| aidemia--modules-lessonstartideas_type | Give a creative idea how to begin a lesson |
| Which subject | German as a foreign language |
| What age group | Year or Grade 11 |
| What topic | Revision after the summer of tenses, word order, cases in a playful way and with interesting post summer holiday theme |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Any other preferences |
To engage students in revising German tenses, word order, and cases through a playful, interactive storytelling exercise that reflects on their summer holidays.
Setting the Scene: Begin the lesson by dimming the lights and playing soft summer-themed background music. Display a large postcard on the board that features a scenic German landscape—perhaps the Black Forest, Neuschwanstein Castle, or a vibrant city scene like Berlin.
The Story Begins: Explain to the students that they have received a mysterious postcard from a friend who has spent their summer holiday in Germany. The postcard includes several tantalising hints about the adventures their friend had. However, the postcard is incomplete, missing key verbs, nouns, and has incorrect cases and word order!
Unveiling the Postcard: Hand out printed copies of the postcard (with blanks for students to fill in) to every student. Read the postcard aloud, encouraging students to listen carefully. Here’s an example of what the postcard might say:
Liebe Freunde,
Ich __ (sein) in Deutschland. Jeden Tag __ (machen) ich etwas Spannendes. Zum Beispiel __ (besuchen) ich ein berühmtes Schloss und __ (essen) leckeres Essen. Am Abend __ (sehen) wir __ (ein) tolles Feuerwerk!
Viele Grüße, Euer Freund
Group Activity: Divide the students into small groups. Each group must fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs, ensuring they use the appropriate tense, cases, and word order. Encourage them to discuss their choices in German, promoting collaboration and communication.
Sharing Stories: After 15 minutes, regroup as a class. Ask groups to share their completed postcards, reading them aloud and correcting any mistakes together. This not only reinforces their learning but also sparks lively conversation about their own summer adventures!
Wrap up the lesson by reflecting on how different tenses, word order, and cases enhance storytelling in German. Remind students that just like their postcards, their own summer stories can come to life in vibrant detail using the skills they've revisited today.
For homework, ask students to write a short paragraph about their summer holidays in German, making sure to include at least three different tenses and correct word order and cases. They can create their own postcard designs to accompany their text!
This engaging approach not only revisits essential grammatical concepts but also personalises the learning experience, making it relevant to students' lives.