Family trip to the zoo
Familienausflug in den Zoo
- Describe different landscapes and animals.
- Organize a family activity at an attraction park.
- Learn about famous zoos or wildlife areas in your host country
Learn to plan a Familienausflug in den Zoo and talk about Tiere like Elefanten and Affen. Practice verbs like unternehmen, freuen, möchten, and werden while exploring zoo-related vocabulary for everyday conversations.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Jeden Samstag __________ wir einen Ausflug in den Zoo.
(Every Saturday __________ we go on a trip to the zoo.)2. Letztes Wochenende __________ wir viele Affen und Elefanten gesehen.
(Last weekend __________ we saw many monkeys and elephants.)3. Nächstes Wochenende __________ wir eine neue Tierart entdecken.
(Next weekend __________ we will discover a new species.)4. Wir __________ gestern einen Ausflug in den Dschungel gemacht.
(We __________ went on a trip to the jungle yesterday.)Exercise 3: Family outing to the zoo
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Unternehmen - Undertake
Präsens
- ich unternehme
- du unternimmst
- er/sie/es unternimmt
- wir unternehmen
- ihr unternehmt
- sie/Sie unternehmen
Unternehmen - Undertake
Perfekt
- ich habe unternommen
- du hast unternommen
- er/sie/es hat unternommen
- wir haben unternommen
- ihr habt unternommen
- sie/Sie haben unternommen
Freuen - Look forward
Präsens
- ich freue
- du freust
- er/sie/es freut
- wir freuen
- ihr freut
- sie/Sie freuen
Möchten - Want
Präsens
- ich möchte
- du möchtest
- er/sie/es möchte
- wir möchten
- ihr möchtet
- sie/Sie möchten
Werden - Become
Präsens
- ich werde
- du wirst
- er/sie/es wird
- wir werden
- ihr werdet
- sie/Sie werden
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Etwas unternehmen to do something Share Copied!
prasens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) unternehme | I do something |
| (du) unternimmst | You do something |
| (er/sie/es) unternimmt | he/she/it does something |
| (wir) unternehmen | we do something |
| (ihr) unternehmt | you do something |
| (sie) unternehmen | they do something |
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Family Trip to the Zoo: Lesson Overview
This lesson focuses on planning and talking about a family trip to the zoo. It is designed for A2-level German learners to practice everyday vocabulary and conversational phrases about animals, locations, and family activities. You will also learn to describe animal habitats and discuss popular zoos in Germany.
Key Topics Covered
- Planning a Family Zoo Visit: Learn how to organize a trip, decide which animals to see, and discuss schedules. Example phrases include: "Was möchtest du im Zoo sehen?" (What would you like to see at the zoo?) and "Wir können auch zu den Pinguinen gehen." (We can also go to the penguins.)
- Talking About Animals and Their Habitats: Practice dialogues describing animals like tigers, flamingos, and elephants, and their natural environments. Useful expressions include: "Die Tiger leben in tropischen Wäldern." (The tigers live in tropical forests.)
- Discussing Famous Zoos in Germany: Explore vocabulary related to well-known German zoos such as those in Berlin and Leipzig, and share experiences. Phrases like "Der Berliner Zoo ist einer der ältesten und größten Zoos in Deutschland." (The Berlin Zoo is one of the oldest and largest zoos in Germany.) are featured.
Grammar Focus: Verb Conjugation
This lesson offers practical exercises to master verb conjugations, particularly for verbs often used when planning or describing trips. Examples include conjugations of unternehmen (to undertake/do), werden (to become/will), and modal verbs like möchten (would like). For instance:
- Jeden Samstag unternehmen wir einen Ausflug in den Zoo. (Every Saturday we undertake a trip to the zoo.)
- Nächstes Wochenende werden wir eine neue Tierart entdecken. (Next weekend we will discover a new animal species.)
Short Story to Consolidate Learning
A brief narrative describes a family's zoo trip, integrating key verbs in both present and perfect tenses, enhancing comprehension and application:
Am Samstag unternehmen meine Frau, meine Kinder und ich einen Ausflug in den Zoo. Wir haben diesen Ausflug letztes Jahr nicht unternommen, deshalb freue ich mich sehr darauf...
Instruction Language and German: Key Differences and Useful Phrases
English and German have notable differences in sentence structure and verb placement, especially in subordinate clauses. For example, German often places the verb at the end of the sentence: "Wir können auch zu den Pinguinen gehen." translates as "We can also go to the penguins." but the verb "gehen" (go) appears last.
Modal verbs like möchten (would like) express polite desires and are widely used in everyday conversation. Example: "Ich möchte die Elefanten sehen." (I would like to see the elephants.)
Also, German nouns are capitalized and gender-specific. Animals and places often require the correct definite article: der Löwe (the lion - masculine), die Giraffe (the giraffe - feminine), das Wasserbecken (the water basin - neuter).
Some Useful Vocabulary and Expressions
- Ausflug - trip or excursion
- Zoo besuchen - to visit the zoo
- Tierarten - animal species
- Lebensräume - habitats
- Picknickkorb - picnic basket
- Familienausflug - family excursion
- Tiere beobachten - to watch animals
This lesson is structured to build confidence and fluency in everyday conversations related to planning and enjoying a family outing, with a focus on rich vocabulary and natural usage.
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