1 - Count Three Ways ~5 mins
Count to ten in English with me. Now count to ten in Irish: a haon, a dó, a trí… What sounds the same? Today we add German. Listen carefully: some numbers will feel familiar already.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Count from one to ten in German
- Spot German number words when you hear them
- Notice which numbers sound like English or Irish
Lead a quick count to ten in English, then in Irish. Do not correct every Irish form; the point is the pattern hunt. Tell the class they will meet the German versions next, and ask them to listen for any that sound close to English or Irish. Keep this beat brisk so the flashcards can do the teaching.
2 - Ten German Numbers ~10 mins
We will learn the ten German numbers in two short sets. For each card: look at the English and the picture, listen to the German audio, repeat it twice with the class, then flip to see the spelling. After numbers 1 to 5, we chorus-count them together before moving on to 6 to 10.
Work the flashcards on the IWB in two mini-sets. Set A (1–5): show English + image first, play the German audio, class repeats twice (whole class, then by table), then flip to reveal the spelling. Chorus-count eins to fünf together. Set B (6–10): same pattern, then chorus-count sechs to zehn. Never ask pupils to guess the German before they have heard it. Watch the sticky sounds: zwei (tsvai), fünf (fuenf), sechs (zex), and zehn (tsayn). Point out that drei and neun are close cousins of English three and nine. First goes will be messy — that ts in zwei is new for most mouths; cheer any brave try.
3 - Markt-bingo ~10 mins
You each have a printed bingo card. Imagine a busy Berlin market stall: the seller calls out prices in German (for example drei Euro or fünf Euro). Cross off each German number as you hear it. If you hear drei, put a mark on 3 / drei. First full line shouts Bingo!
How to Play Bingo:
Option 1: Students on Devices (Digital Version)
- Use the digital version where your teacher view of the lesson displays the cards that are being called out.
- Play the pronunciation sound of each word and the children mark it off their unique digital bingo card.
- Each student has a randomised bingo card so winners will vary!
Option 2: Print Out the Bingo Cards
- Print out the Bingo Cards from the attachment above, cut out the cards, and give one to each student.
- You call out the vocabulary words and students mark off their sheets.
- First student to complete a line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) calls "Bingo!" and wins.
4 - Into Your Copy ~3 mins
Copy from the board into your copybook. Write the numbers 1 to 10 in German in a column, with the digit beside each word. Take care with the two dots over the u in fünf .
| Digit | German | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | eins | ines |
| 2 | zwei | tsvai |
| 3 | drei | dry |
| 4 | vier | feer |
| 5 | fünf | fuenf |
| 6 | sechs | zex |
| 7 | sieben | ZEE-ben |
| 8 | acht | ahkt |
| 9 | neun | noyn |
| 10 | zehn | tsayn |
Keep this 1–10 list pinned on the IWB for the whole of the copy task so pupils can copy from the board (and so you are not spelling from memory while circulating). Check that pupils put the digit beside each German word, not just a bare list of words. Point to the two dots over the u in fünf rather than using the word umlaut. Watch the spellings of sechs and zehn. If time or confidence is low, invite the class to write 1–5 first, then 6–10. Do not collect these copies. Praise neat columns and brave attempts at the two dots.
5 - Spin a Number ~10 mins
The wheel lands on a German number. We all whisper it together first, then one pupil says it clearly for the class before the next spin.
Before the first spin, lead one full class chorus of eins to zehn so every mouth has warmed up. On each spin: whole class whispers the word, then the chosen pupil says it aloud. If they hesitate, play the audio once and let them retry. Insist on the full word, not just the digit. Keep the pace moving so several pupils get a turn. Common sticky spots: the ts in zwei and zehn, and the ü in fünf. If someone nails fünf with a proper ü, freeze and get a round of applause.
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