Steven Wynne

EDUC 652

Lesson Plan Introduction of Nature Vocabulary and

Incorporation of German Romanticism
Class/Class Level
German 3, High School Sophomores/Juniors

Length of Class
90 Minutes

Objectives
Students will integrate and be introduced to the initial vocabulary of the nature unit
through explanation of experiences and observation of German Romantic art.
Students will be introduced to aspects of German Romanticism, such as the emphasis on
landscapes and significance of nature over man, and integrate this learned knowledge
into their subsequent responses (detailed below)
Students will incorporate vocabulary into written responses/reactions to the Romantic
paintings, as well as incorporate the simple past verb tense as they create a short story
based on one of the paintings.

Rationale
The focus of this day is the introduction and integration of the vocabulary of the new unit
Nature. In order for the students to learn the vocabulary of the unit deeply and to see it in
practical, yet cultural applications, the students will not only converse about their own
experiences in nature (hiking, camping, picnicking, strolling, observations of home town), they
will also be exposed to paintings from 19th century German Romanticism, many of which depict
landscapes, rivers, mountains, valleys, skies, and other such essential vocabulary items. By
observing, commenting on, responding to, and ultimately writing stories about these paintings,
the students will be able to integrate the vocabulary for this unit in a meaningful, culturally
relevant way.

Standards Addressed
1.1 Interpersonal Communication: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain
information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.

2.2.N.C.b Identify historic culture icons (arts, music, literature, film, and the creators of these
products as well as natural sites)
Materials (see supplementary materials)
Student chapter packets
Initial conversational questions
SMARTBoard Projector
Student notebooks
White board
5 German Romantic paintings (on enlarged poster board)
Post-It Notes (for initial reactions to paintings)

Agenda
Warm-Up Conversational Activity - students will be asked questions about their days,
weeks, weekends to transition into the German class. I will also use this opportunity to
begin to ask students about their experiences in nature (detailed in my pre-observation
memo) so that students will begin to ruminate on their experiences.
After brief guided conversation, I will display the conversational questions on the
SMARTBoard (about five, e.g. do you enjoy hiking/camping? Why or why not? Would
you prefer city life or somewhere close to nature?). The students will then be asked to
speak with each other (moving across the classroom to speak with one another), asking
about their preferences and experiences about nature.
After speaking with each other, we will convene after a few minutes and ask students
which whom they spoke and what answers they encountered.
After recalling personal experiences and preferences about nature, I will indicate the
paintings in the room, asking the students what they see in these paintings around the
room (prompting them to use vocabulary from the unit), and briefly explain the natural
elements of German romanticism (emphasis on nature).
After students initial observations and brief explanation of Romanticism, I will tell the
students they are to react to at least three of the paintings what they observe and
what they think How does this painting appear/What do you think about.
After modeling, I will tell the students to walk around the room, observe at least three
of the paintings, and post a sticky note onto three of the paintings, what they see and
what they think.
The students will then return to their seats, writing a brief response to one painting they
observed, what they see and think. After writing a short response, they will share their
response with others in class, prompting them for movement once more.
Once they have shared their responses, we will share out their thoughts.
At the end, which will be a homework assignment, they will write a short story (in the
simple past) about one of the paintings they viewed this lesson.
Timing Activity Teacher Thinking

5 Minutes Warm-Up Conversational Activity The daily warm-up

routine is meant to
Once students are seated and the bell rings, the new transition the students
(2 minutes, chapter packets for the unit will already be on their desks. into thinking and
conversational They will reference these later, as the first page is the speaking in the target
warm-up, weeks, chapter vocabulary for the unit. language
weekends, days)
After telling them to put the chapter packets away for
(3 minutes, later, I will prompt the students with questions about The subsequent
thoughts and their weekends, weeks, and day, and thereafter I will questions are meant
experiences about switch to ask questions about the students experiences to introduce the
nature) and thoughts about nature. students to the unit
vocabulary and
Hast du je gecampt? Campst du gern? Warum, warum develop their
nicht? understanding of the
Bist du in der Natur gewandert? Berge gestiegen? lesson on nature.
Machst du das gern?
The basic questions
Wrdest du lieber in der Stadt oder auf dem Land leben, are meant to scaffold
wo man die Natur sehen kann? Warum, warum nicht? the students into the
group conversation
Have you ever camped? Do you like camping? Why or activity.
why not? Do you like hiking in the mountains, or
mountain climbing? What do you like to do when youre
outside?
.
Would you rather live in the city or in the country, where
you can see nature? Why is that?

After I pose this question to multiple students, we will

then transition into the group conversation activity

1.1 Interpersonal Communication: Students engage in

conversations, provide and obtain information,
express feelings and emotions, and exchange
opinions.
(Students talk about their days and weekends with
themselves and the teacher, expressing information
 about themselves. They will also describe their
thoughts and feelings toward nature, both in this
guided conversation, and in the subsequent group
conversation.)

Transition Sehr gut, alle. Wir haben einige Fragen auf der Tafel ihr Movement and
stellt einander diese Fragen was denkst du an die Natur interviewing during
(Students are up and und die Umwelt? Was machst du gern drauen? Ihr stellt this segment will
moving as they are asking einander diese fnf Fragen. Ihr habt fnf Minuten. Los encourage student
each other questions gehts! participation and will
during this transition) provide students
Very good, everyone. We have some questions on the motivation to engage
5 minutes board . you will ask each other these questions what do later in the lesson.
you think of nature and the environment? What do you
like to do outside? You ask each other these five
questions. You have five minutes. Lets get to it!
5 Minutes Sharing out of answers about thoughts and experiences
on nature:
Students share Sharing out student
answers from answers will provide
classmates with For the subsequent five minutes after the students speak validation of their
whom they spoke with each other, the students will share out the answers discussions, and
in class. from their fellow classmates, after asking the student with encourage students to
(5 minutes) whom they spoke, which of the questions they posed, and share personal
how the classmate answered. connections to this
unit.

Transition Dankeschn, alle! Sehr gut dass wir alle geteilt haben. Although brief, this is
5 minutes Wir haben verschiedene Erfahrungen mit der Natur. Was a foray into the
sehen wir auch im Klassenzimmer wegen der Natur? Wir Romantic tradition
sehen Gemlden! Viele romantische Gemlden, die Natur that nature has
haben. Viele dieser Gemlden wurden von einem fantastic, magical
Romantiker gemalt er heit Caspar David Friedrich, und qualities. To visualize
er glaubte, dass die Natur fantastische, zauberhafte this movement, I chose
Qualitten hatte. Das werden wir in unseren Gemlden the dramatic portrait
sehen. of the most famous
German painter, CD
Friedrich.

Thank you everybody, very good that we have shared. This

We have various experiences with nature. What else do introduction/transition
we see in the classroom concerning nature? We see will lead to my
 paintings! Many romantic paintings, that contain nature. modeling of the
Many of these paintings were made by a famous gallery walk activity to
romantic his name is Caspar David Friedrich (show come.
picture on board). He believed that nature had fantastic,
magical qualities. We will see this in these paintings.

2.2.N.C.b Identify historic culture icons (arts, music,

literature, film, and the creators of these products)

15 Minutes Modeling of Reactions to Paintings

Modeling the sentence
Explain and After briefly describing the origins of these paintings, I will structures will
brainstorm with model how the students should respond to these paintings, reinforce the
students about specifically, by what they see/observe and what they formations the
grammar think/feel. I will model the grammatical phrases that the students should use
formations to students should use to express observation (One sees a when observing and
express mountain in the middle of the painting, one sees a valley on reacting to at least
observations One the left side) and then to express feeling/thoughts (I three of the paintings.
sees a mountain in think/believe, that, I think of), and then to justify these
the foreground, thoughts/feelings, (I think that.., because). We will also For logistical reasons,
etc). brainstorm adjectives as a class that we can use to describe 30 post-it notes on
(5 minutes) feelings and reactions (I feel, when I see this painting) each of the paintings
may become
Explain/brainstorm overwhelming, so
with students I will explain that they should post these types to at least dividing up the post-it
about grammar three different paintings. While they go around and view notes among the
formations they the paintings, I will play a Romantic composer in the paintings will keep the
use for I think/I background, Robert Schumann. activity engaging.
believe and I
feel The Romantic music
(5 minutes) will add a meditative
atmosphere while the
Explain/brainstorm students contemplate
with students and respond to the
about adjectives paintings.
they can use to
describe their
reactions/feelings
(5 minutes)
Transition Students travel and react to paintings After having modeled
the grammar
15 Minutes Sehr gut, liebe Leute. Wir schreiben was wir sehen und constructions the
was wir denken, wenn wir diese Bilder, diese Gemlden students should use, I
(Students will move ansehen. Ihr habt 10 Minuten fr zumindest 3 Bilder, give the students clear
around the classroom, poste ein Post-It Zettel auf dem Bild. Was man sieht, und instructions that they
observe and react to the was du denkst. Ihr habt 15 Minuten. Whrend wir diese should write what
paintings with their post- Bilder ansehen, bleiben wir ruhig wir drfen flstern, they see and feel
it notes what they see, aber nur auf Deutsch. Los gehts! based on the grammar
think, feel) given. With the 15
Very good, dear guys. We are writing what we see and minutes, that will give
what we think, when we look at these pictures, these them enough time (3
paintings. You have 15 Minutes, and you post a Post-It minutes) to observe
note on a picture what you see, what you think. While enough paintings.
we look at these pictures, we stay quiet, and in German Once they are finished,
You have 15 minutes. Lets go! I will finish playing
Schumann, and the
students will write a
short reaction to the
paper.

Because this class has

a tendency to be loud,
I ask them to speak
quietly to each other,
in German, if want to
talk to each other.

15 Minutes Reaction to one painting:

I will post on the SMARTBoard that after they finished, Students will be given
Students create they are to return to their seats to write a short response time to be creative
own longer to one of the paintings they observed. and work together,
response to one bolstering their energy
painting (5 Based on one short response to a painting the students after listening intently
minutes) made with one of their Post-It notes, the students will to a grammar lecture.
Students share return to their seats, write a slightly longer response, with
responses with justification which painting was most interesting to They then have the
others (5 minutes) them? Why? opportunity to share
Sharing out their creativity and
responses (5 After writing their response, and the rest have finished, as grammar with the
minutes) well, the students will move and share with each other class.
their responses.
 I will thereafter call on students to share responses from
their partners, using the grammar constructions we used.

15 Minutes Partner Work Write a Short Story Given the whimsical

After students have shared out their responses to a nature of some of the
particular painting, they are to choose a painting to write paintings being
a story in the simple past tense, which will be partner displayed, they lend
work. themselves easily to
storytelling.
The students will be given a certain number of adjective
endings, subordinating conjunctions, unit vocabulary to
fulfill, as well as a word count. This will become
homework for the following class.

Transition (End of class) Vielen Dank, Klasse. Ihr habt alle sehr fleiig gearbeitet.
Ich freue mich auf nchstes Mal. Auf Wiedersehen!

Thank you very much, class! You all worked

industriously! I look forward to next time. See you all
then!

Back-Pocket Activity: If there is ample time, use the

Alleine (alone) poem to further their reading skills in
the target language and to provide interpretations of
the poem, which they will share with a partner and
then with the class. Much of this poem contains
nature vocabulary, which will reinforce their
knowledge for this unit.

Assessment
The students will be formatively assessed on unit vocabulary through their post-it responses to
the various paintings, in their short responses, and in their final story, all of which will contain
vocabulary words from this unit.
Orally, the students will share their classmates responses to the paintings, indicating which
painting their classmate chose, what the classmate saw in the painting, and how he/she reacted
to it.

Critical Questions
- Will the students have sufficient scaffolding for the gallery walk activity; will they know the
proper constructions to respond to the paintings? Reviewing the three basic constructions I
think / I believe / I feel will allow students to respond in multiple ways, along with the
multiple adjectives we brainstormed together. With these constructions in mind, the
students will have enough material to support their ideas in their response?

- How can I integrate culture meaningfully into the lesson, and not as an aside? This seems
difficult due to time constrictions, but providing a brief explanation of Romantic painting,
that nature and landscape are very important to the people of this time, provide justification
for including these paintings in the nature unit.

- Will the transitions between activities during this newly-styled, original lesson be clear enough
to the students, particularly between the end of the gallery walk and writing their response? I
believe the students will be excited to experience a new lesson style/type, as they are
becoming acquainted with the new vocabulary. As the students finish their post-it notes, and
see the directions on the screen for the next activity, I believe the students will transition into
their response rather well.
Supplementary Materials

German Romantic Paintings