AP German Language and Culture

Syllabus
Taylor Nickerson, Instructor
Columbia High School, Room 205
nickerson.taylor@columbia4.org

Brief Course Description

German AP is designed to enhance students’ knowledge of German
culture and language and to prepare student for the AP German
Language and Culture Exam. The course aims to integrate all three
communicative modes (interpersonal, interpretative, presentational)
through the use of authentic materials.

The course is taught exclusively in German and students are

encouraged to speak German throughout the class. [CR1]

Course Materials
The primary textbook is Aspekte neu: Mittelstufe Deutsch. I expand on
the textbook’s topics with German feature films and video clips, current
news articles and from online sources such as magazines, music
videos, songs, and other literary texts. [CR2b]

Textbook
Authors: Koithan, Ute, Helen Schmitz, Tanja Sieber, Ralf Sonntag
Title: Aspekte neu: Mittelstufe Deutsch: Lehrbuch B1 plus
Publisher: Langenscheidt
Publication Date: 2014

Description: Revised in 2014, Aspekte neu, the new

intermediate/advanced DVD-based textbook series, increases communicative
competence and proficiency in German and furthers the development of
vocabulary and grammatical structures through contextualized practice which
focuses on the three modes of communication: interpersonal, presentational
and interpretive. Authentic material is presented thematically via interactive
exercises, a variety of text forms, and audio and visual material including
interviews, reports, tables and charts. At the core of this program is a DVD
which features authentic clips from ZDF featuring scenes from all over the
German-speaking world.

Aspekte neu follows the successful structure of Aspekte:

  The chapters have a modular structure which enables the instructor to
teach the material either in linear or non-sequential order.
 Content and grammatical structures are clearly outlined at the
beginning of each chapter for easy access and convenient overview.
 The workbook contains additional exercises as well as tools for self-
evaluation. The DVD advances the listening comprehension skills via
short sequences which are linked to photo-prompts and exercises in
the textbook.
 The audio material has been intensified in the new edition.

Content

 Topics are introduced in 10 chapters under various aspects. They

include Wohnwelten (Eine Wohnung zum Wohlfühlen; Ohne Dach; Wie
man sich bettet,…; Hotel Mama; König Ludwig II), Gesundheit (Wie
geht’s denn so?; Eine süβe Versuchung; Frisch auf den Tisch?!; Lachen
ist gesund; Bloβ kein Stress! Lindt & Sprüngli), Kaufen und Konsum
(Ein Produkt beschreiben; Die Argumente in einer Diskussion über
Konsum verstehen; Eine Reklamation) etc.
 Review of previously learned structures and concepts is emphasized.
 It prepares the learner for reading longer authentic German texts.
 Photos and visual materials at the beginning of each chapter facilitate
the entry into the new topic.
 Each module presents and practices effective learning strategies for all
four skills.
 New vocabulary is introduced in meaningful and engaging contexts
which stimulate discussion.
 The DVD heightens the interest via culturally authentic material.

Workbook
Authors: Koithan, Ute, Helen Schmitz, Tanja Sieber, Ralf Sonntag
Title: Aspekte neu: Mittelstufe Deutsch: Arbeitsbuch mit Audio-CD B1
plus
Publisher: Langenscheidt
Publication Date: 2014

Supplmental Materials
Authors: Pilaski, Anna, Birgitta Fröhlich, Christiane Bolte-Costabiei,
Heinke Behal-Thomsen
Title: Entdeckungsreise D-A-CH
Publisher: Langenscheidt
Publication Date: 2011
Authors: Kaufmann, Susan, Lutz Rohrmann, Petra Szablewski-Çavuus
Title: Orientierungskurs Deutschland
Publisher: Langenscheidt
Publication Date: 2007

Audio-Visual Materials: [CR2a]

Was machen Frauen morgens um halb vier?, 2012, DVD, directed
by Matthias Kiefersauer
Das Leben der Anderen, 2006, DVD, directed by Florian Henckel
von Donnersmarck
Das Wunder von Bern, 2003, DVD, directed by Sönke Wortmann
Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei, 2004, DVD, directed by Hans Weingartner

Video Clips from the following online sources:

ARD http://mediathek.daserste.de
ZDF http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek
HR http://www.hr-fernsehen.de
Deutsche Welle http://www.dw.de

Focus on Communicative Modes:

Interpersonal Spoken and Written Communication:

Students engage in daily, direct, face-to-face communication and

exchange information with each other in pairs, groups, and as a class
with the teacher. They also have numerous opportunities to negotiate
means and exchange information through written communication by
means of letter-writing and interactive journals. These activities
involved students writing down their thoughts and reactions to
materials and their teachers or other students writing in respond to
their comments. [CR3b]

Interpretative Communication with Written and Spoken Language:

Students engage in tasks that involve synthesizing information from

authentic written texts, including literary texts, websites, and articles.
They will also work closely with authentic audio and audio-visual
materials, including songs, films, and video news clips on the Internet.

Presentational Spoken and Written Communication:

Students have numerous opportunities to present information in

written and spoken form. They will convey concepts, ideas, and
opinions to an audience or to various readers by means of narrative
and expository written and oral presentations.
CR1: The teacher uses German almost exclusively in class and
encourages students to do likewise.

CR2b: Instructional materials include a variety of authentic audio and

video recordings.

CR3b: The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate

their proficiency in written Interpersonal Communication in a variety of
situations in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced.

Unit 1 (Weeks 1-5)

Leute heute (Aspekte neu, Kapitel 1)

Major Theme: Personal and Public Identities (introducing yourself,
talking about yourself, friendships, heroes, happiness) [CR6d] &
Music/Performing Arts [CR6f]

Introduction
 Hier stellen sich verschiedene Menschen vor. Every students
explains about an everyday topic like their living situation,
hobbies, etc.

Cultural Comparisons
 What do life goals/dreams of young Germans look like? (text in
book)
 Everyday language (colloquial) of describing friends (chart in
textbook)
 Good luck symbols in various cultures. Student compare good
luck symbols in their own culture (pictures and text in textbook)
 Students read a birth announcement, comparing cultural
conventions on weight, length, etc.
Literary Texts
 “Gelebte Träume” This article about people fulfilling their dreams
expands our discussion about dreams and how people can
achieve them. [CR2c]
 “Helden im Alltag” This text about everyday heroes expands our
discussion on what make someone a hero and provides a
springboard to discussion about being considered a “hero”
  Blogeintrag – this blog provides a basis for discussion about
electronic communication and also about what makes someone
happy.

Film
 “Die Chefin” This segment from ZDF covers a young female chef
in Germany who is struggling with her career and starting a
family. This video expands on our discussion of how people make
decisions as to who they wish to be, and how people in Germany
balance life and work. Students complete a variety of written,
reading, and spoken activities about this video.

Porträt
 “Anne-Sophie Mutter” This text discusses the famous German
violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. I play video clips of Mutter playing
at different venues and with different orchestras worldwide. We
then discuss German-speakers who contributed to classical
music, including Mozart, Bach, Wagner, Beethoven, etc. Student
choose their favorite musical piece from these German speakers.
We also view a Mozart opera with a German text and analyze the
opera. [CR6f]
 Students read a “Fragebogen” completed by Anne-Sophie Mutter
about her personal characteristics and students answer the
Fragenbogen for themselves and then ask their classmates
questions from the Fragebogen.

Assessments
 Daily written homework (workbook activities, written work)
 Speaking is assessed through partner or group work in which
students express thoughts and opinions as well as through
interviews with partners. [CR3a]
 Students write a short essay about a person that, in their opinion
can be called a hero. [CR3b]
 Students write an e-mail response to a friend, responding to a
birth announcement. [CR5a]
 Chapter test

[CR6d]: This course explicitly addresses the Personal and Public

Identities theme.

[CR2c]: Instructional materials include a variety of authentic literary

texts.
[CR6f]: The course explicitly addresses the Beauty and Aesthetics
theme.

[CR3a]: The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate

their proficiency in spoken Interpersonal Communication in a variety of
situations in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range.

[CR3b]: The course provides opportunities for students to

demonstrate their proficiency in written Interpersonal Communication
in a variety of situations in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range.

[CR5a]: The course provides opportunities for students to

demonstrate their proficiency in Spoken Presentational Communication
in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced* range.

Unit 2 (Weeks 6-10)

Wohnwelten (Aspekte neu, Kapitel 2)
Major Theme: Families and Communities (Where Germans live, how
Germans feel at home, Homelessness in Germany, Hotels [vacationing]
in Europe, “Hotel Mama” – Germans staying at home) [CR6e]

Introduction
 Where do we live or where would we like to live? Students take a
survey to see what type of “living personality” they have.

Cultural Comparisons
 Students discuss what types of things they need at home to feel
comfortable. We then discuss what a typical German teenager
has in their home.
 Students discuss the topic of homelessness. Students hear from
two different homeless men in Germany and about their
situation, specifically how the homeless live in Germany and
what types of services the German government offers. [CR8]
 Students discuss, via an article, the concept of “Hotel Mama” and
“Nesthocker”, and compare it with young people in the US.
Communication
 Students practice communicating with their “friend from
Germany”, by responding to a pre-written e-mail. Students must
learn proper openings, ways to give advice, and proper closings
for the e-mail. [CR4a]

Literary Texts
 “Was für eine Nacht” This article discusses staying overnight in
different types of Hotels in Europe.
 “Bei Mama ist’s am schönsten” This article dicusses the trend of
young adults living with their parents.
 “König Ludwig II.” The text discusses the fairy tale king and
technology advocate, who had quite an opulent way of living.

Video Clips
 “Von Nesthockern und Heimschläfern” This clip from ZDF covers
three different families with older children who still live at home.
 Discussion of why the young adults still live at home and imaging
how it would be if members of their families were older and still
lived at home.

Assessments
 Daily written homework (text comprehension, grammar)
 Formal assessments: vocabulary and grammar quizzes.
 Students give a presentation where they “sell” a night in the
craziest hotel they can find. [CR5a]
 Students answer an email, giving a friend advice about whether
they should stay with their parents or move out. [CR3b]
 Chapter test

[CR6e]: The course explicitly addresses the Families and Communities

theme.

[CR8]: The syllabus must include activities in which students make

linguistic and cultural comparisons.

[CR4a]: The course provides opportunities for students to

demonstrate their ability in Interpretive Communication to understand
and synthesize information from a variety of authentic audio, visual,
and audiovisual materials.
[CR5a]: The course provides opportunities for students to
demonstrate their proficiency in Spoken Presentational Communication
in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced* range.

[CR3b]: The course provides opportunities for students to

demonstrate their proficiency in Written Interpersonal Communication
in a variety of situations in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced* range.

Unit 3 (Week 11-17)

Topic: Wie geht’s denn so?

Major Theme: Contemporary Life (Health and Well-Being, How do
societies and individuals define quality of life? What are the challenges
of contemporary life?) [CR6c]

Introduction
 The topic here is about adages related to the topic “Gesundheit”

Cultural Comparisons
 Students compare the top 5 most popular sweets in Germany
and the US.
 Students complete a survey comparing shopping trends in
Germany and the US.
 Students compare how they spend their time versus the typical
German. [CR7]

Communication
  Students share which sweets someone would give to someone
for a birthday/holiday.
 Students share a recipe for their favorite sweets.
 Students discuss tips for preventing the waste of food products.
 Students hear a podcast regarding “Zu gut für die Tonne” and
must decide if presented answers are correct.
 Students write an email to a friend describing an article that was
read about the health benefits of laughing.
 Students formulate a blog entry containing their thoughts on
stress management.

Literary Texts
 “Lachen ist gesund” This magazine article describes ways that
laughing is beneficial to your health.
 “Lindt & Sprüngli: Eine Erfolgsgeschichte” Students analyze two
famous Germans and gather information about famous people in
our country.

Video Clips
 “Wie schmeckt’s denn so?” This film from ZDF deals with who
colors influence our sense of taste and how the grocery industry
uses that. [CR2a] & [CR4a]

Assessments
 Daily written homework (text comprehension, grammar)
 Formal assessments: vocabulary and grammar quizzes
 Daily writing about the films, discussions and oral quizzes
 Chapter test

[CR6c]: The course explicitly addresses the Contemporary Life theme.

[CR7]: The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate

an understanding of the products, practices, and perspectives of the
target cultures.

[CR2a]: Instructional materials include a variety of authentic audio

and video recordings

[CR4a]: The course provides opportunities for students to

demonstrate their ability in Interpretive Communication to understand
and synthesize information from a variety of authentic audio, visual,
and audiovisual materials.
At this point, every student at my school is required to take a written
Semester Exam. This exam tests the material we covered during the
first semester.

Unit 4 (Weeks 19-24)

Topic: Viel Spaß! (Globalization, What games are popular in certain
cultures?, How can we interact with other cultures responsibly?)
[CR6a]

Introduction
 Students describe photos of people playing. Where could the
pictures be from? What kinds of games do people play in other
cultures?
 Students compare games/free time activities from other cultures
to the activities in their own culture.

Cultural Comparisons
 Students discuss/compare free time (how much, what they do
with it) in Germany vs. US.
  Students compare and discuss games that are played in German
speaking cultures with games played in their own culture.
 Students compare popular film genres in German speaking
cultures with popular films in the US. Students see that although
Germans watch many American films, the German speaking film
industry is also thriving.

Communication
 Students listen to a radio broadcast presenting information about
what men and women do with their free time in Germany.
[CR4a]
 Students interview each other in partners, asking about what the
other students do in their free time.
 Students choose a free time activity, and research the
possibilities to participate in this activity in their hometown.
 Students present research on the “Herzbaracke” or the “Bazillus”
in Zürich. [CR5a]
 Students write Film review about the film “Was machen Frauen
morgens um halb vier?”

Literary Texts
 “Warum spielt der Mensch?” Brigitte Schwarz. This text is about
why people play, the history of playing, and how playing differs
in different cultures.
 “Verloren im endlosen Grün” students interpret a story about a
child lost in the “jungle” in the end students learn this is at
“Tropical Islands”, not far from Berlin.
 “Kaspar Hauser” (Carola Dürr) and “Zeitgeistkabarett” (Michaela
Maria Drux) Students pair up and each one reads a text and
informs the other about the information from the text.
 “Doris Dörrie” Students learn about the famous German director,
author and producer.

Video Clips
 “Funsport – Surfen auf der künstlichen Welle” students learn
about the “Citysurf”, located in Munich’s Englisher Garten.
[CR2a]

Assessments
 Daily written homework (text comprehension, grammar)
 Presentation about Zürich
 Writing an email to a friend to plan an evening together
 Formal assessment: vocabulary and grammar quizzes
 Chapter test
[CR6a]: The course explicitly addresses the Global Challenges theme.

[CR4a]: The course provides opportunities for students to

demonstrate their ability in Interpretive Communication to understand
and synthesize information from a variety of authentic audio, visual,
and audiovisual materials.

[CR5a]: The course provides opportunities for students to

demonstrate their proficiency in Spoken Presentational Communication
in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced* range.

[CR2a]: Instructional materials include a variety of authentic audio

and video recordings.

Unit 5 (Week 25-30)

Topic: Alles will gelernt sein (where people learn, how people learn,
Volkshochschule (adult learning), how technological advancements
have affected learning, taking tests, problems with learning and how to
treat them)

Introduction
 The introduction presents different place to learn, that are often
very personal to individuals.

Cultural Comparisons
 Students learn about the Volkshochschule, and compare adult
learning in Germany and the US
  Students learn about the influence of technology and compare to
learning in the US. [CR6b]

Communication
 Students hear an interview with three people attending classes
at the Volkshochschule.
 Students discuss which classes they would choose to take at the
Volkshochschule, based on their interests.
 Students write a Stellungsnahme, taking a stance for/against
digital media in the classroom, using a text that presents
Pro/Contra arguments. [CR4b]
 Students hear a song and fill in the blanks.
 Students hear a German radio broadcast and answer
comprehension question.

Literary Texts
 Pro/Contra Digitale Medien text. Dr. Kristin Schröth (Pro), Dr.
Hannes Jausen (Contra) [CR4a]
 “Gerald Hüther: Interview mit dem Hirnforscher”

Video Clips
 “Hochbegabte Kinder” This film, from ZDF, shows a portrait of a
gifted girl and her family.

Assessments
 Daily written homework (text comprehension, grammar)
 Formal assessments: vocabulary and grammar quizzes
 Students write a Stellungnahme, arguing for or against digital
media in the classroom.
 Students write a short advisory piece, giving advice on how to
learn German.
 Chapter test

Unit 6 (Week 31-36)

Topic: Berufsbilder (jobs in Germany, working in Germany, industries in
German speaking countries, applying for a job in Germany, careers
that are more than just jobs)

Introduction
  Students discuss jobs that people do seasonally in
Germany, for example “Weinernte” or “Maskottchen für ein
Fußballspiel”

Cultural Comparisons
 Students compare what about work/jobs in Germany vs.
USA.
 Students see what job advertisements look like in Germany
and what they advertise and what they look like.

Communication
 Students hear a street survey in which four people explain how
they see their work life in two years. Students make notes as to
what they say.
 Students answer job postings and participate in a “job interview.”
[CR9]
 Student participate in a “chat room” with friends, talking about
their jobs. [CR3b]
 Student participate in a discussion with each other about the
advantages and disadvantages of having a life with two jobs.
[CR5a]

Literary Texts
 “Was sagen die Profis?” This text is an interview with three
different German speaking professionals. Students identify
themes in each section of the text.
 “DaWanda: Eine Geschäftsidee für Kreative” Students read the
text and then gather information about companies, business
ideas or personalities from the domestic and international
business scene, for example: Heidi Klum, Stefan Raab, etc.

Video Clips
 “Auf der Walz” This film from ZDF shows two young men that are
starting their career as carpenters. Students answer
comprehension questions based on the film.

Assessments
 Daily homework (text comprehension, grammar, vocabulary)
 Formal assessments: vocabulary and grammar quizzes
 Student draft a job posting in German
 Chapter test

You will complete the following ongoing assignments. These

assignments are designed to prepare you for the rigor of the AP Exam.
1. Der Lesenbericht – Each week we read an authentic German text of my choosing.
These texts can be excerpts from German novels or plays, magazine articles from
online German media, newspaper articles, excerpts from German non-fiction
books that might interest you. What we read is as important as how we read. And
to this end a Lesenbericht, “reading report”, is assigned for the particular reading.

2. Tagesereignisse – Current events. Every two weeks, you'll be assigned a current

event based on a newspaper article from a German media source, either online, or
print. Consult the rubric for the details. Articles are expected to be topical and
interesting, i.e., pertaining to world events, human rights, society and culture,
technology, art, architecture.

3. Sendungbericht – The official website of one of Germany's national television

networks, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen – (ZDF) http://www.zdf.de/ - has under
the link ZDFmediathek → Themen a wide variety of short, informative videos on
myriad themes. Every two weeks, staggered with the Tagesereignisse, you'll view
a video of your choice and present its main points to the class. This assignment is
similar to the Tagesereignis; view the rubric/notesheet designed for this recurrent
assignment. We'll use other sources of authentic German multimedia for this
assignment, including ARD Television – http://www.ard.de/ and Deutsche Welle –
http://dw-worlde.de/.

4. Schreiben – each week you will be assigned a short writing assignment of

minimum 300 words on a particular theme. These topics include but are not
limited to the following:

 Was ich werden möchte

 Gewalt in der Schule
 Politik in Amerika
 Mein Familienleben
 Schule in Amerika ist besser als [nicht so gut wie] in Deutschland
 Der Film, den ich drehen würde
 Wir haben zu viele [nicht genug] Gesetze in Amerika
 Was tun wir gegen Armut
 Was ich für sehr wichtig halte
 Welche Qualitäten ich in einem Freund [einer Freundin] suche
 Ist Krieg nötig?
 Das größte Problem mit Schulen in den USA
 Der Tag meiner Träume • Kleine Kinder, kleine Sorgen, große Leute,
große Sorgen
 Wenn ich Präsident(in) wäre
 Das Wichtigste, was ich bisher lernte
You'll also compose short, fictitious stories and summaries of films and stories we
read in class. These writings will be returned with my critical remarks and then
revised for a final grade.

Tagesereignis/Sendungsbericht
Etwas Aktuelles – von den deutschsprachigen Nachrichten der Welt.
AP German Hauptrubrik

Name______________________________________

Unter der CHS-Deutsch-Webseite “AP German” findest du den Link Grosse Liste
von MedienQuellen in den deutschsprachigen Ländern. Klickt den Link und
suche nach einem Artikel über etwas Aktuelles in der deutschsprachigen Welt. Die
Artikel dürfen sich um irgend etwas handeln, aber die müssen aktuell sein und
natürlich auf Deutsch.

1. Druck den Artikel aus.

2. Füll das Anmerkungsblatt aus.
3. Erzähl uns vor der Klasse, worum sich der Artikel handelt, ohne den
Artikel einfach vorzulesen. Eine Zusammenfassung reicht.
4. Der Vortrag muss mindestens 2 Minuten dauern.
5. Erzähl uns, warum du Interesse an diesem Artikel hast.

An deinem Vortragstag muss jeder in der Klasse eine Frage stellen. Und du musst
natürlich die Fragen beantworten. Du darfst das Anmerkungsblatt in der Hand
haben, wenn du vorträgst. Der Artikel darf auch vorhanden sein.

Anmerkungsblatt

Vokabeln, die du nachschlagen musstest.

 Hauptideen – Stichwörter, Ausdrücke, usw.

Gib mir dieses Blatt und deinen Artikel, nachdem du vorgetragen hast.

Der Lesenbericht
Deutsch
Name__________________________ Datum______________________

Titel vom Text________________________________________________

Schnelle Assoziationen – was fällt dir ein, wenn du den Texttitel liest? Liste
einige Schlüsselwörter ab, die dir einfallen:

1. 5.

2. 6.

3. 7.

8.

Überfliege den Text schnell. Was für ein Text ist das denn? Kreis alles ein, was deiner
Meinung passt.

Prosaliteratur Zeitungsartikel Erzählung

Poesie Zeitschriftenartikel Handbuchsabschnitt

eine Grafik Korrespondenz Nachschlagewerke

Interview Werbung Sachliteratur

Worum handelt sich der Text? Mehrere Antworten sind möglich.

Geschichte Politik Umwelt Mode

 Gesellschaft Naturwissenschaft Ingenieurwissenschaft Sprache

Autotechnik Musik Kunst Medizin Kultur Prosaliteratur

Natur Familienbeziehungen Schule Arbeit Freizeit

was anders_____________________________

Jetzt lies den Text. Mit einem Bleistift in der Hand, unterstreiche unbekannte
Wörter/Ausdrücke, Personen, Daten, irgend etwas, was du wichtig findest.

Liste Vokabeln ab, die du nachschlagen wirst. Für Substantive, notiere Geschlecht
und Mehrzahlform (d.h., die Maßgabe, -n – the proportion), für Verben, alle die
Stammformen ( d.h., saufen, soff, gesoffen– to guzzle).

Vokabeln (mindestens 20 Wörter) Übersetzung ins Englische

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.
16.

17.

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19

20.

Lies den Text noch einmal.

Schreib eine Zusammenfassung. Was sagt der Autor? Was machen die
Hauptfiguren im Text? Was ist das Hauptargument? Zehn Sätze, mindestens

Fragen zum Text – Schreib 5 originale Fragen. Die Fragen sollen verschieden
sein. Nicht nur Fragen von Tatsachen, sondern auch offene Fragen von
Meinungen, Gefühle, Verbindungen/Assoziationen, Vorhersagen, usw.

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5.