29. April '17 - Story Time

Today we told stories! Or rather we finished up the presentations of fairy tales and poems, followed by each student presenting the tongue twisters that they had made for homework.

Next we engaged in an activity that I can as of now finally start calling a tradition, since it's the second year that we've done it: so-called 'Warm Fuzzies.' This activity involves every student in the class writing 1 nice thing about every other student. We then cut these out into little paper bits, collect them per person, and as such every student comes away from the activity with a nice little pile of compliments.

We followed this up with a video from Mirellativegal, and then got to the main event: introducing "Das Romische Rätselhafte Mordbankett" or "The Roman Murder Mystery Banquet." Yes, I had to invent the word "Mordbankett" for this. Apparently the Germans never had the need for the phrase, "Murder Banquet."
In two weeks on 5/13 (since we need to prepare a bit next week), we shall have our own Iron Age era themed equivalent of "Clue," basically. We shall bring food, wear costumes, and each portray a pre-assigned character. One of us will be gradually poisoning every one else over the course of the "evening," and the banquet guests (in an Imperial Roman villa) must figure out who it is... before it's too late. This usually last about an hour, and for the sake of learning no one is allowed for the duration to speak in anything but:

• German (because obviously)
• Latin (because Rome)
• Greek (because again, Rome)
• Aramaic (rare but it happened)
• Ancient Gaulic (if you know how to do this, I'm impressed) 

Further details will be discussed next week, including the food and entertainment assignments. Each student must not only bring something, but also perform something as well for the sake of the partygoers. 

Mit Vergnügen~

22.April '17 - Märchen und Gefahr

Today was danger day, the day that tests us, taking us to our very limits, challenging us to move beyond what once we thought our highest boundaries. Today... we read fairy tales.

For the first hour of the day, we read aloud and discussed several German fairy tales, which of course, being German fairy tales, were weird beyond comprehension. There was a dwarf-killing talking bear who turned into a prince, shoe making elves who teleport into your house at midnight, and of course a wolf capable of devouring grandma whole and completely unscathed.

Once the madness was at an end, we next ran our annual obstacle course. With most of the class in a conga-style line with their eyes closed, one at a time a single student would call out commands (Nach rechts, nach links, vorwärts, rückwärts, halt) to guide them through the school, out the doors, around a field, etc.

We ended the day talking about proper pronunciation of common German syllables and running through some tongue twisters.

The homework for the week is for each to make up their own German tongue twister, at least 10 words long.

Mit Vergnügen

AATG Day - 8.April '17

Today we spent most of the day taking the level 1 AATG exam.

For the rest of class, we went over and began what will be a series of in-class presentations for the next time we meet, 22. April.

The assignment is as follows:

Gedichte-Geschichte-Märchen Vorlesen
Pick out a poem, story, song or fairy tale to read out loud to the class. This must be between 5 and 10 minutes long when you read it. 
Prepare 5 questions to ask the class to test their comprehension. 
The questions may be in English (if about main ideas) or in German (if about specific details). 

So far we have the following stories chosen:

• Peter: Rottkäppchen
• Samantha: Sneeweißchen und Rosenrot
• Anna U: Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse
• Emily: Frau Holle
• Sarah: Als der Nikolaus Kam
• Peter: Zum Ersten Tag als Rentner

You may not choose the same story as someone else.

These stories must be well-practiced so that they may be read aloud quickly and, most importantly, comprehensibly. Stumbling through and asking how to say words will greatly disrupt the experience and make it harder for the class to understand. 

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1.April '17 - Teutoburg, No Tricks

The most fun thing about teaching on April 1st was that the class spent the entire day anticipating a prank that never came. That is the best kind of prank, you see: doing nothing at all and letting their minds run with it.

Today we did Teutoburg. I can say quite easily it was the best Battle of Teutoburg play I have seen to-date! We ran through it 3 times, recorded, and then had an encore performance for the 4th and 6th grade classes so the latter could see what to expect next year and, well, the former was just curious and wanted to know what all the noise was about.

After the break, we had a further lesson on the dative case, expanding it into a lesson on the accusative and the difference between the two.

NEXT WEEK WE ARE TAKING THE AATG LEVEL 1 EXAM. THOUGHT YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW. THIS IS A BENCHMARK AND A STUDY AID FOR NEXT YEAR'S LEVEL 2 EXAM THAT THEY WILL TAKE AS 8TH GRADERS. SO WHILE THIS TEST IS INDEED FOR REAL, IT IS INTENDED AS PRACTICE. PLEASE BRING A LAPTOP OR TABLET AND EARBUDS/HEADPHONES.

Mit Vergnügen!

11.März '17 - Pretty Pictures

We began our day like any other day, only this time with sugar. There was so much sugar. I had way too many cookie bars, so I brought them to class. The class ate their fill, so I gave it to the 8th grade. That class ate their fill, so I gave it to the 6th. Then the teachers. Then the parent volunteers.

After our sugar, we began the People of Teutoburg presentations. We ran through half the class, and the other half will present next week.

Most of the time was then spent with a review of the dative case, followed by our Unicorn Hunt (a scavenger hunt) wherein the class had to locate the unicorns I hid throughout the school, using only the riddles I made for them. Once found, they had to describe (in complete sentences with dative prepositions) where the unicorns had been.

After the break, we fulfilled our annual tradition of making a new Teutoburg mural. It's a beauty, really.

Starting next week, we will begin work on our Teutoburg play.

Mit Vergnügen

4.März '17 - Beginning Teutoburg

Guten Tag,


Today we opened with finishing out most of the "Meine Nächste Woche" Presentations, followed by my week as well.

We wrapped up the Future Tense unit with a pop quiz on the topic.

Then, we introduced our new unit over cases. First we are doing the dative case, the case used for stating spatial location.

Beginning a new aspect of our overarching historical unit, we read and went through a packet I made summarizing the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. We discussed the key figures in the event, and as homework each child present is doing independent research on said key figures as well.

In coming weeks, we will do our annual Teutoburgerschlacht mural as well as the class play and, of course, the Roman Murder Mystery Banquet.

Mit Vergnügen

18.Febuary '17 - Gewalt

Guten Tag,

Saturday was a day of action, of suspense, of death-defying feats of...saying things in German. Also, there was a troll.

We opened with roughly half the class that was present having prepared their "meine Nächste Woche" assignments (which I anticipated, since I had asked for everyone to have it ready), and thus also presenting them.

There was a short historical lecture from a guest speaker, Fr. Wiegert, who spoke about Schwäbisch history and culture as is tradition to do in the school on select occasions.

We had a review of the future tense, along with some basic exercises and practice on that topic, and them moved on after lunch to our main activity for the day. This one either goes very well or horribly, horribly wrong each year depending on the class. This time, it went quite well: "Eisenzeit Krieg" also known as "Ancient Pokebattles." In short, with an elaborate point system, a 20-sided dice, and a bunch of yelling things in German, we had a battle royale between two halves of the class via paper Roman legionnaires and germanic tribesmen. There was also a deus ex machina mechanic in the form of a troll that could only be summoned if a natural 20 was rolled.
It was enough to make the 8th grade class next door wonder if we needed therapy and/or the National Guard as a result of the enthusiastic yelling.

And that's our story.

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