Teacher and Classes

NAME: Daniela Picciotta

SCHOOL: La Habra High School

CLASS: German 1, 2/2H, 3, 4AP

SCHOOL PHONE: (562) 266-5252


About The Teacher

I am a German citizen who was born and raised in Germany and who has been 
living in the United States since May 1997.  Growing up in a family of 
educators, I developed an interest in school-related matters at an early 
age.  Throughout my schooling, I was fortunate to be taught by and to talk 
to a number of teachers who clearly enjoyed their job.  They strengthened my 
belief that helping young people grow both intellectually and socially can 
be most rewarding.  I finally decided to become a secondary teacher when I 
first discovered my love for foreign languages as a result of taking both 
English and French for several years.

I graduated from the University of Kiel, Germany, in February 1997 with the 
State Examination Certificate for Secondary School Teachers which is 
equivalent to a BA in Secondary Education with teaching majors in English as 
a Second Language and French, plus a MA in English and French Literatures.  
After successfully completing the Single Subject Credential Program at UCI, 
I received my credential for teaching German in the summer of 2000.  I am 
also qualified to teach introductory French and Freshman English classes and 
have been involved with the AVID program at La Habra High School.

The 2009/20010 school year is my 10th year here at La Habra High School.  
I am teaching two sections of German 1, one section of German 2/German 2 
Honors, and a German 3/4 AP combination class.  My extracurricular 
assignments include being in charge of the German Club at LHHS and sponsoring 
the German National Honor Society.

My office hour for this school year is 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 
You can always leave a message at (562)266-5252 or send me an e-mail at 
dpicciotta@fjuhsd.net. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Course Descriptions

German 1: 

This course is designed as a beginning class in German. Students will 
develop initial listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills with 
emphasis placed on enabling students to function in practical situations.  
Among other topics, they will learn how to talk about themselves, friends, 
families, interests, and daily activities.  They will also learn about the 
culture and people of selected German speaking countries.

German 2/German 2 Honors:

This course reinforces and further develops the skills acquired in German 1 
while placing a continued emphasis on practical use of the language.  After 
extensive review of various grammatical concepts and important vocabulary, 
students will learn to communitcate about topics such as travel, food, 
health, clothes and wishes.  They will also read selected short stories and 
start writing longer paragraphs.  Through projects and interaction with 
authentic materials, students will further develop their appreciation of 
German speaking people and their cultures.  German 2 Honors students will be 
exposed to a more rigorous curriculum with differentiated as well as 
additional assignments and assessments.


German 3:

This intermediate course builds upon skills learned in German 1 and 2.  
Students are expected to challenge themselves in increasingly complex 
situations and to strive towards conversational fluency.  Course work 
includes selected reading materials, short writing samples, oral 
presentations and more challenging listening comprehension activities.  
These experiences develop linguistic confidence and also enhance the 
understanding of cultures of German speaking countries.

German 4 AP:

Students enrolled in German 4 AP are expected to speak German in a variety 
of class situations.  Stress is placed on development of oral fluency as 
well as complex listening, reading and writing skills to prepare them for 
the AP exam.  They will review important grammar concepts and increase their 
vocabulary knowledge through the use of diverse and challenging materials 
that are linguistically and culturally relevant.  They will also take several 
practice AP tests to get familiar with the format and content of the exam. 


Materials needed for all classes:

* 3 ring hard sided binder with lined paper
* index cards (for studying and reviewing vocabulary)
* pen (no red please)
* # 2 pencil (for finals)