Festivals in German Speaking Countries

FESTIVALS IN GERMAN SPEAKING COUNTRIES

1. Christmas

Using Early Start German

1. Video on DVD – 15. Fröhliche Weinachten

2. Songs

– Stille Nacht (words & music on sheet p. 149-150; CD track 17/18)

- Stern über Bethlehem (words & music on sheet p. 149-150; CD track 19/20)

- O Tannenbaum (words & music on sheet p. 149-150; CD track 21/22)

3. Craft ideas

– use pictures from “Fröhliche Weinachten!” worksheet p. 151 to colour and label in German,

– use pictures from “Fröhliche Weinachten!” worksheet p. 151 to make Christmas cards;

– use pictures from “Fröhliche Weinachten!” worksheet p. 151 to enlarge each to A4 for class display.

- Advent calendar (whole class activity) –p. 144

- Advent ring or wreath – instructions on http://www.catholicculture.org/lit/activities/view.cfm?id=878

http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/kids/artsncrafts/12_adventwreath.asp

4. Food Technology –

Weihnachtskekse – worksheet p. 153 with picture instructions for children to follow. Accompanying instructions for teacher on p. 147 of file.

Bratapfel – instructions for teacher p. 148. method shown on video ch. 15.

Lebkuchenhäusen – use Weihnachtskekse recipe and cut to gingerbread house shapes (p.147) or no-bake idea using Mars bar, shortbread fingers and ready-made icing.

5. ICT

– multimedia Advent Calendar – see p. 145

- pupils search for pictures of the various German terms introduced – e.g., Weihnachtskekse, Sankt Nikolaus, Weihnachtsmarkt, Adventskranz etc.

GERMAN FESTIVALS

2. Easter

1. very useful site with some vocab, pictures and useful background information– http://www.billanookps.vic.edu.au/German/easter.htm

2. Craft

Eggs – Dyeing and decorating hard-boiled eggs : some good designs on the Billanookps site

Also for eggs - http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa031401a.htm

– Easter trees – suitable plant material could include hazel twigs with catkins, twisted hazel twigs,winter jasmine, forsythia, pussy willows, flowering cherry, or anything else you can think of!

- Easter mobiles – see illustrations – I could not download the instructions and template for the mobile shown

3. Cookery – http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa041301a.htm

recipes for Easter Bunny / Bunny cake / Bunny Cookies– but beware, quantities are in American measure (ie, “Cups”)

JC Joyce Cochrane