Kimberly L. Schiavone
AP German
Email: kimberly.schiavone@evsc.k12.in.us
School Phone: 812-435-8292 ext 41341
Google Voice: 812-307-9745
Website: www.schiavonedeutsch.weebly.com
Course Overview
· The teacher uses German almost exclusively in class and encourages students to do likewise.
· Students will expand their interpersonal communication skills in German through daily classroom
interactions in the language. This includes casual conversations with the teacher and classmates as well
as formal discussions.
· Students will increase and refine their written presentational skills in formal and informal contexts.
· Students will broaden their comprehension skills of written and aural materials in formal and
informal contexts.
· Students will broaden their understanding of the cultures that comprise the German speaking world
through the study of history, literature, art, music, and current events.
· Students will make connections between their learning in the German classroom, their learning in
other classrooms, and their daily lives.
Recommended Prerequisites: German I-IV: A 2-credit course
Fulfills a World Language requirement for the Core 40 with Academic Honors diploma or counts as a
Directed Elective or Elective for any diploma A Career Academic Sequence or Flex Credit course.
Course Outline
To teach the Advanced Placement German course, our school uses Deutsch Heute and Allerlei zum
Lesen as the core material. It provides students with a very thorough grammar review and practice in
the target language. I offer explanations in class, and students work regularly to complete activities at
home. It also provides students with extensive vocabulary building exercises and literary analysis
opportunities. There is a chapter test given at the end of each unit. Each test includes a vocabulary
section, a grammar section, and a literature section. Each chapter also includes guided sections on
writing and speaking. I also use the “Unterwegs” video series to serve as a way to listen to authentic
German and to study history, geography, and culture. Each student must also write six 250 word
compositions on varying topics.
Teaching Strategies
· Honor Code – Each student will sign a pledge of honor stating that he/she will use the target
language in class. The student’s parents must also sign this document as reinforcement that their
son/daughter must use the target language from day one of the class.
· Outside of class – The students will also pledge that they will find a means to use their German
skills outside the classroom. They can join a German Heritage Society, attend German church services,
or volunteer at an organization that needs German translators. This will encourage all students to speak
German outside of class as well as help them to learn more about the German population in our
community.
· Current events and country study- At the beginning of each year, students choose a country or
region to study. They research basic data about the country and read current event articles about that
country throughout the year. Students share oral summaries of the articles they read with classmates.
This provides practice for the speaking portion of the AP exam and allows students to gain a greater
understanding of the diversity of the German speaking world.
Authentic Sources
Working with authentic sources is the key to successful AP German Language Exam preparation. Many
of the themes of the weeks of study lend themselves to additional reading, such as biographies or
articles with the same theme as the literature. These sources will be sought from newspapers, the
Internet, etc. as appropriate throughout the year. Students will read articles to form a basis for essays
and give summaries of the information read in the target language.
Student Evaluation
65% Quizzes, exams, projects, and compositions
1. Exams generally include matching or multiple-choice sections, fill-in-theblank sections, and short answer or essay sections.
2. Students will have cultural, grammar, vocabulary, listening, and reading quizzes throughout the
semester.
3. Projects may include group presentations, research, class discussions, dialogs, oral presentations
and more.
4. Instruction in writing is evidenced by instruction in brainstorming, pre-writing, writing an
introduction/conclusion, providing details and synthesis. Most compositions are modeled on the
format used in the AP Exam. However, some creative writing compositions are assigned as
well. Part of the grade for composition includes conferencing with the instructor and rewriting
to improve writing proficiency. Students will have 8 major writing assignments during the year.
5. Weekly journal entries will help prepare students for the major writing assignments of the year.
Journal entries may include paragraphs, poetry, short responses to various situations, notes, and
diagrams. Specific guidelines concerning the content and length of journal entries will be
provided as they occur.
15% Country study, authentic readings, and class participation
1. Students will choose a country or region of the German-speaking
world at the start of the semester. They will do some basic research
on this country/region as well as keep current on news. Students will
report the news of their country/region to the class on a biweekly basis.
2. Students participation will be based on a variety
of items and included in a rubric to be graded by the student.
3. Readings will be assigned from the textbook, German newspapers, magazines, cultural notes and
short stories. These readings could be discussed, written about, or read aloud for pronunciation
and comprehension.
20% Term final and individual project
1. The final includes portions of previous AP Exams, reshaped to model
the exam item types as identified in the AP German Course Description.
2. Each student will choose one independent experience in German to
complete during the semester. Options include (but are not limited to)
reading a novel, teaching German to elementary students, researching a historical or cultural
topic of interest, or watching a series of films or television programs.
Grading Scale
100-93
A
92-87
B
86-79
C
78-60
D
59 and below F
AP German Language Exam Practice
AP-type activities are included in each unit in order to allow students to be familiar with the AP
German language exam format. Activities from the following list are included:
 Bildergeschichte (student-generated or exam copies)
 AP Aufsatz (150-200 words, timed writing assignments)
 Lückentext (student or teacher generated or exam copies)
 Listening (AP exam practice tapes, textbook materials, movies, music, podcasts, and other
online materials.)
 Reading (AP exam practice, novels, short stories, authentic materials, and selections from
textbooks)
 Speaking (Dialogues, class discussions, directed-response questions, oral presentations,
skits, and taped conversations)
Students also use the scoring guides to evaluate their work and the work of others.
Course Planner-1st Semester
Theme 1: Musik
Opportunities for Listening:
A: Listen to the radio online
B: Listening to podcasts of “Deutsche Welle” or online radio stations.
Opportunites for speaking/writing:
A: Write a comparison of German vs. American radio stations and their musical line-ups.
(This project will include embedded examples of the music that would be played.
B: Analysis of the difference between musical tastes, trends between the US and
Germany.
Grammar/Vocabulary/AP Activities:
A: Adjective endings
B: Comparative Forms
C: Definite Articles (Schaum's ch. 2)
D: Vocabulary dealing with art and interests.
Theme 2: Entertainment
Deutsch Heute Ch. 6
Opportunities for speaking/writing:
A: Essay or Powerpoint on Grammy winners/Oscar winners/ Sport championships
Listening Opportunities:
A: podcasts, online videos of sporting events, etc.
Readings (from Deutsch Heute):
A: Fernsehen
B: Das Theater
C:Der deutsche Film
Readings (from Orientierungskurs Deutschland):
A: Kultur
Videos:
A: Lola Rennt
B: Das Boot
Grammar/Vocabulary/AP Projects:
Project:
A: Group film of an awards show listing current movies, celebrities, etc, using the
passive voice.
Vocabulary: Continuation of Arts and interests
 Grammar: Schaum's ch. 7 (Present Perfect and Passive)
Theme 3: Citizenships/Communities
Deutsch Heute Ch. 7
Opportunities for speaking/writing:
A: Study Abroad discussion-Why is it important to forge international connections?
What can study abroad to for you and your future career opportunites?
B: Cultural Differences (Written summaries of textbook reading selections)
C: AP Aufsatz- Letter to a foreign tourism office
Readings: (from Deutsch Heute)
A: “Ein Austauschstudent in Deutschland”
B: “Häuser und Wohnungen”
C: “Geschlossene Türen”
From Allerlei zum Lesen:
A. Der Mann mit dem Gedächtnis, Peter Bichsel (Swiss author)
Readings: (from Orientierungskurs Deutschland)
A: Konflikte, Regeln, Hilfen
Projects and Presentations:
A: Skit-exchange students
B: Powerpoint: Cultural Differences
C: Powerpoint or Video: Pictures and Descriptions using prepositions
Videos/Listening:
A: Unterwegs (Watch video and summarize cultural information and differences
B: Ernst Jandl: “Hörspiele”
Grammar/Vocabulary/AP Activities:
A: Schaum's ch. 3 -prepositions
B: Time Expressions
C: Travel and Transportation vocabulary
D: Bildergeschichte (based on information from the reading selections)
Theme 4: German Legends
Opportunities for Speaking and Writing:
A. Analysis and Descriptions of German legends.
B. Comparisons with American/British legends.
C. Creation of a “mythbuster” type video.
Grammar/Vocabulary/AP Activities
A. Adjective endings
B. Comparative forms
C. Definite Articles (Schaum's Ch. 1)
D. Vocabulary having to do with legends
E: AP Essay- Narration of an incident from the past
Theme 5 Deutsch Geschichte 1945 bis heute
Deutsch Heute Ch. 10
Opportunities for Speaking/Writing:
A: AP Aufsatz- Letter of Advice: Suggestions to a person in East Germany from a friend
in West Germany.
B: Essay: If you were living in East Germany during and after WWII, what do you think
your role would have been?
Readings (from Deutsch Heute):
A: “Bertolt Brecht”
B: “Zwei deutsche Staaten”
C: “Nach der Vereinigung”
D: “Deutschland: Die Regierung”
Readings (from Allerlei zum Lesen):
A: “Die Rolltreppe”- Gunter Grass
B: “Die drei dunklen Könige”-Wolfgang Borchert
C: “Der Schlag ans Hoftor”-Franz Kafka
D: “Es war ein reizender Abend”-Erich Kastner
Readings (from Orientierungskurs Deutschland):
A: “Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland”
B: Excerpts from the Sho'ah Foundation Memoirs
C: Examples and Essays on Degenerate Art
Vocabulary:
A: Countries and People
Grammar:
A: Schaum's Ch. 7 (Past tense)
Videos/Listening:
A: Die Dreigroschenopfer
B: Sophie Scholl
C: Goodbye, Lenin
Projects and Presentations:
A: Role Play: Choose a decade after 1945 and write and perform a skit where the
characters discuss the times.
B: Powerpoint Presentation: historical events from 1945-present
C: Discussion or Opinion Piece on how degenerate art affected the political/emotional
climate of Germany immediately after the rise of the Berlin Wall.
Theme 6: Wirtschaft und Beruf
Deutsch Heute Ch. 11
Opportunities for Speaking/Writing:
A: Job Interview
B: European Union
C: German Politcs:Issues, climate, parties
Readings (from Deutsch Heute):
A: “Das Soziale Netz”
B: “Probleme mit der Wirtschaft”
C: “Die Mitbestimmung”
D: “Die Europäische Union”
E: “Berufliche Ausbildung”
Readings (from Orientierungskurs Deutschland):
A: “Arbeit, soziale Sicherung, Bildung”
Readings (from Allerlei zum Lesen):
A: “Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral” (Heinrich Böll)
Projects and Presentations:
A: Students present various aspects of the European Union.
B: Stock Market game- Students use DAX to select stocks from German businesses and
monitor their progress. Students create charts and diagrams to present how their stocks performed over
a four week time period.
C: Role-play professions. Students guess which profession is portrayed.
Vocabulary/Grammar:
A. Vocabulary: Business and Administration
B: Schaum's Ch. 7 (Future and Subjunctive)
Theme 7: Roman oder Novelle
Reading Opportunities: Read a Roman or Novelle from the German writer of their choice.
Writing Opportunities: Write an essay based on the novel or Novelle. Alternatively the student
can create an oral recording of excerpts of the story which summarize the theme of the Roman or
Novelle.
Theme 8: Märchen
Opportunities for Speaking and Writing:
A: Elements of a fairy tale
B: Favorites from childhood
C: Comparisons between Grimm versions and American versions
D: Modern/Fractured version of a fairy tale
E: Summaries of various fairy tales
F: The Grimm Brothers
Readings:
A: “Schneewitchen”
B: “Dörnröschen”
C: “Aschenputtel”
From Allerlei Zum Lesen:
A: “Der Zaunkönig und der Bär”
B: “Seegeister”- “Ilse Aichinger”
Projects and Presentations:
A: Film and/or present the modern/fractured fairy tale written by students
B: Research an essay on the Grimm Brothers. Powerpoint to present information.h
C: AP Aufsatz: Composition about one's childhood or youth
Grammar Points:
A: Imperfekt forms of verbs
B: Relative Clauses
C: Subordinating and Coordinating Conjunctions (Schaum's ch. 10)
Theme 9: Education and Careers/Current Events
Deutsch Heute Ch. 4
Opportunities for Speaking/Writing:
A: Compare/Contrast the opportunity of study abroad vs. attending a traditional
domestic university.
B: Perform an entrance interview for a job or to attend a university
C: AP Essay: Plans for the Future
Readings from Deutsch Heute:
A: “Hochschulen”
B: “Finanzen und Studienplätze”
C: Möchten Sie in Deutschland studieren?”
D: “Das Schulsystem in Deutschland”
Readings from Orientierungskurs Deutschland:
A: “Der Staat, Bundesrepublik Deutschland”
Vocabulary: Public Life/Social Customs and Values
Grammar:
A: Modal Auxiliaries
B: Genitive Case- Erweiterung des Wortschatzes
Theme 10: Concerts/Musik
Opportunities for Speaking/Writing:
A: Students select a work by a classical musician and use powerpoint or a movie maker
program to make a music video for the work, including information on the life, works, and style of the
musician.
B: Students describe a piece, the musician's intent, tone, etc and then perform or share a
recording with the class.
C: AP Aufsatz: Description of a person
Vocabulary: Music, Describing music, descriptions of places made specifically for operas
(Vienna, Operhaus, Ludwig's Grotto, etc)
Grammar: Passive Voice
Theme 11: Umwelt
Opportunities for Speaking/Writing:
A: Students write a letter to the Bundestag requesting or advocating for certain
environmental controls/changes.
B: Students bring in or explain environmental or “green” technology and discuss
whether or not it is used in the U.S. in a compare/contrast scenario.
C: “Utopia” project.
Readings:
Vocabulary: Environment, nature, landscape, animals, planets, weather and climate.
Grammar:
A: Subjunctive case
B: Comparative adjectives