Course Description

One of the most important themes for a German language course is the environment. Germany is approximately the size of Montana, but where Montana has a population of 1.22 million, Germany has over 83 million residents. This makes it very important for all citizens to follow agreed-upon rules, policies, and common courtesies on a daily basis. Germany is also bordered by 9 foreign countries and is located in the heart of Europe. Everything that happens in Europe impacts Germany. Therefore, German citizens care a lot about what is going on in the countries around them and how they can be a positive role model in all things that support a healthy and safe environment. The topics in this course are issues that impact Germans on a daily basis and are common in daily conversations. 

Becoming familiar with the issues and policies concerning the environment means you can understand why these types of conversations are so frequent and how you can fit in with the German recycling and environmental rules when you visit. Try to also become more knowledgeable about how Americans view these concerns in the US so you can explain them to the Germans you meet.

It's a very exciting time in Germany as they have now entered the "Energiewende" and have committed themselves to becoming independent of fossil fuels. You may find yourself very absorbed into this eco-drama as you go through the course, not only in preparation for your IB exams but also for your encounters with native German speakers.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Your Quarter Assigments For "die Umwelt" (The Environment)

    • Register For This Course at TimeToLearnGerman.Com

    • Welcome To This Course

      FREE PREVIEW

    • First Day Instructions. You Need A Blank Composition Notebook.

    • Supply List: You Need A New Composition Notebook Today (Graded On Tuesday Of Week 2)

    • Your Weekly Work Plan- Staple A Copy To The Inside Cover Of Your Composition Notebook

    • This Course Has 13 Environmental Culture Topics With 37 Posts For You To Take Notes On (Next Week You Will Be Assigned One Culture Topic For Your IB Mock Exam Assignments)

    • 2023-2024 Assigned Topics (Choose A German-Language Video From Your Topic For Writing Your Listening Mock)
  • 2

    Technology Lessons For learning How To Submit Your School Work

    • Your Submitted Assignment Must Be Easy To Read

    • How To Use Office Lens To Scan Your Work For TEAMS

    • How To Use Your iPhone To Scan Your Written Work Into A Pdf File

    • How To Set Permissions In TEAMS So Your Teacher Can Open Your Posted Work

    • How To ATTACH Your Completed PDF Assignment (No Personal Links & No WORD docs) To Your TEAMS Post.

    • The Due Date For Every Weekly Assignment Is THURSDAY. After Thursday It Is Worth Much Less.
  • 3

    Finished Early? Need A Break? Play With Your IB German Quizlets Matching This Theme - Not Duolingo (Do That Outside Of Class Time)

    • There Are Many Ways To Learn Vocabulary- Here Is A Collection Of Activities For You To Use

    • Quizlet Vocabulary Chapters By IB German Theme

    • Link To Quizlet Home Page. Practice The 4000 Individual German Vocabulary Words In The Langenscheidt Textbook

    • LANGENSCHEIDT A-Z LISTE! Every German Vocabulary Word Organized By Letter (A-Z List) - Rotate Using The Double Arrows

    • A-Z Vocabulary Activities
  • 4

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: CULTURE: Mülltrennen / Trash Sorting (2 English Posts, Then Translate The Visual Infographics)

    • Video: How To Recycle Your Trash Correctly In Germany (Look How She Has To Walk All Around Town With Her Trash!)

    • Video: Look What Happens If You Break The Recycling Rules (Public Shaming)!

    • Infografik: Wie trennt man den Müll richtig? (Read and decipher)

    • Infografik: Was gehört in welcher Mülltonne? (Read and decipher)

    • 9 Tipps Für Ein Leben Mit Weniger Plastik - Translate

    • Visual: Elektroschrott Grafik (How To Dispose Of Electronic Garbage). Translate.

    • Bilingual Video: Sorting Trash In Deutschland (With English Subtitles)

    • SL Geman Video: Wie man keinen Müll macht.

    • HL German Video: So entsorgt man den Hausmüll

  • 5

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: Recyceln (3 English Posts & Translate The Visual Infographics)

    • The Community Shopping Bag Tree: Translate The German Sign

    • 99% Of Bottles In Germany Get Returned

    • Recycling Plastic In Germany (Notice That German Trash Collectors Wear A Uniform)

    • "Umwelt-politische und gesellschaftliche Herausfoderungen": Read This Bilingual Article & See How Much You Understand. Summarize.

    • SL German Video: Wie Wird Müll Recycelt?

    • HL German Video: Diesel Autos Auf Dem Schrottplatz
  • 6

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: Traditional Energy Sources in Germany (1 English Post)

    • The Current Energy Crisis In Germany

    • German Video: Conventional Energy Sources in Germany

    • German Transcript for The Video About Conventional Energy Sources in Germany

    • HL German Video: Kohle, Kernkraft, Kernfusion - Vor- und Nachteile einzelner Energieformen
  • 7

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic Natural Gas For Germany (5 English Posts)

    • What Is Natural Gas?

    • What Is Fracking?

    • How Germany Got Hooked On Russian Natural Gas

    • Interview With Germans On The Street About Rising Prices Of Natural Gas (Listen While You Read The English Subtitles)

    • Germany Is Turning To Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)

    • German Video: Woher kommt Erdgas?

    • HL German Video: LNG statt Erdgas
  • 8

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: Concerns About Using Nuclear Energy (4 English Posts)

    • Nuclear Energy Explained

    • Statistics: How Many Nuclear Power Plants Are There Around The World?

    • Germany's History With Nuclear Energy

    • Germany's Exit From Nuclear Energy

    • German Video: Wie funktioniert ein Atomkraftwerk?

    • HL German Video: Wie funktionieren Atomkraftwerke?
  • 9

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: Arguments For & Against Nuclear Energy In Germany (2 English Posts)

    • 3 Arguments in Favor of Nuclear Energy

    • 3 Arguments Against Nuclear Energy

    • German Video: 3 Argumente für Atomenergie

    • German Video: 3 Argumente gegen Atomkraft

  • 10

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: Concerns About Coal As An Energy Source (2 English Posts)

    • Why Is Coal Bad?

    • Destroying Towns To Get More Coal

    • Geman Video: Wie entstand die Kohle?
  • 11

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: "die Energie Wende" = Germany's Transition To Renewable Energy Sources (2 English Posts)

    • How Green Is Germany?

    • The Energy Revolution

    • German Video: die Energiewende
  • 12

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: What are Renewable Energy Sources? ("Erneuerbare Energie") (6 English Posts)

    • Renewable versus Alternative Energy Sources

    • What Are Renewable Sources For Our Energy Needs?

    • The Transition to Renewable Energy Sources

    • The Problem With Wind & Solar Energy = The Grid

    • Take A Look At How A Suedlink Cable Is Made

    • Suedlink Cable Arrives In Germany (July 2023) !

    • German/Swiss Video: Erneubare Energie (Just Listen To What Swiss German Sounds Like)

    • German Video: Was ist Sudlink?

    • German Video: Südlink Elbquerung

    • HL German Video: Der Suedlink Kabel Plan für Erneubare Energie in Deutschland
  • 13

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: Renewable Energy Success Stories In Germany (3 English Posts)

    • The Town Of Wildpoldsried (2012)

    • An Update On Wildpoldsried (2017)

    • The Town Of Feldheim (2022)

    • German Video: Wildpoldsried 2012

    • HL German VIdeo: Land und Leute in Wildpoldsried (2023)
  • 14

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: The Future Might Be Green Hydrogen (2 English Posts)

    • Germany Wants To Buy Green Hydrogen From Namibia

    • Namibia May Have A New Great Future In Green Hydrogen

    • German Video: Grüner Wasserstoff

    • HL German Video: Erdgass Oder Grüner Wasserstoff?

    • HL German Video: H2 Gas das neue Zaubergas?
  • 15

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: Air Pollution From Cars (3 English Posts)

    • A German Car Must Pass An Annual Inspection In Order To Be Allowed On The Road

    • Some German Citites Require Cars To Have A Green Environmentally Friendly Sticker

    • Webpage: Read About The German Environmental Car Sticker

    • Optional English Video (B/C It's Long): Look What Happens If You Enter An Umwelt Zone Without A Green Sticker! (Nightmare Road Trip)

    • German Video: Klimaschutz

    • German Video: Umweltplakette anbringen

    • HL German Video: Feinstaubplakette
  • 16

    WEEK 1 Culture Topic: Many More Bike Options (1 English Post)

    • How The City Of Freiburg Became An Award-Winning Green City

    • E-bikes Are Environmentally Friendly

    • German Video: Cycling In Berlin

    • HL German Video: Fahrrad statt Auto?
  • 17

    WEEK 2 = Do Assignments A1-A5 With A Culture Video AUF DEUTSCH From Your Assigned Topic.

    • Use One Of The Culture Videos Labeled "DEUTSCH" TO COMPLETE A1-A5. Write Everything In Your Composition Notebook.

    • A3 = Write 20 Short Simple German Phrases From Your Selected German Video. Use Deepl.Com & Double Translate. What Could You Say In Your IB Oral And Written Exams That Prove You Know Specific Details About This Topic?

    • Fridays Are For Quizlets. Scroll Up To Find The "Umwelt" Chapters In Quizlet.
  • 18

    WEEK 3 Listening Mock Exam Assignment = Create A Practice Listening Test For One Video IN GERMAN From Your Assigned Topic

    • Template Instructions For Creating An IB Mock Listening Test (PDF)

    • Download This Blank Template & Use It To Create Your Assignment (DOCX)

    • Blank Template Just For Looking At & Printing (PDF)

    • Due By The End Of Class Friday = Post Your Completed Listening Test & Answer Key Online In TEAMS

    • How To Type German Special Characters
  • 19

    WEEK 4 German Writing Mock Paper 1 Exam Assignment = Create A Mock Writing Exam Task For Your Assigned Topic In FLYER Or BROCHURE Format

    • Look At This Sample Flyer Containing Lots Of Text

    • Flyer/Brochure IB Expectations & Word Counts

    • Flyer (=Flugblatt ) Samples In English (Do Not Plagiarize Or Look At Your Classmate's Work- Be Original)

    • Sample: Environmental Brochure Side 1 (click the double arrow in right corner of screen to rotate clockwise)

    • Sample: Environmental Brochure Side 2 (click the double arrow in right corner of screen to rotate clockwise)

    • How To Set Up Your Handwritten Brochure Format

    • These Are The Possible Text-Types On IB Language B Exams

    • List Of Required Features In Each Text Type: A Minimum Of 5 Are Required In Your Writing Assignments and IB Exam Paper

    • Samples Of The Most Popular IB Wrtiting Exam Text Types

    • Alphabetical List Of Interesting Beginnings (Followed By Inverted Word Order)

    • German Connecting & Transition Words Organized By Purpose (Add 6 To Your IB Work)

    • List Of Most Useful German Phrases To Use In An Essay (Check Which Word Order Is Needed)

    • Read: What Is An Idiom?

    • Watch This Idioms Video Then Use A German Idiom In Every IB Writing & Speaking Assignment

    • Checklist For Fixing Your Writing

    • The List Of German Grammar Skills That The IB Examiners Are Looking For In Your Written Exam (Basic Skills On The Bottom/Most Advanced On the Top)

    • IB Writing Exam Rubric

    • Week 4 Assignment: Use The Content Of Your Assigned Culture Topic To Create A Mock Writing Task (With Line Numbers), All Format Features & Written In Black Ink

    • Before Scanning & Submission: Highlight Your Format Features & Your Idiom

    • Am Freitag: Add Langenscheidt Phrases Matched To This Quarter's Theme To Your Spiral Notebook
  • 20

    WEEK 5 Reading ("Text-Handling") Mock Exam Assignment = Create A Practice Reading Test

    • Model Of A Text-Handling Test. Create The Same One But Matched To The Details In Your Completed Mock Writing Exam

    • Text-Handling Template For You To Download And Edit

    • Due By The End Of Class Friday = Post Your Completed Writing Task, Reading Test & Answer Key Online In TEAMS
  • 21

    WEEK 6 Grammar = Pick Up Where You Left Off To Complete The Next Set Of Assigned Grammar Textbook Exercises (At Least 2 GIF Chapters With Corrections)

    • Grammar Textbook Pacing and Topics

    • Go To Our Grammatikkurs To Do Your Work This Week

    • Grammar Help With Frau Doktor Bogard's Grammar Videos

    • Friday's Week 6 Assignment

    • Weekend Homework = Find A Few Good Photos For Your Assigned Culture Topic
  • 22

    WEEK 7 = Mock IA Oral Exam Script. Practice with a Partner Using Your Script Then You Both Present To The Teacher/Class.

    • Learn About the IB Oral Exam Happening in March of Your Senior Year

    • Instructions For This Week's IA Work (NOT FOR HL)

    • HL Seniors Only: Please Read These HL Instructions For Week 7 (Q1 & Q2 Only)

    • Print & Complete This Individual Oral Practice Script (Check First If There Are Copies Already In The Classroom)

    • Pronunciation Help For The IA Script (Use Earbuds & Turn Volume To Very Low)

    • Handout: Umwelt Knowledge Organizer

    • Add Phrases of Disagreement (This Can Stimulate Conversation)

    • You Must Use A German Idiom In Your Oral Exam Script

    • Final IA Assignment: Partner IA Practice

    • Ab Initio- Language B Oral Exam Scoring Rubric

    • SL- Language B Oral Exam Scoring Rubric

    • HL- Language B Oral Exam Scoring Rubric

    • Presentation Guide
  • 23

    WEEK 8= 1) Present Your IA. 2) Copy The Highest Descriptors. 3) Write A Reflection. 4) Complete All Posted Reading & Listening Mock Exams (= May IB Paper 2).

    • STEP 1: Find Your Classmates' Practice Tests In TEAMS - Do All The Reading Tests First, Then Complete The Listening Tests. DO NOT CORRECT YET. DO NOT OPEN KEY. DO NOT USE HELP.

    • STEP 2 FOR JUNIORS: IB Juniors Do Their Mock IA In Groups Of 3

    • STEP 2 FOR SENIORS: Present Your Mock IA To The Class With A Partner. We Start Monday Of Week 8.

    • STEP 3 FOR EVERYONE: Read The IB SL & HL (Not Ab Initio) Internal Assessment Scoring Rubrics Here. Written Assignment = Copy The Descriptions For Each of the 4 Criterion (A, B1, B2, C) Into Your Composition Notebook- Title Each Criterion.

    • STEP 3 For Ab Initio Seniors Only: Read Pages 38-41. Written Assignment = Copy The Descriptions For The Highest Band From Each of the Four (A, B1, B2, & C) Criterion Sections Into Your Composition Notebook- Title Each Criterion.

    • STEP 4: Write A Reflection Immediately After Your IA Presentation.

    • Seniors: Your Q2 Mock IA Presentation Produces 3 Scores To Determine A Midterm Exam Grade

    • To Earn A Grade For Week 8 Submit 1 PDF Of All Completed Tasks
  • 24

    WEEK 9 = Correct Your Completed Tests

    • Week 9 Daily Instructions (Correct Reading & Listening, Turn In Reflection, Group Discussion, Write A Connection, Staple & Grading)

    • What To Do While You Wait For Everyone To Be Ready To Discuss This Unit...
  • 25

    IB EXAM REVIEW FOR IB SENIORS ONLY: Come Back Here To Review For The May IB German Exam In May

    • Infoblatt: die Umwelt (Read, Translate, And Add To Your Written Task & IA Oral Script)

    • Culture Summary Sheet- Print & Complete & Staple Into Your Composition Notebook

    • Umwelt Knowledge Organizer

    • Summary Of The Energiewende- Talk & Write About This Content (Jan 2023)
  • 26

    Umwelt Resources

    • Lots Of Websites With German Environment Topics

State Certified German Teacher For 30 Years

Dr. Bogard

The owner and creator of the Time To Learn German website is Eva Bogard, Ph.D. She was born in Manhattan (NYC) to a German mother and a German-American father. She earned her bachelor's degree in foreign languages at snowy SUNY-Oswego and completed her graduate studies in Second Language Education and Instructional Technology at sunny USF-Tampa, where she earned her Master's and Doctorate degrees. She has spent several colorful summers in France enjoying the language and culture in Paris, St. Malo and Tours, but is usually found during her long summer breaks on the beach in Florida, or in the mountains of southwest Germany. Professionally, she is very interested in online hybrid education, especially using instructional technology in both her classroom and online courses to teach foreign languages. Eva is an International Baccalaureate teacher, and a Montessori education enthusiast. She has taught German, French and Spanish, as well as, Information Technology and Business Management over the last 30 years.

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