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Materials:

  • Whiteboard or large paper
  • Markers or pens
  • A hat (to act as the Sorting Hat!)
  • Paper slips with Hogwarts house names written in German (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin)
  • Optional: Harry Potter books or character images (for visual association, no tags needed)
  • Vocabulary list (to be created during the lesson)

Lesson Procedure:

1. Willkommen in der Zauberwelt! (Welcome to the Wizarding World!)

Start with a friendly greeting: "Guten Tag!" (Good Day!). Explain this is how wizards and Muggles alike say hello in Germany. Practice saying it together. Introduce yourself: "Ich bin [Your Name]." Encourage the student to introduce themselves: "Ich bin [Student's Name]."

2. Die Sprechender Hut Zeremonie (The Sorting Hat Ceremony):

Introduce the Sorting Hat (der Sprechende Hut)! Explain that Hogwarts has four houses. Write the German names on the board and practice pronunciation:

  • Gryffindor
  • Hufflepuff
  • Ravenclaw
  • Slytherin

Put the paper slips with the house names into the hat. Have the student pick one to determine their 'Hogwarts house' for the day. They can announce it: "Ich bin in [House Name]!"

3. Magische Wörter (Magic Words):

Introduce some essential magical German vocabulary. Write the German word and its English meaning. Practice saying them together.

  • Die Magie - Magic
  • Der Zauberstab - Magic Wand
  • Der Zauberspruch - Magic Spell
  • Der Zaubertrank - Potion
  • Die Hexe - Witch
  • Der Zauberer - Wizard

4. In Hogwarts (At Hogwarts):

Learn words related to school life at Hogwarts:

  • Die Schule - School (Hogwarts ist eine Schule)
  • Der Lehrer / Die Lehrerin - Teacher (m/f) (Dumbledore ist ein Lehrer)
  • Der Schüler / Die Schülerin - Student (m/f) (Harry ist ein Schüler)
  • Das Buch - Book (Ein Buch der Zaubersprüche - A Book of Spells)
  • Der Freund / Die Freundin - Friend (m/f) (Ron ist Harrys Freund)

5. Einfache Zaubersprüche (Simple Spells/Commands):

While Harry Potter spells aren't German, we can use the idea of commands. Introduce simple German commands:

  • Komm! - Come! (Like Accio)
  • Stopp! - Stop!
  • Schau! - Look!
  • Öffne das Buch! - Open the book!
  • Schreib! - Write!

Practice giving and following simple commands.

6. Wortsuche (Word Match):

Write the German words learned on one side of the board/paper and the English meanings (or related Harry Potter concepts) on the other. Have the student draw lines to match them.

7. Abschied (Farewell):

Review the new vocabulary. Practice saying goodbye in German: "Auf Wiedersehen!" (Goodbye - formal) or "Tschüss!" (Bye - informal).