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Authentic schooling

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Students learn to navigate new territories while conversing in German
Lead Summary
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By
Jason Berghorst

Five Luverne High School German students experienced the trip of a lifetime June 20-29.
The group, along with LHS German teacher Angie Swenson, traveled to six countries and used three different currencies while in central Europe.
“We stepped out of our comfort zone to use our German language skills,” Swenson said.
“Our tour was packed full of great things to see,” she added.
The LHS group’s trip began in the German capital of Berlin where they visited many historic sites including Berlin Wall and Holocaust memorials.
Next on the tour was a visit to Prague, the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic.
While there, in addition to sightseeing, the group was treated to a folk evening where they enjoyed traditional Czech foods, folk music and dancing.
Munich, a beautiful city in southern Germany, included an especially large number of interesting sites, according to Swenson.
“In Munich we had an amazing tour including many historical sites,” she said.
The Luverne group also visited the Dachau concentration camp near Munich.
A visit to Switzerland, with a short stop in the principality of Liechtenstein along the way, followed their time in Germany.
Swenson said the city of Lucerne, Switzerland, was a highlight for the group.
“Lucerne is a picturesque city on its own, but when combined with the beauty of the Alps and Lake Lucerne, it was absolutely breathtaking!”
In Lucerne the Luverne travelers enjoyed a panoramic boat tour of the area on their last day in Europe.
“What a great way to end a fantastic trip,” Swenson said.
In summary, Swenson highlighted the many educational aspects of the foreign language trips offered at LHS.
“Students gained confidence in their abilities to navigate new territories with maps, experienced public transportation, enjoyed the excitement of watching German soccer and created some amazing memories of a great trip.”

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