Day and Date: 9/22/2020 & 9/25/2020 (Two-day class!)
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediate/Advanced
Class theme/topics discussed: Prep & bake a bread & “Brotzeit” (Bread Time)
Goal of the class: Learn how to read recipes and make your own bread
How did you structure the class?
DAY 1
A) Warm-Up Discussion: Tell us about a food you like to cook and describe how you would cook it (learn words for preparation)
B) Look at a simple, no-knead bread recipe steps 1-3 (see attached) and go through the verbs necessary in each step. (In my kitchen, I showed them kitchen items that we will need for baking the bread and made sure they have them accessible.)
C) Ask the students to tell you what to do in German to prep the dough for the bread, reading the recipe out loud.
D) Homework: The students shall prep their bread the night before the next class! Make sure to let them know to put a note on the oven so roommates/family know that the dough is proofing in there (so nobody turns it on and accidentally bakes the pre-dough). If they have high traffic in their kitchen, they can proof it on their counter overnight alternatively.
DAY 2
A) Start with preheating dutch ovens and preparing utensils (10 mins). Go through the rest of the recipe with them and make it together.
B) Bread goes into oven (20 minutes). Meanwhile, talk about “Brotzeit” and where it came from. Show some examples on what you can have on bread. Discussion with students: How will you eat your self-made bread?
C) Remove lid from bread and bake for another 25 minutes. Meanwhile, continue discussion: What is a beer garden, what utensils do we use to eat? What do we call our table setting? Learn new words that they are not familiar with yet.
D) Homework: Take a photo of what you’re eating the bread with and who you’re eating with. Describe how it tasted in the next class.
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Prop: Share Screen function in Zoom, Images, Google Docs, Chat, Course Website as a resource for homework and reference
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The students were nicely engaged, baking along. When showing them how to make the recipe I could tell they were a little bored so I had them taking turns directing me. The bake-along might be more difficult in a larger class, I only had three students.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I could have given the students a bit more notice for the ingredients. They need water, flour, salt and yeast. And maybe one could find a way to have my laptop in the kitchen, so I don’t have to run between my desk and the kitchen while the bread is in the oven and we talk about “Brotzeit”.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class):
Advanced
Class theme/topics discussed:
Last class: kanji games
Goal of the class:
Guess how to read unusual kanji
How did you structure the class?
How are you doing? Hanging in there? Good news if any??? (7 min)
Hawaiian Thanksgiving dishes – lots of Asian food included
Guess and read the kanji (45 min)
Veggies
Fruits
Things in the water
Family names
Most complicated kanji (10 min)
Some legendary mysterious kanji
Officially registered real kanji
What technology, media or props did you use? (internetresources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Class agreement, breakuprooms
Zoom, white board
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
We talked how we feel at the end of the semester. Since everything happened online at home, there is not a huge difference compared to pre-COVID time when students used to move back to their hometown etc.
We talked a bit about Hawaiian Thanksgiving food
Kanji guessing game was fun, and they had very good questions such as when these vegetables were introduced to Japan and how their kanji were decided like that.
One student was sharing her knowledge about how Taiwanese use the same kanji for the same fruits and how a kanji was chosen for a certain fruit because of the meaning of kanji (蕃)
We guessed some strange and rare family names and some super complicated kanji as well.
We had a pretty fun time. They used everything they know to guess the kanji, such as a documentary film about fish that they watched the other day, the knowledge of Taiwanese usage of kanji, etc.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
There are lots of kanji. Some are easy to guess, and others are just impossible to guess. We can do a lot about this.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Below are what we did with whiteboard
Fruits
Vegetables
Things in the water
Rare and strange family names
Complicated kanji
Taito たいと – a family name (not officially recorded in anywhere but there is a story around this kanji)
How we appreciate season? Any new “kigo” that we can create that’s specific to American seasonal moments?
What reminds us of seasons? What kind of things do we appreciate in a season? What do we do, see, hear, taste or feel in a season?
Let’s make a haiku!
Main room (15 min)
Share the haiku each group made.
What technology, media or props did you use? (internetresources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Class agreement, breakuprooms
Zoom, Breakout room, emails, YouTube and internet resources.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
They knew the basics of haiku. The video helped them understand a little deeper about haiku.
“kigo” is an interesting concept. Instead of telling them this as a rule, I let them think about and come up with their own “kigo” in their own environment (American or California or whatever they think of)
I believe it’s a nice activity to reflect how we are related to our environment, such as nature or seasonal events.
This also turned into finding a little nice or memorable moment in their daily life relating to a season
They enjoyed thinking of “kigo” and they explained how seasonal a certain word is to me, as I’m not quite familiar to American seasonal practice.
They enjoyed making haiku, too, and they are using some techniques such as ji-amari (extra letter) or taigen-dome (ending a phrase with a noun)
I also had them type their poem into the chat so I can make sure I know what they did and also I can save it.
This was also finding a little nice or memorable moment in their daily life
How could this class be improved/ modified?
We focused on fall as it’s fall now, but we can do this any seasons
We can also do “senryu,” which is like haiku, but you do not need to use “kigo” in it. So this could be a little freer and more hilarious.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Some concepts: 俳句、季語、字余り、字足らず、倒置法
Student works (with my quick translation):
天の川（あまのがわ） 今晩月は（こんばんつきは） 珍しい（めずらしい） With Milky way, tonight’s moon is rare.
紅葉狩り カリフォルニアで 火事がある While enjoying the colorful fall tree leaves while it’s on fire in California
コーン畑 踊って来てる 骸骨は At Corn field, a skeleton is coming while dancing
花枯れる (はなかれる) BTS が来る (ビティエスがくる) うれしいな The season the flowers die, it’s also a season BTS comes here. Feels happy.
タコ火曜 感謝祭と 食べすぎる Taco Tuesday, also Thanksgiving, I’m eating too much
秋のくれ（あき） カボチャをほって 光入れ（ひかりいれ） At dusk, I curve a pumpkin and light inside.
秋の時間 色々な色 思い出す Fall time, I remember lots of colors.
秋に来る 外を見る時 しあわせな Coming in the fall, I feel happy looking outside
春寒のころ 電車を待ち中 あの子見た In early spring, while waiting for a train, I saw the girl.
宿題が 飛んで行ってる 貝寄風のおかげ My homework is all blown away, thanks to a strong spring wind!
蝉の音 種を吐き出せ ネバネバな手 Cicada sounds, let’s spit out seeds with my sticky hands
最初の雨 上に雪が降る 山眠る The first rain, and then snow falls, the mountain sleeps
大雨で 峰 白くなり 山眠る A huge rain fall, the peak of mountains become white as mountains sleeps
雨の後 雲吹き飛ばし 白い山 After the rain, the clounds are blown away and I see a white mountain.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediante/Advanced
Class theme/topics discussed: Christmas & the holidays
Goal of the class: Learning about German customs and escaping Krampus’ mine
How did you structure the class?
A) Warm-Up: With the lights off and your Zoom background set to a coal mine, tell the students they have been captured and brought to a coal mine because they opened their advent calendars too early! Impersonating Krampus for this is highly recommended & fun (I wore a Santa hat and used a flash light to make myself look frightening)
B) Give them the “escape room” game Google Sheet link and explain (as “Krampus”) how they are going to find the code word to get out (which is “Merry Christmas” in German, but backwards, see Key sheet). Stress that they are supposed to talk to each other to solve riddles together, one at a time. Then set a timer for 45-50 minutes for them to solve the questions and to guess the code word.
It’s good to remind them of the time they have left every once in a while (half time and maybe 5 minutes before, depending how they are doing on time). I plan about 5 minutes per question on average as a guideline. If they are taking longer, feel free to help them a bit by telling them if their answer is right or wrong before they type them in, to avoid detours. And giving hints or more information about a correct answer works well, too.
C) Once the game is finished, go over the answers the students provided or answer any outstanding questions about Christmas in Germany.
D) Extra activity: Watch “Cat-A-Claws”, a 2-minute Christmas themed cat movie https://vimeo.com/381605666 (this is my own production, but available publicly). Find traditions and words we talked about in the movie.
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.): Share Screen function in Zoom, Chat, Google Sheets, Vimeo, Course Website as a resource for homework and reference
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The students enjoyed the surprise escape room very much and solved the riddles just in time. I clarified some things during the game and helped a bit to keep it moving. It was a fun way to learn!
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I’ve tried this both with just one student and a group of three students and both took about 45-50 minutes to finish it. If the group is much larger, communication might be hard so they should probably be split up into groups of three or four and you can jump from room to room to help if necessary.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Note: You can use the key document for yourself and then load the blank template tab into Google Sheets to have the students work in the same document. It’s best if one student shares their screen of it so all can see what’s asked.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediate/Advanced
Class theme/topics discussed: Oktoberfest
Goal of the class: Know how to order foods and drinks & how to give compliments/small talk
How did you structure the class?
A) Warm-Up: Discussion about Oktoberfest – what do students know about it? Have you been? Learn important vocabulary (best with pictures, maybe let them pronounce the words/fill in translations for intermediate). (10 min)
*Optional for advanced students or students who have been to Oktoberfest: Wordsearch with words that they have to find (helps knowing how to spell words that they have just heard before)
Activity 2: Discussion: How do we order items/ask other people to bring us food? How do we give compliments? (10 min) – can be done online in small breakout groups either just talking or written with Google Sheets or in small classes with whole class (see example for ordering food/conversations with server attached)
B) Some facts and figures about Oktoberfest. Learn about 40th Oktoberfest terrorist attack anniversary. Talk about effects of Covid-19 and the alternate program in Munich via their Instagram page.
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.): Share Screen function in Zoom, Images, Instagram, YouTube, Google Docs, Chat, Course Website as a resource for homework and reference
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The students were engaged well. One of the students had been to Oktoberfest, so I let her knowledge and conversations lead to the topics and added some based on questions. They enjoyed ordering things and learning compliments. We zigzagged a bit in terms of topics, but I wanted to keep it organic. They very much enjoyed the videos and pictures of the alternate program to Oktoberfest this year.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
Oktoberfest is such a huge topic that it’s hard to give a true impression in one hour and have a conversation and some grammar at the same time. I assumed they had already seen the partying in tents and the atmosphere, so I focused on more practical/historical aspects of it and some special attractions that they have had in the past and are having now. I think that worked well.
Class theme/topic discussed : Food Industry & Diet
Goal of the class
Practice vocabulary related to diet and food industry
Discuss how health laws are related with health issues and the role food industries have on consumption.
Class structure
Warm-up questions: What’s a “diet” for you? Have your eating habits changed since you were a child? How would an average diet look like in the US? What diets have you heard of, what do they consist of?
Activity 1 Organic Diet: Students discuss the issues that are supposed to be solved by switching to a 100% organic diet. After introducing the possible new issues that may arise as a consequence, students discuss the short- and long-term effects an organic diet may have for the environment and agriculture. Would it be feasible for everyone?
Activity 2 Food labeling laws: Student watch videos about food labeling regulations in the US and in Chile. They answer some questions about them: Do they have anything in common? How are they different? What effects do you think these regulations have had on public health concerns? Do you think it changed people’s eating habits? Would it work in the US?
Activity 3 What’s for dinner (cred. Tamara Olivos): In groups students must create a recipe with a “secret ingredient” to make it special (doesn’t have to be food, they can be as creative as they want). Then, they present their creation to the class as if they were on TV.
Reflection: What worked/did not work? How can it be improved?
It was a great class. Two students who took my class the year before so we had already commented on the food labeling laws, but in a much more superficial level. They were all very interested on how different the regulations were, the effects it had had on public health and how a regulation like this would be beneficial in the US.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediate
Class theme/topics discussed: Food & Groceries
Goal of the class: Identify food in a recipe and know how to buy it
How did you structure the class?
A) Warm-Up Discussion: Who enjoys cooking? Who does it regularly? Has it changed with the pandemic? What’s your favorite food?
B) Quick food quiz about fruit & vegetables: ask them which German fruits and veggies they already know. Then use a Google Doc with pictures and German words underneath to let them fill out the English equivalent and read them out loud for pronunciation.
C) Corona e-shopping: Look at different shopping carts I pre-loaded online and guess what food it might be for, show them photo of finished dish. (For more advanced group or extra time: ask them how ingredients might be used.) Then learn each of the ingredients’ words and identify structure and words of the shopping cart.
(Example dishes: Pasta w tomato sauce, Schnitzel with potato wedges, Currywurst with fries, buttered bread/pretzels)
D) Homework/Extra activity: Go over to getnow.com (German equivalent to Instacart), enter 80333 (Munich) as post code and gather ingredients of a dish you make a lot. Bring a screenshot of your shopping cart and a photo of what the dish will look like. (And you can have the students guess each other’s in next session).
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.): Share Screen function in Zoom, Images, Google Sheets, Website getnow.com, Chat, Course Website as a resource for homework and reference
What worked well in this class? What did not work? The students enjoyed learning the different groceries and learning to shop on their own online.
How could this class be improved/ modified? If it’s a larger class (more than 4-5 students), it can be done in groups. For more advanced students, you can pick harder fruits/vegetables or practice plural/pronouns.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Spanish Intermediate
Class theme/topics discussed: Food
Goal of the class:
To learn vocabulary about food
To exchange information about favorite dishes
To invent their own creative dish
How did you structure the class?
Warm up: Students see different pictures of food and try to guess which one is Spanish.
Activity 1: I tell them that my favorite dish is the Spanish omelet and I explain them how to do it. Meanwhile students complete a worksheet about how to do a Spanish omelet.
Activity 2: Students think of their favorite food and explain the recipe to another classmate.
Activity 3: In groups students will become chefs and have to think of a super creative recipe. They receive three main ingredients that their dish must contain (they will be weird combinations) and they have to invent a name for the dish and a recipe.
Activity 4: Presentation of the dishes in front of the class and results from the jury.
Extra final activity: Showing them weird foods or strange food combinations that people eat and discussing whether they would try them or not.
Extra activity (2): Telling them a personal story about a cooking disaster.
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
PowerPoint Presentation
Handout about Spanish omelet
Cue cards with ingredients for the task
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
They seemed to have fun while inventing their own recipe and they showed lots of interest during the warm-up activity discovering new Spanish dishes. They were also shocked by my cooking disaster; they really like these kinds of personal stories.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
The comprehension activity while I was providing them with some input was a bit confusing because there were two tasks in the same activity. It would have been better to simply put the statements in order and leave the part of matching statements with pictures only for fast-finishers.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Advanced Japanese
Class theme/topics discussed: New Year Traditions
Goal of the class: To be able to explain their new year traditions and to learn Japanese new year traditions to details.
How did you structure the class?
Activity1 (5 min): Warm-up
We talk about the game we’ll be having during the Open House next week and discuss what words are interesting sounds for Americans. We decide 5 words that visitors to our lounge has to guess what that it.
Activity2 (10 min): New Year Tradition
I group students by cultures they’re familiar with. In the group, students talk about what they do as new year’s tradition in their culture. How do they celebrate? What do they eat? Where do they go? What do they see? Etc… After a several minutes, we share what they talked about with the whole class.
Activity3 (10 min): Japanese New Year Tradition
I tell students what we do in Japan, showing some pictures.
Activity4 (10 min): Osechi
I introduce Osechi, Japanese new year’s food, with a picture and ask students what they know about it.
Activity5 (15 min): Meaning of Each Dish in Osechi
We check each name of dishes. Then, students make pairs and guess what its meaning of each dish. Then, I’ll read out true meanings of each dish. Students guess what that is.
Activity6 (5 min): Wrap-up
We have casual conversations about Osechi. What would you like to try eating? Cooking? Have you ever eaten Japanese Osechi? Is there anything similar to your culture?
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
It worked well. I also learned many things about Japanese new year tradition of food. Time management was good today.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
The topic with this plan could include more active speaking activities somehow.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediate Japanese
Class theme/topics discussed: Food
Goal of the class: To be able to use vocabularies related food and to be able to explain their favorite food.
How did you structure the class?
Activity1 (10 min): Warm-up
We dice-talk about the weekends. Students are divided into 2 groups and each dimension of the dice has words related to food.
Activity2 (10 min): Brainstorming
I show some pictures and ask the whole class to describe the food. For example, I show a picture of sushi and ask students some questions such as what is it made of? How do you eat it? What taste is specific to the food? Where do you find it? Where does it originally come from? Do many people like it? Is it expensive? etc. They’re not supposed to say just “that’s sushi”. Words brainstormed during this activity are written on the white board.
Activity3 (10 min): Favorite Food
Students come up with their top 3 favorite foods and write them down on a piece of paper, keeping them secret to other students for now.
Activity4 (25 min): What is it?
Students are divided into 2 groups. In each group, one student starts “This is my best/second/third favorite food” and then, the other members of the group start asking question to reveal what it is. For the last 5 minutes, we play this game with the whole class picking one student’s favorite food whose hasn’t done yet.
Activity5 (5 min): Wrap-up
A brief announcement about the upcoming cultural activity is made.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
It worked well. Students talked a lot, which was really good. One thing I should have added is that for the Activity4, one more rule should have been clarified that they cannot ask WH questions. Also, I could have prepared more expressions related to today’s topic, which could have been introduced while Activity2 and could have been a more efficient exercise for students with more words or expressions.
How could this class be improved/ modified?I would add a rule that students cannot ask WH questions during Activity4. Also, I would prepare more words in advance, which students must know but forget for the moment.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class):
German, Advanced
Class theme/topics discussed:
Cooking and eating
Goal of the class:
Being able to talk about food and the ways of cooking it.
How did you structure the class?
Activity 1 (10 min): Icebreaker and introduction. Before class, I hung up some pictures of dishes. The students had to walk in pairs around the classroom and identify them first. Then, they had to think of the ingredients they needed to make the dish and the way of preparing it. We discussed the results in the big group.
Activity 2 (5 min): I told the students to write down as many terms about cooking, food and eating they possibly knew. In pairs, the students had one minute to do that. The winners would get a little surprise (cookies). We briefly discussed the terms they gathered in the big group.
Activity 3 (15 min): I showed a video of a person cooking a dish. In the same pairs, the students had to write down the ingredients they could identify and also the steps it needed to make the dish itself (which were displayed in the video). In the group, we discussed the results.
Activity 4 (30 min): I told the students to imagine being restaurant owners and therefore creating their own menus. In pairs, they had to think of one dish they would like to put there. The task was also to think of the name, price, ingredients, cooking devices, and a short description why it is the best dish. In the group, they would present their results. The winning pair would get the rest of the cookies.
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Whiteboard and marker
Youtube video of a person cooking
Pictures of dishes
PowerPoint presentation (attached)
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The students had a lot of fun doing the competitive task and also
creating their own dish.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
It was a great class. I would keep it as it is.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan,
please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
