A Seven-Lesson Plan for School German at A1-A2, Grades 3-6

A first block of school German at A1-A2 can run in seven lessons of about 35 minutes: one lesson for each of five topics (classroom objects, the timetable, asking for help, shared rules, a school-day text), then a project lesson and a check lesson. This plan is for children in Grades 3-6 who are learning German as an additional language, for example in a FLES program, a German Saturday school, or as newcomers starting school in a German-speaking country. It follows the five learning paths of our German for School unit.

What the unit asks of you and your class

The instructions in the student book are in English, and the German appears in the explanations and worked examples. That suits most programs outside German-speaking countries, and newcomer groups can talk through the English prompts in their home language first. Every path has the same four steps: read the explanation, examine an image, complete Task A, then do a Transfer task (Task B) that applies the idea to a new situation.

The German for School unit comes as a 27-page student book plus a 14-page teacher guide with answer guidance and method pages. Allow about five to eight lessons, and use the modules separately if time is tight.

Before lesson one, collect a few simple things:

• sticky notes and a marker for labeling real objects
• a sample timetable on the board or on paper
• index cards for help phrases and rules
• paper strips for the school-day sentences
• one printed student book per child, since they write in it

The book asks children to say what they see before they say what it means. At beginner level that is a useful rule for you too: let them describe in English or a home language, then bring the German in through the worked example.

Lessons 1 and 2: objects and the timetable

Lesson 1, Things in the classroom. Open (5 minutes) by showing the illustration without its title; children note two things they see and one question. In the 20-minute explore block they read about articles and plurals, with the worked examples der Stift, die Stifte and das Heft, die Hefte, and then do Task A: label five objects and write two sentences beginning "Ich brauche ...". Consolidate (10 minutes) by comparing a correct label with one where the article is missing.

Lesson 2, My timetable. The model sentence is Am Dienstag haben wir um neun Uhr Sport. Task A asks children to describe three lessons from a sample timetable in German. The teacher guide's sample answer is to combine day, time, and subject clearly. In consolidate, give pairs one day each and have them read their sentences to another pair.

Lessons 3 and 4: help and rules

Lesson 3, Ask for help. The key phrase is Können Sie das bitte noch einmal erklären? Task A: write three useful German questions and act out a short exchange. Look for a polite request and clear information.

Lesson 4, Understand shared rules. The model is Wir hören einander zu. Task A: write two rules in positive German and explain their purpose. After the first 20 minutes, children read each other's rules and decide which one they could actually follow tomorrow.

Lesson 5: a school-day text

The explanation introduces zuerst, danach, and zum Schluss to put events in order, with Zuerst lese ich. Danach haben wir Pause. as the example. Task A is five German sentences about a school day, read aloud. Reading aloud matters here: it gives you a quick listening check on all the earlier paths.

Lessons 6 and 7: project and learning check

For the project, each child chooses one path and makes an explanation for another student: a heading, two examples, and a question of their own. A poster or a short talk works, and the teacher guide lists five criteria: accurate terms, examples explained well, a meaningful question, a readable layout with a useful image, and feedback applied.

Lesson 7 is the learning check, one sentence and one example for each path, plus the reflection page. Use it for feedback, not a grade, and collect the topics children name for extra practice.

A cheaper way to add culture

If you want a short extra activity that connects to Germany, the German Unity Day craft is a lower-cost resource for younger learners in the group.

This unit is also one of four in the language bundle, together with sentence types, simple past, and pronouns.

You can see the full contents on the unit page.

Related reading from the Teacher Hub

• Teaching Germany's 16 States and Capitals in German Class
• How to Teach Days, Months and Dates to ESL Newcomers