Category Archives: Videos

Lebkuchenherz basteln / Gingerbread heart craft

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Crafty Projects, Holidays, Uncategorized, Videos by

I wanted to offer my students a craft that they could do at home, no matter what kinds of craft supplies they have. But of course it had to be something German, too! So I thought about making a gingerbread heart out of paper. The kids can decorate it with whatever they have at home. Maybe they will even give it to someone special!

I always think of gingerbread hearts at Christmas markets. All those colorful, decorated hearts hanging from one of the stalls! And what a treat when someone gives you one with a special message!

Aachener Weihnachtsmarkt, 2019

Here is a link to the video instructions:

You can download the free PDF with bilingual instructions as well as templates. There are two heart templates. One has decoration on it, and one is plain.

Lebkuchenherz basteln GitADownload

Learn to Draw Peppa Wutz/Pig in German!

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Uncategorized, Videos by

As one of my Bingo lessons for my 3rd & 4th graders, I had them watch an episode of Peppa Wutz (Peppa Pig) in German. The episode is called “Sportfest” (Sports Day).

After watching, one of their options is to draw Peppa. I created my own video in German to help them do it!

 

Once they have finished drawing Peppa, I asked them to label at least 3 body parts.

  • Kopf
  • 2 Ohren
  • Schnauze
  • 2 Augen
  • Mund / Lächeln
  • Wange
  • Kleid
  • 2 Arme
  • 2 Hände
  • 3 Finger
  • 2 Beine
  • 2 Füße

Have fun drawing Peppa with me!

Was für Wetter haben wir heute?

Posted in Pre-K & K Class, Uncategorized, Videos, Word Posters, Writing by

For this week’s remote lesson for my preschoolers & kindergartners, I wanted to review the weather. We had been working on it for several weeks before school closed. After our Hello song, we would review the words and record the weather in our chart.

Today I made a video to review the words:

You can download the weather vocabulary posters I use in the video here: Wetter Wortschatz Posters GitA

I created a weekly chart for recording the weather. It looks like this:

Wetterbericht Woche PKK 2020 GitA-page-001

I also made a page of cards in color or black & white. They can be used as a whole sheet to review the words. Or they can be cut up into flashcards. If you print two sets, you can use them to play Memo!

All three of these pages are included in this Wetterbericht (weather report) PDF: Wetterbericht Woche GitA

When I first talk to my young students about the weather, I ask them: “Was für Wetter haben wir heute?” (What kind of weather do we have today?) This question prompts them to answer with the noun form: Sonne – Wind – Regen (sun, wind, rain, etc.). It keeps things simple at first.

Later we can get into the question: “Wie ist das Wetter heute?” (How is the weather today?). Those answers can vary: “Die Sonne scheint.” – “Es ist winding.” – “Es regnet.” (The sun is shining. – It is windy. – It’s raining.)

If you want to practice writing some of the words, I made some worksheets a couple of years ago that work nicely with these materials. Click on over to this post about weather to find those!

SL: Sterntaler / Star Money

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Story Listening, Uncategorized, Videos by

Danke, Mädchen video end screen

Sterntaler – final screen shot of the story

For my 1st & 2nd graders this week, I told the story about the girl who selflessly gives away all her possessions and is rewarded in the end when the stars fall from the sky and turn into gold coins. It is a story they have heard before. And it is a simplified version of the fairy tale. But I added back some more details for them this time around.

 

I had some technical difficulties with the app while telling the story. So a couple of times, whole sections of the drawing move! I left it, as I figured the children would get a kick out of it 😉

 

 

SL: Dornröschen / Sleeping Beauty VIDEO

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Story Listening, Uncategorized, Videos by

Sleeping Beauty has always been one of my favorite fairy tales – at least of the Disney fairy tales! It’s the first movie I ever saw. Even though it frightened me when Maleficent turned into the dragon, I still loved it.

Today I am telling the version of the story that is closer to the one collected by the Brothers Grimm. Here we do find a vengeful fairy, however she is not called Maleficent. She is simply the 13th fairy – yes, there were 13 fairies in total!

The title Dornröschen does not translate to “Sleeping Beauty.” It literally means “little thorn – or briar – rose.” Listen to the story to find out why the young princess is called Dornröschen.

Instructions for TWS students:

  1. Watch the video (below)
  2. Write the story into your German Story Listening Log (Get it HERE if you need it!)
  3. Choose ONE of the following exercises to complete. Take a picture of your completed work or take a video and email it back to me.
    • Retell the story to someone in English – take a video or make an audio recording.
    • Write a summary of the story in English – take a picture of it or record yourself reading it.
    • Draw your favorite scene from the story. Remember to put the story title on it! Take a picture.
    • Watch the video again and read along. (See the text below) Take a picture of your log, so we know you heard the story.

* If you feel frustrated while watching the story, because you do not understand, please stop and choose another story!

To read along:

SL: Der süße Brei / The Sweet Porridge VIDEO

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Story Listening, Uncategorized, Videos by

Today’s story comes again from the collection of Grimm’s fairy tales. It’s a shorter story today.

This story is not as well-known here in the US. It’s about a girl who is given a magic pot that cooks sweet porridge. My students have heard it before, so I hope they enjoy it again.

I don’t love the ending. I think it is a bit confusing. Basically it says that whoever goes into the city had to eat their way through the sweet porridge. But that is not the easiest thing to understand. Maybe one day I’ll come up with a different ending….

Instructions for TWS students:

  1. Watch the video (below)
  2. Write the story into your German Story Listening Log (Get it HERE if you need it!)
  3. Choose ONE of the following exercises to complete. Take a picture of your completed work or take a video and email it back to me.
    • Retell the story to someone in English – take a video or make an audio recording.
    • Write a summary of the story in English – take a picture of it or record yourself reading it.
    • Draw your favorite scene from the story. Remember to put the story title on it! Take a picture.
    • Watch the video again and read along. (See the text below) Take a picture of your log, so we know you heard the story.

* If you feel frustrated while watching the story, because you do not understand, please stop and choose another story!

 

 

If you are a teacher looking for some materials to go with the story, you can find some in this post!

To read along with the story, here is the text:

SL: Aschenputtel / Cinderella VIDEO

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Story Listening, Uncategorized, Videos by

Today I’m telling the well-known story of Cinderella. In German she is called Aschenputtel. Asche means “ashes” – or “cinders”.

But listen carefully! This version is closer to the original that we find in the collection of the Brothers Grimm! Can you find the differences in this version?

Instructions for TWS students:

  1. Watch the video (below)
  2. Write the story into your German Story Listening Log (Get it HERE if you need it!)
  3. Choose ONE of the following exercises to complete. Take a picture of your completed work or take a video and email it to me!
    • Retell the story to someone in English – take a video or make an audio recording.
    • Write a summary of the story in English – take a picture of it or record yourself reading it.
    • Draw your favorite scene from the story. Remember to put the story title on it! Take a picture to post.
    • Watch the video again and read along. (See the text below) You could answer the questions below or take a picture of your log, so we know you heard the story.

* If you feel frustrated while watching the story, because you do not understand, please stop and choose another story!

 

 

Did you hear the differences in this version? Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Does her father die?
  • What does she have to do before she is allowed to go to the ball?
  • How does she get her dress and shoes?
  • What color are her shoes?

To read along with the story, here is the text:

 

https://www.scribd.com/document/453228988/Aschenputtel

SL: Rotkäppchen / Little Red Riding Hood VIDEO

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Story Listening, Uncategorized, Videos by

I’m SO excited! The 3rd & 4th graders have just started a unit on traditional literature, and they are beginning with fairy tales! This is perfect for Story Listening! So I am planning to tell a fairy tale every day for the rest of the week.

Today’s lesson is Rotkäppchen (Little Red Riding Hood). I recently told the story to the 3rd graders, so it would be more of a review for them.

Instructions for TWS students:

  1. Watch the video (below)
  2. Write the story into your German Story Listening Log (Get it HERE if you need it!)
  3. Choose ONE of the following exercises to complete. Take a picture of your completed work or take a video and email it back to me.
    • Retell the story to someone in English – take a video or make an audio recording.
    • Write a summary of the story in English – take a picture of it or record yourself reading it.
    • Draw your favorite scene from the story. Remember to put the story title on it! Take a picture.
    • Watch the video again and read along. (See the text below) Take a picture of your log, so we know you heard the story.

* If you feel frustrated while watching the story, because you do not understand, please stop and choose another story!

 

 

Here is the text, if you would like to read along with the story:

SL: Pflaster / Bandages

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Story Listening, Uncategorized, Videos by

The next story for my 1st & 2nd graders is called Pflaster. I got it from one of my own 1st-grader’s early readers. In English it’s called Bandages, but I translated “Pflaster” as band-aids when I told the story.

Instructions for TWS students:

  1. Watch the video (below)
  2. Write the story into your German Story Listening Log (Get it HERE if you need it!)
  3. Choose ONE of the following exercises to complete. Take a picture of your completed work or take a video to post on SeeSaw.
    • Go back to the end of the video and choose three words to draw and label.
    • Tell the story to someone at home (in English).
    • Download the following PDF and choose ONE worksheet to complete: Pflaster Arbeitsblatt – GitA

* If you feel frustrated while watching the story, because you do not understand, please stop and choose another story!

 

The worksheets look like this:

Bonus: Go to the previous post and watch the video with the song on washing hands! Do you remember it?! “Hände waschen”!

Enjoy the story! I can’t wait to hear how it goes!!

SL: Axels Traktor VIDEO

Posted in 1st - 4th Grade, Story Listening, Uncategorized, Videos by

My 3rd & 4th-graders usually have German on Fridays. So I wanted to post a video for them of a story that they had never heard before. I found this cute story in a picture book at the library. The original title is Arthur’s Traktor, and the book is by Pippa Goodhart.

Axels Traktor

I hope my students enjoy the story. It is a silly one!! It is kind of a modern day fairy tale. Arthur is plowing his field and has no idea that a princess is being chased by a dragon, and that a knight on horseback is following them! The ending may be even more unbelievable, however, as the princess stays with Arthur, and the prince flies off with the dragon!

While recording the live videos, my two boys are my audience. You will hear them chiming in, figuring out what some of the words mean. That is how Story Listening works! It is best when it is interactive. But while the kids are home from school, these videos will have to do.

Here is a link to the video: