teacher’s guide german 1

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Teacher’s Guide

German 1 Semester A

PLATO® Courses Teacher’s Guide—German 1A

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Table of Contents German 1, Semester A

Overview ............................................................................................................................. 2 Overview ............................................................................................................................. 3 Course Components ........................................................................................................... 4 Course Implementation Models ........................................................................................... 9 German 1A Overview ........................................................................................................ 10 German 1A Curriculum Contents and Pacing Guide ......................................................... 12

Unit 1: Introductions ...................................................................................................... 12 Unit 2: Who Am I? ......................................................................................................... 13

Unit 3: Friends and Family ............................................................................................ 15 Unit 4: At Home ............................................................................................................. 16 Unit 5: The Social World ............................................................................................... 18

© 2013 EDMENTUM, INC.


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Overview

PLATO Courses are developed to give the instructor a variety of ways to engage different

learning modalities and to give the student an opportunity to experience a range of

standards and objectives to ensure academic success.

PLATO Courses integrate PLATO online curriculum, electronic learning activities, and

supporting interactive activities. An array of assessment tools allows the instructor to

correctly place students at the appropriate learning level, to evaluate strengths and needs,

to create individualized learning goals, and to determine proficiency. Reports assist the

student in understanding where he or she needs to focus to be academically successful as

measured against objectives. Guidelines and tools are provided to track student progress

and to determine a final course grade.

PLATO Courses give the instructor control over the instructional choices for individual

students as well as for the classroom. The instructor may use all of the components as

sequenced or select specific activities to support and enhance instruction. PLATO Courses

can be used in a variety of ways to increase student achievement.


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Course Components

Learning Activities

Four types of learning activities are available in PLATO Courses:

Tutorials. The tutorials are modules with direct instruction and practice interactions.

Instruction is made engaging through the use of videos, animations, a voice

recording tool, and hotspot graphics. Practice interactions include drag-and-drops,

multiple-choice questions, and fill-in-the blank questions that all help students check

their progress at mastering new concepts. Some tutorials also include Web links to

informational sites, games, and videos, which are designed to broaden students'

access to information on the topic.

Lesson Activities. The Lesson Activities are written assignments that allow the

student to develop new learning in a constructivist way or apply learning from the

tutorial in a significant way. In either case, they are designed to be an authentic

learning and assessment tool: doing something real to develop new understanding,

while at the same time providing a subjective measure of that understanding.

The Lesson Activities are embedded in the tutorials and open as Word documents

that students can write in and save. Each self-checked activity has an answer key

that provides answers for single-answer questions and objective rubrics along with

sample answers for open-ended questions. Students need to submit some activities

through the Digital Drop Box for instructor evaluation and feedback. Other activities

can be checked by students themselves using the answer key. Keep in mind that

some students may need guidance to successfully self-check open-ended

questions against a model.

Online Discussions. Online discussion with instructors and other students is a key

twenty-first-century skills-based activity that allows students to communicate in the

target language. An online threaded discussion mirrors the educational experience

of a classroom interaction. Instructors can initiate a topic that elicits use of the target

language with vocabulary and structures that students are learning or have learned.

Students can engage in the discussion by responding to the initial topic with their

own responses as well as by asking and answering questions of others. Each unit in

a course has one predefined discussion topic along with a rubric for grading

responses. Instructors can include additional discussion topics.

Unit Activities. The culminating activity at the end of each unit provides an

opportunity for students to deepen their cultural understanding or use their


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cumulating skills in the target language in a variety of contexts. It usually includes

an audio recording or listening task as well as ones that require speaking and

writing skills. The student and teacher version will include a sample rubric that lets

students know how their work will be graded and gives teachers concrete criteria by

which to grade students’ work. Unit activities take the form of a Word document that

students can write in and submit, along with other types of files, as needed.

Learning Aids

Learning aids assist students within the courseware activities. In German A, these learning

aids, or tools, include the following:

Tutorials

o Notebook The Notebook is an online version of a paper notebook. Students can

take notes on important points, edit them, and refer to them to refresh their

knowledge.

o Audio Recording Tool The Audio Recording tool is available to students to

practice listening and speaking skills. Practice audio recording tasks include

print or audio prompts and sample audio answers in German to which the

student can compare his or her recording.

Assessment and Testing. Best practices in assessment and testing call for a variety

of activities to evaluate student learning. Multiple data points more accurately present

an evaluation of student strengths and needs. Some assessment activities also serve

as learning activities to provide authentic learning and assessment opportunities.

These activities are designed to encourage communication in the target language by

simulating real-world situations. Note that assessment items are available for each

tutorial in PLATO Courses. In support of this model of evaluation, PLATO Courses

include the following:

Lesson Activities are embedded in the tutorials. They are designed to encourage

investigation and to provide practice. Other activities can be checked by students

themselves using the answer key. Keep in mind that some students may need

guidance to successfully self-check open-ended questions against a model.

Discussions encourage students to communicate in the target language to reflect

on concepts, articulate their thoughts, and respond to the views of others.

Discussions help assess students’ ability to communicate in the target language.

Each unit in a course has one pre-defined discussion topic along with a standard

rubric for grading responses. Instructors can include additional discussion topics.

Unit pretests are provided for each course unit. The purpose of these assessments

is to determine the student’s existing knowledge. If the student scores the


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prescribed percentage on a unit pretest, he or she may be exempted from

completing the related courseware. Note, however, that this feature is primarily

designed for credit recovery purposes. For first-time credit, students are typically not

allowed to “test out” of course lessons.

Mastery tests at the end of the tutorials provide the instructor and the student with

clear indicators of areas of strength and weakness. These multiple-choice tests are

taken online.

Unit Activities give students the opportunity to apply and integrate concepts that

they have learned across lessons within a course unit and, thereby, demonstrate

how they can use the target language to communicate. Students can use the Digital

Drop Box to electronically submit their work for grading by the instructor.

Unit posttests help instructors track how well students have mastered the unit’s

content. The tests are in the multiple-choice format and are provided online.

End-of-semester tests assess the major objectives covered in the course. By

combining the unit pretest and unit posttest information with the end-of-semester

test results, the instructor will gain a clear picture of student progress.

Special note on student resources for testing. Current best practice for language

instruction does not require or even encourage memorizing grammar rules or

vocabulary. It also discourages translation-based testing. The Mastery Test items can

use audio-based questions, where the students can listen to a unit of audio and

answer the question based on it.

Games

PLATO World Languages introduces a game-based form of practice that is

supplemental to the main curriculum, is focused on improving listening skills, and is

available on a variety of mobile communication devices. Each lesson in the course is

supplemented by one game that will focus on a subset of the content of that lesson,

using an audio-based set of activities/games that ask learners to order pieces of

audio in the target language or associate such pieces with a meaningful image or set

of images. Using these mobile language games, learners will be able to practice their

language almost anywhere, extending their connection to language learning far

beyond the classroom.

Each game is based on one of the four game “engines” described below.

Rapid Fire: The player will hear words or phrases read in a certain sequence. The

player needs to tap the images that represent the words or phrases, repeating the

same pattern. This game is a fast-paced vocabulary builder and has a head-to-head

multi-player option.


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This or That: The player will hear a series of words or phrases, one at a time. The

player needs to tap one of two pictures to place each word or phrase in its proper

category, like food or drink, or true or false. This is a fast-paced game that gets

students thinking about vocabulary and phrases and has a head-to-head multi-

player option.

What’s My Line: The player will hear a group of phrases or sentences. The player

needs to drag the speech bubble for each phrase or sentence onto the picture that

best illustrates that phrase. This game gets students to discern subtle differences in

tightly coupled vocabulary or phrases and has a head-to-head multi-player option.

Phrase Builder: The player has to build a sentence from words or short groups of

words. The player listens to the phrase carefully, and then drags the speech

bubbles to recreate the phrase. Once the phrase is built, the player submits the

phrase for scoring. This game gets students thinking deeply about language

structure, conjugation, subject-verb agreement, and word order and only plays in

solo mode for that deeper practice.

Special note on games.To gain access to the language games, a teacher or learner

will need to use one of the following types of devices: Apple iPads, iPhones, or iPod

Touch devices using iOS 4 or later, tablets or phones running the Android OS v2.3 or

later.

The process of getting to the games includes the following steps and requirements.

For IOS devices: Visit the Apple Mobile App store in iTunes or on your

device. Find the PLATO World Languages Games app that matches your

language and semester. Download the app, launch it, and use your PLE

credentials to log in.

For Android devices: Visit Google PLAY on your PC or device. Find the

PLATO World Languages Games app that matches your language and

semester. Download the app, launch it, and use your PLE credentials to log in.

One step for each student to install and play the games is to establish that the

student is a PLATO customer and to show that you are part of a district or school with

licenses for the semester of languages at hand. To do this, a student will launch the

app on a device, then enter their normal PLE login credentials, including Account

Login, PLATO Name, and Password. Once the student authenticates a single time,

the student will be able to open and play games directly on a designated device for

one semester’s worth of games. This access will last for one year from the date of

authentication. If the student continues to be a PLE user and your school continues

to license our language courses, the student can re-authenticate to unlock the games

for an additional year.

itms://itunes.apple.com/us

https://play.google.com/store


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Subjective Assessment

Of the assessment tools listed above, three are designed specifically to address

communication using the target language: Lesson Activities, Unit Activities, and

Discussions. All of these activities allow the instructor to score work on a scale of 0 to 100.

Lesson Activities and Unit Activities employ the Digital Drop Box, which enables students

to submit work in a variety of electronic formats. This feature allows for a wide range of

authentic learning and assessment opportunities for courses. PLATO provides keys for

PLATO-designed Digital Drop Box activities. These keys range from simple rubrics to

detailed sample responses. Online discussions may use whatever rubric the instructor

sets. A suggested rubric is provided here for your reference.

Online Discussion Rubric

D/F 0-69 Below

Expectations

C 70-79 Basic

B 80-89 Proficient

A 90-100 Outstanding

Relevance of Response

Postings or responses do not relate to the discussion topic or are inappropriate or irrelevant

Some postings or responses are not on topic or are too brief or low level; may be of little value (e.g., yes or no answers)

Postings and responses are typically related to the topic and spur further discussion

Postings and responses are consistently on topic and are communicative in nature, spurring additional participation from others

Content of Response

Does not communicate in the target language in a coherent manner; makes many grammar or spelling errors, making entries difficult to understand

Unclear communication in the target language; makes several errors in grammar or spelling that significantly impede communication

Communicates clearly in the target language, although there are a few errors in grammar or spelling that complicate communication

Communicates clearly in the target language; rare instances of grammar or spelling errors that impede communication

Participation Makes little or no effort to participate in the discussion

Participates in some discussions but not on a regular basis

Participates in most discussions on a regular basis but may require some prompting to post

Consistently participates in discussions on a regular basis


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Course Implementation Models

PLATO Courses give instructors the flexibility to define implementation approaches that

address a variety of learning needs. Instructors can configure the courses to allow

individual students to work at their own pace or for group/class learning. Furthermore, the

courses can be delivered completely online (that is, using a virtual approach) or can

include both face-to-face and online components (that is, using a blended approach).

Depending on the learner grouping and learning approach, instructors can choose to take

advantage of peer-to-peer interaction through online discussions. Similarly, if students

have prior knowledge of the concepts taught in certain lessons, instructors can decide to

employ unit pretests to assess students’ prior knowledge and exempt them from taking the

lessons. Note, however, that this feature is primarily designed for credit recovery purposes.

For first-time credit, students are typically not allowed to “test out” of course lessons.

Following are two common implementation models for using PLATO Courses, along with

typical (but not definitive) implementation decisions.

Independent Learning

The student is taking the course online as a personal choice or as part of an

alternative learning program.

Learner grouping independent learning

Learning approach blended or virtual

Discussions remove from learning path

Unit pretests students do not take pretests

Group/Class Learning

The online course is offered for a group of students. These students may not be able to schedule the specific course at their local school site, or they may simply want the experience of taking an online course.

Learner grouping group interaction

Learning approach blended or virtual

Discussions use; additional discussion

questions may be added

Unit pretests students do not take pretests

For more information about implementation models, read the document PLATO Online Courses—Implementation Models.


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German 1A Overview

Course Structure

The German 1A Course refers to semester 1A, and consists of units of lessons on related

topics. The course is designed to be completed in approximately 18 weeks. This blended

online course is organized into units and lessons. Each lesson incorporates multiple

learning activities designed to develop, apply, and assess specific learning objectives. The

course, as well as each unit in the course, is based on a researched scope and sequence

that covers the essential concepts of German.

Pedagogical Approach The lessons in this course address two primary issues:

1. Introducing new vocabulary with a minimum of reliance on English that is, devising

alternate methods to provide meaningful context without relying on translation, so

that learners are encouraged to think in the target language as much as possible.

2. Introducing grammatical concepts without over reliance on grammatical analysis

and comparisons to English that would inhibit learning that language itself, such as

learning grammar rules in the abstract, learning conjugation charts rather than being

able to choose forms for tense, mood, and person as needed.

To integrate vocabulary, the lessons allow learners to relate vocabulary to images or other

connections, instead of to their dominant language. To internalize grammar patterns, they

include media to show people using language in naturalistic situations. Cultural awareness

is increased through cultural screens where interesting information is given about places

where the German language is spoken. To develop language learning at an appropriate

level of proficiency, the lessons include instruction, practice, and assessment, both formal

and informal, of all 4 skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking. They also keep

communication as central to the learning of language and allow students to use language

actively, with a mix of vocabulary, grammar, and culture.

The lessons in this course employ direct-instruction approaches. They include application

of the target language through activities. Furthermore, each unit in the course includes a

predefined discussion topic. These discussions provide an opportunity for discourse on

specific topics in German.

Practice is an integral part of the lessons in the course. Practice is provided through

standard multiple-choice and drag-and-drop questions; advanced interactions such as

click-to-see and flexible drag-and-drops; and fun, interactive, and research-based tools. In

particular, an Audio Recording Tool for German is available that enables students to learn


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a critical skill for German: listening and speaking. Communicative tasks are incorporated

into tutorials and assessments. Lesson Activities, discussions, and Unit Activities,

however, provide the most wide-ranging opportunity for students to communicate in the

target language.


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German 1A

Curriculum Contents and Pacing Guide The following Curriculum Contents provide a brief summary of the course units in

each semester. This semester is divided into 5 units spread over 90 days (18 weeks).

The Unit Pacing Guide provides a general timeline for presenting each unit. This

guide is designed to fit your class schedule and is adjustable.

Unit 1: Introductions

Summary

In this unit, you will be introduced to the German language. First, you’ll learn some common ways of greeting people in German. Then, you’ll learn how to ask for and share basic personal information, including the spelling of names and phone numbers. Next, you’ll ask and respond to questions about people’s nationalities. Finally, you’ll ask and answer questions about dates and times and express information about people’s age and birth dates.

Day Activity/Objective Type

1 day:

1

Syllabus and Plato Student Orientation

Review the Plato Student Orientation and Course Syllabus at the beginning of this course.

Course

Orientation

3 days:

2-4

Exchanging Personal Greetings

Ask how others are, greet them, and take their leave in various,

culturally appropriate ways.

Grammar Objective:

Use formal and informal personal greetings orally and in

writing.

Use greetings such as HALLO (HELLO), GUTEN

MORGEN/GUTEN TAG (GOOD MORNING/GOOD DAY, and

GUTEN ABEND (GOOD EVENING).

Use leave-takings AUF WIEDERSEHEN (GOOD-BYE),

GUTE NACHT (GOOD NIGHT), TSCHÜS (SEE YOU

LATER), and BIS DANN (SEE YOU SOON),

Tutorial

3 days:

5-7

Sharing Names and Phone Numbers

Ask for and share basic personal information, including the spelling

of names and phone numbers.

Tutorial


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Grammar Objective:

Use the German alphabet and the numbers from 0- to 30.

Ask and answer basic questions requiring spelling and

numeration.

3 days:

8-10

Discussing What Country You’re From

Ask and answer questions about what country you are from.

Grammar Objectives:

Use singular and plural nouns and adjectives.

Use present-tense conjugations of the verb SEIN (TO BE).

Use the various present-tense conjugations of the verb.

Tutorial

4 days:

11-14

Date, Time, and Age

Ask and answer questions about date and time, and express

information about age and birth date, in culturally appropriate ways.

Grammar Objective: Explain the use of HABEN (proper conjugation) in Wann hast du Geburtstag? Ich habe am 1. (am ersten) Juli Geburtstag.

Tutorial

3 days:

15–17

Unit Activity and Discussion—Unit 1 Unit Activity

Discussion

1 day:

18

Posttest—Unit 1 Assessment

Unit 2: Who Am I?

Summary

In this unit, you will describe your own and others’ physical appearance, personality traits, likes, dislikes, thoughts, feelings, and opinions.


4 days:

19-22

Physical Appearance and Characteristics

Express information about personal appearance and physical

characteristics.

Grammar Objectives:

Tutorial


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Review the verb HABEN (TO HAVE) and SEIN (TO BE) in

the present tense.

Use the separable (stem-changing) verb AUSSEHEN (TO

LOOK LIKE).

4 days:

23-26

Personality Traits

Describe one’s personality and the personality of others, including

motivations and positive and negative traits.

Grammar Objectives:

Practice using the verb HABEN (TO HAVE) and SEIN (TO

BE).

Express possession with possessive adjectives and by using

HABEN (TO HAVE).

Use SEIN (TO BE) with the comparatives more than, less

than, as much as, better than, worse than, and so on.

Tutorial

3 days:

27-29

Expressing Likes, Dislikes, and Desires

Discuss personal likes and dislikes, such as foods, activities, colors,

and those of others, including why one may like or dislike something.

Grammar Objectives:

Practice the present-tense conjugations of modal verbs such

as WOLLEN and KÖNNEN.

Use the conjunction DENN.

Use NICHT correctly in context.

Use the question words how much, how many, how, whose,

who, what, and why.

Tutorial

3 days:

30-32

Expressing Thoughts and Feelings

Describe one’s own basic thoughts, feelings and opinions, and ask

questions about the thoughts and opinions of others.

Grammar Objectives:

Use DENKEN (TO THINK ABOUT) and GLAUBEN (TO

BELIEVE) correctly in context.

Use the conjunction DASS (THAT) (ICH GLAUBE, DASS).

Use verbs to solicit information (ICH HABE EINE FRAGE;

WIE STEHT'S MIT; WIE FINDEST DU? and so on.)

Tutorial


15

3 days:

33-35


Discussion

1 day:

36


Unit 3: Friends and Family

Summary

In this unit, you will name and describe the members of your own and others’ families, the relationships between them, and their occupations. Next, you will describe various types of relationships that you have with friends and acquaintances, including how well you know them. Then, you will describe events that involve family gatherings, including marriages and family reunions. Finally, you will describe and discuss various occupations in relation to family members and acquaintances.


3 days:

37-39

My Immediate Family

Name and describe members of his or her immediate family, the

relationships between them, and where the family members live and

were born.

Grammar Objectives:

Use the verbs HÖREN, AUSSEHEN, and WOHNEN.

Use WURDE GEBOREN.

Use possessive adjectives (MEIN/MEINE, DEIN/DEINE) and

their correct endings for masculine, feminine, neuter, and

plural.

Practice with comparisons.

Tutorial

3 days:

40-42

My Friends

Describe various types of relationships he or she has with friends

and acquaintances, including how well he or she knows them.

Grammar Objectives:

Use WISSEN (to know facts) and KENNEN (to be

acquainted with people and places).

Use direct-object pronouns.

Tutorial


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4 days:

43-46

Family Gatherings and the Extended Family

Describe various events that involve family gatherings, including

marriages and family reunions.

Grammar Objectives:

Use the verbs EINLADEN and VORSCHLAGEN.

Conjugate verbs with separable prefixes correctly.

Use DU and SIE correctly.

Tutorial

4 days:

47-50

Acquaintances and the World of Work

Discuss and describe various occupations by talking about them in

relation to the family members and acquaintances who hold them.

Grammar Objectives:

Use the present tense and conversational past (present

perfect) of the verbs LERNEN and STUDIEREN.

Summarize the uses of SEIN with professions.

Understand that professions are referred to using articles to

differentiate between masculine (DER) and feminine (DIE

with the ending –IN) gender.

Use the informal imperative for basic navigational verbs such

as go, stop, turn, continue, and so on.

Tutorial

3 days:

51–53


Discussion

1 day:

54


Unit 4: At Home

Summary

In this unit, you will describe different types of homes and the rooms and furnishings within them. Next, you will talk about common household chores. Then, you will describe various types of automobiles and how to compare, buy, and take care of a personal automobile. Finally, you will compare the roles and importance of computers, the Internet, and cell phones in the home.


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3 days:

55-57

In My Home

Describe different types of homes and the rooms and furnishings

within them.

Grammar Objective: Use pour WARUM (WHY) will be used to ask

and WOZU (WHAT FOR) to describe for what purpose different

pieces of furniture will be used.

Tutorial

4 days:

58-61

Chores Around the House

Describe various common household responsibilities.

Grammar Objectives:

Use the direct- and indirect-object pronouns.

Use the verb MÜSSEN.

Use the structure UM…ZU.

Tutorial

3 days:

62-64

Cars, Bikes, and Motorcycles

Describe various types of automobiles, bikes, and motorcycles and

how to compare, shop, buy, and take care of a personal vehicle.

Grammar Objectives:

Use comparatives and superlatives.

Use limited forms of the verbs start (a car), fail (brakes), get a

flat tire, make a noise, not work well (engine).

Tutorial

3 days:

65-67

Technology at Home

Discuss and compare the roles and importance of computers, the

Internet, and cell phones at home.

Grammar Objectives:


Use verbs for like (MÖGEN,); really like (GEFALLEN), dislike

(ICH MAG DAS NICHT or ES GAFÄLLT MIR NICHT. ICH

HABE ES NICHT GERN) and prefer (HABEN GERN).

Use direct- and indirect-object pronouns.

Tutorial


18

3 days:

68–70


Discussion

1 day:

71


Unit 5: The Social World

Summary

In this unit, you will discuss social networking and email, school life, including individual

classes and teachers, scheduling and school supplies, assignments, sports, and extra-

curricular activities. You will also discuss various options for after-school activities with

friends.


3 days:

72-74

Social Networking

Discuss the importance of social networking and email.

Grammar Objectives:

Use demonstrative adjectives and pronouns to point out

people and things.

Use HABEN (HAVE), MÜSSEN (HAVE TO), WOLLEN

(WANT), WÜNSCHEN (TO WISH/ TO DESIRE), SOLLEN

(SHOULD/ OUGHT TO), MÖCHTEN (WOULD LIKE), and

DÜRFEN (BE ALLOWED TO).

Use the phrases RECHT HABEN (TO BE RIGHT) and

UNRECHT HABEN (TO BE WRONG).

Use SCHEINEN (TO SEEM) and VORSICHTIG SEIN/

AUFPASSEN (TO BE CAREFUL).

Tutorial

4 days:

75-78

At School

Discuss school life, including individual classes and teachers,

scheduling and school supplies, and different assignment types.

Grammar Objectives:

Use prepositions of place.


Tutorial


19

Use GEBEN (TO GIVE) in the Imperfect (Präteritum).

Use BEKOMMEN (TO RECEIVE/TO OBTAIN), EINE GUTE

NOTE BEKOMMEN (TO GET A GOOD GRADE), and

VERLANGEN (TO DEMAND / TO EXPECT).

Reinforce previously introduced WOLLEN (TO WANT),

MÖCHTEN (WOULD LIKE), and ARBEITEN (TO WORK).

3 days:

79-81

Trying Out

Describe the ups and downs of trying out for school sports, plays,

and other activities.

Grammar Objective: Use the subjunctive mood.

Tutorial

3 days:

82-84

After School

Describe common gathering places and corresponding activities.

Grammar Objectives:

Use prepositions of place.


Express negation and agreement using positive and negative

words.

Tutorial

3 days:

85–87


Discussion

1 day:

88


1 day:

89

Semester Review

1 day:

90

End-of-Semester Exam Assessment

teacher’s guide german 1

Documents