Introducing German
Lesson 6
CONTENT:
 animals
OBJECTIVE:
 students will be able to identify various animals
 students will be able to describe various animals
MATERIALS:
 Das Deutschbuch: pp. 6, 12-14
PROCEDURE:
A. Review Numbers (approx. 10 min)
First, briefly review the numbers 1-10 and then sing the number song. Repeat the song in
different ways (langsamer, schneller, etc.):
eins, zwei, drei
vier und fünf
sechs und sieben
acht, neun, zehn
sechs und sieben
acht, neun, zehn
Guten Tag! Auf Wiedersehen!
After singing, go around the class and have each student say one number in a scale from 1-20. If
you want and the students seem able, you can continue with counting higher. (einundzwanzig,
zweiundzwanzig, dreißig) Refer back to page 6 of Das Deutschbuch. Depending on the time and
how the students are doing, you could also try the game Autsch!.
B. Review Colors (approx. 8 min)
Review the colors and have the students color in the dragon on page 12 of Das Deutschbuch.
+
plus
/
durch
= gleich
*
minus
mal
C. Animals and Sounds (approx. 7 min)
Refer the students to page 13 of Das Deutschbuch and go over the names of the animals. You
should try to come up with a movement for each animal so that the students make a trunk while
they are saying Elefant, for example. Then tell the students some animal sounds in German and
let them try to guess which animal you are mimicking. (Here are just a few).
der Hund – wau-wau
die Katze – miau-miau
die Kuh – muh-muh
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Introducing German
das Schaf – mäh-mäh
der Hahn – kikeriki
das Schwein – grunz-grunz
die Ziege – mähähähä
die Schlange – SSSSSSS
D. Adjectives (approx. 5 min)
Begin this activity by brainstorming about adjectives. Ask them to tell you some English
adjectives as you write them on the board. Remind the students that adjectives describe nouns.
Some may not understand what the word adjective means. This should help them to remember
what an adjective is before learning about them in German.
Look at the list of adjectives on page 14. Ask the students which adjectives might fit which
animals. You could relate the adjectives to items in the classroom to make them more tangible.
E. Das Tierspiel (approx. 10 min)
Ask yes/no questions about some of the animals using colors and adjectives. You could also
incorporate some richtig/falsch questions here:
Ist der Elefant grün?
Ist das Krokodil weiß?
Ist der Elefant klein?
Ist die Katze gelb?
Ist die Maus groß?
Ist das Schaf weiß?
Ist der Tiger lieb?
Ist das Schwein sauber?
Ist der Tiger schnell?
Ist der Bär stark?
Der Hahn ist laut. Richtig oder falsch?
Die Maus ist leicht. Richtig oder falsch?
Der Fisch singt. Richtig oder falsch?
Der Vogel schwimmt. Richtig oder falsch?
F. Das Tierspiel (approx. 10 min)
The students form a circle. One is placed in the center and he/she points to one of the students
and calls out the name of one of three animals:
Krokodil, Elefant oder Ente.
Now the picked student and his neighbor to the left and right have to act out the animal:
das Krokodil: hat ein großes Maul
der Elefant: hat einen Rüssel und große Ohren
die Ente: wackelt mit dem Schwanz
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Introducing German
If someone fails, he has to replace the student in the center. Change the animals that are used.
[*** Consider giving the class an assignment for next time: drawing and labeling a picture of
their family, including when each family member has a birthday. Then the teacher can display
their pictures in the classroom. Please discuss this first with the teacher. ***]
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