German 3, 4, & 5 for High Schoolers (Part 1 of 4)
Take the next steps to fluency with German 3, 4, & 5. UNIQUE HYBRID FORMAT: 1 weekly Live Session + Guided Work provides the equivalent of 4 sessions per week.
Jennifer Bjornstad, PhD (German)
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(200)
Rising Star
What's included
8 live meetings
6 in-class hoursMastery Evaluation
2-4 hours per week. You can expect to spend between 2 and 4 hours per week on the Guided Work portion of this class. (This will, of course, vary for each student.) Guided Work will include… + “grammar training” videos + “grammar training” worksheets + readings + practicing the simple past tense Additionally, you should expect to spent time in daily vocabulary study and studying for quizzes & exams.Assessment
Students will complete occasional quizzes and one exam per quarter.Grading
A Quarterly Report will be provided families at the end of each quarter, containing 1) information on the class content, 2) instructor credentials, 3) student exam grades, and 4) a narrative on the student's progress in the class. If you need any additional information for your homeschooling transcript or high school guidance counselor, just let me know.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Intermediate Level
German 3, 4, & 5 for High Schoolers lets your child continue on an exciting language-learning journey that will… • transform your child into a confident communicator • prepare your child to meet college entrance requirements • open doors for a career in business, engineering, global health, communications, government, the arts…the sky’s the limit! The German for High Schoolers curriculum will give you peace of mind and your young person a rich learning experience with solid outcomes. + ENROLL YOUR CHILD in German 3, 4, & 5 today to secure a spot for 2025-2026. + MESSAGE ME with any questions. I’d love to send you a PDF on the World Language College Entrance Requirement, a link to the German for High Schoolers Trial Class, and a link to a Meet & Greet session. Your young person will be making great strides toward fluency! --Jennifer Bjornstad, PhD ------------ UNIQUE HYBRID FORMAT: LIVE SESSION + GUIDED WORK The class follows a hybrid format, with two components: 1: Each Monday, students in German 3, German 4, and German 5 come together in our Live Session for speaking practice, discussion of our readings, follow-up on grammar assignments, and cultural enrichment. 2: During the week, your child will work individually on the Guided Work assignments. I will teach them via interactive videos, reading assignments, reading guides, and grammar-practice worksheets. Students can expect to spend two to four hours per week on the Guided Work assignments. In my experience, students at the intermediate level are able to do the more independent “Guided Work” quite successfully. The live meetings, quarterly exams, and weekly “Study Trackers” provide them with frequent checkpoints. GERMAN 3: • Quarter 1: Grimm fairy tale “Das Mädchen ohne Hände” • Quarter 2: Chapter book by Peter Härtling, Ben liebt Anna (part 1) • Quarter 3: Chapter book by Peter Härtling, Ben liebt Anna (part 2) • Quarter 4: Vater und Sohn comic by e.o. plauen + writing assignment • plus…Grammar Training videos + level 1 worksheets • plus…advanced grammar instruction in simple past tense, two-way prepositions, and adjective endings GERMAN 4: • Quarter 1: Autobiography by Erich Kästner, Als ich ein kleiner Junge war • Quarter 2: Novella by Heinrich Böll, Das Brot der frühen Jahre (part 1) • Quarter 3: Novella by Heinrich Böll, Das Brot der frühen Jahre (part 2) • Quarter 4: major writing assignment • plus…Grammar Training video review + level 2 worksheets • plus…paragraph-writing assignments with individualized feedback & practice via “Targeted Learning Worksheets” GERMAN 5: • Quarter 1: Biography of Käthe Kollwitz • Quarter 2: Novel by Jurek Becker, Bronsteins Kinder (part 1) • Quarter 3: Novel by Jurek Becker, Bronsteins Kinder (part 2) • Quarter 4: major writing assignment • plus…Grammar Training video review + level 3 worksheets • plus…paragraph-writing assignments with individualized feedback & practice via “Targeted Learning Worksheets” ------------ PRICING & CLASS VALUE I know that the cost of this class represents a significant investment in your child’s education. The class price includes… + expert instruction + instructor-created lesson plans, activities, & materials + once-a-week Family Letter + once-a-quarter individualized Quarterly Report + close instructor-parent communication You’re getting the real deal here. I am a true advanced professional with 25+ years of teaching experience, training, awards, and a PhD. Teaching on Outschool is my full-time job. I take my work seriously and spend a lot of time thinking about how best to support each student. I teach just a small number of students per year, so you can be sure your child is getting the personalized attention that builds confidence, honors each student’s unique abilities, and leads to language-learning success. ------------ FAQ Q: Do you teach the class in GERMAN or in ENGLISH? A: Both! I use a “partial immersion” approach. At the German 3, 4, & 5 level, most of class time is spent in German. Q: Are you a NATIVE SPEAKER of German? A: I am a “near-native” speaker of German. I have a BA, MA, and PhD in German and I have spent significant time in Germany, so my language skills are top-notch. As a near-native speaker, I offer students the best of both worlds: I have clear pronunciation, advanced vocabulary, and excellent grammatical accuracy, and I speak a standardized “textbook” German that is very easy for students to follow. Q: Does it matter that you are a TRAINED TEACHER? A: I sure think it does! I have read hundreds of books and articles on teaching, presented at dozens of teacher conferences, and published articles on specific teaching methods. In my class, your child will be the beneficiary of years’ worth of training. Q: What PROFICIENCY LEVEL will my child achieve? A: The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) provides a scale of proficiency levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. Students have generally achieved the A2 level by the end of German 2. German 3 brings them to the B1 level, and German 4 and German 5 into the coveted B2 range. Q: We have a SCHEDULING CONFLICT. Can my child still take the class? A: Absolutely. Your child can catch up on a missed class by watching the class video, posted by Outschool after each class session. Q: Can we count this class for HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT? A: Quite possibly. If you are a homeschooling family creating your own transcript, simply list German 3, Parts 1 – 4 as one full high school credit. If you are working with a high school guidance counselor, you can submit the class description, my credentials, and your child’s exam scores and narrative reports for possible credit from your school. Q: We missed the beginning of the school year! Is it TOO LATE TO START? A: I often accommodate students with a late start. Message me and let’s see if we can make it work. If your child has already done some work with German, they may be able to jump right in. Q: I don’t think we’ll be able to get the TEXTBOOK by the first day. Is that a problem? A: No problem. Last-minute enrollments are welcome. I can provide scans of the first few pages until your child’s book arrives. Q: I have more questions. Can we GET TOGETHER to talk? A: Yes, please! I love getting together with students and their families to learn about their particular questions, concerns, and needs. Send me a time that works for you, and we can do a Meet & Greet session: https://outschool.com/classes/german-for-high-schoolers-meet-greet-8GBQiwIM.
Learning Goals
Students will improve their skills in READING, WRITING, LISTENING, & SPEAKINGStudents will improve their grammatical accuracy
Syllabus
8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
Week 1
- der/die/das
- simple past tense
- discuss our favorite fairy tales 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Week 2
- verbs in the present tense
- simple past tense
- make hypotheses about “Das Mädchen ohne Hände“ 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Week 3
- word order: regular word order, inverted word order, w-questions, yes/no questions
- simple past tense
- discuss part 1 of the story – the pact with the devil 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Week 4
- haben/sein/werden
- simple past tense
- discuss part 2 of the story – the queen in exile 45 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
Students in this class receive individualized attention that can address unique learning needs. The asynchronous portions of the class, especially, allow students to work at their own pace or to repeat instruction as necessary.
Parental Guidance
GERMAN 3
Das Mädchen ohne Hände does have a violent beginning, when the main character loses her hands, and involves the betrayal of the girl by her father. As is common in many fairy tales, the situation is (partially) restored at the end. If you feel that this topic is one your learner might find troubling, feel free to have a look at a summary of the story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_Without_Hands.
GERMAN 4
Erich Kästner’s autobiography is meant for both kids and adults, but it is heavy-hitting in a few spots when he talks about his mother’s psychological difficulties. We will not be including those passages in the excerpts we read.
GERMAN 5
Käthe Kollwitz’s biography includes the death of her son in World War I and the death of her grandson in World War II. Her artworks portray difficult topics such as hunger, war, and revolt.
Pre-Requisites
Students who have taken German 1 and German 2 with me are ready for this class. Students who have reached the intermediate level in another way, e.g. Duolingo, other classes, home language, etc. are also welcome!
Supply List
In order to successfully complete the class, learners should have access to the following materials: + Kontakte: A Communicative Approach, 8th edition, ISBN: #978-1259307423 (We will be using the 8th edition of the textbook. Please be sure you do not purchase any other edition by mistake.) + all other materials will be provided by the instructor
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined November, 2020
5.0
200reviews
Rising Star
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Teaching Certificates
Indiana Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Indiana Teaching Certificate in Foreign Language
Doctoral Degree in Foreign Language from University of Wisconsin-Madison
I have been teaching German, composition, and arts & humanities for more than 25 years, and I speak German with near-native fluency. I have a PhD in German Literature and was the 2014 Indiana German Collegiate Teacher of the Year. I was a professor of German for 16 years and have homeschooled my own son. I bring first-rate content knowledge and pedagogical expertise to the online classroom, plus a genuine love of working with young learners.
Because I have extensive experience at the college level, I know just where high school students are headed and can expertly guide them as they prepare themselves for the next step. My focus on learning strategies and study skills is an added benefit, useful for any learner.
See my Profile Page for my resume.Reviews
Live Group Course
$800
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
45 min
Completed by 6 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
4-18 learners per class
