Learning Family Words

Lesson Overview

Lesson: 5 of 20 in “German to English Fun”
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Year Level: Year 1
Learning Area: Languages – German
Australian Curriculum Reference:
F–10 Australian Curriculum: Languages – German (Years F–2 band)
Strand: Communicating – Socialising / Informing
Sub-strand: Participate in classroom routines and exchanges
General Capabilities: Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Critical and Creative Thinking

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

We are learning to recognise and use German words for family members and label them on a simple family tree.

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify at least 5 family members in German (e.g., Mutter, Vater, Bruder, Schwester, Oma)
• Pronounce the German family terms with developing accuracy
• Label a family tree worksheet with the correct German terms
• Share who is in their family using 1–2 German words

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Resources Needed

• Flashcards with family vocabulary (German word + image)
• Smartboard or whiteboard
• Mini whiteboards and markers (1 per student)
• Printed blank family tree worksheets (1 per student)
• Crayons or coloured pencils
• “Meine Familie” corner display board
• Soft toy mascot (e.g., a German-speaking teddy bear)

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Lesson Structure

1. Warm-Up & Review (5 mins)

• Greet the class in German: “Guten Morgen!”
• Briefly revisit the previous lesson’s vocabulary (e.g., colours or animals) with a quick call-and-response game.
• Introduce the day’s WALT and Success Criteria. Display them visually on the board.

2. Introduction to New Vocabulary (10 mins)

• Introduce key German family words using flashcards:
  • Mutter (mother)
  • Vater (father)
  • Bruder (brother)
  • Schwester (sister)
  • Oma (grandma)
  • Opa (grandpa)
• Use TPR (Total Physical Response): students mimic actions (e.g., hugging arms for Mutter) as they repeat the words aloud.
• Use the plush teddy bear mascot to model sentences like:
  • “Das ist meine Oma.” (This is my grandma)
  • Point to flashcards and say the words, students repeat chorally and then individually.

3. Interactive Activity – Mini Whiteboard Challenge (5 mins)

• Teacher says a German family word.
• Students draw or write a symbol to match (as appropriate for Year 1 literacy level).
• Share answers with a partner.

4. Main Task – Create a Family Tree (15 mins)

• Distribute printed family trees (simplified with 6 spaces).
• Students draw their family members in each space and label them with German family terms, referencing flashcards or a mini word bank provided.
• Encourage students to colour in their family tree.
• Teacher circulates to support correct word usage and pronunciation.

5. Sharing and Speaking Practice (5 mins)

• Invite 5–6 volunteers to come to the front and introduce one family member in German using their tree:
  • “Das ist meine Mutter.”
• Use clapping or "Bravo!" to celebrate each speaker.

6. Reflection and Wrap-Up (5 mins)

• Recap the new German words learned today.
• Quick exit ticket: Each student tells the teacher one German family word as they leave the group circle.
• Display completed family trees on the “Meine Familie” classroom wall.

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Differentiation Strategies

For Diverse Learners:

• Provide picture-supported word banks with phonetic spellings (e.g., Mutter – ‘moo-ter’)
• Allow verbal responses for students who may struggle with fine motor skills or writing
• Pair students strategically for peer support
• Use gestures and modelling to reduce cognitive load

For Advanced Learners (Extensions):

• Encourage extended sentences e.g., “Das ist meine Schwester. Sie heisst Ella.” (This is my sister. Her name is Ella.)
• Offer an extra worksheet with additional family terms (e.g., Cousin/Cousine, Tante, Onkel)
• Invite students to compare German and English family word similarities (e.g., Vater ~ Father)

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative Assessment: Observation during TPR and whiteboard activities for pronunciation and understanding.
• Work Sample: Completed labelled family tree.
• Speaking Sample: Students' use of German words during the sharing segment.

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Teacher’s Note

This lesson is rooted in multimodal learning—using visual supports, kinaesthetic gestures, and oral repetition—to cater to young learners’ developmental needs. Embedding a family-and-home theme not only supports language acquisition but also connects to students’ personal worlds, helping build engagement in German as a second language. Drawing and speaking about family gives students a sense of agency and attachment to the new vocabulary.

Encourage enthusiasm and confidence more than accuracy at this stage, and continue building classroom routine phrases in German each lesson to reinforce everyday language skills.

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Next Lesson Preview

Lesson 6: Describing Family Members – Students will learn adjectives in German to describe their family members’ hair, eye colour, and more.