Activities for Teaching and Learning

Our team of language experts are all teachers with many years of classroom experience; of course, we have all learned languages also. We've put together a variety of activities to help teachers and learners. They range from simple vocabulary practice to reading/listening comprehension and writing tasks. There is something for everyone here, whether you're a beginner student of German or a seasoned instructor. Below, you'll find links to activities by frame.

If you are interested in creating activities based on the G-FOL, please do and share them with us! We've put together some ideas for how to get started

Files with classroom activities are available as Word documents on Google Drive here: http://goo.gl/XSqiwU  

Start here:
This infographic handout explains to learners what the G-FOL is and how to use it.


 We are continuously adding activities! Check back soon for more.

 

Buying and Selling

Here you'll find learning materials for the Buying and Selling frame. 

Title       Description Instructions
Files Keywords Answer Key?
Leseübung: Schikane bei H&M    This lesson includes pre-reading, reading for Buying and Selling vocab, simple textual analysis (by frame elements), T/F for frame elements in text, and comprehension questions. German 

doc

pdf

reading, advanced  no
Wo kann man was kaufen? Dative with IN and KAUFEN  

Substitution tables for writing sentences. Use of preposition IN + dative and the verb KAUFEN.

Technical tip:

The document is meant to be in landscape format - use pdf for printing. The doc format here is portrait but it can be downloaded and saved in landscape orientation.

German

doc

pdf

beginner yes
Reading - Writing - Speaking  

Worksheet with flow of activities from reading comprehension to writing to speaking.

1. Reading: Ebay Kleinanzeigen: Was kann man kaufen/verkaufen?

2. Writing: Write an add for selling something on www.kleinanzeigen.de

3. Speaking: Discuss what to do with your old sofa.

German

doc

pdf

beginner, advanced no

 

Causation

Here you'll find learning materials for the Causation frame. 

Title       Description Instructions
Files Keywords Answer Key?
Vocab Activities: Causation    A packet of several vocabulary exercises involving Causation. Starts with a review of lexical units, then matching for halves of the sentence that go together, guessing meanings of related forms (different parts of speech of covered vocab), and finally writing sentences using the vocab to describe what's happening in photos.  English doc  review, writing, parts of speech, related forms  no

 

Family and Relatives

Here you'll find learning materials for the Family and Relatives frame. 

Title

     

Description

Instructions

Files

Keywords

Answer Key?

Listen to the LUs of the frame

 

Listening

Google slides document with embedded audio files, ordered alphabetically. Open the presentation to listen to the files.

  English

ppt

listening

no

Match LU to audio: online game

 

Listening

Listen to audio file and match with the correct LU (drag and drop using LearningApps.org)

  English

online

online game

 
yes

Repeat the LUs

 

Speaking

Practice speaking the LUs using the Voice typing function in a google doc

  English

doc

vocabulary

self-check

Beschreibe deine Familie

 

Writing / Speaking

Beschreibe deine Familie: Describe your family. Substitution table(s) for providing information about one's family members. Download tables here:

  English

online

text production (writing/speaking), review of previous vocabulary

no

Singular or plural?

 

Grammar Practice

Listen to the words and decide whether they are singular or plural. Drag them into the correct category using LearningApps.org.

  English

online

vocabulary practice, singular and plural

yes

Unsere Familien - possessives (nom)

 

Grammar Practice

Unsere Familien: Possessives in nominative case  - graphic organizer and follow-up online activity (read and listen to sentences, decide the gender/plural of embedded LUs)

 English

online

PDF

word

LUs in context, possessive adjectives in nominative case

yes

Unsere Familien - possessives (acc)

 

Grammar Practice

Unsere Familien: Possessives in nominative case  - graphic organizer and follow-up online / on paper activity (read and listen to sentences, decide the gender/plural of embedded LUs)

  • Graphic organizer PDF | word
  • Graphic organizer with practice 1 (fill in the endings of the possessives):  PDF | word
  • Graphic organizer with practice 2 (fill in the possessives):  PDF | word
  • Activity handout:  PDF | word
  • Solutions:  PDF | word

 Englsih

online

LUs in context, possessive adjectives in accusative case

yes

Katja feiert Geburtstag  

Reading and Grammar Practice

Dialog with fill-in-the-blanks exercise (possessive adjectives) and graphic organizer.

 English

PDF

word

Solution: 

PDF

word

 

possessive adjectives, reading, LUs in context

yes

Georges Eltern

 

Reading / Listening

Text with questions for reading comprehension. Text available as audio file in slow and normal speed. Follow-up activity for conversation. Add-on to Sag Mal (VHL), chapter 3A

 

  English

online

PDF 

google docs

review, describing people, reading, listening

no

Ich habe eine große Familie

 

Games

Repetitive game: Ich habe eine große Familie (analogous to the game "Ich packe meinen Koffer und nehme mit: ..."), with subsitution table to scaffold the use of the accusative case in a sentence context

  English

online

PDF

word

 

vocabulary, classroom game, speaking, haben + accusative case, substitution table

N/A

Bingo / crossword / word scrambles  

Games

The external website ESL Activities offers online and paper versions of popular games: BINGO, CROSSWORDS, and WORD SCRAMBLES. Create your own wordlists online or download the wordlists containing the frame's lexical units (Note: the wordlists must be in the websites own '.esl'-format.):

  • Download wordlist WITH ARTICLES  for Bingo here
  • Download wordlist WITHOUT ARTICLES for crosswords and word scrambles here
  English

ESL Activities

(ext. website)

word lists for use on the ESL website yes, on the website
"Ein Abend mit der Familie" - Übungen zum Fotoroman  

Fotoroman in SAG MAL / MOSAIK  (Vista Higher Learning) - add-on activities

Sequence of activities: text comprehension, online game with listening component, writing, barrier game (in class)

  • handout with activities:   PDF  |  word
  • solution: PDF  |  word 
  English online Sag Mal / Mosaik (VHL), chapter 3A, reading comprehension, listening, writing, in-class communication yes
"Ein Abend mit der Familie" - Drama and Role play  

Fotoroman in SAG MAL / MOSAIK  (Vista Higher Learning) - add-on activities

Re-create the drama. Re-write sentences in first person and use them to write a script, perform the role play

  English

PDF

word

Sag Mal / Mosaik (VHL), chapter 3A no

 

Grooming

Here you'll find learning materials for the Grooming frame. 

Title       Description Instructions
Files Keywords Answer Key?

Grooming Intro Lesson with notes for instructors

  Use this presentation in class to introduce students to the G-FOL, using the Grooming frame as example. Explains basic concepts and goes over the grammar of reflexive verbs in Grooming. Includes warm up brainstorm, group discussion, etc. German ppt powerpoint, teacher, classroom, introduce G-FOL  no
Vocab Activity: Grooming, Multiple Choice - SHORT   Select the appropriate German verb to use for translating given English sentence (answers show verb only). Multiple correct answers, as shown in included key. English doc  multiple choice, simple vocab practice  
yes
Vocab Activity: Grooming, Multiple Choice - LONG   Longer version of above activity (each answer choice includes the verb and the entire translated sentence using that verb). Key included English doc   yes

 

Sleep

Here you'll find learning materials for the Sleep frame. Click here for all the files.

Title       Description Instructions
Files Keywords Answer Key?
Exploring the Frame   Introductory Activity for the Sleep Frame. Begins with learner's expectations and familiarizes them with the G-FOL's version of the concept "sleep".  English doc

pdf

intro, beginner, overview no
Wie kann ich besser schlafen?   Listening comprehension activity with pre- and post-viewing questions (comprehension and applying to personal life). Youtube video is from "Gesundheitswissen." German doc

pdf

video, listening no