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Parent guide · Grade 3 German · Unit 5

Lesson 5.2 Ich habe einen Hund

Written for the parent. The Read aloud parts are written to your child; read them as they are. Do this parts are for you. Answers for you are marked Listen for.

At a glance

Time
3 sessions of 20–30 minutes
Goal
Name ten pets and farm animals in German. Make simple plurals. Say Ich habe einen Hund and Ich habe keine Katze.
You need
  • Paper and markers
  • A picture of your pet (or a pet you would like)
  • A sketchbook or plain paper, and crayons
  • A King James Bible
Print
Worksheet A · the lesson page (it also has a short video (2:38))

Steps

  1. Do this together: Do you have a pet? What animals would you like to have? Name them in English, then any you know in German.

  2. Read aloud: Plurals. German plurals come in a few families. Many add -e: der Hund, die Hunde; das Schaf, die Schafe. Many die words add -n: die Katze, die Katzen; die Ente, die Enten. Some add an Umlaut too: die Kuh, die Kühe; die Maus, die Mäuse. Some do not change: der Hamster, die Hamster. Learn each noun with its plural. The good news: the plural article is always die.

    Read aloud: I have / I have no. With der words: Ich habe einen Hund. With die words: Ich habe eine Katze. With das words: Ich habe ein Pferd. To say you have none, put a k in front: Ich habe keinen Hund. Ich habe keine Katze. Ich habe kein Pferd. To ask: Hast du ein Haustier? (Do you have a pet?)

    Read aloud: Caring for animals. The Bible says: A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast. God gave people the job of caring for His creatures. Feeding, watering and being gentle with a pet is part of obeying God.

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

    • das Haustier [dahs HOWS-teer]: pet
    • das Kaninchen [dahs kah-NEEN-khun]: rabbit
    • der Hamster [dehr HAHM-ster]: hamster
    • die Maus [dee MOWS]: mouse
    • kein [KINE]: no; not a
    • füttern [FÜT-tern]: to feed
    • der Hase [dehr HAH-zuh]: hare, rabbit
    • der Hund [dehr HOONT]: dog
    • die Katze [dee KAHT-tsuh]: cat
    • keine [KY-nuh]: no, not any (die words)

  4. Show: Make the plural: eine Katze, zwei…

    Say this: “Katze is a die word ending in -e.”

    Say this: “Add -n.”

    Answer: Zwei Katzen.

    Show: Say I have no horse.

    Say this: “Horse is das Pferd.”

    Say this: “No with das words: kein.”

    Answer: Ich habe kein Pferd.

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

    Ask: Say pet in German.

    Listen for: Das Haustier.

    Ask: Say rabbit in German.

    Listen for: Das Kaninchen.

    Ask: What is the plural article in German?

    Listen for: Die.

    3 more on the lesson page.

  6. Read aloud: Make a German chart for caring for a real or pretend pet.

    Steps:

    1. At the top, write Mein Haustier and the pet’s name: Mein Hund heißt Max.
    2. Make a chart with the days of the week in German.
    3. List the jobs: füttern (feed), Wasser geben (give water), spazieren gehen (take a walk).
    4. Check off each job every day this week.

    Tips for you:

    • Write three sentences about your pet: Er ist braun. Er ist groß.
    • Make a chart for a farm with many animals and plurals.

    Done when your child can say:

    • My chart has a pet, days and jobs in German.
    • I can say what pet I have or would like.

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

    1. In your German notebook, write ten animals with their plurals: der Hund – die Hunde. Write two sentences: Ich habe… / Ich habe kein…

  8. Read aloud: Germans love dogs. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in many German restaurants, shops and trains, often with their own ticket!

    • Saying Ich habe ein Hund. Hund is a der word: einen Hund.
    • Forgetting the Umlaut in plurals like Kühe and Mäuse.

  10. Deal animal picture cards. Ask the other player Hast du einen Hund? If he has it, he must give it and say Ja, ich habe einen Hund. If not, he says Nein, ich habe keinen Hund, and you draw a card. Collect pairs.

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

    Listen for: Name ten pets and farm animals in German.; Make simple plurals.; Say Ich habe einen Hund and Ich habe keine Katze.

  12. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

    Proverbs 12:10 (KJV)

    In the Luther Bible (1912): <i lang="de">Der Gerechte erbarmt sich seines Viehs</i> A good person cares about the life of his animals. Being kind to animals shows a heart that loves God.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 20–30 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.