Grade 7 Understanding Culture and Society

It is expected that students will:

• identify elements of various German-speaking cultures that are different from or similar to their own, including community celebrations and holidays
• compare the daily lives of German-speaking students to their own lives

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Understanding Culture and Society in other grades click on an icon below.

Students continue to explore similarities and differences between their own and German-speaking cultures and societies. They also begin to explore the influences of German-speaking communities in British Columbia and Canada.

• With the class, brainstorm a list of German holiday foods and dishes. Accept English words too, translating them for students. Then challenge each student to create a German menu using the vocabulary listed. Ask students to add prices and create names for their hypothetical restaurants.
• Ask students to work in groups to collect information from a variety of sources (e.g., newspapers, videos, the Internet) about businesses or organizations in the local German-speaking community. Have them share their information, create a class chart, and discuss the types of organizations and businesses in operation.
• Suggest that students compare characteristics of winter celebrations in Canada and in Germany (e.g., Fasching, Quebec's Carnaval, west coast First Nations winter celebrations), including clothing, cuisine, and outdoor and indoor activities. This exploration could culminate in a multicultural Winter Wonderland in the Classroom.
• Invite students to record their weekly school or home timetables and compare them to those of German-speaking students their own age. Form small groups and have each group prepare a chart illustrating the similarities and differences.
• Present a video of family life in a German-speaking country. Have students note similarities and differences between what they viewed and their own lives. Suggest that they work in pairs to prepare posters, each illustrating one interesting element of life in a German-speaking family.

Students demonstrate their cultural understanding through their participation in and response to a variety of activities in the classroom and community. They should be expected to demonstrate increasing knowledge about German cultures in a wide range of contexts.

• Before students create German holiday menus, discuss criteria such as:
• offers an appropriate German name for the restaurant
• includes a variety of authentic German dishes, written correctly in German
• categorizes dishes into logical groups with appropriate German headings (e.g., Suppe)
• provides details to add interest and authenticity (e.g., lists key ingredients of some dishes, provides German phrases related to food)
• expresses prices in Deutsche Marks that represent reasonable value
• When students collect information about businesses and organizations in the local German-speaking community, look for evidence that they are able to:
• identify unique features of the organizations or businesses
• describe features that they share with other organizations in the community
• identify contributions the businesses or organizations have made to the local community
• compare the organizations with similar ones in Germany
• draw logical conclusions or generalizations from the information they present
• When students compare their daily and family lives with those of German-speaking students their age, look for evidence that they:
• accurately record relevant information about their own activities and routines
• report relevant and accurate information about the daily lives of German-speaking students
• identify similarities and differences
• are sensitive to the differences among individuals and groups of German-speaking students (recognize that not all are the same or participate in the same activities)

Print Materials

• Pack's An

• Gute Reise!

Note: Additional information will be provided as soon as resources to support learning outcomes are identified.

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