Passive Voice Practice

Unit: Energiewende: Sprache & Umwelt

Lesson 6 of 8

Duration: 50 minutes

Class size: 7 students

Year Level: 12 (German - Languages)

---

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognise and construct sentences in the passive voice (die passive Stimme) in German.
• Transform active voice sentences into passive voice, especially in the context of environmental topics.
• Understand the structure and usage of the present and past passive voice forms.
• Apply the passive voice accurately in spoken and written language about environmental issues.

These objectives align with the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Languages, Year 11-12 German, specifically:

• AC9LG10U03: Reflecting on and evaluating German texts, using metalanguage to analyse language structures and features (including grammatical structures like passive voice).
• AC9LG10C05: Creating and presenting texts using a range of grammatical structures to engage different audiences, with a focus on thematic content such as sustainability and environment.
• AC9LG10EU03_E2: Extending understanding of metalanguage to discuss grammar, including voice and mood (passive, active, subjunctive).

---

Resources Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Handouts with active sentences related to Umwelt (environment) issues
• Projector or screen for examples and activities
• Worksheets for exercises
• Flashcards with verbs for sentence transformation
• Laptops/tablets for research (optional)
• Student exercise book or digital document for written responses

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Context setting: Briefly recap last lesson's focus on environmental vocabulary and expressions.
• Explain the lesson goal: Introduce the topic "Die passive Stimme im Deutschen" within the Umwelt theme.
• Activate prior knowledge: Ask students if they know the passive voice and if they can give examples in English/German.

2. Explicit Teaching - Explanation & Modelling (10 minutes)

• Explain the passive voice concept:
  • Passive expresses that the subject receives the action, e.g., Der Müll wird recycelt (The rubbish is being recycled).
• Structure of passive in present tense:
  • werden (conjugated) + past participle of verb.
• Introduce passive in the simple past (Präteritum) briefly:
  • wurden + past participle, e.g., Die Wälder wurden abgeholzt.
• Use environmental active sentences as examples, e.g.
  • Active: Die Firma produziert saubere Energie.
  • Passive: Saubere Energie wird von der Firma produziert.
• Write examples on the board, highlighting elements (subject, verb, past participle, agent).

3. Guided Practice (15 minutes)

• Transformation exercise:
  • Students take turns transforming a set of 10 active sentences (environmental context) into passive voice.
  • Example sentences provided on handouts, e.g.,
    • Active: Das Kraftwerk verbrennt Kohle.
    • Passive: Kohle wird vom Kraftwerk verbrannt.
• Partner work: Students compare and discuss their sentence transformations, correcting each other where necessary.
• Teacher circulates to provide support and prompt metalinguistic discussion about structure and word order (important per Curriculum grammar focus).

4. Independent Application (15 minutes)

• Creative sentence construction:
  • Students write 5 original sentences about environmental topics using the passive voice.
  • Encourage use of vocabulary related to the Energiewende and Umwelt (e.g., Recycling, erneuerbare Energie, Emissionen).
• Optional: Students prepare 1 short oral sentence (or short paragraph) in passive voice, which they read aloud to the class.
• Teacher provides immediate corrective feedback and highlights good use of grammar and vocabulary.

5. Reflective Closing and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Class discussion:
  • What did students find challenging or easy about the passive voice?
  • How can passive voice help us better discuss environmental topics?
• Exit ticket: Each student writes one passive sentence on a mini whiteboard or paper and briefly explains its meaning.
• Collect these as a formative assessment to gauge understanding and inform next lesson planning.

---

Differentiation & Inclusion

• Provide sentence starters and verb lists for students needing scaffolding.
• Challenge advanced students to experiment with passive using modal verbs, e.g., Das Problem muss gelöst werden.
• Use visual aids for learners who benefit from multimodal inputs.
• Include oral and written activities to cater for different learning preferences.

---

Curriculum Links (Australian Curriculum v9)

• Content descriptions:
  • AC9LG10C05: Create and present texts selecting grammatical structures appropriate to audience and context (environmental focus).
  • AC9LG10U03: Reflect on and evaluate German texts using metalanguage to analyse grammatical features including passive voice.
  • AC9LG10EU03_E2: Use metalanguage to discuss grammar structures such as passive voice.
• General Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy, Intercultural Understanding.
• Cross-curriculum priorities: Sustainability (understanding and discussing environmental issues in German).

---

If you desire, I can also provide sample active sentences and their passive transformations for classroom use or worksheets!