Conversation Class Lesson Plan

Section: Advanced Conversation
Date: March 2, 2010

Class theme/topics discussed: German poems (continued)

How did you pick this theme or topic?
See previous lesson.

 

How did you present the material? (handouts, group work, general discussion, student presentations, etc.)
I asked my students to recall what we did the lesson before and to sum up some of the poems that they found intriguing. Then, I asked them to discuss which one they would like to choose in order to recite it for the upcoming German “Liederabend”. They agreed on Goethe’s “Erlkoenig”. We discussed the poem in great detail and the students came up with different, very interesting analyses. Afterwards, I gave them the English translation of the poem and we critically compared the German and English version.
Then, I asked the students to discuss the way in which they would like to recite the poem. After they’d agreed on that, we spent the rest of the lesson practicing how to recite the poem and how to ‘act’ on stage.

How did students react?
I think the students were really happy with the poem they finally selected. They had fun rehearsing it and really got into character. I think it was a good way for them to rehearse the poem and to make them more prepared and comfortable for the upcoming “Liederabend” event.

Did they engage with each other and you?
Yes, they did.

What materials or media did you use? (articles, satellite tv, digital projector, etc.)
Copies of the “Erlkoenig”

Would you recommend this activity for a future class? Why or why not?
Yes, the students were very motivated to rehearse their recital and they were excited for the upcoming “Liederabend”.

Der Erlkönig