Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Listening and viewing with intent helps us acquire a new language.
Both verbal and non-verbal cues
e.g., gestures, facial expressions, pictures, props
contribute meaning in language.
Reciprocal
involving back-and-forth participation
communication is possible using high-frequency words and patterns.
We can explore our identity through a new language.
Stories
Stories are a narrative form of text that can be oral, written, or visual. Stories are derived from truth or fiction and may be used to seek and impart knowledge, entertain, share history, and strengthen a sense of identity.
help us to acquire language.
Each culture has traditions and ways of celebrating.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
cognates
words that have a common etymological origin (e.g., house/Haus)
German phonemes
individual speech sounds (e.g., ä, ö, ü, eu, äu, au, ei, ie, sch)
German declination
introduction to gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), case (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv), and number (singular, plural; e.g., der kleine Junge versus die kleinen Jungen)
(basic concept)
common, high-frequency vocabulary, sentence structures, and expressions, including:
- questionse.g., Wie?, Was ist das?, Wie viele?, Wie sagt man…?, Wo ist…?, Wann?, Wer? Ich verstehe nicht, Wiederholen Sie bitte, Wie bitte?, Wie sagt man...?and statements
- basic informationbasic expressions used in greetings, salutations, and getting to know others (e.g., Hallo; Guten Tag!; Wie geht’s?; Wie alt bist du?; Ich heiße...; Ich bin...Jahre alt)about self and others
- basic commands
- modes of addressformal and informal (e.g., Hast du Geschwister?/Haben Sie Geschwister?)
First Peoples perspectives connecting language and culture, including oral histories
e.g., conversations with an Elder about celebrations, traditions, and protocols
, identity Identity is influenced by, for example, traditions, protocols, celebrations, and festivals.
, and place Place is any environment, locality, or context with which people interact to learn, create memory, reflect on history, connect with culture, and establish identity. The connection between people and place is foundational to First Peoples perspectives on the world. A sense of place can be influenced by territory, food, clothing, and creative works.
common elements
e.g., activities, clothing, dance, decorations, regalia, food, music, parades, sports
of German cultural festivals and celebrations e.g., Oktoberfest, Karneval/Fasching,Maifest, Erntedank, Martinstag, Volksfest/Kirmes/Kirchweih
German communities in Canada
German works of art
e.g., creative works in dance, drama, music, visual arts, with consideration for the ethics of cultural appropriation and plagiarism
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Thinking and communicating
Recognize the relationships between pronunciation, common intonation patterns
e.g., recognize whether someone is making a statement or asking a question
, and meaning
Identify key information in slow, clear speech and other texts
“Text” is a generic term referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communications. Oral, written, and visual elements can also be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Comprehend stories
Comprehend high-frequency vocabulary in slow, clear speech and other texts
Use language-learning strategies
e.g., interpretation of gestures, facial expressions, intonation, tone of voice, and contextual cues; use of prior knowledge, familiar words, and cognates
Seek clarification
e.g., request or provide repetition, word substitution, reformulation, or reiteration
of meaning
Participate in simple interactions
Share information using the presentation format
e.g., digital, visual, verbal; aids such as charts, graphics, illustrations, music, photographs, videos, props, digital media
best suited to their own and others’ diverse abilities
Interpret non-verbal cues to increase understanding
Respond to simple commands and instructions
Personal and social awareness
Consider personal, shared, and others’ experiences, perspectives, and worldviews through a cultural lens
e.g., values, practices, traditions, perceptions
Recognize First Peoples perspectives and knowledge; other ways of knowing
e.g., First Nations, Métis, and Inuit; and/or gender-related, subject/discipline-specific, cultural, embodied, intuitive
, and local cultural knowledge