German Magazines

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

World Languages

Grade(s)

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

In this novice-mid to novice-high German activity, students investigate popular German magazines to gather basic information. Students start by choosing one of three authentic resources to explore. They examine the front page of the current magazine and make inferences into who the target audience may be. They then select one article of interest and write a paragraph describing what is occurring (novice low-novice mid) or what happened (novice high-intermediate low). Students finish the activity by sharing their findings with classmates. 

World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L1.2

Interpret what is heard, read, or viewed on familiar topics using the present tense.

UP:WL17.WL.L1.2

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to recognize the difference between a question and a statement.
  • how to identify who is speaking.
  • how to identify who is being spoken to.
  • how to recognize the topic being discussed.
  • how to rely on pictures, graphs, or charts to aid in comprehension.

Skills

Students are able to:
Novice Mid Level
  • identify the key idea presented by a speaker or published work on a familiar topic.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
Novice High Level students are able to:
  • identify the key idea presented by a speaker or published work on a familiar topic.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
  • locate places on a map.
  • identify purpose of a brochure/advertisement.

Understanding

Students understand that:
Novice Mid Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Students understand that:
Novice High Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L1.3

Present information on familiar topics with a variety of words, phrases, and simple sentences in the present time frame.

UP:WL17.WL.L1.3

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to appropriately describe themselves using correct noun/adjective agreements.
  • how to organize thoughts into simple sentences.
  • how to differentiate between describing themselve and others.
  • (first person and third person).
  • how to gather information using various traditional and electronic research tools.

Skills

Students are able to:
Novice Mid Level
  • recall vocabulary from themes taught.
  • correctly pronounce vowels and key phonetic sounds when presenting orally.
  • correctly write sentences using correct punctuation and diacrytical markings.
  • correctly type special characters, accent marks, or other markings necessary to the target language.
Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • recall vocabulary from themes taught.
  • correctly pronounce vowels and key phonetic sounds when presenting orally.
  • correctly write sentences using correct punctuation and diacrytical markings.
  • correctly type special characters, accent marks, or other markings necessary to the target language.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
  • sing songs in the target language.

Understanding

Students understand that:
Novice Mid Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Students understand that:
Novice High Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L1.7

Interpret information related to diverse perspectives in the target culture.

UP:WL17.WL.L1.7

Knowledge

Students know:
  • that a person's culture, background, and previous experiences affect the way they view and interpret information.

Skills

Students are able to:
Novice Mid Level
  • access and evaluate information available through the target language and its culture.
  • identify personal perspectives on various topics related to school.
Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • access and evaluate information available through the target language and its culture.
  • identify personal perspectives on various topics related to school.
  • investigate other disciplines using the target language language.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • proficiency in a foreign language is a vehicle to gaining knowledge that can only be acquired through that language and its culture.
  • world language learning offers opportunities to uncover big ideas in and about other disciplines.
  • strategies used to acquire a language are transferable to other areas of learning throughout life.
  • a second language facilitates the acquisition of information about the world outside our experiences.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.2

Interpret what is heard, read, or viewed on familiar topics using the past tense.

UP:WL17.WL.L2.2

Knowledge

Students know: how to:
  • interpret audio and visual documents in the target language
  • identify key information and details from the target language materials
  • explain how the target language is connected to other content areas through geography, history, etc.
  • recognize basic products of the target language culture.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • identify the key idea presented by a speaker or published work on a familiar topic.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • identify patterns in the contruction of past tense verbs and how this impacts meaning of texts.
  • how to recognize and use descriptors in basic conversations
  • restate key information.
  • use cognates to assist in comprehension of target language materials.

Understanding

Students understand that:
Novice High Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Students understand that:
Intermediate Low Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.3

Present information on familiar topics with a variety of words, phrases, and simple sentences in the past time frame.

UP:WL17.WL.L2.3

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to describe their needs for school or work.
  • how to express thoughts on topics of interest or current events.
  • how to retell or present a short skit, poem, or song.
  • how to describe common activities.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • recall vocabulary from themes taught.
  • correctly pronounce vowels and key phonetic sounds when presenting orally.
  • correctly write sentences using correct punctuation and diacrytical markings.
  • correctly type special characters, accent marks, or other markings necessary to the target language.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
  • sing songs in the target language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • create command forms of verbs to give directions.
  • identify patterns in past tense verb formations.
  • form simple sentences using common idomatic expressions and/or vocabulary focusing on proper word order.
  • recite short songs, skits, or readings from memory.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.7

Describe information related to diverse perspectives in the target culture.

UP:WL17.WL.L2.7

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to ask simple questions about and describe audio and visual texts.
  • how to find and describe the main idea, theme, and topic of a text.
  • that a person's culture, background, and previous experiences affect the way they view and interpret information.
  • that media sources from the target language culture may show issues from a diverse perspective or mindset.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • access and evaluate information available through the target language and its culture.
  • identify personal perspectives on various topics related to school.
  • investigate other disciplines using the target language language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • describe photos, artwork, images, charts, and videos.
  • ask simple questions about photos, artwork, images, charts, and videos.
  • identify the main idea and topic of online articles, videos, advertisements, announcements, and social media posts.
  • recognize target language perspectives on basic cultural topics such as families, holidays, food.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • proficiency in a foreign language is a vehicle to gaining knowledge that can only be acquired through that language and its culture.
  • world language learning offers opportunities to uncover big ideas in and about other disciplines.
  • strategies used to acquire a language are transferable to other areas of learning throughout life.
  • a second language facilitates the acquisition of information about the world outside our experiences.

CR Resource Type

Learning Activity

Resource Provider

COERLL University of Texas at Austin

License Type

Attribution
ALSDE LOGO