1. Themenprojekt: Meine Wohnung
Die Wohnungsbeschreibung
Thema:
For this first Themenproject (unit assessment), you will either write about (schriftlich) or present (mündlich) a description of your current living space, including a visual element at the end.* Please use the modeled language from our Deutsch im Alltag III to complete this project, instead of writing out your thoughts in English and then translating them.**
Format:
If you choose schriftlich (the written format), the text can be submitted as a blog post, as presentation slides, as a letter to a new friend, or other kind of written product. The visual element should be 1 or more pictures that can be seen at the end of the text. Please bring a copy of your work to class.
If you choose mündlich (spoken presentation), your project can be submitted as a live presentation in class (with presentation slides, if desired) or as a audio or video recording that can be shared live in class or via our discussion forum on Canvas. The visual element can be pictures, video, or both, visible only at the end of the text. Submit your written script on Canvas, and the media file, if you’ve recorded your presentation. Otherwise, you may have notes to support your live presentation.
Over the course of the semester, you will complete 6 Themenprojekte(out of 8 possibleThemen). At least 2 of theThemenprojektemust be schriftlich and at least 1 of the Themenprojekte must be mündlich.
Aufgabendetails:
Each Themenprojekt will have three levels of intensity and difficulty for you to choose from.
The Grundaufgabe (foundational assessment) is for students in their first semester of second year German (2030). You will be required to challenge yourself beyond this level at least one time during the semester with an Erweiterungsaufgabe (expanded assessment). You can chose which Themenprojekt will be your challenge assessment. You are welcome to challenge (or partially challenge) yourself every time without penalty!
The Erweiterungsaufgabe (expanded assessment) is the foundational level for students in their second semester of second year German (2040). You will be required to challenge yourself beyond this level at least one time during the semester with a Herausfordungsaufgabe (challenge assessment). You can chose which Themenprojekt will be your challenge assessment. You are welcome to challenge (or partially challenge) yourself every time without penalty!
Die Grundaufgabe | Die Erweiterungsaufgabe |
Die Herausforderungsaufgabe |
State where your place of residence is located (1.1) and name at least one thing that is nearby (1.3).
State what kind of residence you live in (1.2), the floor(s) you live on (1.2), and whether you live alone or with others (1.1). Give a simple description of your floor plan (1.4), naming the rooms (1.2). Describe one room/area in more detail, naming at least 4 pieces of furniture and/or decorative items and stating their locations in the room (1.2 & 1.4). One item should have a descriptor (e.g. eine schwarze Lampe, ein weiches Sofa, ein großer Tisch). |
State where your place of residence is located (1.1) and name at least three things that are nearby (1.3).
State what kind of residence you live in (1.2), the floor(s) you live on (1.2), and whether you live alone or with others (1.1). Give a description of your floor plan (1.4), naming the rooms (1.2). Describe two rooms/area in more detail, naming at least 5 pieces of furniture and/or decorative items in each and stating their locations in the room (1.2 & 1.4). At least two items should have a descriptor (e.g. eine schwarze Lampe, ein weiches Sofa, ein großer Tisch). |
State where your place of residence is located (1.1) and name at least five things that are nearby – or are not nearby (1.3).
State what kind of residence you live in (1.2), the floor(s) you live on (1.2), and whether you live alone or with others (1.1). Give a detailed description of your floor plan (1.4), naming the rooms (1.2). Describe three rooms/area in more detail, naming at least 7 pieces of furniture and/or decorative items in each and stating their locations in the room (1.2 & 1.4). At least 5 items should have a descriptor (e.g. eine schwarze Lampe, ein weiches Sofa, ein großer Tisch). |
*Regarding the visual element: You are never required to share personal information with the class, if you prefer not to. When you are prompted to add pictures/video, you may use your own pictures/video of non-personal content (no identifying information of other people without their consent) or from internet sources (properly credited, if not in the public domain).
**Special note about model-based learning. It is very important that you use the models found in the individual lessons instead of writing your own text completely. Here are the reasons why:
- If you write your own text, the chances that you will think about what you want to say in English first are very high. If you start with English, then you are much more likely to need much more complicated structures that what you currently can do in German. This means that you will most likely either translate your English ideas word for word – which means you would not be speaking German in the end, but English with German words – or you will be tempted to use a translation engine like Google translate or AI. Using these tools in this way does not contribute to your language learning.
- If you use the model, then you are sticking to the German you know and/or the German you are learning. The model presents you with correct structures (grammar) and spelling of most of the words (and you can look in our book for the spelling of the words you will add). This means that your assignment is already at least 75% correct, if you copy the text correctly.
- You still make your text unique by adding your own vocabulary – from the vocabulary you have learned. Please resist the temptation to look anything/everything up! You should return to the relevant lessons to find the words and phrases you need. -> If you are having a hard time recalling those words and phrases from this Thema, that is a sign you should spend more time in the OER Deutsch im Alltag III and/or learning vocabulary. Remember: You do not need to commit every word in this Thema to memory. Instead, focus on the words that are the most meaningful and relevant to you.
Media Attributions
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