbrennungen” since that’s what happens on Ash Wednesday.

What technology, media or props did you use? (Internet resources, handouts, etc.)

powerpoint

What worked well in this class? What did not work?

The students enjoyed learning about Karneval and they really enjoyed the floats I showed them, and since we had talked about politics before they could also interpret and recognize a lot of the satire shown on the floats.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

Maybe I could include a research portion where I tell them to search for floats and pick one that they liked the most and present it to the class.

GERM SP24 Int Planning a Vacation

May 3, 2024 /

Conversation Class Lesson Summary

Language Resident Name: Lea Marie Uhlending                                                   

Day and Date: Monday, 04/08/24

Language and Level:  Intermediate

Class theme/topics discussed:

Vacation in Germany

Goals of the class:

For the students to plan a theoretical vacation in Germany that they might even turn into a real one.

How did you structure the class?

I began by asking them a few questions like “Where in Germany would you like to visit?”, “What would you like to do?”, “Beach or city?”, etc. And then I gave them a specific situation and told them to plan a vacation. Afterwards they each presented their plans.

What technology, media or props did you use? (Internet resources, handouts, etc.)

the map, powerpoint, whiteboard

What worked well in this class? What did not work?

The students came up with interesting plans and I know that at least one of them will put parts of her plan into action.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

I think that this idea works well, especially close to the end of the semester. Their attention shifts towards their full credit classes, and to their summer vacation plans. So something low stress is a good idea.

GERM SP24 Int Tongue Twisters

May 3, 2024 /

Conversation Class Lesson Summary

Language Resident Name: Lea Marie Uhlending                                                   

Day and Date: Wednesday, 02/07/24

Language and Level:  Intermediate

Class theme/topics discussed:

some organizational stuff and then German tongue twisters

Goals of the class:

We had some organizational stuff to deal with and afterwards we had some fun with German tongue twisters. The idea was to work on the student’s pronunciation in a fun way.

How did you structure the class?

At first we talked about some organizational stuff. We talked about costume ideas for the Karneval themed study break and I showed them what a typical costume might look like in Germany. Then we discussed the Conversation Class Projects, the students that were there had never taken a CC so they didn’t really know about the projects, they had also never been to the OLC. So, it took more time than I had thought to talk about that. Afterwards we dove into some German tongue twisters, or as we call them tongue breakers (Zungenbrecher). I put them on a slide and asked one of the students to read it out loud without any input from me, then I read it for them and we talked about the meaning, or rather lack thereof, and then I asked them to try again but faster. The students took turns reading the twisters and they got progressively harder.

What technology, media or props did you use? (Internet resources, handouts, etc.)

PowerPoint

What worked well in this class? What did not work?

The class was inspired by a conversation that happened at language tables. I had never thought of doing tongue twisters but it’s such a good and fun idea to work on students’ pronunciations. The class worked really well, the students had a lot of fun. They also made me laugh so hard I had to cry.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

I think this class worked surprisingly well. It was also actually helpful that we had so much organizational stuff to talk about because I feel like doing the tongue twisters for an entire hour would have gotten tedious.

GERM SP24 Int Music and Politics, “Schrei nach Liebe”

May 3, 2024 /

Conversation Class Lesson Summary

Language Resident Name: Lea Marie Uhlending                                                   

Day and Date: Monday, 01/29/24

Language and Level:  German, Intermediate

Class theme/topics discussed:

The song “Schrei nach Liebe” by the German punk band Die Ärzte

Goals of the class:

To pick up on what we talked about in class last week, about the anti-right protests happening. This song, while an old song, is a very well known song and one that always comes up in times like these.

How did you structure the class?

At first we recapped the last class, I let one of the students do this. After that, I told them a little bit about the band and when the song was first released. And then, we watched the music video and I asked them for first impressions about the video, the music, if they picked up on any lyrics etc. Then I gave them copies of the song text and asked them to read along while listening and note down anything that jumps out to them and also any unknown vocabulary. I wrote down all the words they mentioned and we translated them, and I gave them the necessary background for the cultural elements that are mentioned. We went through each line with one of them translating it into English. Afterwards I gave them some more background info on the song. (being banned from the radio originally, “Aktion Arschloch”)

What technology, media or props did you use? (Internet resources, handouts, etc.)

PowerPoint, whiteboard

What worked well in this class? What did not work?

Everything worked really well! They had a lot to say about the song and seemed really interested in it. They mentioned wanting to listen to more German songs, because they thought it could improve their pronunciation.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

In my opinion, this class worked well which is why I did a similar class last semester for my advanced course. I adjusted it a bit for an intermediate class, we went through each line instead of just specific words. I also added the background information because I knew that with an intermediate class there would be less of a discussion, and I felt like that info is very helpful to understand the cultural impact of the song

Schrei-nach-Liebe-SongtextDownload

DE 23 Study Break Event – Eastern Brunch

May 5, 2023 /

What worked well in this Event? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?

Very many students and professors came to this event, which made me very happy. Since I held this event on a weekend, accordingly many people had time to come, which I can also recommend. The only problem was that the purchased food and snacks were eaten relatively quickly. Some students unfortunately could not try German food, which is a pity. For the next event, which is held on a weekend, I would definitely buy enough food. In general, the interest in a brunch event was very high and especially the white sausages were very popular and therefore eaten very quickly. What I should have next time also on the screen that you need a lot of chairs and seating. Which one should organize in advance. In general, however, it was a very sound event, which was received with a lot of joy. Especially the fact that professors came to this event made me very happy.

DE 23 Welcome Back Event – Study Break

May 5, 2023 /

What worked well in this Event? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?

This event went a little differently than I had planned. It was the first week of the new semester and some students had to arrive and get settled. Therefore, unfortunately, only one person was present. It would have been helpful to hold this event in the second week to have more time to advertise the event. Since I had also prepared snack in this event.

DE 23 ADV/INT S23 Image Description – in different ways, How to be accurate

May 5, 2023 /
TopicImage description
Goals of the ClassHow do I describe images in a very accurate way. What sentences do I use PronounsEffects of pictures
Warm UpSmall Talk about the first weekend back at the College. Expectations for the semester
Activity 1One person had a picture and the other person had to paint the picture. By describing the person with the picture. Then change partners with a new picture.
Activity 2How do I describe a picture. Input from my side: – What are the characteristics- background, foreground, on the right/left side, …- Pronouns (on, under, beside,) Each person got a picture and had to describe it with the given input.
Activity 3Everyone was allowed to choose a painting or a picture from the Internet:- Tell something about the artist and the painting- Describe the painting – Why do I like the painting / what effect does it have on me?- does it tell a story?
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)? the students had a lot of fun and were able to quickly implement and use the phrases they had learned. The initial activity went very well, and the students’ drawings were very good. Next time I would probably choose simple pictures that are easier to draw.
BildbeschreibungDownload
Bild-beschreibung-Download

DE 23 INT S23 German Politics/Parties

May 5, 2023 /
TopicPolitics
Goals of the Classget to know the German political parties and their programs. form your own opinion about important issues in a country. what is important for me or for society.
Warm UpWhere is which city in Germany? the students had to take a quiz on different cities on the Germany map positions.
Activity 1I showed the students the colors of the six major parties. What do you associate with which color? What do colors stand for? What do they stand for in a political sense?
Activity 2Input about the programs of the German parties from My Side. Results of the last elections were shown. – Which points are of great importance to you? – If I were head of a party, what things would you focus on? – What colors and what name would your party wear?
Activity 3Voting at 16? sensible or not? Discuss advantages and disadvantages
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)? The lesson was very well received by the students and was also requested as a proposal in the first lesson. the two participants were able to represent their opinions very well and participated very strongly. The students were also very interested in the input about the German electoral and party system.  
Politk-Download

DE INT/ADV S23 Universities in Germany and the whole World / Which University would fit for You?

May 5, 2023 /
TopicUniversities in Germany and the whole world 
Goals of the ClassCriteria that speak for and against a uni. What is important for me. How do I know which university suits me?
Warm Upstate land river game
Activity 1If you could choose any university, which one would you attend? Top 3 What would you study? / Would you change something?
Activity 2What characterizes your university? What do you find good? Imagine you are the head of your university. What would you change? 
Activity 3I told the students about the best German universities. Where they are located geographically and what sets them apart. We also talked about factors that make universities popular and important. But also, which cities they would fit into if they wanted to study in Germany in the future. By means of a quiz. Create a ranking with the most important things for you that a university should have. Ranking 1-10 (1= very important, 10= not so important)Do you already have an idea what you want to do after graduation?Abroad, travel, master, work…. Do you have a dream job?Why? What fascinates you about it?
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)? The students have requested this topic and have shown great interest in talking about it. So little had to come from my side, because the motivation in this hour was very high. It was interesting to see which factors are important for the students at a university. I would change very little here. Time was a bit short at the end and we did not get through all the questions, as some questions were discussed for longer. You could shorten the hour depending on the class size.

•https://studiumundfinanzen.spiegel.de/artikel/die-besten-universitaten-in-deutschland-welche-uni-hat-fur-meinen-studiengang-den-besten-ruf

•https://studybees.de/magazin/quiz-in-welcher-studentenstadt-solltest-du-leben/#Los_gehts_Hier_das_Quiz

universitiesDownload

DE 23 ADV Health, and Health systems compared. Being prepared for an emergency

May 5, 2023 /
TopicHealth, and Health systems compared. Be prepared for an emergency.Nutrition
Goals of the ClassBe prepared for an emergency. Know useful vocabulary related to health and use it. To know the differences of the health terms. Germany and USA.
Warm UpTell us about one of your hobbies. How did you get into this hobby? If you had more time, which hobby would you like to try?
Activity 1Brainstormingwhich parts of the body do you know?What diseases do you know?
what is the most common disease of mankind?
Followed by an Input of Important health vocabulary
Hello, I would like to make an appointment.
Pain: my stomach hurts/my knees hurt, headache,
Being: having a cold, being dizzy, being sick, being injured 
Me: being nauseous (nausea), 
Have: Have fever, cold, cough.Dermatologist, ophthalmologist, cardiologist, family doctor. Health card, x-ray, ultrasound, blood test, urine test, a prescription, a prescription, pharmacy, pills, syrup, the creamfasting, discharge, vacation/dischargeheart surgery/appendicitis…..Body parts – vocabulary 
Activity 2You are the doctor What would you do?
Number the following sentences in order (1-8) Ask about the problemExamine the patientWrite a prescription Say goodbye. Greet the patient Make a diagnosis Recommend something Write a sick note to the patientYou have been in a car accident Make a list of the first 5 things you would do after you are in an accident? 1-5
Activity 3Imagine you are in Germany and your friend gets sick.What would you do? 
Step 1,….Step 5You are alone in a foreign country, and you have a bad injury, how would you react? (Broken Arm) One person plays a doctor the other person plays a patient.
Activity 4Have your eating habits changed since you were a child?
What would an average diet in the U.S. look like? 
What diets have you heard of, what do they consist of?
How do you find the food in the dining hall? Healthy/unhealthy/sometimes healthy? Do you like the taste of it? Do you pay attention to what you eat?
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)? It was very important to discuss this topic with the students, as it is part of the basic vocabulary and knowledge of the German language. It is important to know and be prepared in an emergency in a foreign country. The students took the topic with a lot of joy and motivation. The topic of nutrition was also very interesting and many different opinions were expressed. Role plays are always a good way to make the class more exciting. The vocabulary worked very well and was incorporated directly into the role plays. Also positive to mention is that many students had different opinions on nutrition and there was an interesting discussion at the end of the hour. It is always good to introduce vocabulary that fits the topic in the lesson. This gives the students a starting point for the conversation.
gesundheitDownload

DE F22 ADV Food and Groceries – Wie bereite ich deutsches Essen zu?

December 9, 2022 /
TopicFood and Grocery + Vocabulary for Cooking and Baking
Goals of the ClassIdentify food in a recipe and know how to cook/bake it  
Warm UpWho enjoys cooking? Who does it regularly? Has it changed with the pandemic? What’s your favorite food?
Activity 1Quick food quiz about fruit & vegetables I showed them typical German fruits and vegetables (pictures) and they had to guess the name and translation. I showed just pictures and they had to guess the name of the fruit or the vegetable. What ingredients are used for this dish?
Activity 2Everyone was given 3 vocabulary words (verbs for cooking) and had to explain them without using the word. Think of a dish that consists of the ingredients mentioned and then present it to the others. Not all ingredients have to be included and other ingredients can be used.
Activity 3How to use the ingredients to cook? potatoes, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, carrots  Apple, peach, strawberry, kiwi, banana What are the ingredients of your favorite foodShow us a picture 
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?  Especially the explanation of the cooking vocabulary worked very well, and the students were able to memorize the vocabulary and use it later. Also, the presentation of the favorite dish with ingredients and cooking instructions was well received. The fruit and vegetable quiz were a bit too easy, here one could choose more difficult products.
foodandgroceryDownload

DE F22 INT Stereotypes

December 9, 2022 /
TopicStereotypes
Goals of the ClassKnow stereotypes and describe them with adjectives. Form opinions about them and be able to explain them
Warm UpCity land river game
Activity 1Video about German stereotypes with subtitles. The text of the video was printed, and the most important adjectives underlined. Input on the descriptive features – adjectives of the video. I – You – We (Think – Pair – Share) What can you see on the picture? Describe what the picture has to do with Germany?
Activity 2What is your experience with stereotypes? What do you think about them? True often/ True sometimes/ Not true at all?
Activity 3What stereotypes are there about the 5Cs 😀 Which ones about other countries?Do you know any stereotypes from TV? NerdsCheerleaders egos?Athletes? What are these stereotypes like? Find adjectives to describe these stereotypes Think of a stereotype Act out the stereotype
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?  The topic of stereotypes was very well received by the class. Since many students in this class come from different countries, it was very interesting conversations about possible stereotypes. The warmup game also went very well, in which the students had to find a city, a land, a river, a food and a brand for a certain letter. Stereotypes is an interesting topic for multicultural classes.
stereotypenDownload
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