Regional Culture

• Germany has several different regions, each with their own characteristics and cultural traditions that separate them from the rest of the country. The six main regions are Bavaria, Black Forest, Germany's East, North and Baltic Sea, Rhine Valley and Ruhrpott. To learn more about each region, divide the class into six groups and instruct each group to organize a presentation for the class. The presentations should include information such as geographical features, signature cuisine, population, major cities, landmarks, famous citizens and notable points in history. Alternatively, assign a different German state for each student or group of students so that all 16 German states are covered.
  
  

German Cuisine

• Language lessons about German food and restaurant etiquette pair well with cultural projects about German cuisine. Cook popular German dishes in the classroom or have each student prepare a dish at home to bring in to the class. Set up the desks in the classroom like a restaurant and have students take turns practicing the roles of the server and diner. Students ask and answer questions about the ingredients in each dish, as well as the regions where the dishes are popular. Foods students might make for the project include bratwurst, bratkartoffeln, hasenpfeffer stew, kartoffelsalat, sauerkraut, stollen, spaetzle and spritzgeback. German beverages to be included are coffee, tea, fruit juice, mineral water, soft drinks and beer (if age restrictions are not a concern in your classroom).
  
  

German Fairytales

• Many of the classic fairy tales come from Germany, notably from the Brothers Grimm, who wrote such classics as "Cinderella," "Rapunzel," "Hansel and Gretel," "Rumpelstiltskin" and "Snow White." Read the stories to young students and instruct them to act out the stories; put together a school fairytale play to present to parents, if desired. Assign older students to research and present the evolution of the stories, many of which started as gruesome tales and evolved into fun stories with happy endings. Another activity is to provide students with the text of a fairy tale in German and have them translate the text into English. The class might also present a play speaking in German, following the original storyline.
  
  

German Celebrations

• Germans celebrate many holidays and traditions unique to their country and also have their own to celebrate international holidays. On the first day of school, go through a calendar and write each German holiday on the correct date. A week before each holiday, discuss the German traditions and begin planning a classroom celebration. For example, begin an Advent calendar to count down to Christmas, then celebrate Epiphany if your school is in session January 6. In February, hold a Fasching/Karneval celebration, which is the German Mardi Gras celebration; dress in costume and form a small parade to get in the Karneval spirit. On May 1, May Day, celebrate the coming of spring with a Maypole, which is common in Bavaria. The class might even celebrate Oktoberfest, the celebration of the marriage of Princess Teresa of Bavaria to Ludwig I in 1810.