These three options all draw the students deeper into a world of ideas -- to the point where they learn to connect pieces of information that might otherwise remain isolated.

     Option A is the simplest: students connect information they have learned in one medium (the play) with that from another (a website).  This linking widens their perception of the patterns of ideas in the L2 and the world that is created in that L2.  When students make matches, they identify coherent connections between literature and actual events.

     Option B makes somewhat more complex connections, because the students are also deciding what is newsworthy to each other -- they are making connections between the German language and their own lives in a more extended set of decisions.  To prepare for higher-level work, the teacher should be sure to grade for both language and information content.  Students make not only linguistic connections, they also connect concepts and relationships.

     Option C will force the connections standards into alignment with the communication standards, because students will also be responsible for each others' learning.  For that to work, the teacher will have to grade both the presentations and others' reports for both content and form.  In large classes, teachers can add this exercise using only random answers (e.g. grading every fourth report).