aiMOOC

E6 G - Meet the characters – Figuren kennenlernen

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E6 G - Meet the characters – Figuren kennenlernen

Einleitung

Meet the characters! In this aiMOOC you work with the characters in your graded reader or class reader. Keep your book open. This course helps you understand the book. It does not replace the original story.

Your learning path: Notice → understand → practise → use → feedback → use again.

Try English first. If you need help, use this order: Hint → German help → example → solution. Do not translate every sentence.

Deutsch-Hilfe: Du arbeitest mit den Figuren aus eurer Lektüre. Die kurzen Übungen helfen beim Lesen, Sprechen und Schreiben. Die Geschichte selbst liest Du im Original beziehungsweise im vereinbarten graded reader.

Short media start

Look at the picture. Think of two characters in your book.

Try English: Who are they?
Hint: Use names from your book.
German help: Wer sind die beiden Figuren?
Example: “This is … . He/She is … .”
Solution: Your answer must fit your book.

Watch only a short part first. Listen for simple words that describe people. You do not need to understand every word.

I-can goals

After this course, you can say:

I can find basic information about a character.
I can use a small word bank to describe a character.
I can give one reason from the story.
I can ask and answer simple questions about a character.
I can write four to six clear sentences.
I can speak clearly enough to be understood.

Before you read: quick check

Choose one answer in your head.

Can you find the character’s name?
Can you find one thing the character likes?
Can you find one action by the character?
Can you say “I think … because …”?
Can you ask “What is he/she like?”

If one answer is “no”, that is fine. Use the hints below.

Notice

Open the part of your reader that you are reading now. Find the first important character.

Do not copy a long text. Write only short notes.

Character card	Your note
Name	…
Age, if the book says it	…
Place	…
One like or interest	…
One action	…
One feeling	…
Page	…

Hint: Names and actions are often easy to find.

German help: Suche zuerst sichere Informationen im Text. Nicht raten.

Words in context

Use only a few useful words.

English	Easy meaning	Sentence starter
friendly	nice to other people	I think … is friendly because …
helpful	helps other people	… is helpful. He/She …
kind	good and caring	… is kind to …
quiet	does not talk much	… is quiet in …
funny	makes people laugh	… is funny because …
brave	does something difficult although it is scary	… is brave when …
worried	thinks something bad may happen	… is worried about …

Important: A character’s looks do not tell you the character’s personality. Use actions and words from the story.

Understand

Picture and audio input

Practice only – this mini-dialogue is not from your reader.

Teacher or partner reads slowly. Listen twice.

Speaker A: Who is the new character?
Speaker B: Mia.
Speaker A: What is she like?
Speaker B: She is quiet, but she is helpful.
Speaker A: How do you know?
Speaker B: She helps Ben with his bag.

Task 1: Circle the two character words: quiet / angry / helpful / funny.

Task 2: What action gives a reason?

Hint: Listen for “helps”.

German help: Welche Handlung zeigt, dass Mia hilfsbereit ist?

Solution: She helps Ben with his bag.

Very short comprehension task

Go back to your book. Choose one character.

Complete:

Name: …
One fact: …
One action: …
My idea: I think the character is … because …

Hint: The reason can be one short action.

German help: Eine Textstelle als Beleg reicht. Du musst keinen langen Satz zitieren.

Practise

Pronunciation: clear is the goal

Say the words slowly. Then say the full sentence.

character – stress the first syllable.
friendly – say both parts clearly.
quiet – two clear syllables.
helpful – keep the final sound.

Try: “My character is friendly.”

Then ask: “What is your character like?”

Deutsch-Hilfe: Verständlichkeit ist wichtiger als Akzentfreiheit. Sprich ruhig, deutlich und in kurzen Einheiten.

Listen, repeat, change

Use this model:

A: Who is your character?
B: My character is …
A: What is he/she like?
B: He/She is …
A: How do you know?
B: He/She …

Now change only the name, adjective and action. Do the dialogue again.

Useful grammar in communication

You need only a few patterns here:

be: She is friendly. / He is quiet.
have: She has a bike. / He has a dog.
like: She likes music.
can: He can help.
because: I think she is brave because she helps her friend.

Use the pattern that fits your book. Do not add difficult grammar just to sound advanced.

Video: describing people

Watch a short section. Stop after a few useful words. Pick two words you can really use. More words are not better if they make your text hard to understand.

Use

Speaking: character card talk

Work with a partner.

A speaks for about 20–30 seconds.
“My character is … . He/She is … . He/She likes … . I think he/she is … because … .”

B asks one question.
“What does he/she like?” or “How do you know?”

Then change roles.

Hint: Look at your card.

German help: Du darfst Stichwörter benutzen. Lies keinen langen Text vor.

Reading: find evidence

Read one short section from your reader.

Find:

one fact about a character
one action by the character
one word or short phrase that shows a feeling

Then complete:

I think … is … because …

Do not invent evidence. If the book does not say it, write: “I don’t know yet.”

Short writing output

Write four to six sentences about one character.

Use this frame if you want:

“My character is … . He/She lives in … . He/She likes … . He/She is … . I think this because … . I want to know … .”

Word bank: friendly – helpful – kind – quiet – funny – brave – worried

German help: Kurze richtige Sätze sind besser als lange unsichere Sätze.

Optional mediation

A partner has not read your page. Explain the character in two short German sentences. Use your English notes, but do not translate the whole page.

Then say one key sentence again in English.

Example: “Mia ist neu und eher ruhig. Sie hilft Ben.” → “Mia is quiet and helpful.”

Feedback

Give kind, short feedback.

One thing that is clear: “I understand …”
One useful correction: “Check is/has/likes.”
One next step: “Add one reason.”

Focus on only a few central errors. Do not correct every small mistake.

Safe use of media and AI

Use the book and class materials first.
Use only fictional practice data in online examples.
Audio recordings are voluntary and can stay private.
Do not upload faces, voices, book pages or personal data without permission.
Do not send class material to external AI tools without a clear school rule and permission.
If AI gives you a sentence, check it, understand it and rewrite it in your own simple English.

Use again

Choose a second character from your reader. Make a new mini card. This time try to use less help.

Say:

“This character is … . I know this because … .”

Then compare the two characters with only one easy sentence:

“… is quiet. … is more talkative.”

If comparison language is not secure yet, use two separate sentences instead.

Can-do check

Mark each point: yes / almost / not yet.

I can find basic character facts.
I can use three or four useful character words.
I can give one reason from the story.
I can ask one simple question.
I can speak clearly enough to be understood.
I can write four to six short sentences.

If you have “not yet”, repeat one small task. Do not repeat everything.

Follow-up course

Next step: E6 G - Character relationships – Beziehungen zwischen Figuren

Lehrplanbezug Baden-Württemberg

Der Kurs orientiert sich am gemeinsamen Bildungsplan Sekundarstufe I, Englisch als erste Fremdsprache, Fassung vom 10. März 2025, Klassen 5/6, G-Niveau. Im Mittelpunkt stehen Leseverstehen, Hörverstehen, Sprechen, Schreiben, Sprachmittlung, elementarer Wortschatz, verständliche Aussprache sowie Text- und Medienkompetenz. Der Kurs begleitet eine didaktisierte oder geeignete Ganzschrift und ersetzt sie nicht.

Bildungspläne Baden-Württemberg: Englisch als erste Fremdsprache, Sekundarstufe I

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What is a character in a story? (A person or being in the story) (!A page number) (!A chapter title) (!A book cover)

Which word means nett und fürsorglich? (kind) (!angry) (!late) (!loud)

Which word means ruhig? (quiet) (!funny) (!brave) (!busy)

Which sentence gives a reason? (I think she is helpful because she helps Ben.) (!She is Mia.) (!This is page eight.) (!The book is blue.)

What should you do first when you do not understand a task? (Try English and use the hint) (!Translate the whole book) (!Skip every difficult word) (!Upload the page online)

What is good evidence for a character idea? (An action from the story) (!A random guess) (!A picture from another book) (!A classmate’s name)

Which question asks about personality? (What is the character like?) (!What page is this?) (!How many books are there?) (!Where is my pen?)

What is the main pronunciation goal in this course? (To be clearly understood) (!To lose every accent) (!To speak very fast) (!To use difficult words)

What is a safe choice for a practice recording? (Keep it private unless sharing is agreed) (!Post it publicly without asking) (!Use another student’s name and photo) (!Upload a book page with the recording)

What should you do with an AI sentence? (Check it and write in your own simple English) (!Copy it without reading) (!Use the longest version) (!Send private class data first)

Memory

kind	nett
quiet	ruhig
helpful	hilfsbereit
brave	mutig
worried	besorgt
friendly	freundlich

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
character	Figur
action	Handlung
feeling	Gefühl
evidence	Beleg
reason	Grund

Kreuzworträtsel

character	What do you call a person or being in a story?
friendly	Which adjective means nice to other people?
helpful	Which adjective means ready to help?
quiet	Which adjective means not talking much?
reader	What can you call an easy book made for language learners?
evidence	What word means a fact or action that supports your idea?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Figurenkarte: Make a small character card with name, one fact, one action and one adjective.
Wortschatz: Choose four useful character words and draw a simple symbol for each word.
Sprechen: Practise the sentence “My character is … because …” with one example from your reader.
Lesen: Find one page where a character does something important and mark the place with a paper note.

Standard

Dialog: Write and perform a six-line partner dialogue about one character.
Charakterisierung: Write four to six simple sentences about one character and add one piece of evidence.
Sprachmittlung: Explain one character to a German-speaking partner in two short German sentences, then say one key sentence in English.
Aussprache: Choose three words from your character card, practise them, and ask a partner whether they are easy to understand.

Schwer

Figurenvergleich: Compare two characters with short, clear sentences and support one idea with evidence.
Perspektive: Write a short first-person message from a character’s point of view using only information that fits the reader.
Interview: Prepare five easy questions for a fictional interview with one character and answer them using evidence from the book.
Medienprodukt: Create a private one-minute audio or paper poster about a character; use fictional practice data and do not upload personal information.

Lernkontrolle

Textbeleg: Choose one adjective for a character and justify it with one action from the reader. Explain why the action fits the adjective.
Unbekannte Figur: Read a short teacher-provided character paragraph. Identify one fact, one action and one feeling, then explain your choices.
Überarbeiten: Improve a weak description such as “She is nice.” Add a more precise word and one reason without making the sentence much longer.
Gesprächsstrategie: A partner does not understand your character description. Show two ways to make your English easier to understand without switching immediately to a full German translation.
Medienkompetenz: Decide which of three possible character-project ideas can stay private and which would need permission before sharing. Give a short reason.
Transfer: Use the same character-card method for a new chapter or a different graded reader and explain which parts of the method still help.

Lernnachweis

For a Lernnachweis, show that you can:

find basic information in the reader
describe one character with a small, useful word bank
support one idea with evidence from the text
ask and answer simple questions
write a short, clear character paragraph
speak understandably with simple sentence patterns
use feedback to improve one part of your work
handle recordings, personal data and external tools safely

The Lernnachweis uses your own short notes and formulations. It does not require public uploads or external media.

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