Health Talk Roleplay

Year Levels

Years 1-2

Duration

45 minutes

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Learning area

Languages – German

Unit context

Body Talk in German, Lesson 6 of 8: Role-Playing Health Scenarios

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Learning objectives

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

• Use German vocabulary related to body parts and hygiene during basic dialogues and role plays.
• Respond to and initiate simple questions and statements about health and minor ailments in German.
• Demonstrate listening comprehension and speaking skills in practical, everyday contexts such as visiting a doctor.
• Practise and apply polite social language appropriate for health-related interactions in German.

These objectives align with the Australian Curriculum (Version 9) for Languages at Years 1 and 2, specifically:

• AC9LG2C05: Use words, familiar phrases, and modelled language to create spoken texts, including role-plays and skits.
• AC9LG2C03: Locate key information in familiar spoken texts and respond appropriately using gestures, words and phrases.
• AC9LG2C02: Participate in guided, play-based language activities using formulaic expressions and visual cues.
• AC9LG2U04: Notice that people use language reflecting cultural practices (context of polite language in doctor visit scenarios).

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Resources

• Large pictures or flashcards of body parts and hygiene-related items in German (e.g. der Kopf, die Hand, die Zähne, die Seife, das Pflaster)
• Scenario cards with simple German phrases for visiting a doctor or talking about minor ailments
• Puppets or simple costumes for role-play (optional)
• Audio recordings of simple German health dialogues (optional)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Worksheets with matching or fill-in-the-blank tasks for extension or reinforcement

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Lesson structure and time allocation

1. Warm-Up and Revision (5 minutes)

• Greet the class in German (Guten Tag! Wie geht’s?) and review body parts vocabulary through a lively sing-along song like "Kopf, Schulter, Knie und Fuß" with actions.
• Use flashcards to quickly recap key vocabulary related to body parts and hygiene learned in previous lessons.

2. Introduction of Role-Playing Scenarios (10 minutes)

• Explain the purpose of role-playing to the students in simple English and German: "Heute spielen wir: Arztbesuch!" (Today we role-play: visiting the doctor!)

• Demonstrate a short model dialogue with another teacher or puppet, using simple sentences such as:

  • "Ich habe Kopfschmerzen." (I have a headache.)
  • "Wo tut es weh?" (Where does it hurt?)
  • "Mein Arm tut weh." (My arm hurts.)
  • "Du sollst viel Wasser trinken." (You should drink lots of water.)

• Highlight polite phrases such as "Bitte" and "Danke schön."

3. Guided Practice: Role-Playing in Pairs (20 minutes)

• Divide students into pairs or small groups (around 2-3 children) and give each group a scenario card describing a minor health issue (e.g. headache, scraped knee, stomach ache).
• Provide phrase prompts on the cards or a central phrase board to assist use of German vocabulary and phrases.
• Circulate to support pronunciation, encourage use of German phrases, and prompt students to extend their dialogues by asking "Was fehlt dir?" or "Wie fühlst du dich?" (What is wrong? / How do you feel?)
• Optionally, groups can use puppets or simple props to make dialogues more engaging.

4. Listening and Role-Playing Game (7 minutes)

• Play a short audio clip or do a live read-aloud of a simple doctor-patient interaction in German.
• Ask children to listen and raise their hand or hold up flashcards when they hear a body part or health-related word.
• Follow up with a quick class role-play version where students volunteer to be doctor or patient using the phrases learned.

5. Wrap-Up and Reflection (3 minutes)

• Gather students and ask some pairs to demonstrate their role-play to the class. Celebrate all attempts with positive feedback.
• Recap key vocabulary again, inviting students to name body parts or ailments in German.
• Introduce the homework: teaching a family member one German health phrase or role-playing the doctor visit at home.

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Assessment

• Formative: Observation during role-play – teacher monitors students’ ability to use key vocabulary and phrases spontaneously and with correct pronunciation.
• Oral language use – informal assessment through participation and interaction in role-play activities.
• Listening comprehension – responding accurately to prompts during listening game.

Progress toward AC9LG2C05 and AC9LG2C03 will be noted: students should show emerging confidence using familiar phrases and modelled language in spoken German, and demonstrate understanding from listening to health-related conversations.

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Differentiation & Extension

• Provide sentence starters for students needing additional support: "Ich habe ___" or "Mein ___ tut weh."
• Challenge advanced speakers with additional questions: "Seit wann hast du das?" (Since when do you have that?)
• Use visual prompts for students with limited vocabulary and provide extra turns to encourage language repetition.

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Cross-curriculum priorities & General capabilities

• Personal and social capability: Practising polite interactions and empathy in health scenarios.
• ICT capability: Using digital audio recordings if available to enhance listening skills.
• Intercultural understanding: Exploring respectful behavioural customs in German-speaking healthcare contexts and comparing them with Australian norms.

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This lesson plan is designed to engage young learners with play-based, communicative activities fostering practical oral language skills linked to their world and culture in line with the Australian Curriculum (v9) Languages for Years 1-2 German learners. It emphasises active participation, collaboration, and cultural awareness in learning German through meaningful contexts such as health and hygiene.