Subject: German Grammar.
Group: Languages. Class III. Average age: 13. Time: 30 minutes.
OBJECTS.
1. To show the pupil that although the German construction of sentences may seem very much complicated, yet with the help of a few simple rules it can be made much clearer.
2. To draw these rules from the pupil by means of examples.
3. To teach two or three of these elementary rules.
4. To strengthen the relationship with the foreign language.
LESSON.
Step 1. Begin by finding out what the pupils know of compound sentences in English, i.e. that they consist of two or more clauses depending on each other, etc., and let them give one or two examples. Connect this lesson with a former one on the arrangement of words in German sentences by letting the pupils put one or two compound clauses on the board in German, and then giving the rule they illustrate.Rule. Dependent clauses take the verb at the end of the clause.
These sentences the pupils can probably give themselves.
Step 2. Get the old rule that the past participle comes at the end of the sentence, with a few examples, one or two of which the pupils may write upon the board to compare with those illustrating the new rule.
Let the pupils put several sentences on the board illustrating the new rule.
Rule. In dependent clauses the auxiliary follows the past participle.
Sentences.––’Ich kehre zuruck, wenn sie angekommen ist.’
‘Das Kind, welches verloren war, ist gefunden.’
Let the pupils translate these literally into English, and with the simple German clauses already on the board and the translation let them find the rule. Let them translate a few sentences into German to show that they thoroughly understand the rule.
Step 3. Treat the next rule almost in the same way, but have each sentence put on the board twice in different order, and find the rule by comparing these.
Rule. If the subordinate clause comes first the principal clause takes its verb at the beginning.
Sentences:––
(1) ‘Sie gab den Armen viel, weil sie gut war!
(2) ‘Wiel sie gut war, gab sie den Armen viel.’
(1) ‘Er ging immer fort, obwohl er mude war.’
(2) ‘Obwohl er mude war, ging er immer fort.’
Step 5. Recapitulate.