In this lesson, students will interpret authentic class schedules from a variety of schools in Germany, identify and reflect on similarities and differences to their own schools, and then write about their ideal schedule. Intercultural competence is developed as students gain new knowledge about school in Germany, reflect on school in their own cultures, become open to different school-related products and practices, gain experience interpreting and relating information from authentic resources to their own lives, and compare perspectives on what school should be like.

This lesson has learners engage with authentic German texts about handball and a familiar, local sport of the learner’s choice. Learners will write a message to an e-partner from a German-speaking country to share and elicit information about sports in each other’s cultures. If learners are not part of an intercultural exchange with an e-partner, alternative suggestions are included. Learners develop their intercultural knowledge of the products and practices of German-speaking cultures by reading about handball and whichever sports their e-partners write about in their responses, as well as a reflective knowledge of their own cultures’ products and practices through the discussions and e-partner responses. They develop intercultural competence in interpreting and relating as they interpret the authentic texts and their epartner responses. They develop intercultural competence in discovery and interaction as they explore authentic texts and websites, and elicit information from their epartners.