Guten Tag! In this class, you’ll work to gain more advanced German skills, step by step.
+ You’ll learn new vocabulary
+ You’ll practice verbs in the simple past tense
+ You’ll become an accomplished reader 
+ You’ll learn about the Brothers Grimm and the field of folklore studies

I have a PhD in German and 25+ years of experience teaching German, so I really know my stuff. I'm also a former homeschool mom who is warm and encouraging. I’m a careful explainer, and I provide lots of straightforward, clear examples. I know that if you take this class you will see a solid advancement in your German skills.

Please read more below for class details. I so much hope you’ll sign up for the class! “Das Mädchen ohne Hände” is a fabulous fairy tale, and I can’t wait to share it with you. 

--Dr. Jennifer

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Most people know the “big names” in the Brothers Grimm collection: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel. But have you ever heard of The Girl With No Hands? Between 1812 and 1857, Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm collected and published 210 different fairy tales. Many of the lesser-known stories, including this one, are surprising, thought-provoking, and beautiful works of narrative prose. I guarantee you this is a story that will keep your interest!

In this Structured Reading class, you start with a simple version of the fairy tale and then work up to successively more complex versions. By the end of the 8 weeks, you will be able to read the full text of the story by the Brothers Grimm in its original 19th-century format. Very cool.

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This Structured Reading class is perfect for…
- students who have taken German 1 and German 2 with me
- anyone who has reached the intermediate level in another way, e.g. duolingo, other introductory classes, or speaking German at home

+ Can you puzzle out the meanings of sentences like these?
Der Mann ging nach Hause.
Die Königin bekam ein Baby und war sehr glücklich.
Der König suchte seine Frau sieben Jahre lang, und endlich fand er sie.

+ Do you know some basic German words like these?
die Nacht, der Brief, der Baum, der Mund, das Wasser, das Kleid, stehen, lesen, sprechen

If yes, then you’ll enjoy this Structured Reading class!

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The language of instruction is English and German. We read the text, naturally, in German.

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The class offers approximately 90 minutes of learning material per lesson, so a total of 270 minutes. (That’s the equivalent of 16 of my live class periods.)

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This is a self-paced class, which means there are no live meetings on Zoom. Instead, you work your way through the pre-recorded, pre-written learning materials posted in the classroom (videos, slide presentations, worksheets, vocabulary lists, and flashcards).

The class is listed as an 8-week class because there are 8 lessons, but you can go through the course at whatever pace works best for you.
- If you finish before the 8 weeks are up, great—you can move on to the next class.
- If you need longer than the 8 weeks, no problem. Just let me know.

If you have questions as you are working on the material, you can message me at any time.

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Here’s what you’ll do each lesson:

1 – You’ll watch a 15-20 minute video on the lesson’s content

2 – You’ll watch a 15-20 minute video on the lesson’s grammar topic
I use two cameras: you’ll see me talking to you & you’ll see what I’m writing at my desk. I use big bright markers on a big sheet of paper so that you can easily follow the notes and examples. 

You can kick back and just soak in the information, or you can sit up straight and take notes along with me—whatever works best for you. You can pause the video at any time to take a break, use the speed controls to move things along, or even repeat the video 2 or 3 times. This is your learning and you can do it your way, at your pace.

3 – You’ll complete a worksheet. 
Each worksheet matches the lesson’s grammar topic. (In this class, everything is focused on the simple past tense.) I also provide an answer key so that you can check your answers.

4 – You’ll read the fairy tale.

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Note: This material is part of the German 3 curriculum.

If you are taking my full curriculum, (German 1, German 2, German 3) and you are not yet in German 3, you may want to wait until then before working through this material. We work on it together, week by week, in German 3.

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To see all of my Outschool classes, go here: https://outschool.com/search?q=bjornstad
Send me a message if you have questions or would like a copy of my “German for High Schoolers” information sheet.

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Sign up for “Structured Reading: Das Mädchen ohne Hände” now to work toward more advanced German skills!