1 - Water, Air and Underground ~5 mins
Name an animal that lives in water, one that lives in the air, and one that lives underground. Say them in English first, then see if any German animal words come to mind.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name eight mixed animals in German with the right article
- Sort animal nouns into der, die and das
- Say a short line such as Das ist der Hund
2 - Eight Mixed Animals ~10 mins
Here are today's eight animals: pets, farm animals and a few others mixed together. First pass: listen to the full German word with its article, then repeat it together before the card flips. Second pass: volunteers say the German with der, die or das before the flip.
3 - Sort by Gender ~10 mins
We sort each animal into der, die or das. Vote with your fingers (1 = der, 2 = die, 3 = das), then a volunteer comes up to drop the card on the board. Think about the article you just practised, not about what the animal looks like.
4 - Into Your Copy ~3 mins
Open your copy and write four animals with their articles, grouped into columns by gender. Take care with capital letters: every German noun starts with one.
5 - Spin and Say ~10 mins
Spin the wheel. When it lands on an animal, whisper a short line with your partner first: Das ist + article + animal (for example Das ist der Hund). Then one of you says it out loud for the class. No peeking at your copy first.
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