🗣️German Level 3, Activity 12: Debatten / Debates (Online)

Photo of two wooden podiums, one bathed in blue light and one in red light.
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Description: Students will practice defending their opinions and beliefs by taking stances on different topics. They will practice explaining their reasons for being in each position.

Semantic Topics: Debate, Debatte, Environment, Umwelt, Technology, Technologie, Opinions, Meinungen, Facts, Fakten.

Products: Situation Cards, Stance Cards. Situationskarten.

Practices: Debating present-day topics in German.  Diskussion über aktuelle Themen auf Deutsch.

Perspectives: Value of the freedom of speech.  Value of other people’s ideas and convictions.  Wert der Meinungsfreiheit. Wert der Ideen und Überzeugungen anderer Menschen.

NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards:

  • Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
  • Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.

Idaho State Content Standards:

  • Objective: COMM 1.1 Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions.
  • Objective: COMM 2.1 Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can defend my arguments in a debate.
  • I can exchange opinions with people on different topics.
  • I can debate about topics regarding the environment.

Materials Needed:

Warm-Up

1. Discuss the Can-Do Statements with the Students.

 

2. Ask the students the following questions:

  • Isst du bio Essen oder hast du keine Vorliebe? (Do you eat organic food or do you not have a preference either way?)
  • Isst du Fleisch oder Tierprodukte wie Milch und Eier? Gibt es ein Grund sowas nicht zu essen? (Do you eat meat or animal products like milk and eggs? Is there a reason not to eat these things?)
  • Fährst du immer mit dem Auto oder gibt es andere Möglichkeiten z.B. Bus oder Fahrrad die du verwendest? (Do you always drive your car places or are there other options that you use (like bus or bike)?)
  • Benutzt du das Recycling oder wirfst du alles in den Müll? (Do you recycle or do you throw everything away?)
  • Gibt es andere Energiequellen für Strom außer der Kohleverbrennung? (Are there other options for energy? Like Wind or Solar energy for example.)

Main Activity

Comments/Opinions

Bemerkungen/Meinungen

 

1. Students will be shown a card with a statement on it.

Den Schülern wird eine Karte mit einer Erklärung angezeigt.

 

2. They must say whether they agree and also defend their position when asked.

Sie müssen sagen, ob sie damit einverstanden sind und auch ihre Position verteidigen, wenn sie gefragt werden.

 

3. Students may also provide counterpoints to other students’ responses if they would like.

Die Schüler können auch Kontrapunkte zu den Antworten anderer Schüler bereitstellen, wenn sie möchten.

WRAP-UP

Ask students if they have been persuaded to make any changes because of what they heard in the debates.

Fragen Sie die Schüler, ob sie aufgrund dessen, was sie in den Debatten gehört haben, davon überzeugt wurden, Änderungen vorzunehmen.

End of Activity:

  • Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. (Use thumbs up/thumbs down)
  • Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
  • Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future activities!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can defend my arguments in a debate.
  • I can exchange opinions with people on different topics.
  • I can debate about topics regarding the environment.

Cultural Resources

Here is a fun Easy German video about How to Argue in German.

How to Remix a Pathways Project Activity

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Try taking an activity to the next level by:

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