MFL – German
Year 9
Unit 13 Umwelt
About the unit
Prior learning
In this unit pupils extend their knowledge of tenses by learning to use the future tense to talk
about the weather and environmental issues.
It is helpful if pupils already know:
• how to form and use perfect and present tenses
• prepositions taking the accusative, dative, and accusative/dative cases
• modals, eg können, sollen
• structure of subordinate clauses
• imperatives
New language content:
• future tense
• contrast three tenses (present, past, future)
• negatives other than nicht
New contexts:
• weather
• the environment
• green issues in Germany, Switzerland or Austria
Alternative contexts: local area, holidays, healthy living.
This unit is expected to take 12–15 hours.
Where the unit fits in
This unit builds on simple geography covered in unit 7 ‘Städte und Länder’ and provides
opportunities for pupils to extend their understanding of how to express their opinions, with
simple reasons, and to speak and write at greater length. It extends pupils’ knowledge of
tenses by introducing the formal future tense, and their knowledge of subordinate clause
structure, using wenn. It offers opportunities for pupils to collaborate with partners abroad on
simple investigative projects.
Expectations
At the end of this unit
most pupils will: understand written and spoken information, including main points, specific
details and points of view, about the weather and simple environmental issues; seek and
convey information and opinions in simple speech and writing; understand the differences
between past, present and future
Resources
Resources include:
• maps with weather symbols
• weather reports and forecasts from newspapers, radio, satellite TV
• simple German horoscopes
• pack of cards with time phrases and activity statements in past, present and future tense
• posters and other publicity material about the environment
• environmental quiz
• access to the internet
• CD-ROMs
• PCs and data-handling software
Out-of-school learning
This unit provides opportunities for pupils to conduct their own research, for instance into the
weather and environmental conditions and/or issues in a German-speaking country. At the
simplest level they could look at weather reports in newspapers or on the internet and
compare these with the weather in the UK. At a higher level they could find out about specific
environmental issues such as air and water pollution, transport and traffic problems, nuclear
energy and recycling waste.
Future learning
• This unit prepares pupils for speaking and writing at greater length and in depth on matters
of interest and concern to them.
• Sentence structure and word order continue to be developed in later units.
some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: understand simple written
and spoken information and opinions about the weather and simple environmental issues,
with support; seek and convey simple information and opinions in speech and writing, with
support
some pupils will have progressed further and will: understand a variety of written texts
and spoken passages; deduce the meaning and function of unfamiliar language and select
reading matter appropriate to the topic and to their interests; speak at greater length and
write in paragraphs applying their knowledge of grammar accurately to the topic of the
environment
Any activities marked  might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

optional activities
© QCA 2000
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
MFL German - Unit 13 Umwelt
1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
PUPILS SHOULD LEARN:
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
PUPILS:
POINTS TO NOTE
1
• to understand and talk about
the weather in the present
tense and how to use a wenn
clause
• Teach weather phrases, eg by overlaying symbols on overhead
• ask, understand and answer
• Switzerland or Austria can offer
transparencies (OHTs) on a map of Germany/Europe.
questions about the weather,
examples of more extreme weather.
such as Wie ist das Wetter im • Show how wenn clauses are
• Check pupils’ understanding by using a multimedia CD-ROM to match
Sommer in Süddeutschland?
constructed in the same way as weil
spoken and written prompts to weather symbols.
Oft ist es sehr warm, aber
• Information gap activity: pupil A has a map with some weather symbols
clauses.
manchmal... .
linked to places and pupil B has the complementary weather symbols linked
to the remaining places. They ask and answer questions until they have
• produce more complex
sentences, such as Wenn es
completed the map and then check by comparing their maps at the end of
regnet, fahre ich nicht Rad.
the activity.
• Pupils match speech bubbles of spoken weather phrases with statements
• apply their knowledge of
from written weather bulletins. This can be a card game or a text/visual
language in a different context
dominoes-style game, linking complementary texts together or linking text to
to produce sentences such as
Ich stehe sehr spät auf, wenn
visual clues.
ich keine Schule habe.
• Revise present tense activities, such as sports or daily routine, and link
activities to weather using wenn clauses. Introduce nicht.
• Reuse language from previous units, incorporating wenn in a reading and
writing activity in which pupils match beginnings and endings of sentences.
2
• to use the future tense,
initially in the context of the
weather, and then in wider
contexts
• Revise words/phrases relating to the future, eg morgen, nächste Woche.
Contrast weather now with weather predicted for some time in the future,
using werden, eg Es schneit/Es wird schneien.
• Watch a video recording of a weather forecast with the sound turned down.
Pupils suggest a suitable commentary.
• Pupils watch authentic TV weather forecasts, recorded off satellite, and read
ones from the internet or newspapers, and show their understanding of the
main weather details by saying what the weather will be like in particular
places.
• ‘Mystic Meg’ competition: pupils write predictions about the next few days,
not only of weather, but also of local or national events. At the end of these
few days, check the accuracy of the predictions. The most accurate pupil
wins a prize. Pupils could write or say what actually happened using the
perfect tense.
• Use simple German horoscopes from newspapers or teen magazines.
Pupils identify either the use of the future tense or where the future is
expressed in another way.
• understand how the future
tense works in German
• use the future tense in the
context of the weather, eg
Später wird es regnen
• understand main points in a
weather forecast
• use the future tense in other
contexts, eg Am Freitag wird
der Premierminister nach
Manchester fahren.
 produce sentences such as
Der Premierminister ist nicht
nach Manchester gefahren,
sondern er hat... .
• understand authentic short
written extracts
• Draw a parallel between werden +
infinitive and modal verbs, eg können,
in the way sentences are structured.
• Pupils should be familiar with both the
concept and the term ‘future tense’
from their work on verb tenses in the
National Literacy Strategy.
• A further related activity can be found
in Optional Tests and Tasks 6.4.
Any activities marked  might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

optional activities
© QCA 2000
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
MFL German - Unit 13 Umwelt
2
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
PUPILS SHOULD LEARN:
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
PUPILS:
POINTS TO NOTE
3
• to contrast past, present and
future in weather and other
contexts
• Multiple-choice reading or listening activity in which pupils have to choose
• show understanding of tenses • Time phrases such as heute Abend
appropriate time words/phrases to go with sentences in various tenses.
and adverbial phrases by
can be used with two different tenses,
• Wann und was? card game: pupils have a pack of cards with time phrases
matching, eg letzten
and pupils’ answers could reflect this.
Donnerstag with hat es
and activity statements in the present, past and future tense. Each player
• Pupils should already understand the
geregnet
starts with seven cards. The first pupil plays a card with a time phrase and
role of adverbial phrases in English
players take it in turns to follow suit by adding an activity card in the right
• produce appropriate phrases
sentences.
tense. For example, if the first card says Gestern abend, possible
with times and tenses, eg Am • A further related activity can be found
subsequent cards could be …hat er Fußball gespielt or …ist sie ins Kino
Abend sehe ich fern. Gestern
in Optional Tests and Tasks 6.7.
gegangen. If a player cannot add an activity in the right tense and a
Abend habe ich meine
Hausaufgaben gemacht.
sentence has not been completed, they must pick up an extra card from the
pile. But if a sentence has already been completed they can play a card with  produce more detailed
another time phrase to link to another tense such as Jeden Tag… . Each
sentences, eg Samstags
fahre ich mit meiner Freundin
time a player cannot play a card they must pick up an extra card. The first
in die Stadt.
player to get rid of all their cards wins.
• Simple card game: cards in two piles, one with time phrases, one with
pictures/symbols of common activities. Pupils choose one of each, and
construct sentences accordingly.
 Encourage pupils to add extra details/reasons in the second card game,
perhaps a ‘joker’ pile with question words on the cards, eg mit wem?
Any activities marked  might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

optional activities
© QCA 2000
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
MFL German - Unit 13 Umwelt
3
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
PUPILS SHOULD LEARN:
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
PUPILS:
POINTS TO NOTE
4
• Introduce the environment by showing pupils simple information material, eg
• to understand and express
information about
posters, leaflets, video clips.
environmental issues such as • In pairs or small groups, pupils look at an illustration of a kitchen scene in
which energy or resources are clearly being wasted, eg the fridge door is left
waste disposal/recycling,
including negatives
open, the heating is on and a window is open, useful articles are in the
waste bin. With guidance, such as a written or recorded list of possibilities
and model sentences, pupils identify: what is wasteful about the picture;
what the people have done to bring this about; and what they should do to
avoid wasting energy/resources.
• Environmental quiz: pupils read and answer a magazine-style, multiplechoice quiz to find out how ‘green’ they are. Based on their answers, pupils
make resolutions about being more environmentally conscious.
• Pupils conduct a survey about green issues with questions such as
– Wie kommst du zur Schule?
– Wie fährt dein Vater/deine Mutter zur Arbeit?
– Wie viele Autos hat deine Familie?
• They report back their findings as a news report and draw conclusions.
• If a link exists with a school in a German-speaking country, this could be
exploited by exchanging e-mails or letters to find out more about
environmental issues. The same survey could be used and the results
compared with those already obtained.
5
• understand information from
simple publicity material
• say or write sentences using
different tenses, eg
– Die Zeitungen sind in der
Mülltonne.
– Man hat die Zeitungen in die
Mülltonne geworfen.
– Man soll Zeitungen
recyceln.
• understand questions and
multiple-choice answers
covering a range of situations
concerning the environment,
such as Fährst du Rad?
a) Ich fahre oft Rad.
b) Ich fahre nicht mehr Rad.
c) Ich bin nie Rad gefahren.
d) Niemand in meiner Familie
fährt Rad.
• say or write sentences such
as Ich werde öfter mit meinem
Rad zur Schule fahren.
• There may be links in this unit with
what pupils learn about environmental
issues in science and geography.
• This activity offers opportunities to
cover aspects of cultural awareness,
eg different dustbins in Germany for
organic/inorganic materials.
• Pupils could find out about the Green
Party in Germany. They could also
compare environmental issues in
different German-speaking countries.
• An alternative sequence of activities
on the school environment is
suggested on pages 24–5 of
Managing the Programme of Study
Part 2, published by QCA.
• As an alternative to the quiz, pupils
design a datafile consisting of 10
fields, each of which relates to a way
of helping the environment, eg
recycling glass, taking a shower
instead of a bath. Individual pupil
records are created and results
presented in graphical form for
classroom display.
• write imaginatively, using the
future tense
 add details using either the
present or perfect tense
• Pupils will be familiar with the text
features of posters in English.
End-of-unit activities
• to apply the knowledge, skills
and understanding learnt in
this unit
• Pupils design a poster predicting how the environment and the weather will
be in the year 2100.
 Pupils explain why.
Any activities marked  might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

optional activities
© QCA 2000
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
MFL German - Unit 13 Umwelt
4