1 - Who Has a Pet? ~5 mins
Hands up if you have a pet at home. Keep your hand up if you can already guess its name in German.
Today you will learn eight pet words, label them on a pet-shop window, and listen to a short scene about a dog.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name eight common pets in German with der, die or das
- Match pet words to pictures in a shop window
- Follow a short spoken scene about a pet dog
Take a quick show of hands only. Do not let the chat run long: the point is curiosity, not a full pet roll-call. If a pupil already knows a German pet word, smile and park it for the word-table so the whole class hears it together. German nouns always take a capital letter, so model that from the first word. The IWB word-table is enough; no printed vocabulary list is needed.
2 - Eight German Pets ~10 mins
Tap each pet on the board, listen carefully, then say the full phrase back together. Watch the article every time: some pets take der, some take die, and some take das.
Do not dump all eight at once. First pass: four common pets (der Hund, die Katze, der Hamster, der Goldfisch). Class repeats each twice (whole class, then by table). Quick choral recall of those four, then second pass: das Kaninchen, der Papagei, die Maus, das Meerschweinchen.
Point at the article every time so pupils hear der Hund (dair HOONT), not bare Hund. Watch for the soft ch in Kaninchen (kah-NEEN-chen). Meerschweinchen is a glorious long word: three beats (MAIR-shvine-chen), and a big cheer when the table nails it. Fun fact after the first choral repeat: Meerschweinchen means little sea pig (not a pig, and not from the sea), which is why German pet words are worth collecting. German nouns keep their capital letter on the board and in speech practice.
3 - Pet-shop Window ~9 mins
Watch the pet-shop window on the board. When it is your table's turn, say the full German phrase (for example die Katze) and tell the volunteer where it goes. The volunteer drags the label; the class does the speaking.
After the window is labelled, turn to a partner: one points at a pet, the other says the full phrase with the article.
Run this on the IWB with volunteers taking turns at the board. Tables call out the next label in order so every pupil has a speaking beat, not only the volunteer. Insist on the full phrase with the article: die Katze (dee KAT-suh), not just Katze. Full phrase with the article? Brilliant: that is real German. If a label is wrong, ask the class to say the correct word together before moving on.
Finish with a one-minute partner oral: Partner A points at a pet on the board or in the air; Partner B says der Hund / die Maus and so on. Swap roles once. This is the oral reuse before any writing.
4 - Into Your Copy ~5 mins
First we say the models together. Then open your copy and write one sentence about a pet you have or would like.
Board models (copy the pattern that matches your pet):
- Ich habe einen Hund. (ikh HAH-buh EYE-nen HOONT) for a der pet
- Ich habe eine Katze. (ikh HAH-buh EYE-nuh KAT-suh) for a die pet
- Ich habe ein Kaninchen. (ikh HAH-buh ine kah-NEEN-chen) for a das pet
Keep the capital letter on the noun. Use einen after habe for der pets, eine for die pets, and ein for das pets.
Choral practice first, before anyone opens a copy: class repeats the three models twice while the word-table stays visible. Mini-link to articles they already know: der pets need einen, die pets need eine, das pets need ein after habe.
Only these correct models are accepted. Do not accept or model Ich habe der Hund (that form is wrong). If a pupil is stuck, scaffold with a gap: Ich habe einen ____ and let them fill the noun from the word-table. Walk the room and check every sentence has the matching accusative form, a capital noun, and a full stop. Do not collect the copies.
5 - Listen: Max and His Hund ~9 mins
We will hear a short German scene about Max and his dog on the way out. Listen all the way through twice as a class. Then we answer the questions together on the board. Put your hand up if you want a line played again.
Play the audio on the class speakers twice before anyone answers. Pupils have no personal controls: you own replay. Tell them they do not need every word; listen for pet names and simple facts. Answers are oral or thumbs as a whole class on the board, not silent solo work. After answers, do a quick whole-class check and replay any line that caused confusion. Pronunciation cue if you retell a line: der Hund (dair HOONT). This is listening practice, not a test of perfect recall.
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