German Upper Levels Course Description

Grades: 9-12
Credit: One
Prerequisite: Level 3 or equivalency test

Course Description
Students develop more sophisticated communication skills in all for areas—listening, speaking, reading and writing—with emphasis on the ability to interact orally and in writing. The authentic reading selections are emphasized at this level. Students communicate using more complex language structures and express abstract ideas with reasonable fluency. Students are able to create and listen with understanding to reports and presentations. They are also able to describe, summarize and discuss selected upper level POS themes and topics.

This course’s primary goals, aligned with Virginia and national standards, are to:

Communicate in German

• Students function in a variety of practical settings using listening, speaking, reading,
and writing skills as well as knowledge of the target culture(s).

Understand other cultures

• Students demonstrate an understanding of traditions, customs, beliefs, and cultural
contributions and how these elements relate to language.

Connect with other disciplines and acquire information

• Students connect information about the language and cultures they are learning with
concepts studied in other subject areas.

Develop insight into their own language and culture

• Through study of language and culture, students recognize, compare, and contrast
language concepts as well as cultural perspectives, practices, and products.

Participate in the global community

• Students use the foreign language to communicate with speakers of that language,
both at home and around the world, to improve their own communication skills and to
enhance their view of themselves as citizens of the world.

Each topic addressed in the Program of Studies has progress indicators defining
what students will be able to do. For example, under the theme Social Issues, the
topic Civic Responsibilities and Engagement specifies that students will be able to
discuss topics related to adulthood, personal rights and responsibilities of young
adults, and a citizen’s responsibility to vote and be informed politically. Essential
vocabulary and language structures are presented to students within the context of
the themes and topics.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has developed and uses the Performance
Assessment for Language Students (PALS) program. Performance assessments are
conducted routinely throughout the year and are rated using PALS criteria (rubrics)
developed by FCPS foreign language teachers. The end-of-year assessment again
uses the PALS performance criteria.

For additional information, including resources for students, see the FCPS Foreign
Language Home Page at: http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OHSICS/forlang/.