Transformation Activity

The teacher asks the question and the students must transform the question into a statement. Here are some questions to get you started:

1. Do you like school?

2. Are you having fun?

3. Did the cat climb the tree?

4. Are there ghosts in that house?

5. Does your Mom do the laundry?

6. Is your Mom cooking this week?

7. Do your brothers work in the pig barn?

8. Are you learning about animals in school?

9. Do you enjoy going to weddings?

10. What should we do for the Christmas concert this year?

Appendix D

Selected Lesson Plans
Heute: Personalpronomen und possessive Adjektive
11:00 Warm up:
Wie sagt man auf deutsch:
What is your name?
My name is....
What is your telephone number?
His name is....
Ask for volunteers to provide the German equivalents of several stock phrases they should already know, using possessive adjectives which are already familiar to them (mein, dein, perhaps sein). Correct if necessary, but not on pronunciation.
11:03 Exercise I (Lesen). See attached. Have students read aloud, go through the entire passage. Then return to the beginning and, calling on students at random, have them translate the sentences into English. New vocabulary (e.g. klagen, schätzen) can be introduced at this time (by translation). Mistakes should be corrected, with special attention paid to today's topic: personal and possessive pronouns.
11:10 Grammar explanation: personal pronouns (accusative). On chalkboard:
mein (meine, meinen) unser (unsere, unseren)
dein (deine, deinen) euer (euere, eueren)
sein (seine, seinen) ihr (ihre, ihren)
ihr (ihre, ihren) Ihr (Ihre, Ihren)
sein (seine, seinen)
Explain (in English) the use of these pronouns, and point out any discrepancies between English and German usage. Note especially the parallel formation to ein, as well as the accusative forms, and also explain the contractions (un sre, eu re).
11:15 Do exercise in DNK, p. 89 Übung 2: students should fill in the blanks with the appropriate pronoun. If necessary, let students work individually or in pairs to complete the exercise first.
11:20 Exercise II (Sätze). Depending on level of comprehension, either call randomly to have students translate the sentences, or give them time to work quietly writing out the translations. Make sure answers are correct.
11:25 Grammar explanation: possessive pronouns. On chalkboard:
mich uns
dich euch
ihn sie
sie Sie
es
Explain (in English) the usage as well as the importance of distinguishing between nominative (ich, du, etc.) and accusative. Point out similarities to English: me = mich as memory aid, but warn against her ihr (but rather sie).
11:30 Do exercise in DNK, p. 92 Übung 4: as above, students should be able to fill in the blanks with the correct possessive pronouns. Call randomly on students, making sure each has a chance to answer correctly.
11:35 Exercise III (Sätze). Again, call on students to translate the sentences into German, paying close attention to grammar. (Pronunciation is not heavily stressed.)
11:40 Exercise IV (Schreiben). Have students work quietly writing out the translation of the passage from English into German. Walk around and observe, answering questions and providing corrections where needed. If students do not finish, activity is assigned as homework.
Heute: Personalpronomen und possessive Adjektive.
I. Lesen. Lesen Sie den Text und übersetzen Sie ihn ins Englische.
Meine Familie ist sehr groß. Ich habe drei Schwestern und vier Brüder. Meine älteste Schwester heißt Claudia, und die zwei jüngeren Schwestern, Christiane und Nadine, sind Zwillinge. Sie haben am 28. Mai 1975 Geburtstag.
Mein Vater arbeitet bei einer großen Firma. Sein Chef ist sehr nett, aber mein Vater verdient nicht genug Geld. Meine Mutter klagt immer: Unsere Kinder haben keine schönen Sachen, und ihre Schuhe sind bald kaputt. Du mußt eine neue Stelle finden, wo man dich zu schätzen weiß!
Meine Mutter hat Recht: es ist nicht so leicht für uns. Mein Bruder hat morgen Geburtstag, und wir machen eine große Party für ihn. Wir haben aber keine Geschenke. Man braucht Geschenke bei einer Geburtstagsfete -- ohne sie geht es einfach nicht! Außerdem kommen viele Gäste zu der Party, und wir haben kein Essen für sie. Es ist schwer für mich, aber ich muß gestehen: ohne Geld ist das Leben doch ein Problem für uns!
II. Sätze: Personalpronomen. Übersetzen Sie die Sätze ins Deutsche.
1. How do you like my new apartment? -- I find it beautiful.
2. How do you like my new desk? -- I find it modern.
3. How do you like my new car? -- I find it excellent.
4. How do you like my two new chairs? -- I find them comfortable.
5. I love you. Do you love me?
6. I love all of you. Do you all love me?
7. Do you know him? -- No, but I know her.
8. Mr. Fischer, this book is for you.
III. Sätze: Possessive Adjektive. Übersetzen Sie die Sätze ins Deutsche.
1. Do you have my book?
2. No, but I have your pencil, your notebook and your cup.
3. Is the reporter writing all of your names down?
4. My sister is bringing her friend along.
5. Their dog doesn't like our cat.
6. Mrs. Schmidt, I need your address, please.
7. My grandfather likes to talk about his grandchildren.
8. Does your mother love her children?
IV. Schreiben. Übersetzen Sie den Text ins Deutsche.
Christmas is an important holiday for our family. On the 24th of December we make a big dinner for the whole family -- for my aunts and my uncles as well. We normally celebrate Christmas without them, but on the evening before we all eat together.
This year I need a lot of presents. My brother's birthday is the 22nd of December, so we're celebrating his birthday three days later, at Christmas. I have a tie for him, but I need something else -- maybe I should also buy a shirt for him, but I don't know his size.
For my father I have a book about Germany. Germany interests him a lot, and his favorite hobby is reading. The book is very big; hopefully my father will find it interesting.
For my two sisters I have a few toys -- they're still young, you see {=nämlich}. Their favorite toy at the moment is an old doll, but it's almost broken. So I have a new doll: her face is very pretty, and her body is made of plastic. Hopefully my sisters can't destroy it so quickly!