Curriculum+7-8

=Grades 7-8=


 * Developing a differentiated communication- and discourse ability
 * Developing the ability to reflect on language
 * Developing the ability to reflect on texts
 * Developing the ability to act on an intercultural basis
 * Developing the ability to use subject specific strategies


 * Literature: short stories, children's / young adults' novels, poems, playlets
 * Insiders/ outsiders -> assuming responsibility
 * Commonwealth of Nations, Inuit, Native Americans, Early settlement, problems of immigration in minorities
 * Social problems
 * Romans in Britain
 * Electives: Sports (e.g.: cricket, snooker, baseball, American football …)

3. Occasions for working with digital media:

 * Personal student homepages
 * Class-/ school homepage
 * E-mail: pen pals
 * Chat

**step I - Internet research on the different school systems (German)**
//task: Try to find out more about schools in Germany on the Internet. In what way are they different from American schools?//

a) aims
 * pupils shall do research on a specific task
 * pupils shall practice filtering of information

b) advantages
 * learners are responsible for acquiring relevant information
 * evaluation and comparison of information
 * enhancing information literacy

c) disadvantages
 * initial difficulty of data selection
 * organizational issues

//task: Initiate a conversation with your chosen American pen pal. Ask him or her what his/her school is like.//
a) aims
 * adequate use of language
 * composing and understanding texts
 * encouraging communication
 * using and processing acquired pieces of information
 * establishing intercultural and interdisciplinary contacts
 * getting to know networks as a tool for communication

a) advantages of e-mail penpalships
 * contact with different cultures
 * authenticity (native speakers)
 * rapid exchange

b) disadvantages
 * organizational issues (PC availability)
 * limited control of learning progress
 * different speakers' levels may disturb fluency/efficiency of the project

step III - Presenting the American school system via Prezi.com
//task:// //Compare the school system of both countries.// //Present your results on the Internet platform 'Prezi.com'.//

a) aims
 * student know how to organize material on a subject
 * students find a way of putting this material into a graphical form

b) advantages of Prezi
 * easy handling
 * link ideas and present them as a whole vs. linear structure of PowerPoint
 * splitting of different areas of content are possible
 * (creative) visualization
 * free of charge

c) limitations
 * time-consuming visualization part
 * clear structure = necessary for overview

**(step IV) - correspondence with the American school**

 * share presentations with American schools
 * do some sort of "mirror" project