ASSIGNMENTS
Here you can find general information about assignments: what they are, how much they count, what the grading rubrics are etc. Please refer to the Course Plan to find the due dates of all assignments (including homework) and the links for submitting them if applicable. There is no table here for all the assignments that are due because the list would repeat information in the Course Plan.
Assignment Details
15% DAILY HOMEWORK
Practicing a new language is the foundation to acquiring new vocabulary, being able to understand and use grammar constructs, and becoming more comfortable with the language and culture. Daily homework is part of practicing a language like weight lifting is part of becoming and maintaining to be an athlete. You can find the assigned homework in the Course Plan. You will finish daily online assignments in German that you can use to check your understanding of the material at hand. Most of these are found on the DDD website. You have an answer key (on Moodle) to check yourself for most of these. Answer keys are linked in the course plan as well. After you filled in and submitted your online work (important to submit!), you are asked to correct yourself using those answer keys; that means that you do the tasks once, then check your answers, and correct all that were wrong and then submit them again online. You will receive written feedback in a timely manner. If there is different homework than the assignments from DDD, feedback will be given as indicated in the course plan. Homework completion is due each day before class starts but will be graded once a week.
Criteria for Grading
Criteria for Grading
- "B" homework means you completed almost all of the homework assignments.
- "A" homework means you completed all of the homework assignments and had a high success rate in getting answers correct.
- "C" homework means you completed some of the homework assignments and struggled a lot with getting answer correct.
- "D" homework means you completed very little of the homework assignments.
- "F" homework means you completed no homework assignments.
10% SHORT Quizzes
Short quizzes help us and you evaluate your progress with the immediate language and content of the class. They aid in retrieving your knowledge, especially of vocabulary, so that you can apply it. The better you study, the better you will do on these quizzes, and the better you will acquire German and be able to use it in spontaneous conversations and other situations. Short quizzes focus on vocabulary and require you to learn the words in Wortschatz assigned that day. They are graded according to their points and percentages. There are no redos. Short quizzes are "due" (taken) in class.
15% LONGER Quizzes
Longer quizzes help us and you evaluate your progress with the language and content of the class in a cumulative matter. Longer quizzes focus on grammar and may also include vocabulary from the current and prior two sections. These quizzes reinforce the retrieval of knowledge and build on the short quizzes. The grade of each quiz is a mathematical accurate reflection of the points you received. You can get back some lost points in a redo: After you received your written longer quiz back, you revisit your mistakes at home. You annotate your mistakes (for instructions and an example, see below) and can get 1/2 points back. The redos are due within a week of receiving them back. Longer quizzes are "due" (taken) in class.
Instructions for redos:
What:
Instructions for redos:
What:
- You can receive 1/2 of a point back for each point lost, but you will lose full points for incorrect or incomplete corrections or newly introduced errors. In other words, failure to accurately and completely correct an error cancels out points you would have gained from other corrected errors.
- Inside the original quiz or on the back/ a separate sheet, annotate errors you made and correct them.
- For example: You wrote in the quiz "Ich sein Anna." After receiving the quiz back, you know because of our feedback that "sein" is wrong (it will be underlined or commented on). You return to your notes and find out that "bin" is the correct form and you had used the infinitive of the verb instead. Your annotation can be something like this: "sein" = infinitive, "ich" needs "bin." The comment "wrong form" is not an adequate explanation. Explain what the mistake was and why you changed it. Then write the correct form.
- We need to see this kind of annotation for all errors besides spelling mistakes. You correct those without explaining them.
- Hand in the original with your rewrite within a week of receiving the original quiz back.
15% Weekly Journals (Including Homework reflections and Conversation Partners)
You submit a journal entry in German most Mondays via a notebook (no typing, no loose, single pieces of paper please - stapled pieces of paper are ok). The prompt and length requirement can be found in the Course Plan of each week. For each entry, look up no more than five new words, and add a footnote with each new word's meaning and where you looked it up (e.g. linguee.de). This will help you remember the word better and we will know the word is new to you. Do not look up new grammar but work with the structures you already learned. We don't want these texts to be perfect, we want them to reflect your learning. Do not use google translate/ DeepL or other translation software - we know they can write in German, but you using them defeats the purpose of you learning how to write in German. Use as many vocabulary words from the DDD website that you have learned so far as well as vocabulary that came up in class. This is your chance to develop writing skills by using current vocabulary and grammar. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Be creative.
You will also reflect on your once-a-week meetings as a pair with a Conversation Partner (Gesprächspartner*in). This is a weekly appointment with you, a course-mate, and a conversation partner who is a more experienced German speaker. After week 1, you will meet for 15 mins once a week on a date and time that works for you three (coordinated in class). That day/time will be the same for each consecutive week until the end of the term. This is your chance to practice your spoken German and get to know your conversation partner and your fellow students. You also have the chance to ask questions (about grammar, about your fellow students, about Carleton...), so join meetings prepared and with questions you can ask (in German if you can) about the content or material. You will reflect on these meetings in your journals (see grading criteria). Conversation partner times and groups can be found here.
Three times during the term, you will also reflect on your homework assignments. This will happen in English and will be part of the journal prompt (see the Course Plan).
You will receive feedback and revise each entry to improve your skills. The better one of both drafts (usually the second) will be entered in the grade book. When you hand in the next journal, please have your previous journal already edited. E.g., you hand in journal week 2 in week 2. The next week, you hand in journal week 3 and you hand in journal week 2 draft 2 and so on. By the end of the term, you will see the progress you made (and continue to make during 102 and 103) in your note book. This assignment is due most Mondays at the start of class unless otherwise specified in the course plan.
You will also reflect on your once-a-week meetings as a pair with a Conversation Partner (Gesprächspartner*in). This is a weekly appointment with you, a course-mate, and a conversation partner who is a more experienced German speaker. After week 1, you will meet for 15 mins once a week on a date and time that works for you three (coordinated in class). That day/time will be the same for each consecutive week until the end of the term. This is your chance to practice your spoken German and get to know your conversation partner and your fellow students. You also have the chance to ask questions (about grammar, about your fellow students, about Carleton...), so join meetings prepared and with questions you can ask (in German if you can) about the content or material. You will reflect on these meetings in your journals (see grading criteria). Conversation partner times and groups can be found here.
Three times during the term, you will also reflect on your homework assignments. This will happen in English and will be part of the journal prompt (see the Course Plan).
You will receive feedback and revise each entry to improve your skills. The better one of both drafts (usually the second) will be entered in the grade book. When you hand in the next journal, please have your previous journal already edited. E.g., you hand in journal week 2 in week 2. The next week, you hand in journal week 3 and you hand in journal week 2 draft 2 and so on. By the end of the term, you will see the progress you made (and continue to make during 102 and 103) in your note book. This assignment is due most Mondays at the start of class unless otherwise specified in the course plan.
Criteria for Grading:
a “B” journal:
a “B” journal:
- uses covered grammar correctly most of the time.
- does not apply grammar too often that we haven’t discussed yet.
- uses vocabulary correctly most of the time.
- discusses the topic of the week adequately.
- abides by the length requirement.
- a sentence or two in English on what you did during your conversation partner meeting that you attended that week. If you didn’t attend, you cannot fulfill this criterion.
- includes detailed information about the topic of the week.
- is significantly longer than the length requirement.
- shows thoughtfulness and enthusiasm for the topic.
- a sentence or two in German on what you did during your conversation partner meeting that you attended that week. If you didn’t attend, you cannot fulfill this criterion.
- uses covered grammar correctly less than half of the time.
- applies grammar too often that we haven’t discussed yet.
- uses vocabulary correctly less than half of the time.
- does not discuss the topic of the week adequately.
- does not abide by the length requirement.
- no reflection of the conversation partner meeting.
- is hard to understand AND/OR
- is too short to cover the topic of the week adequately.
- was not handed in.
20% Individual Projects
Instead of exams, you will demonstrate your learning through individual projects. The projects that you will work on during the term will eventually culminate in a final project (see below), which is a touristic tour that guides the viewer through a city of your choosing in the German-speaking world. Your projects during the term and the final project place particular emphasis on sites related to social issues (e.g. poverty, racism, sexism, homelessness, climate change, immigration stresses, health care availability, lack of education...). Whether you are discussing famous tourist sites or little-known locations, your focus will be on how specific places have played a role in promoting fairness and repairing injustice in society. Numerous communities, individuals, and institutions have worked to create a more just and free society with regards to race, gender, nationality, economics, sexual orientation, and physical ability, among others. We will help you brainstorm and get started in exploring these issues and places in the German-speaking world, but much of the excitement will arise through your own exploration of the topic. Eventually, you will choose a single city and partner up with another classmate, with whom you will guide the viewer/reader through a series of sites within that city/the cities. You will find details for submission and prompts in the Course Plan.
The individual projects during the term will be texts for which you will use the new language and grammar you have learned each week, plus some of your own research. Eventually, these texts (revised) will become part of your final project. While the individual projects and the final project will be graded as individual work, you will work with partner(s) throughout the term to produce the projects. For the final project text, you will revise all individual parts and submit this new version as part of your final project (see below) in addition to a presentation of this tour (recorded). The individual projects are due on various dates throughout the term.
The individual projects during the term will be texts for which you will use the new language and grammar you have learned each week, plus some of your own research. Eventually, these texts (revised) will become part of your final project. While the individual projects and the final project will be graded as individual work, you will work with partner(s) throughout the term to produce the projects. For the final project text, you will revise all individual parts and submit this new version as part of your final project (see below) in addition to a presentation of this tour (recorded). The individual projects are due on various dates throughout the term.
Criteria for Grading of Project Texts:
a “B” project:
a “B” project:
- has mostly accurate grammar that shows the level of learning up to this point.
- uses appropriate vocabulary and varies word choice.
- has writing that is clear and understandable.
- responds completely to the prompt.
- has an easy to follow and logical organization and structure.
- writing that uses a personal tone and draws the reader in.
- offers a detailed response directly to the prompt.
- is clearly organized with a logical organization and structure that guides the reader.
- grammar is accurate half of the time and/or too simple or too complex for the level of learning up to this point.
- vocabulary is limited and/or too advanced for the GERM 101 audience to understand.
- writing is not clear and not easily understandable.
- only somewhat responds to the prompt.
- organization and structure are intended but not executed well.
- has grammar that is accurate less than half of the time AND/OR
- has very limited vocabulary and inappropriate word choice AND/OR
- has writing that is hard to understand AND/OR
- only marginally responds to the prompt AND/OR
- has no visible organization and structure.
- was not handed in.
25% FINAL PROJECT
Oral Final Project - Part 1: Spontaneous
In week 10, you will ask and answer "Q&As" about your tour and the tours of classmates during class. Every student will prepare a certain number of questions to ask the teams about their tour. The tour team has to answer these questions spontaneously. This asking and answering will be part of your oral grade (see oral grading rubric below) and will also help each team to fine-tune the final project (see below). This assignment is due in week 10 in class.
Oral Final Project - Part 2: Prepared
During exam days, you will record your tour with your partner. You can use Carleton's campus as your "city" or use powerpoint/ google slides etc. for visual support. For your speaking part, you cannot read from your prepared texts nor memorize them beforehand, but you must speak spontaneously. You are allowed to have notes, but they cannot be full sentences. Even though this presentation will be graded individually, you need to communicate with your partner(s) since you will present your tour together (who speaks when, what images to use, who does which slides, how should everything look...). This assignment is due during exam days.
To prepare this tour, you need to set a date and time with your tour partner during week 10 and finals week to
The actual presentation should last around 10 mins. Using the feedback you received during the spontaneous oral portion (see above) will improve your presentation.
Written Final Project
You will revise the texts of your individual term projects to turn in as a separate script alongside your recorded tour. This acts as a polished written version of your recorded tour. You should work with your tour partner(s) as they can provide valuable feedback in addition to the feedback your classmates have given you. You will submit a text file to be graded under the text rubric below. Even though your texts will be graded individually, you need to communicate with your partner(s): you will hand in one text. This text should have color coding so I can see who wrote what. This assignment is due during exam days.
In week 10, you will ask and answer "Q&As" about your tour and the tours of classmates during class. Every student will prepare a certain number of questions to ask the teams about their tour. The tour team has to answer these questions spontaneously. This asking and answering will be part of your oral grade (see oral grading rubric below) and will also help each team to fine-tune the final project (see below). This assignment is due in week 10 in class.
Oral Final Project - Part 2: Prepared
During exam days, you will record your tour with your partner. You can use Carleton's campus as your "city" or use powerpoint/ google slides etc. for visual support. For your speaking part, you cannot read from your prepared texts nor memorize them beforehand, but you must speak spontaneously. You are allowed to have notes, but they cannot be full sentences. Even though this presentation will be graded individually, you need to communicate with your partner(s) since you will present your tour together (who speaks when, what images to use, who does which slides, how should everything look...). This assignment is due during exam days.
To prepare this tour, you need to set a date and time with your tour partner during week 10 and finals week to
- discuss any visuals you want to use
- design the presentation
- practice your presentation.
- record the presentation.
The actual presentation should last around 10 mins. Using the feedback you received during the spontaneous oral portion (see above) will improve your presentation.
Written Final Project
You will revise the texts of your individual term projects to turn in as a separate script alongside your recorded tour. This acts as a polished written version of your recorded tour. You should work with your tour partner(s) as they can provide valuable feedback in addition to the feedback your classmates have given you. You will submit a text file to be graded under the text rubric below. Even though your texts will be graded individually, you need to communicate with your partner(s): you will hand in one text. This text should have color coding so I can see who wrote what. This assignment is due during exam days.
Criteria for Grading:
a “B” project:
a “B” project:
- 10% of Course Grade: Week 10: Spontaneous Oral
- uses appropriate vocabulary and varies word choice.
- has mostly accurate grammar that shows the level of learning up to this point.
- speaking is clear and understandable.
- speaking is spontaneous and not memorized.
- offers ca. 6 questions in total, of which 3 require more complex answers.
- answers questions adequately.
- uses appropriate vocabulary and varies word choice.
- 15% of Course Grade: Exam Days: Tour Presentation (recorded) = Prepared Oral and written script
- uses appropriate vocabulary and varies word choice.
- has mostly accurate grammar that shows the level of learning up to this point.
- speaking and/or writing is clear and understandable.
- speaking is spontaneous and not memorized.
- presentation is 8-9 minutes long with all team members contributing equally.
- text has at least 500-600 words for each partner.
- has an easy to follow and logical organization and structure.
- explains to the audience what social justice aspects the tour visitors will encounter.
- presentation is visually appealing.
- uses appropriate vocabulary and varies word choice.
- 10% of Course Grade: Week 10: Spontaneous Oral
- is fluent and spontaneous.
- is especially rigorous and/or creative and/or exciting.
- asks multiple questions that require more complex answers.
- answers questions posed with ease and elaboration.
- is fluent and spontaneous.
- 15% of Course Grade: Exam Days: Tour Presentation (recorded) = Prepared Oral and written script
- is fluent and spontaneous.
- is especially rigorous and/or creative and/or exciting.
- has almost no grammatical errors.
- speaking and/or writing uses a personal tone and draws the reader in.
- presentation is 10 minutes long with all team members contributing equally.
- text has at least 600-700 words for each partner.
- is clearly organized with a logical organization and structure that guides the reader.
- goes into depth talking about the social justice aspects of the tour.
- is fluent and spontaneous.
- 10% of Course Grade: Week 10: Spontaneous Oral
- grammar is accurate half of the time and too simple or too complex for the level of learning up to this point.
- vocabulary is limited and/or too advanced for the GERM 101 audience to understand.
- speaking is not clear and not easily understandable.
- asks questions rarely.
- answers questions posed only with help from the partner or not adequately.
- grammar is accurate half of the time and too simple or too complex for the level of learning up to this point.
- 15% of Course Grade: Exam Days: Tour Presentation (recorded) = Prepared Oral and written script
- grammar is accurate half of the time and too simple or too complex for the level of learning up to this point.
- vocabulary is limited and/or too advanced for the GERM 101 audience to understand.
- speaking and/or writing is not clear and not easily understandable.
- presentation is 6-8 minutes long and/or team members do not contribute equally.
- text has at least 400-500 words for each partner.
- organization and structure are intended but not executed well.
- presentation is visually confusing or cluttered.
- grammar is accurate half of the time and too simple or too complex for the level of learning up to this point.
- 10% of Course Grade: Week 10: Spontaneous Oral
- has grammar that is accurate less than half of the time AND/OR
- has very limited vocabulary and inappropriate word choice AND/OR
- has speaking that is hard to understand AND/OR
- asks questions very rarely AND/OR
- answers questions posed very briefly and without deep connection to the question.
- has grammar that is accurate less than half of the time AND/OR
- 15% of Course Grade: Exam Days: Tour Presentation (recorded) = Prepared Oral and written script
- has grammar that is accurate less than half of the time AND/OR
- has very limited vocabulary and inappropriate word choice AND/OR
- has speaking and/or writing that is hard to understand AND/OR
- presentation is less than 6 minutes long and/or team members do not contribute equally AND/OR
- text has less than 400 words for each partner.
- has no visible organization and structure.
- has grammar that is accurate less than half of the time AND/OR
- did not take place/ was not handed in.