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In this scenario, a children’s book and a video are used
to introduce students to German school customs. Learners explore
typical preparations made by German students at the beginning of
a new school year and customs associated with the beginning of German
students’ school careers in 1st grade. Through a variety of
activities and resources, students learn related vocabulary and
practice expressing wants and needs. For the final product, students
create a list of supplies needed for school and their associated
costs and roleplay making purchases.
(Multiple options for tasks within each activity set are suggested
below. Teachers may choose those which best suit their situation
and teaching style.)
ACTIVITY SET 1: First Day of School
To activate students’ background knowledge and introduce the
topic, they are asked to share their memories of their first day
at school. They also indicate any special family “ritual”
associated with that day or gifts they received. Then a German children’s
book, Conni kommt in die Schule, is used to introduce students
to related German customs. This simple story describes the events
that surround the day a little girl begins school for the first
time: shopping for supplies, receiving a Schultüte (a
large paper cone filled with treats), having her picture made with
her class, etc. The teacher reads the book and, using the pictures
in the book, objects in the classroom, pantomime, etc., helps learners
understand the gist of the story. The video, Ich heiße
Raphael may be shown in addition to, but not in the place of,
the book. The video follows a little German boy through a typical
day as he prepares for school, takes the bus, is engaged in classroom
activities, etc. Afterwards, students compare/contrast what they’ve
learned about German customs with their own experiences by creating
a Venn
Diagram either on butcher paper or using index cards and hula
hoops. To learn more, students visit a German culture Web site that
describes the differences and similarities in the German and American
school systems (see Resources).
Next, students are introduced to additional school supply vocabulary
through a game called Kofferpacken, but using a Schultüte
rather than a suitcase. The teacher has filled the cone with school
supplies, and students try to guess what is inside it. Once they
have guessed, the teacher opens the Schultüte and names each
item as it is removed. Learners can check to see how well they predicted
the contents as they are learning the names of the items. Next,
students make their own Schultüte from a photocopied
master or using a German craft book and fill them with candy. Each
student donates a small package of candy to share, and the teacher
may also provide small gifts such as Willkommen pencils or
German stickers available from teacher supply catalogs. Students’
photos are taken with their Schultüte as is the custom
for German 1st graders beginning school. (This is particularly easy
with a digital camera.)
ACTIVITY SET 2: School Supplies and Stores
This activity set uses a variety of games to reinforce vocabulary
and to practice expressing needs and wants using basic structures.
For example, students draw or use photocopied pictures of school
supply items, coloring and pasting them to index cards, two per
item, to be used for memory games such as Go Fish or Was fehlt?
(What’s Missing). For a game called Zaubertüte,
school supplies are placed in a “magic” bag, and students
try to identify the object by touch. Another fun option for practicing
school supply vocabulary is to use a thematic song, poem, or other
rhythmic verse. (A good one called In der Schule can be found
in Gesang, Rhythmen und Reime; see Resources for details.)
Students also visit a German Web site to see how many school supply
words they can locate (again, see Resources). Any number of other
familiar games and/or written tasks (such as word searches or matching)
can be used for vocabulary support.
Once students are familiar with school supply vocabulary, they
are introduced to the different stores where school supplies are
purchased in German-speaking countries. Although many American students
do all their school shopping at the Super Walmart, German students
will more likely go to a variety of stores: clothing, shoe, stationery,
etc. A graphic organizer is used to compare and contrast German
shopping customs to those of the United States, where one-stop shopping
often is the rule. Next, students work in groups to decorate small
signs for the various types of shops; each sign is then attached
to a shoebox that represents that shop. The teacher (or students
taking turns) places the school items (real ones or laminated pictures)
in the boxes and asks the students, “richtig oder falsch?”
(true or false - is it found in this shop or not?) to determine
if the items have been correctly placed. If not, students sort the
school supplies into the appropriate “shops” (boxes) as
a class or in groups. (Although clothing vocabulary is not an explicit
part of this scenario, prior knowledge, cognates, brand names, and
words used for comparison and contrast in activity set one can be
used for the purposes of this task.)
ACTIVITY SET 3: School Supply Wish List
In order to go “shopping,” students learn how to state
their needs (Ich brauche…) and wishes (Ich möchte…).
They begin by creating a school supply “wish list” and
then compare it with a list of authentic German school supplies
provided by the teacher. They make changes to their lists, adding
and deleting items as desired. Students then visit a German school
supply Web site where they see pictures of supplies and prices.
They add prices to the items on their wish lists (to be used in
Activity Set Four). Next, students create a German Schultasche
(school bag) out of paper/cardboard. (Directions can be found in
German craft books; see Resources.) They fill it with paper school
supplies based on their lists. Students use photocopied cutouts
or draw the items themselves. Utilizing their wish lists and personalized
Schultasche, students play the telephone game using the phrases
“Ich möchte/brauche _____” to express
their needs and wants. As they go around the room, successive students
must rename all items already mentioned and add their own to the
wish list.
ACTIVITY SET 4: Budgeting and Shopping Roleplay
Using their wish lists from the preceding activity set, students
predict their budgeting needs and, as a class, come to consensus
on a maximum budget for their school supplies. They then calculate
prices using authentic German newspaper advertisements, German Web
sites, or teacher-created ads using photos, photocopied pictures,
or German-language ads from the Internet. (Depending on the time
of year, it can be easy or more difficult to find prices for school
supplies!) Students compare prices for their personal needs/wants
with the predetermined class budget.
Next, students practice counting and making change using paper
Euros to prepare to roleplay a school supply shopping expedition.
(Color copies of Euros are available from the Raffeisenbank;
see Resources.) Using the prices identified above and working in
pairs, students figure out how much change is due from a large bill
used to purchase several items. With a partner or in small groups,
students use their paper Schultaschen and the items in it, naming
the objects and indicating the cost in Euros. Groups calculate the
total for each person to determine who spent the most, who spent
the least, etc.
Finally, students make signs out of poster paper (or computer-generated)
for the shops introduced in Activity Set 3. They use real school
supplies or laminated pictures or drawings to roleplay the shopping
expeditions. Working in groups, students develop a roleplay including
the proprietor who runs the store and makes change and customers
who purchase the supplies on their lists and pay with Euros. Each
group has a chance to present its skit, complete with props if desired.
Afterwards, students write a reflection in English, comparing their
roleplay experience to their real experiences shopping for school
supplies in the U.S.
- Conni kommt in die Schule (or
other German children’s book about starting school for the
first time.)
- Video: Ich heiße Raphael
- Butcher paper/markers or index cards/hula
hoops for Venn design
- A collection of authentic German school
supplies (fountain pens, pencil case, etc.), a German school bag,
and Schultüte (large paper cones designed to fill with school
supplies/treats)
- Art supplies for making vocabulary cards,
cones, school bags, etc.
- Camera
- Pretend Euros (European Union currency)
- School supplies bingo game (teacher made)
- German language advertisements for school
supplies (authentic or teacher-made)
- Computers with Internet access
Communication:
The interpersonal mode is used by students to communicate with each
other when playing games that reinforce vocabulary and in the roleplay
of purchasing school supplies. The Interpretive mode is used as
students research school supplies on the Internet and look at target
language advertisements.
Cultures: Students discover differences and similarities
between German and American school supplies (cultural products)
and apply this knowledge in preparing their own German school supply
lists. Students learn about cultural practices and perspectives
associated with beginning school (e.g., Schultüte) and shopping
for school supplies.
Connections: Students use the Internet to access German shopping
Web sites to research supplies and their costs. They connect with
mathematics as they budget and shop with Euros.
Comparisons: Students compare German school supply needs
to their own and make comparisons of shopping practices in the United
States and in German-speaking countries.
- Invite a guest speaker to share their
experiences attending school in Germany and preparations that
students make at the beginning of each school year. Of particular
interest are the special customs surrounding the very first year
of school.
- Students e-mail German students and teachers
inquiring about school supply needs and lists.
- Invite students from upper level German
classes to serve as shop clerks for the roleplay activity.
- Students check exchange rates in newspapers
or on the Internet to calculate prices of German school supplies
from Deutschmarks to dollars or Euros to dollars. Students compare
the prices with comparable items purchased in the United States
and discuss results.
Books
Bauer, K. & Drew,
R. (1995). Germany: World neighbor series. Cypress, CA:
Creative Teaching Press, Inc.
Dai Zovi, L. Gesang, Rhythmen und Reime!:
Chants, rhythms and rhymes for the German classroom. Albuquerque,
NM: Vibrante Press.
This book contains a song useful to the scenario entitled
In der Schule.
Frederickson, S. A little wurst.
Jacksonville, FL: Concordia Programs.
A collection of twenty-five illustrated word search puzzles for
elementary-level German students.
Inter Nationes. (2000). Ki-Ko — der
Kinderkoffer. Bonn, Germany: Author.
This is a multi-media resource pack that contains the video
referenced in the materials list (Ich heiße Raphael). The video combines
a cartoon story (Die Rinnstein Piraten) with another sequence
showing a day in the life of a seven-year-old German boy (Ich
heiße Raphael). The kit also includes a craft activity book
(Mein buntes Bastelbuch); a vocabulary card-matching game (Lese
MEMORY); 5 glove puppets; a cultural collage/poster (Schau ins
Land); a jigsaw of the same picture; and a Handreichungen für
den Lehrer.
Inter Nationes. (2000). Ki-Ko - der
Kinderkoffer. Bonn, Germany: Author.
See above note on this resource; the craft activity book in
the kit (Mein buntes Bastelbuch) contains information on/samples
of
Schultüte and Schultasche.
Instructional Fair
(Ed.). (1998). International crafts & games. New York:
McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing.
Norris, J. (1997). Folk art projects
around the world. Monterey, CA: Evan-Moor Educational
Publishers.
Schneider, L. & Wenzel-Bürger,
E. (1998). Conni kommt in die Schule. Hamburg, Germany:
Carlsen.
Sherman, L. et al.
(Eds.) (1994). Kinder lernen Deutsch, Loseblattsammlung. Cherry
Hill, NJ: American Association of Teachers of German.
Webliography
NOTE: These Internet
resources may have changed since publication or no longer be
available. Active links should be
carefully
screened
before
recommending to students.
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