Lesson 1.2 Oma und Opa

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this together: Say the family words from last week: die Mutter, der Vater, der Bruder, die Schwester, das Baby. Who are your parents’ parents? Your grandparents! Today you learn to say grandma and grandpa in German.

2. Teach the new idea

   Read aloud: The story. German children sing an old song about a little boy named Hans, Hänschen klein. He puts on his hat, takes his walking stick and goes out into the wide world. His mother cries because he has gone so far away. In some old verses, Hans stays away for many years and comes back so tall and tanned that nobody knows him, not even his sister! But his mother looks into his eyes and knows him at once. Jesus told a story like that too, about a son who went far away and came home, and his father saw him a great way off and ran to hug him.

   Read aloud: How German sounds. Oma and Opa are easy: OH-mah, OH-pah. Mein sounds like the English word mine. When you talk about a die word, add an e: meine Mutter, meine Schwester, meine Oma. When you talk about a der word, no e: mein Vater, mein Bruder, mein Opa.

   Read aloud: Say it and move. Hold up a photo or point to someone: Das ist meine Oma! Das ist mein Opa! Walk like an old man with a cane: der Opa! Knit with pretend needles: die Oma!

3. New words

   Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

   • die Oma [dee OH-mah]: grandma
   • der Opa [dehr OH-pah]: grandpa
   • das ist [dahs IST]: this is; that is
   • mein [MINE]: my
   • meine [MY-nuh]: my
   • die Kinder [dee KIN-der]: children
4. Show how

   Show: Point to Grandpa. Say This is my grandpa in German.

   Say this: “Grandpa is der Opa, a der word.”

   Say this: “For der words say mein.”

   Answer: Das ist mein Opa.

   Show: Point to your mother. Say This is my mother.

   Say this: “Mother is die Mutter, a die word.”

   Say this: “For die words say meine.”

   Answer: Das ist meine Mutter.

5. Practice together

   Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

   Ask: Say grandma in German.

   Listen for: Die Oma.

   Ask: Say grandpa in German.

   Listen for: Der Opa.

   Ask: What does Das ist mean?

   Listen for: This is or that is.

   3 more on the lesson page.

6. Project: A card for Oma and Opa

   Read aloud: Make a card for your grandparents in German.

   Steps:

   1. On the front, draw your grandparents and yourself.
   2. A parent writes Für Oma und Opa (For Grandma and Grandpa) on the front.
   3. Inside, a parent writes Ich habe euch lieb! (I love you!). Trace the letters.
   4. Sign your name and give or mail the card.

   Tips for you:

   • Make one for each set of grandparents.
   • Call your grandparents and say Hallo, Oma! Hallo, Opa!

   Done when your child can say:

   • My card says Für Oma und Opa.
   • I can say Das ist meine Oma and Das ist mein Opa.
7. Sketchbook

   Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

   1. Draw your grandparents in your picture dictionary. A parent writes die Oma and der Opa. Under a drawing of your mother, write Das ist meine Mutter.
8. From history

   Read aloud: In Germany many children call their grandparents Oma and Opa. Grandparents often help with the children, and on Sundays many families still visit Oma and Opa for coffee and cake in the afternoon.

9. Watch for
   • Saying mein Mutter. Mutter is a die word, so say meine Mutter.
   • Saying meine Vater. Vater is a der word, so say mein Vater.
10. Game: Family puppets

    Draw family members on paper and tape them to spoons or sticks. Hold one up and say Das ist meine Oma! or Das ist mein Bruder! The others check whether you used mein or meine.

11. Narration

    Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Name grandma and grandpa in German.; Say Das ist mein Vater and Das ist meine Mutter.; Sing part of Hänschen klein.

12. Scripture

    And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

    In the German Bible of Martin Luther (1912 revision), this verse reads: <i lang="de">sah ihn sein Vater, und es jammerte ihn, lief und fiel ihm um seinen Hals und küßte ihn</i> Jesus told of a son who went far away. When he came home, his father saw him from far off, ran to him and hugged him. That is how God welcomes us when we come back to Him.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.