Everyday German Phrases

Overview

Lesson Number: 7 of 20
Unit Title: German to English Fun
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 25 Year 1 Students
Lesson Title: Simple German Phrases
Curriculum Area: Languages – German (F–10 Australian Curriculum: Languages – German)
Curriculum Level: Foundation to Year 2

WALT

We Are Learning To:
Use simple German phrases in context to express common needs and feelings, such as “Ich habe Hunger” (I am hungry), “Ich bin müde” (I am tired), and “Ich habe Durst” (I am thirsty).

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Success Criteria

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

• Speak 3–4 common German phrases for everyday situations
• Identify appropriate contexts in which to use these phrases
• Participate in a role-playing game by using at least two phrases correctly

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Resources

• Flashcards with phrases and corresponding illustrated visuals
• Large classroom word wall for German expressions
• Puppets or soft toys for role-playing
• Laminated phrase mats for desk reference
• “Ich habe Hunger!” interactive board chart
• Mini-whiteboards and markers
• Optional: Simple audio recordings of the phrases with native German speakers (for rotation stations or individual playback)

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Australian Curriculum Links

Content Description (Years F–2 Languages – German):

• Communicating: Interact with teachers and peers through action-related talk and play.
  (ACLGEC001)
• Understanding: Recognise and use subject-specific vocabulary and simple sentences.
  (ACLGUU002)

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Lesson Sequence

1. Welcome and Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Greet the class with "Guten Morgen!" and encourage students to reply.
• Review previously learned greetings and simple words (like “Hallo”, “Tschüss”, “Wie heißt du?”).
• Introduce the WALT and Success Criteria on the board and say them aloud with students – have them repeat in call-and-response style.

2. Introduction to Phrases (10 minutes)

• Show picture flashcards of common needs/emotions.
  • e.g. a child with a rumbling tummy → “Ich habe Hunger.”
  • child yawning → “Ich bin müde.”
  • child drinking water → “Ich habe Durst.”
• Say each phrase and encourage students to repeat in different voices (silly voice, whisper voice, robot voice).
• Show associated gestures:
  • Point to tummy for “Ich habe Hunger”
  • Yawning action for “Ich bin müde”
  • Drinking motion for “Ich habe Durst”

3. Action and Repeat (5 minutes)

• Use the “Simon Says” format but in German – “Frau/Mr ___ sagt: Ich habe Hunger!”
• Students must act out the correct motion only if the teacher says “Frau/Mr ___ sagt…”

4. Role-Play Activity (15 minutes)

• Set up 3 stations representing everyday situations:

  1. Café Corner – pretend to order snacks using "Ich habe Hunger"
  2. Rest Stop – lie down, stretch, and say “Ich bin müde”
  3. Water Station – mime pouring/drinking water and say “Ich habe Durst”

• Students rotate every 4 minutes, using puppets or toys in role-play if shy.

Support Staff Tip:
Act as a station leader to guide quieter or EAL/D students.

5. Whole-Class Game – “Wer sagt das?” (5 minutes)

• One student acts out a phrase silently.
• Class guesses in German: “Ich habe Hunger?”
• The guesser repeats the phrase correctly for reinforcement.
• Choose confident and quieter students alike.

6. Wrap-Up and Review (5 minutes)

• Ask students to sit in a circle. Pass around a toy microphone.
• Each student says one phrase they remember from the lesson.
• Recap WALT and revisit Success Criteria using thumbs-up/down for self-assessment.

Exit Ticket:
Students pick a flashcard of a phrase, say it aloud to the teacher before lining up.

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Differentiation Strategies

Support for Diverse Learners:

• Use picture cards and gestures consistently to anchor meaning.
• Provide phrase mats with phonetic spelling.
• Pair EAL/D students or learners needing extra support with peer buddies in role-play.

Behavioural or Learning Support Adjustments:

• Quiet learning space/zone at one of the stations
• Sentence builders with tactile materials (e.g. magnetic tiles with words)

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Extension Activities

For Gifted or Fast-Finishing Students:

• Create their own short German “needs” dialogue using puppets
• Draw and label a comic strip with the learnt phrases
• Introduce additional related phrases, such as:
  • “Mir ist kalt” – I am cold
  • “Ich bin glücklich” – I’m happy

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Teacher Reflection Prompts (for after lesson)

• Did most students meet the success criteria?
• Which students would benefit from more repetition/practice?
• How engaged were students during station rotations?
• Which phrases stuck most easily — and why?

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Notes for Next Lesson (Lesson 8 Preview):

Focus: Combining greetings with needs phrases to form mini conversations.
Activity: Build “Mini Morning Chats”: “Guten Morgen! Ich habe Hunger!”

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This lesson is highly interactive, sensory-rich, and play-based, aligning with early childhood language learning best practices, all while mapping directly to the Australian Curriculum. Ideal for igniting a passion for languages from an early age.