State of Lower Saxony

Teaching notes

1 Getting started: gathering questions

Start with the question: “What would you like to know about Lower Saxony?” Gather the children’s prior knowledge, experiences and questions. Use the introductory picture as an additional conversation prompt. It shows the Herrenhausen Gardens in Hanover. At the end of the unit, check which questions have been answered.

2 Reading Passages and Maps

Choose the reading passages based on interest, prior knowledge and the time available. Set aside regular reading time each day. Children can read independently, with a partner or with support. Explain unfamiliar terms and have them retell key information in their own words.

Look at the maps together with the children. Have them locate Lower Saxony within Germany and find selected cities, rivers and landscapes. Where possible, make connections to where they live or to familiar places they have visited.

3 The learning sentences

Have the children find relevant information in the reading passages, fill in the blanks, and write out the completed sentences. If needed, provide a selection of words or point them to relevant sections of the text. Then have the children check the content, sentence structure, and spelling. Review the results together.

4 Quiz

Instead of completing the gap-fill exercises, the children can create a quiz. They can write about three to five questions on cards or on a sheet of paper. They should write down the answers and the corresponding passages separately. Then two children swap questions. They may look up the answers. Next, they write selected questions on the front of a card and the answer on the back. They can then play in pairs or in a small group.

Make sure the questions are clear and can be answered using the materials. Include questions about maps, for example: “Which cities are on the coast?”

5 Writing exercises

a) Practising difficult words: Have the children choose five to ten difficult words from the texts, copy them out carefully and mark the tricky parts. After practising, they write the words down without looking at the original. Then they compare and correct their spelling.

b) Free writing: My home town in Lower Saxony. Ask the children to gather key words about its location, special features and their favourite places. They can use these to write a draft. After a short peer-review session, they revise the text and produce a final copy with a heading. Children who live outside Lower Saxony can choose and describe a place in the state.

c) Choose other writing activities of your own. Children should write an appropriate number of words each day

6 Ideas for activities

• Create a class map: Work with the children to draw the outline of Lower Saxony on a large piece of cardboard. Add cities, rivers and landscapes, as well as pictures and short information cards.
• Explore a place: Plan a tour of your neighbourhood or school area. Have selected buildings, businesses or features documented.
• Plan a trip: Ask small groups to plan a route through Lower Saxony with three stops. The children locate their destinations on a map and explain their choices.
• Present your findings: Bring together your texts about where people live, question cards and research findings in a topic folder or a small exhibition.

• The picture at the beginning shows the Herrenhausen Gardens in Hanover.