Unit 2 — School Life Elsewhere

Track G+M · Klasse 8 · Niveau G/M

Template: Activate → Input → Practise → Produce → Reflect.
Niveau: G/M parallel. class test (“Klassenarbeit”) at Niveau M (45 BE).

Learning objectives Link to heading

  • I can read short pen-pal texts from 3 countries and compare them.
  • I can use the present passive to talk about how things are done elsewhere.
  • I can hold a 2-minute conversation comparing schools.

Bildungsplan alignment Link to heading

  • 3.2.1 Soziokulturelles Orientierungswissen / Themen
  • 3.2.2 Interkulturelle kommunikative Kompetenz
  • 3.2.3.2 Leseverstehen
  • 3.2.3.3 Sprechen – an Gesprächen teilnehmen

(Source: https://www.bildungsplaene-bw.de/,Lde/LS/BP2016BW/ALLG/SEK1/E1)

Lead-in story Link to heading

Mr. Ade pinned three printed e-mails to the noticeboard. One from a school in Lagos. One from a school in Helsinki. One from a school in São Paulo. Three students were assigned to read them and report back. Hawa read all three twice before lunch.

1. Activate Link to heading

Predict. Slide shows three flags. With your partner, predict three differences each school might have from yours.

2. Input Link to heading

Reading — three short pen-pal extracts Link to heading

Lagos. In our school, lessons are taught in English, but we speak Yoruba and Igbo with friends. Uniform is compulsory. Lunch is brought from home.

Helsinki. In Finland, school starts at age 7. Homework is given lightly. Lunch is provided free. We go outside for a break every hour, even in -10°C.

São Paulo. Our school day is split: lessons in the morning, sports in the afternoon. Homework is set every day. Lunch is bought at a small canteen.

Grammar — present passive Link to heading

Form: to be (in tense) + past participle.

  • Lessons are taught in English.
  • Homework is given lightly.
  • Lunch is provided free.
  • Sports are played in the afternoon.

Use the passive when who does the action is obvious or unimportant.

3. Practise Link to heading

Niveau G Link to heading

  1. Active → passive: They teach lessons in English. → ___ ; The school provides lunch. → ___ ; Teachers give homework. → ___ .
  2. Choose active or passive (more natural): (somebody / set / homework / every day) → ___ .

Niveau M Link to heading

  1. Build 4 sentences in present passive about how things are done at your school.
Answer key

G. 1. Lessons are taught in English. Lunch is provided by the school. Homework is given by teachers. 2. Homework is set every day.

M. 3. Open.

4. Produce Link to heading

Pair speaking — Compare three schools. 2 min each. Use 3 passive structures + one comparison. Report back to the class with one I learned that … sentence.

Sample Link to heading

— In Helsinki, lunch is provided free at school, while in São Paulo lunch is bought at a canteen. — Yes, and homework is given more in São Paulo than in Helsinki.

5. Reflect Link to heading

  • I can read three pen-pal texts and compare them.
  • I can build present passive sentences.
  • I can run a 2-minute compare-and-contrast conversation.

One thing in your notebook: Write one sentence using something you learned in this Unit.

Exam example Link to heading

class test ("Klassenarbeit") — Niveau M (45 minutes)
Time. 45 minutes. Total. 45 points.

Task 1 — Listening (10 BE) Link to heading

Listen twice.

“In Finland, lunch is provided free for every student. Homework is given lightly. Children go outside every hour, even in cold weather. Tests are fewer than in many other countries.”

  1. Lunch: ___ . 2. Homework: ___ . 3. Outside: ___ . 4. Tests: ___ .

Task 2 — Reading (12 BE) Link to heading

Read.

“In our Lagos school, lessons are taught in English, but English is most students’ second language. Uniform is compulsory and is checked every morning. Lunch is brought from home in metal containers.”

  1. Lesson language: ___ . 2. First language? ___ . 3. Uniform: ___ . 4. Lunch: ___ .

Task 3 — Use of English (10 BE) Link to heading

Active → passive.

  1. They teach English from age 5. → ___
  2. The school provides lunch. → ___
  3. Teachers set homework every day. → ___
  4. Students wear uniform. → ___

Task 4 — Writing (13 BE) Link to heading

Write 100 words comparing your school with one of the three pen-pal schools. Use 4 passive structures.

Answer key
T1. provided free, given lightly, every hour, fewer. T2. English, no — second language for most, compulsory + checked, brought from home in metal containers. T3. English is taught from age 5. Lunch is provided by the school. Homework is set every day. Uniform is worn. T4. Open.
Notenschlüssel (von 45)
| 42–45 | 1 | 36–41 | 2 | 30–35 | 3 | | 22–29 | 4 | 13–21 | 5 | 0–12 | 6 |

Downloads Link to heading

**Slide deck timing.** 45 minutes total. Lead-in 4 min · Activate 5 min · Input 14 min · Practise 8 min · Produce 11 min · Reflect 3 min.

Differentiation. Niveau G: extra scaffolding card with the key structure. Above Niveau M: extension prompt linking to the next Unit.

Common pitfalls Link to heading

  • Lessons are teach → ✗ / Lessons are taught → ✓.
  • Using passive when active is clearer: I do my homework not Homework is done by me unless context demands it.
  • L1 trap: German man often becomes English passive: Man liest viel → A lot is read / We read a lot.

Further reading / listening Link to heading

  • BBC News — Education short articles.
  • British Council Schools Online — pen-pal projects.

Downloads

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