• Berlin2
     
    German Five Course Description
     
    Types of Activities in this class:
     
    *  class discussion
    *  homework assignments
    *  in class work / group work
    *  quizzes
    *  tests
    *  skits
    *  presentations
    * essays and papers
     
    The goals of German Five are to refine the student's usage of the German language, to further the study of German history and culture, and to introduce the literary and artistic movements of Germany.  The use of maps will again be very significant in the understanding of German history from 1945 to the present day.  We will discuss postwar German culture and the effect the Berlin Wall had on the Germans as a whole population.  There will be films and video clips illustrating the East Germans and their attempts of escaping Communism.  The students will also study the German political system and we will discuss the leaders of Germany since the end of World War Two.  Literature will play a large role in this year's study of German.  We will be reading short stories, plays, and poems by classical, romantic, and modern writers as well as highlighting the evolution of the German fairy tale.  There will also be a year-long soap opera series called Gefaehrliche Wege which will strengthen the student's listening comprehension skills and will increase vocabulary. 
     
    Students will be expected to respond orally and in written form in the target language.  An even greater emphasis will be placed on speaking in the classroom.  This is an accelerated level designed to make the student a faster and more critical thinker.  The student will be expected to not only know content, but also to understand the meaning and reasoning behind some of the more abstract pieces of German literature and art. 
     
    The students will be using the textbook, Auslese, for most of their reading selections, although other materials will also be shared, such as Reading for Meaning and Gehen Wir ins Theater.  The students will also receive many handouts and worksheets devoted to the study of history and culture.  It is imperative at this time that the student possess a German/English dictionary.  Students will also be expected to maintain an organized notebook. 
     
    Hershey High School rules and regulations (found in the student agenda booklet) are to be followed at all times along with the following rules expressly for German students:
     
    a.  All homework is to completed by the student on his/her own.  This is a practice exercise designed to reinforce the day's lesson.  All homework will be graded for COMPLETION.   
     
    b.  Quizzes will be given periodically to assess the student's understanding of a particular concept or topic.  Quizzes may be announced or unannounced.  Tests will be given at the end of each chapter or section.  Tests will always be announced.
     
    c.  All work missed as a result of an excused absence must be made up by the student.  The student has one week from the time of the absence to make up all missed homework assignments and quizzes/tests.  Failure to complete all work will result in a zero percentage grade. 
     
                      Viel Glueck dieses Jahr und mach Spass in der Deutschklasse!