Unit 8 — School Around the World
Track E · Klasse 6 · Niveau E
Learning objectives Link to heading
- I can compare two school days using 5 comparative forms.
- I can name 8 differences between schools in 3 countries.
- I can write a 120-word comparison letter.
Bildungsplan alignment Link to heading
- 3.1.1 Soziokulturelles Orientierungswissen / Themen
- 3.1.2 Interkulturelle kommunikative Kompetenz
- 3.1.3.2 Leseverstehen
- 3.1.3.5 Schreiben
- 3.1.4 Text- und Medienkompetenz
(Source: https://www.bildungsplaene-bw.de/,Lde/LS/BP2016BW/ALLG/SEK1/E1)
Lead-in story Link to heading
Lina has a pen-pal in Tokyo. Sam has a pen-pal in Cape Town. The three of them compare their school days by e-mail. Tokyo: 8:00 to 15:30, six lessons and a cleaning duty. Cape Town: 7:45 to 14:30, with a break that involves actual fruit. Stuttgart: 7:55 to 13:20, no fruit, no cleaning. “We are very specialised,” Lina jokes.
1. Activate Link to heading
Three columns. Board: Stuttgart, Tokyo, Cape Town. Class fills in 5 facts under each column.
2. Input Link to heading
Reading — Three school days Link to heading
In Tokyo, students clean their classroom every day after lessons. In Cape Town, the school year starts in January. In Stuttgart, students have free periods if a teacher is absent. In Tokyo, lunch is served at school. In Cape Town, many students bring fruit. In Stuttgart, lunch is at home or in the canteen.
Grammar — comparative + superlative Link to heading
Short adjectives: + -er, the + -est: long → longer → the longest. Long adjectives: more + adj, the most + adj: interesting → more interesting → the most interesting. Irregular: good → better → the best, bad → worse → the worst.
3. Practise Link to heading
Niveau E — controlled Link to heading
- Build comparative + superlative: long → ___ / ___ ; interesting → ___ / ___ ; good → ___ / ___ .
- Compare: Tokyo / Stuttgart / school day / longer → ___ .
Niveau E — productive Link to heading
- Build 4 comparison sentences about Stuttgart vs. Tokyo vs. Cape Town. Use one superlative.
4. Produce Link to heading
Pen-pal comparison letter. Write 120 words to a pen-pal abroad. Use 5 comparatives and 1 superlative.
Sample Link to heading
Hi Hiro, my school day is shorter than yours, but I think yours is more interesting because you clean your classroom together every day. We don’t do that, but I think it would be a better tradition than the one we have. Out of all my lessons, biology is the best — the teacher tells stories instead of lecturing. We finish at 1:20 and I am always hungrier than my brother by lunchtime, although he claims this is physically impossible.
5. Reflect Link to heading
- I can build comparative + superlative forms.
- I can compare two school days in 4 sentences.
- I can write a 120-word pen-pal comparison letter.
One thing in your notebook: Write one sentence using something you learned in this Unit.
Exam example Link to heading
Task 1 — Listening (8 BE) Link to heading
Listen twice.
“In Tokyo, lessons start at 8:30. The day is longer than ours. Students clean their classrooms every day. The break is shorter, but lunch is served at school. The school year is also longer than ours.”
- Tokyo start: ___ . 2. Day length: ___ . 3. Daily task: ___ . 4. Lunch: ___ .
Task 2 — Reading (8 BE) Link to heading
Read.
“South African schools start their year in January. The summer holiday is in December. Many schools wear uniform. Lessons end earlier than in Germany, but afternoon clubs are common.”
- Year start: ___ . 2. Summer: ___ . 3. Uniform: ___ . 4. Lessons end: ___ .
Task 3 — Use of English (8 BE) Link to heading
Build the comparative or superlative.
- Tokyo’s school day is __________ (long) than Stuttgart’s.
- Cape Town’s break is __________ (short) than ours.
- The Tokyo school year is __________ (interesting) year of all.
- Their cafeteria food is __________ (good) than ours.
Task 4 — Writing (6 BE) Link to heading
Write 120 words to a pen-pal comparing your school day with theirs. Use 4 comparatives and 1 superlative.
Downloads Link to heading
Differentiation — support (below Niveau E).
Complete the letter to your pen-pal. Fill each gap and add one more comparative of your own.
- Hi ___, thanks for your e-mail about your school!
- My school day starts at ___ and finishes at ___.
- Your day is __________ (long/short) than mine.
- We don’t ___, but you ___ every day, and I think that is __________ (interesting/good) than my routine.
- Out of all my lessons, ___ is the best because ___.
Useful phrases: earlier than · later than · bigger than · more relaxed than · the most fun · at home / in the canteen
Extension (above Niveau E / Oberstufe).
Write a short opinion piece (roughly 150 words) arguing which of the three school systems — Stuttgart, Tokyo, or Cape Town — best prepares students for adult life, and explain what your own school could realistically borrow from the others. Support your view with at least two comparisons and one counter-argument that you then answer, using linking words such as whereas, although, and on the other hand.
Common pitfalls Link to heading
- more longer → ✗ / longer → ✓.
- more better → ✗ / better → ✓.
- L1 trap: German als → English than.
Further reading / listening Link to heading
- BBC Bitesize — School around the world.
- British Council Schools Online.
Downloads
Listen
The vocabulary, dialogues and reading texts of this unit as audio, spoken by a native voice. The spoken text is shown beneath each clip.
Show text
"In Tokyo, lessons start at 8:30. The day is longer than ours. Students clean their classrooms every day. The break is shorter, but lunch is served at school. The school year is also longer than ours."
Show text
"South African schools start their year in January. The summer holiday is in December. Many schools wear uniform. Lessons end earlier than in Germany, but afternoon clubs are common."