German Lessons on Food in Germany

German Lessons on Food in Germany
Page content

Get Your Passport Ready

Whether you are preparing your students to study abroad or just brush up on their German language skills, learning the words for food in Germany can be a valuable use of class time. This German lesson can also be an excellent opportunity to take learning outside the classroom in various extension activities that are included at the end of the lesson plan.

Materials

  • Paper
  • Pencils
  • White board
  • White board markers

Objectives

By the end of this German lesson, students will be able to use 20 of the most popular words for food in Germany and discuss the food that they like with their classmates. They will also be able to read and write the food vocabulary.

Procedures

1. To start out the lesson, begin by introducing the different “Food in Germany” vocabulary words. Write each word on the white board along with its English meaning. Say the word in German and have students repeat what you say. Have students copy the words into their notebooks as you teach. A suggested word list would include:

Apfelsaft — apple juice

Brot — bread (Germans like to have bread with their meals—there are hundreds of different kinds of bread in Germany.)

Erdbeeren — strawberries

Flammkuchen — flame cake (Flammkuchen is a pastry that has cream, bacon and onions served on the top of it. It is another popular food in Germany.)

Gans — goose (Goose is traditionally served on Christmas or on special occasions.)

Gulasch — gulasch (Gulasch is a popular veal stew that is seasoned with multiple spices.)

Leber — liver

Milch — milk

Nudeln — noodles

Pizza — pizza

Pommes frites — french fries

Salzkartoffeln — boiled potatoes

Sauerkraut — Sauerkraut (This is a kind of pickled cabbage that is slightly sour and very popular in Germany.)

Schokolade — chocolate

Spargel — asparagus (This kind of asparagus is normally white and is grown in the early summer. It is considered a delicacy in Germany.)

Spätzle — a kind of pasta (A delicious kind of German pasta they often eat in place of potatoes at their mealtimes.)

Weißkohl — cabbage

Wiener Schnitzel — breaded veal or pork cutlet

Wurst — sausage (Germany is well known for its many varieties of Wurst and this food can be found at most restaurants in Germany.)

Zwiebelsuppe — onion soup

2. After you introduce the vocabulary, teach the students the phrases, “What do you like?” (Was mögen Sie?) as well as “I like…” ( Ich mag…) in German. Practice having them repeat it several times as a class.

3. Have students draw a chart on their pieces of paper. It should list each new vocabulary word. Explain that students will now go around and ask each other “Was mögen Sie?” The other student should reply, “ Ich mag…” and say three different foods. They should make a tally mark next to each food that their partner likes.

4. Demonstrate an example of this to the classroom with a volunteer. An example might go like this:

Teacher: Was mögen Sie?

Student: Ich mag Spargel, Bratwurst, und Leber.

Student: Was mögen Sie?

Teacher: Ich mag Pizza, Nudeln, und Gans.

Make sure to make a tally mark for each food item that the student liked.

5. Have students ask each other what they like and write a tally mark next to each food. Allow them to spend five to ten minutes doing this depending on the class size.

6. Have everyone return to their seats and ask which food received the most tally marks. Review the vocabulary words by saying the words and having students repeat after you.

Assessment

In order to assess students on their vocabulary for food in Germany, listen to students as they ask each other about the food they like. An additional assessment can be done by hiding the German side of the vocabulary list and asking students to tell you German words that correspond to the English words.

Extension Activities

Write all of the words on the white board. As students finish asking each other what foods they like, they can come to the white board. One at a time, they can tell you the kind of foods they like and write a tally mark next to the three foods.

Another way to extend the lesson and improve your classroom German lessons is by taking the learning outside of the classroom. Students can all go to a German restaurant together and order food. If time is limited, students could also bring food to class. Bringing the actual “Food in Germany” vocabulary into the classroom can be an excellent way to bring learning to life and make language acquisition fun and engaging.

References