Stage 5 (Year 9) German
Language: German
Target group: Stage 5 (Year 9)
What are the key ideas or concepts you want the students to learn?
(I want my students to know that …)
Unit of work: Healthy environment
and recycling
Why does that learning matter?
Estimated duration: 12 hours

Students can develop a better understanding of a major issue in
German society.

Caring for the environment is important to many Germans.

Environmentally-friendly concepts, including recycling, help to
establish healthy school and community environments.

Students can develop a greater sense of personal responsibility for
their own environment.

There is a range of language that can be used when discussing the
environment and the part we should and can play.

Students can communicate meaningfully in a discussion about the
environment, both in German and English.
Targeted outcomes
5.UL.2
5.UL.3
5.UL.4
5.MLC.2
5.MBC.1
5.MBC.2
A student selects, summarises and analyses information and ideas in written texts and responds appropriately.
A student uses German by incorporating diverse structures and features to express own ideas.
A student experiments with linguistic patterns and structures in German to convey information and express own ideas.
A student uses linguistic resources to support the study and production of texts in German.
A student explores the interdependence of language and culture in a range of texts and contexts.
A student identifies and explains aspects of the culture of German-speaking communities in texts.
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Students learn about:
(5.UL.2)
 ways in which texts are constructed for specific purposes

ways of identifying relevant details when reading for specific
information
Students learn to:
(5.UL.2)
 identify purpose, e.g. to persuade or inform, and distinguish between
main points and specific and supporting details in text
 make judgements about the relevance of detail in understanding text
(5.UL.3 and 5.UL.4)
 the manipulation of structure, format and choice of vocabulary to
achieve specific purposes
 the application of known linguistic structures in new contexts
(5.UL.3 and 5.UL.4)
 select and manipulate particular structures to achieve specific
communication goals, e.g. lists, interviews, presentations
 reconstruct information from a range of sources
(5.MLC.2)
 the importance of being aware of the choices that are made to convey
precise meaning
 the effect of linguistic choices on intended meaning
(5.MLC.2)
 evaluate the accuracy and appropriateness of structures when
constructing and editing text
 make linguistic choices to enhance their intended meaning. Drawing
on a range of linguistic structures
(5.MBC.1)
 the contributions of diverse cultures to the local and global community
(5.MBC.1)
 reflect on attitudes and practices that differ from their own
(5.MBC.2)
 idiom, colloquialism, register and formality in language use.
(5.MBC.2)
 analyse the use of words or expressions with particular cultural
significance in German texts, e.g. „Der Grüne Punkt“,
umweltfreundlich, umweltfeindlich
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Structures
Present tense verbs in ich/du/er/sie forms, e.g. fahren, kaufen, sparen
Imperatives, e.g. Schütze den Ozean!
Socio-cultural content:
 Environmental issues in Germany and Australia
Cross-curriculum content & policies
 HSIE – environment units
 Work, employment and enterprise (group work)
 Literacy (writing for a purpose)
Resources:
 Resource sheets 1-8 from DET
 CLI resource: Wir recyceln! (available through TaLe for DET schools or for
purchase on CD-ROM for non-DET schools)
 Various websites (see teaching and learning activities)
 Comic Life software: Free 30-day trial from http://plasq.com/comiclife-win
Building the field: (e.g. the connections to background knowledge and cultural knowledge)
 Das Problem auf dem Schulhof: Discussion in English to lead into the topic in German.

Group work: Two teams of students go into the playground at the end of lunch.
- One group takes digital photos of the rubbish in the playground after lunch (students could also draw pictures).
- One group collects a wide variety of rubbish (using rubber gloves).

Students use pictures and rubbish items to develop a vocabulary board: Das Problem auf dem Schulhof.
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Teaching and learning activities:
(What do you want students to do? Consider how the activities will reflect the elements of the intellectual quality dimension.)
1.
Resource sheet 1: Was sehen wir auf dem Schulhof? (students identify rubbish found in playground)
2.
Vocabulary building and classifying using Resource sheet 2: Was verschmutzt unsere Umwelt?
(mindmapping with bubbl.us)
3.
Evidence of learning and ongoing feedback for
students:
Building the field and teaching and learning
activity 1: Teacher observation and oral feedback
on how well students participate in class discussion
and use the vocabulary and structures.
www.quizlet.com Students develop their own flashcards and then practise to consolidate vocabulary – W
4.
Resource sheet 3: Ökoquiz (students discover how long it takes for rubbish to break down) – RR
5.
Introduce/revise key verbs and the ich/du/er/sie forms: benutzen, gehen, fahren, kaufen, machen, sammeln,
sortieren, sparen, werfen.
6.
Resource sheet 4: Umweltfreundlich in der Schule und zu Hause (Q & A practise with du/ich) – W
7.
Class survey (Resource sheet 5): Was macht unsere Klasse für die Umwelt?(Students interview each other
about what they do for the environment, then summarise the results as a class.) – LR, S
8.
CLI resource: Wir recyceln! Students complete Wie grün bist du? (A quiz on environment.) and Activities
1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 under Aktivitäten. – RR, LR
9.
Resource sheet 6: Tipps für die Umwelt (What can we do for a better environment?), including introduction to
the imperative from – RR, W (writing component is
)
10. Poem: Waldsterben by Hans Manz (available from http://www.wissen-undwachsen.de/media/2/downloads/09_Baeume.pdf). Read through, then discuss in English – RR
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Teaching and learning activity 2 and 3: Informal
feedback from the teacher while students develop
mindmaps/flashcards; games are self-correcting
with opportunities for practising spelling.
General listening: Students understand specific
information and provide self-evaluation.
General speaking: Students respond to questions
from their classmates or teacher using complete
sentences. Teacher provides informal feedback
through observation, focusing on pronunciation,
intonation, verb conjugations and word order. For
teaching and learning activity 15, teacher feedback
will be written.
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Teaching and learning activities (continued):
11.
E-cards. Students send the poem Der Baum by Eugen Roth to a classmate, including an appropriate
message: http://www.mapcar.de/postcards/framesets/_f_postcards_eugenroth_der_baum.html – W
Resource sheet 7: Students write own poetry, e.g. ein Diamantengedicht (Wald/Fabrik or Stadt/Land) –
W
13. Resource sheet 8: Students work in pairs to complete reading comprehension on German recycling initiative
Der Grüne Punkt – RR
14. Writing activity using Comic Life software: Students keep a diary (Umwelttagebuch) for one week – W *
12.
15.
General reading: Students understand the main
points and supporting details in a written text.
Students discuss answers and peer-correct.
Teaching and learning activity 8 contains selfcorrecting activities.
General writing: Teacher provides oral feedback,
focusing on verb conjugation. For teaching and
learning activity 14, teacher feedback will be
written.
Oral presentation (as a slideshow using PowerPoint): Was macht meine Familie für die Umwelt? – S *
Note: Activities marked * could be used for assessment.
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Evaluation and variation:
(Considerations: Time allocated for unit; variety of teaching strategies used; opportunities for teacher feedback and student reflection; suitability of resources;
suitability of ICT/laptop activities; literacy/numeracy links)
Teacher name: _________________________
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Signature:
_________________________
Date:
_________________________
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative