In all honesty, this is my favorite day of the year. I always look forward to the day when I get to see former students up on stage, talking to dozens of witnesses about all the experiences they had in German school, all the while using the knowledge they have acquired over years upon years of Saturday sessions to express those very sentiments.
Also, the food is always great.
Thank you all for an excellent school year. I look forward to the years to come.
Once more with feeling...
MIT VERGNUGEN~
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Saturday, May 9, 2015
9. Mai '15 - Die Schlacht
Today we made history; or rather, we made a picture of history (plus ponies, cartoon characters, and gratuitous fire).
We had a mixed class of 7th and 8th grade today, and we all had projects to work on. The 8th graders finished up their graduation speeches and, for reasons that become immediately apparent when it's revealed that the theme of their presentation is "Memory Lane," they made a giant car out of cardboard.
The class we all know and love, our 7th grade, discussed and then immediately set to work on this year's mural of the Battle of Teutoburg. The planning, creation, and clean-up took the entire day, allowing time for lunch and for hunting down (and then later returning) all of the manifold supplies required for such a work of art.
On a related note, once my student teaching is done (it takes up just slightly more than all the time I have), I will edit down the video made two weeks ago and post it here for all to enjoy.
Next week will be the final meeting of German school for the 2014-15 school year. I hope to see everyone there!
~Mit Vergnügen
We had a mixed class of 7th and 8th grade today, and we all had projects to work on. The 8th graders finished up their graduation speeches and, for reasons that become immediately apparent when it's revealed that the theme of their presentation is "Memory Lane," they made a giant car out of cardboard.
The class we all know and love, our 7th grade, discussed and then immediately set to work on this year's mural of the Battle of Teutoburg. The planning, creation, and clean-up took the entire day, allowing time for lunch and for hunting down (and then later returning) all of the manifold supplies required for such a work of art.
On a related note, once my student teaching is done (it takes up just slightly more than all the time I have), I will edit down the video made two weeks ago and post it here for all to enjoy.
Next week will be the final meeting of German school for the 2014-15 school year. I hope to see everyone there!
~Mit Vergnügen
Saturday, April 25, 2015
25.April '15 -- Die Nacht vor der Schlacht
Guten Tag,
Today we filmed our penultimate summative activity, "die Nacht vor der Schlacht" or "Twas the Night Before Teutoburg," portraying one of many possible interpretations of what probably happened between Publius Q. Varus, Arminius, and Segestes before that fateful clash between a ragtag coalition of Teutonic tribes and and 3 entire legions of Augustus' finest.
There were some casualties of filming:
Today we filmed our penultimate summative activity, "die Nacht vor der Schlacht" or "Twas the Night Before Teutoburg," portraying one of many possible interpretations of what probably happened between Publius Q. Varus, Arminius, and Segestes before that fateful clash between a ragtag coalition of Teutonic tribes and and 3 entire legions of Augustus' finest.
There were some casualties of filming:
- An entire roll of duct tape
- 5 plastic shot glasses
- A Christmas candle
- my dignity as a filmmaker
But the result was incredible. Once I have permission from all parents to post, the video (and outtakes!) will be displayed online.
Mit Vergnügen
Saturday, April 18, 2015
18.April '15 - Prüfungtag
Despite some technical difficulties, all managed to take the AATG exam and finish within the time limit this morning, both in the 7th and 8th grade classes.
With the test behind us, the class went over the historical figures they had looked up for homework: Arminius/Hermann, Segestes, and Publius Quinctillius Varus, two rival Germanic tribal chieftans and the Roman governor of Germania, respectively.
We discussed the background of each and how they interacted with one another in order to prepare us for next week's activity. As has become tradition, one of our two culminating activities for the year is a short play, "Die Nacht vor der Schlacht" or "'Twas the Night Before Teutoburg." We will practice, and film, the play next week.
Each student is requested to bring either:
With the test behind us, the class went over the historical figures they had looked up for homework: Arminius/Hermann, Segestes, and Publius Quinctillius Varus, two rival Germanic tribal chieftans and the Roman governor of Germania, respectively.
We discussed the background of each and how they interacted with one another in order to prepare us for next week's activity. As has become tradition, one of our two culminating activities for the year is a short play, "Die Nacht vor der Schlacht" or "'Twas the Night Before Teutoburg." We will practice, and film, the play next week.
Each student is requested to bring either:
- Furs or furry looking cape-like objects, including furry bathrobes
- White sheets for togas
- Plastic food
- Plastic medieval weaponry
Once filmed, the skit will be posted here online.
Viel Glück und viel Spaß!
Saturday, April 11, 2015
11.April '15 - Pause vorbei
Guten Tag,
Our day began rather normally with a song and a listening comprehension exercise, one that touched on the topic we had covered just before the break, the perfect or spoken past tense.
We reviewed formation of the perfect, and using this talked briefly about what we had all done over the Spring Break.
After the PAUSE, wherein the class took their turn cleaning up the lunch room (yay for not taking out the garbage anymore!), we diagrammed out the following concepts based on what we had learned so far this year in our cultural unit:
Our day began rather normally with a song and a listening comprehension exercise, one that touched on the topic we had covered just before the break, the perfect or spoken past tense.
We reviewed formation of the perfect, and using this talked briefly about what we had all done over the Spring Break.
After the PAUSE, wherein the class took their turn cleaning up the lunch room (yay for not taking out the garbage anymore!), we diagrammed out the following concepts based on what we had learned so far this year in our cultural unit:
- Advantages of living in Imperial Rome
- Advantages of living as a tribe in Magna Germania
- What both stood to gain from interacting with each other
And then we had Singprobe.
The homework for this week, both for those present today and for those who will be present next week, is as follows and will assist us in the activity I have planned for us.
"Who's Who? Of Teutoburg"
-Choose one of the following characters from history:
- Publius Quinctilius Varus (Governor)
- Segestes
- Arminius
All of these played a role in the failed colonization/invasion (which one it was is a matter of opinion) of Germania by the Romans.
Describe auf Deutsch your chosen person while answering the following questions:
- Woher kommt er?
- Was hat er gedacht, wenn die Römer in Deutschland einkammen?
- Was war sein Job/was hat er hier gemacht?
- Was hat er gemacht, das macht diesen Konflikt besser or schlimmer?
Completion of this assignment will greatly aid us in completing our goals for this unit in the few weeks we have remaining.
Monday, March 23, 2015
21.März'15 - Perfekt World
Bonjour tout les monde,
Saturday's class shall be our only class for the next 3 weeks; 28th March and 4th April are free for Spring Break and Easter.
We covered two primary topics in class this period:
-The perfect (past tense, written)
-Tribal warfare
Two of my favorite topics!
We discussed how to form the past tense using haben or sein as a helping verb, followed by the past participle at the end of the sentence. Whether haben or sein is used depends primarily on whether the verb being put in the past is transitive (takes an object) or intransitive (takes no object). Verbs that use haben are typically transitive, and the intransitive verbs (being, location, movement) take sein.
Ich bin gerannt (I ran)
Ich habe Baseball gespielt (I played baseball)
Movement, location, or being doesn't typically take an object, so they are intransitive. Everything else is typically transitive as objects are taken, "stuff is done to things."
Our cultural unit was over tribal warfare in Iron Age Germania, namely how and why it was that there was no such unified "Germany" in those days and instead were just a gaggle of mostly hostile, insular tribes. We discussed such ideas as regional language shifts, and how geography affects lifestyle, habits, traditions, beliefs and technology. I was very impressed at how the kids were able to list reasons for tribes to grow apart or develop differently from one another without my needing to prompt them.
The day ended on a high note as we took out the garbage without any squirrel-related incidents.
Frohe Oster and schöne Frühlingspause!
Mit Vergnügen
Saturday's class shall be our only class for the next 3 weeks; 28th March and 4th April are free for Spring Break and Easter.
We covered two primary topics in class this period:
-The perfect (past tense, written)
-Tribal warfare
Two of my favorite topics!
We discussed how to form the past tense using haben or sein as a helping verb, followed by the past participle at the end of the sentence. Whether haben or sein is used depends primarily on whether the verb being put in the past is transitive (takes an object) or intransitive (takes no object). Verbs that use haben are typically transitive, and the intransitive verbs (being, location, movement) take sein.
Ich bin gerannt (I ran)
Ich habe Baseball gespielt (I played baseball)
Movement, location, or being doesn't typically take an object, so they are intransitive. Everything else is typically transitive as objects are taken, "stuff is done to things."
Our cultural unit was over tribal warfare in Iron Age Germania, namely how and why it was that there was no such unified "Germany" in those days and instead were just a gaggle of mostly hostile, insular tribes. We discussed such ideas as regional language shifts, and how geography affects lifestyle, habits, traditions, beliefs and technology. I was very impressed at how the kids were able to list reasons for tribes to grow apart or develop differently from one another without my needing to prompt them.
The day ended on a high note as we took out the garbage without any squirrel-related incidents.
Frohe Oster and schöne Frühlingspause!
Mit Vergnügen
Sunday, March 8, 2015
7.März '15 - die schönsten
Today's class period opened like any other day, with a choreographed dance routine involving 17 bengal tigers, a can of green beans, and a few hundred roman candles.
Actually no, just kidding. Frau Rill said our insurance covers neither pyrotechnics nor exotic animals, so that got vetoed outright.
Instead we did listening comprehension with "Am Besten Sein" by Juli and used this as a segue into our lesson over superlative adjectives. This was followed by an activity I'm very proud of having thought up, namely our having a school-wide election.
That's right! Those present divided into competing pairs, which coincidentally became the two boys against each other, and the two girls against each other, competing for the titles of "Die Schönste Haare" and "Der Klügste" (prettiest hair and the cleverest--they chose what to compete for themselves). They made posters, composed speeches, and then we all went from classroom to classroom to hold a debate campaign. Each class heard out the candidates and voted whom they found the most convincing.
In the end, the girls tied for prettiest hair, and a boy was declared the cleverest mostly because he had an awesome poster that was covered in feathers, and let's be honest, who doesn't like feathers?
Next week, the class will be taking a practice version of the AATG proficiency test as a sneak peak and benchmark for the test they will take for real in 8th grade, so please let me or Frau Lussem know if your child will not be present.
-Mit Vergnügen
Actually no, just kidding. Frau Rill said our insurance covers neither pyrotechnics nor exotic animals, so that got vetoed outright.
Instead we did listening comprehension with "Am Besten Sein" by Juli and used this as a segue into our lesson over superlative adjectives. This was followed by an activity I'm very proud of having thought up, namely our having a school-wide election.
That's right! Those present divided into competing pairs, which coincidentally became the two boys against each other, and the two girls against each other, competing for the titles of "Die Schönste Haare" and "Der Klügste" (prettiest hair and the cleverest--they chose what to compete for themselves). They made posters, composed speeches, and then we all went from classroom to classroom to hold a debate campaign. Each class heard out the candidates and voted whom they found the most convincing.
In the end, the girls tied for prettiest hair, and a boy was declared the cleverest mostly because he had an awesome poster that was covered in feathers, and let's be honest, who doesn't like feathers?
Next week, the class will be taking a practice version of the AATG proficiency test as a sneak peak and benchmark for the test they will take for real in 8th grade, so please let me or Frau Lussem know if your child will not be present.
-Mit Vergnügen
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