Greening the German Classroom: Starting Points for a Cultural Lesson

The article presents and discusses materials for a cultural lesson about Green Germany. An introductory mini-unit frames the over-all student learning objective: students should be able to respond to the questions “Where are we?” and “Where are we going?” with regard to the natural environment. Three different units then help students with these questions. The first two units describe where people in Germany and the US are; the third helps them reflect on where we are going and where their generation can help take us. Although the ACTFL Standards are not addressed explicitly, implicit treatment of these can be recognized in the approach presented. Communication about this cultural topic helps students see comparisons, connections, and communities.