1 - Clock or Timetable? ~5 mins
What time is it right now? Easy enough in English. Now picture yourself on a German railway platform reading a departure board. The times look familiar, but the phrases sound different. Today you will ask for the time and answer with o'clock, half and quarter phrases you can really use.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Ask what the time is and answer with German o'clock phrases
- Use halb, Viertel nach and Viertel vor with a clock face
- Spot why German halb names the hour still coming
Take one or two answers about the classroom clock, then point to the platform image and say that station boards and school timetables in German-speaking countries often show the 24-hour clock. Keep the hook short. Do not unpack the full halb rule yet; a one-line clock contrast lands at the end of the flashcards step so pupils meet it before matching and bingo.
2 - Eight Time Phrases ~10 mins
Listen to each time phrase on the cards first, then repeat it together. On a second pass, try from memory before the card flips.
First pass: o'clock times, midday and the half-past chunk.
Second pass: the two quarter phrases.
Worked exchange (teacher models with the cards)
Wie spät ist es? (What time is it?)
Answer with a full line from a card: an o'clock time, a half-past line, or a quarter line.
Half-past tip (clock faces): the German half-past word names the hour it is going towards, not the hour just gone.
- Halfway to 2 = half past one in English
- halb acht = half past seven (halfway to 8)
Run the flashcards on the board with whole-class choral work. Order every card: you (or the audio) model first → class repeats twice → only then invite a from-memory attempt on the second pass. English may show for meaning, but nobody guesses German sound cold.
Pronunciation guides: acht Uhr (akht OOR), drei Uhr (dry OOR), fünf Uhr (fuenf OOR), elf Uhr (elf OOR), halb (HAHLP), Viertel nach (FEER-tel nakh), Viertel vor (FEER-tel for), Mittag (MIT-tahk). Class question (modelled by you, not a flashcard target): Wie spät ist es? (vee SHPET ist es).
Split the deck: first four to five cards = o'clock + Mittag + halb; then quarters. After the halb card, pause 60 seconds on two simple clock sketches (1:30 and 7:30). Say: "This one tricks English brains — celebrate anyone who catches it." Model Es ist halb zwei and halb acht with TTS. Mnemonic to say aloud: "German halb looks forward to the hour still coming: halb acht = halfway to 8 = 7:30." Choral Halb acht! once, praise the first volunteer who explains it in their own words. Bare halb is the flashcard chunk; pupils produce it inside Es ist halb …, not as a lone word in conversation. Worked board models for you (not printed as a word list on the pupil slide): Es ist acht Uhr. / Es ist halb zwei. / Es ist Viertel nach drei.
3 - Match the Departure Board ~10 mins
You are reading a German departure board. Flip two cards at a time and match each German time phrase with its English meaning. Say the German quietly as you turn each card.
Then, pair mic (2 minutes): Partner A asks Wie spät ist es? Partner B answers from one of the four answer cards on the board, then swap.
Whole-class turns on the IWB work well for matching. Frame misses as "wrong platform" humour to keep the departure-board story alive. If a pair is missed twice, pause and say the German together before continuing. Listen for Viertel nach versus Viertel vor, which sound similar at speed.
After matching (~3–4 minutes left): leave these four answer stems visible on the board (do not rely on the pupil slide for the list):
- Es ist acht Uhr.
- Es ist halb zwei.
- Es ist Viertel nach drei.
- Es ist Viertel vor fünf. / Es ist Mittag.
Choral the exchange once: you ask Wie spät ist es? (vee SHPET ist es), class answers from a pointed card. Then pairs: A asks, B points and says the full German line, swap. Keep it brisk and supportive — this is the first real ask-and-give of the lesson. Circulate and catch any English "half past two" mapping onto halb zwei; gentle reset with the clock faces from Present.
4 - Into Your Copy ~3 mins
In German, complete three lines in your copy using today's stems. Leave the stems on the board the whole time.
Copy and complete
- Es ist ______ Uhr.
- Es ist Viertel nach ______.
- Es ist halb ______.
Word bank: acht · drei · fünf · elf · zwei (for halb zwei = half past one)
Optional fourth line if you finish: Es ist Mittag.
Pause the board interactives and leave the three cloze stems plus the word bank visible. Pupils write only practised chunks — no new routine verbs (no aufstehen, no Schule beginnt). If a stronger pupil wants a personal line, they may add um acht Uhr as a short label under a clock sketch; do not require full daily-routine sentences. Walk the room and check capital Uhr and that halb zwei is not rewritten as English half past two. Do not collect the copies.
5 - Timetable Bingo ~10 mins
Listen like passengers on the platform. When the announcer calls a time phrase that is on your card, mark it. First full line calls out!
How to Play Bingo:
Option 1: Students on Devices (Digital Version)
- Use the digital version where your teacher view of the lesson displays the cards that are being called out.
- Play the pronunciation sound of each word and the children mark it off their unique digital bingo card.
- Each student has a randomised bingo card so winners will vary!
Option 2: Print Out the Bingo Cards
- Print out the Bingo Cards from the attachment above, cut out the cards, and give one to each student.
- You call out the vocabulary words and students mark off their sheets.
- First student to complete a line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) calls "Bingo!" and wins.
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