High
school students (grades 9-12) in German language classes use their foreign
language to visit Internet sites to learn about practices and products of two
Austrian states, communicate with each other
about the differences between Austrian culture and their own, and draw
comparisons between their lives and the lives of typical Austrians.
The
foreign language teacher identifies several Internet resource sites
about two chosen Austrian states. The students visit these sites, which have interactive
pre- and post-exercises in German. They also explore other websites to learn about the
Austrian states’ geography, camping and outdoor activities, culture, tourism,
and youth hostel system. Students interact in classroom learning activities to gain the necessary language
to conduct the project.
To
present what they have learned and make their comparisons, the students
work in small groups to create a diary, travelogue, or an itinerary for a short visit to one of
the places they learned about through the Internet exercise. All of the discussion
is done in German,
and the group project is in German.
Students will present their project to their foreign language class.
(These activities meet Foreign Language Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2,
3.1, 3.2, 4.1, and 4.2.)
