German III (A and B)

German III has been carefully designed to meet the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). These standards call for method of teaching that focuses on successful communication through speaking, writing, reading, and listening, as well as a thorough grounding in aspects of culture. Each unit embodies all of these standards in accordance with the theories described in this document. Unit activities blend different forms of communication and culture to ensure that the student meets all standards. Course strategies include warm-up activities, vocabulary study, reading, threaded discussions, multi-media presentations, self-checks, practice activities and games, oral and written assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams. Learning activities in each unit are focused upon a specific theme.

Prerequisites: German II

Course Length: Two Semesters

Required Materials: None

Course Cost: $350/student per semester

Course Outline

Semester One

Ferien

  • Themes: vacations, driving, travel and transportation, leisure time
  • Grammar: review of 4 tenses (present, imperfect, perfect, future); conjunctions
  • Culture: German automobiles, getting a driver’s license, the Romantic Road
Gesund Leben
  • Themes: healthy living, body parts and ailments, family members, daily routine
  • Grammar: review 3 cases, ad the genitive, reflexive verbs
  • Culture: health care, Kurorte (spas), Roman baths in Germany
Rechte und Pflichten
  • Themes: rights and responsibilities, household chores, university study, military service
  • Grammar: two-way prepositions, da-/wo-com pounds, more meaning of modals
  • Culture: universities in German-speaking countries, military service
Beziehungen
  • Themes: personal relationships, importance of appearance, emotions
  • Grammar: relative pronouns, review reflxives, dative verbs, wenn
  • Culture: East/West Germany (past and present)
Märchen
  • Themes: fairy tales, animals
  • Grammar: review imperfect and adjective endings
  • Culture: Grimm Brothers, Romanticism
  

Semester Two

Medien
  • Themes: media, advertising, computers
  • Grammar: subjunctive part I (wϋrde, past subjunctive, modals in subjunctive)
  • Culture: propaganda (Nazis), Heimatmusik, role of English in advertising
Generationen
  • Themes: childhood, generation “gap”
  • Grammar: wenn, wann, als, ob; subjunctive part II (non-past subjunctive)
  • Culture: Käthe Kollwitz, advice columns
Meine Zukunft
  • Themes: my future, study, occupations, world of work
  • Grammar: review relative pronouns, infinitive phrases (um… zu, etc.)
  • Culture: Gastarbeiter, foreigners
Guten Appetit
  • Themes: food and drink, restaurants, cooking, shopping
  • Grammar: passive, review commands and modals, Was fϋr…
  • Culture: restaurant customs (e.g. Stammtisch), regional foods, more use of English in German speakingcountries
Die Umwelt
  • Themes: environment, recycling, European Union
  • Grammar: verbs as nouns, review grammar
  • Culture: public transportation, recycling, BYOB (bring your own bag/basket), environmental issues and groups, renewable energy
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