Intro to Modern Ger. Lit. Curriculum
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Elizabethtown Area School District Introduction to Modern German Literature Course Number: 647 Length of Course: 18 weeks Grade Level: 10-12 Elective Total Clock Hours: 120 Length of Period: 80 minutes Date Written: Spring 2009 Periods per Week/Cycle: 5 Written By: Carl Shenk Credits (if app): 1.05 Weighting: 1.10 Course Prerequisite: German III Offered Odd Years Only Course Description: In this weighted course students will read several theater pieces and parts of various novels, and analyze them for the following characteristics: symbolism, plot, conflict, common motifs, character analysis, climax and genre. German grammar concepts covered in previous levels will be reviewed throughout the course as needed. German history of the 19th and 20th centuries will be discussed in the context of the works being read. Class will be conducted in German and students are expected to speak entirely in German as soon as they are ready. Successful completion of German III is a prerequisite for this course. 1 I. Overall Course/Grade Level Standards Students will KNOW and be able TO DO the following as a result of taking this course. A) Demonstrate knowledge of grammar covered in previous levels that is key to moving forward with writing and speaking exercises. B) Demonstrate familiarity with the dramatic pieces “Biedermann und die Brandstifter,” by Max Frisch, and “Besuch der alten Dame” by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. C) Read English translations or summaries of several longer works and selected short passages from each in German to acquire a sense of the writer’s style, including: “Faust” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Das Erdbeben in Chili,” by Heinrich von Kleist as an example of an early novella, “Der Schimmelreiter,” by Theodor Storm as an example of a late 19th century novella, and “Draußen vor der Tür,” a post-World War II drama by Wolfgang Borchert. D) In addition to plot, demonstrate knowledge of characters, motifs and symbolism in each piece. E) Identify cultural elements of literary works and how they compare to modern German culture, and also to American culture. F) Develop the following: an understanding of adjective endings, a command of complex sentences, an understanding of the use of object pronouns, an ability to correctly use the passive voice in contrast to progressive tenses. G) Be able to give basic facts about German history from 1848 to the present in conjunction with readings to take a multi-disciplinary look at the period of time in which they were written. H) Use logical thinking skills to convey ideas, opinion, and facts in the target language (either orally or written). I) Read one German play or novel in English during the semester. 2 II. Content Major Areas of Study List all units of study below: Unit Estimated Time Materials 1. Biedermann und die Brandstifter 3 weeks Text, Internet, handouts 2. Draußen vor der Tür 3 weeks Text, Internet, handouts 3. Besuch der alten Dame 3 weeks Text, Internet, handouts 4. Faust 2 weeks Text, Internet, handouts 5. Erdbeben in Chili 3 weeks Text, Internet, handouts 6. Der Schimmelreiter 3 weeks Text, Internet, handouts 3 III. Course Assessments Check types of assessments to be used in the teaching of the course and provide examples of each type. Objective Tests/Quizzes Response Journals Constructed Responses Logs Essays Computer Simulations Reports Research Papers Projects Class Participation Portfolios Note Taking Presentations Daily Assignments Performance Tasks Writing Samples Book Presentation Provide copies of common assessments that will be utilized for all students taking this course. Overall course/grade level standards will be measured by a common course assessment. Unit objectives will be measured on an ongoing basis as needed by the classroom teacher to assess learning and plan for instruction. List common assessments below and recommend date/time frame for administration (at least quarterly). Name of Common Assessment When given? 1. Quizzes Regular intervals 2. Unit Tests End of each unit 3. Final Exam End of semester 4 IV. Expected levels of achievement Current grading scale ACTFL Proficiency 92-100: A Guidelines 83-91: B See Below 74-82: C 65-73: D 0-64: F The following scoring documents have been developed for this course: Level IV: Listening: Advanced Able to understand main ideas and most details of connected discourse on a variety of topics beyond the immediacy of the situation. Comprehension may be uneven due to a variety of linguistic and extra linguistic factors, among which topic familiarity is very prominent. These texts frequently involve description and narration in different time frames or aspects, such as present, nonpast, habitual, or imperfective. Texts may include interviews, short lectures on familiar topics, and news items and reports primarily dealing with factual information. Listener is aware of cohesive devices but may not be able to use them to follow the sequence of thought in an oral text. Speaking: Intermediate High Intermediate-High speakers are able to converse with ease and confidence when dealing with most routine tasks and social situations of the Intermediate level. They are able to handle successfully many uncomplicated tasks and social situations requiring an exchange of basic information related to work, school, recreation, particular interests and areas of competence, though hesitation and errors may be evident. Intermediate-High speakers handle the tasks pertaining to the Advanced level, but they are unable to sustain performance at that level over a variety of topics. With some consistency, speakers at the Intermediate High level narrate and describe in major time frames using 5 connected discourse of paragraph length. However, their performance of these Advanced-level tasks will exhibit one or more features of breakdown, such as the failure to maintain the narration or description semantically or syntactically in the appropriate major time frame, the disintegration of connected discourse and misuse of cohesive devises, a reduction in breadth and appropriateness of vocabulary, the failure to successfully circumlocute, or a significant amount of hesitation. Intermediate-High speakers can generally be understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives, although the dominant language is still evident (e.g. use of code- switching, false cognates, literal translations, etc.), and gaps in communication may occur. Reading: Advanced Able to read somewhat longer prose of several paragraphs in length, particularly if presented with a clear underlying structure. The prose is predominantly in familiar sentence patterns. Reader gets the main ideas and facts and misses some details. Comprehension derives not only from situational and subject matter knowledge but also from increasing control of the language. Texts at this level include descriptions and narrations such as simple short stories, news items, bibliographical information, social notices, personal correspondence, routinized business letters, and simple technical material written for the general reader. Writing: Advanced-Mid Writers at the Advanced-Mid level are able to meet a range of work and/or academic writing needs with good organization and cohesiveness that may reflect the principles of their first language. They are able to write straightforward summaries and write about familiar topics relating to interests and events of current, public, and personal relevance by means of narratives and descriptions of a factual nature. Advanced-Mid writers demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe with detail in all major time frames. Their writing is characterized by a range of general vocabulary that expresses thoughts of cohesive devices in texts of several paragraphs in length. There is good control of the most frequently used target language syntactic structures, e.g., common word order patterns, coordination, subordination. There may be errors in complex sentences, as well as in punctuation, spelling, or the formation of non-alphabetic symbols and character production. While features of the written style of the target language may be present, Advanced-Mid writing may at times resemble oral discourse or the writing style of the first language. Advanced-Mid writing incorporates organizational features both of the target language or the writer’s first language. While Advanced-Mid writers are generally aware of writing for the other, with all the attendant tailoring required to accommodate the reader, they tend to be inconsistent in their aims and focus from time to time on the demands of production of the written text rather than on the needs of reception. When called on to perform functions or to treat topics at the Superior level, Advanced-Mid writers will generally manifest a decline in the quality and/or quantity of their writing, demonstrating a lack of the rhetorical structure, the accuracy and the fullness of elaboration and detail that would be characteristic of the Superior 6 level. Writing at the Advanced-Mid level is understood readily by natives not used to the writing of non-natives. Level V: Listening: Advanced Plus Able to understand the main ideas of most speech in a standard dialect; however, the listener may not be able to sustain comprehension in extended discourse which is propositionally and linguistically complex. Listener shows an emerging awareness of culturally implied meanings beyond the surface meanings of the text but may fail to grasp sociocultural nuances of the message. Speaking: Advanced-Low Speakers at the Advanced-Low level