4.1 Landschaftstypen
Lektionsüberblick
In this final Thema: Meine Welt-Meine Umwelt, we are looking more closely at the world around us and learning about the parts that need protection. In this lesson, we will explore the flora and fauna of the three most-typical landscapes across German-speaking Europe. What kind of differences do you notice to where you live? What kind of things would you like to see when abroad? In the end, you will be able to identify a variety of flora and fauna in three regions – 1) the Alps, 2) lowland forests, 3) the coasts, islands, and lakes, and talk about which things you would like to see.
1) Die Pflanzen- und Tierwelt der Alpen
The Alps are a major mountain range in Europe stretching across eight countries, including several German-speaking countries, including Liechtenstein—in fact, Liechtenstein is the only country completely surrounded by the Alps. The mountain range maintains a diversity of flora and fauna, which changes quite a bit the higher you go. We will look at some common types of plants and animals in the presentation below.
You can join thoughts by using the word damit (= so that).
Let’s practice describing plants and animals we’d like to see and why.
Jetzt bist du dran!
Was möchtest du in den Alpen sehen? Möchtest du lieber eine besondere Pflanze oder ein besonders Tier sehen? Warum? Using the modeled language in the activity, describe what interests you or what you would prefer to see, if you were in the Alps, and why in your written journal.
When you’ve checked your work, record yourself in your audio journal.
Die Alpen im Blickpunkt des Umweltschutzes
Interested in the environmental concerns in the Alps? You can check out the following authentic materials:
- “Die Alpen” with NaturDetektive, a site for children created by the Bundesamt für Naturschutz (The Federal Agency for Environmental Protection)
- “Alpen schützen und nachhaltig entwickeln” from Umwelt im Unterricht (Environment in Class)
- Klimawandel: Warum Berge Schutz brauchen from ARD 1
2) Die Pflanzen- und Tierwelt der Flachlandwälder
The lowland forests (die Flachlandwälder) in central Europe have their own unique mix of flora and fauna that are oftentimes different than what you might see flourishing on the side of a mountain in the Alps. We will look at some common types of plants and animals in the presentation below.
Let’s practice describing plants and animals we’d like to see and why.
Jetzt bist du dran!
Was würdest du gern in den Alpen sehen? Würdest du lieber eine besondere Pflanze oder ein besonders Tier sehen? Warum? Using the modeled language in the activity, describe what interests you or what you would prefer to see, if you were in the lowland forests, and why in your written journal.
When you’ve checked your work, record yourself in your audio journal.
Die Flachlandwälder im Blickpunkt des Umweltschutzes
Interested in the environmental concerns in the lowland forests? You can check out the following authentic materials:
- “Entdecke den Wald” with NaturDetektive, a site for children created by the Bundesamt für Naturschutz (The Federal Agency for Environmental Protection)
- “Das leisten die Wälder” from Umwelt im Unterricht (Environment in Class)
- Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf das Grünland from Anliegen Natur
Sønderborg im Blickpunkt
Sønderborg ist eine Stadt im Süden von Dänemark an der deutschen Grenze im Landesteil Nordschleswig. Rund 15.000 Menschen gehören der deutschen Minderheit in Nordschleswig an. Die Amtssprache in Dänemark ist Dänisch, aber in Nordschleswig gibt es wegen der Geschichte der Region deutsche Schulen und Kindergärten und manche Menschen sprechen Deutsch zu Hause.
Sønderborg is a town in the south of Denmark, close to the German border in the region of Nordschleswig. Around 15,000 people belong to the German minority in Nordschleswig. The official language is Danish, but because of the history of the region, there are German schools and kindergartens and some people speak German at home.
3) Die Pflanzen- und Tierwelt der Küsten, Inseln und Seen
Let’s practice!
Jetzt bist du dran!
Spend some time with the presentation above. Practice reading the sentences aloud in your audio journal. What words are new for you? What words or constructions might you use in the future to describe the flora and fauna of a water landscape that you know? Write those in your written journal.
Die Küsten, Inseln und Seen im Blickpunkt des Umweltschutzes
Interested in the environmental concerns on the coasts, islands and lakes? You can check out the following authentic materials:
- “Am Meer” with NaturDetektive, a site for children created by the Bundesamt für Naturschutz (The Federal Agency for Environmental Protection)
- “Meere – die Superhelden des Klimaschutzes” from Umwelt im Unterricht (Environment in Class)
- Meeresschutz – ohne Meer kein Leben from WWF Deutschland
Jetzt kombinieren!
In this lesson, you learned how to identify a variety of flora and fauna in three regions – 1) the Alps, 2) lowland forests, 3) the coasts, islands, and lakes, and talk about which things you would like to see. If you are feeling unsure about any part of this lesson, go back to that section and review.
Let’s put it all together now in two parts.
1. You have been introduced to lots of plants and animals in the unique landscapes of German-speaking Europe. Most likely, there are plants and animals that you would enjoy seeing, and there are multiple ways to express what you would like to see. Let’s review:
| Ich möchte…sehen. | In this case, this is more like a request to see something, or if you have options and are indicating what you would like to see. |
| Ich sehe gern… | I like to see, as in you enjoy seeing this thing or these things. |
| Ich sehe lieber… | I prefer to see… |
| Ich sehe am liebsten… | I like seeing the most… |
| Ich würde gern…sehen | I would like to see, in the sense that you are not in this location to see it, but if you were theoretically, this is what you would like to see. |
So…was darf’s sein? What will it be? What would YOU like to see if you were walking around the landscapes of the Alps, the lowland forests, or the watery regions of these countries? Build a sentence for each construction above. Or, if it would benefit you more, choose the construction that you envision yourself using the most, and write five sentences that lead you to feel 100% confident of that structure.
2. Now imagine that you are walking in the woods with your German-speaking friend or classmate and spot some of the species of plants and animals you saw in this lesson. What might you say? It might be important to mention here a short little phrase that means, Look! That phrase is, Schau mal!
You can begin your sentence with this. Then record what you would say to your friend in your audio journal.
Media Attributions
- 2030-2040 fl banner large is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike) license
- Photo of Sonderborg Denmark by Niklas Jeromin: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-boats-on-sea-near-the-harbour-7019958/
