Skip to main content

G Is For German



Guten tag (goo ten tawk)

We are participating in the Christian Home School Hub's Passport to the World journey. This week, we're exploring Germany. Below are some interesting facts we've learned about Germany and some useful links that different homeschool families share at http://christianhomeschoolhub.spruz.com/ .

Some Interesting Facts:
- On a German Autobahn (superhighway), there is no speed limit.
- The country's full name is the Federal Republic of Germany.
- Germany shares borders with nine other countries and has coasts on the North and Baltic Seas.
- In 1961, the East Germans (communists) built a concrete wall 13 feet high to prevent East Berliners from leaving for West Germany. The wall has been knocked down in 1990; West Germany and East Germany were reunited after 40 years of separation.
- Albert Einstein and the brothers Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm taught at Humboldt Universtiy.
- Germany consists of 16 states, or Lander. The biggest state is Bavaria which was a separate kingdom until 1918.
- The Oktoberfest is Munich's famous beer festival. It 16 days, ending on the first Sunday in October.
- The Bavarian Motor Works, maker of BMW cars, is located in Munich, Germany's third largest city.
- Stuttgart, in the region called Swabia, is the home of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz cars. Mercedes-Benz is the world's oldest car factory. The first Mercedes was built in 1901.
- Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn. His house is now a museum.
- The world's biggest inland port is at Duisburg, a steelmaking city on the Ruhr River.
- Pigeon racing is a favorite pastime in the Ruhrgebiet.
- Wolfsburg is the home of Volkswagen. The factory started here in the 1930s.
- German's famous sausages, known as Wursts, are made with pork.
- Some famous Germans include Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (playwright, 1749-1832), Thomas Mann (novelist, 1875-1955), Johann Sebastian Bach (composer, 1685-1750), Ludwig van Beethoven (composer, ), and Richard Wagner (composer, 1813-1883).

Some Useful Links:
- http://travelforkids.com/Funtodo/Germany/germany.htm
- http://gogermany.about.com/od/sightsandattractions/ig/Germany-with-Kids/
- http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/germans/index.htm
- http://countries.mrdonn.org/germany.html
- http://www.germany.info/kids
- http://kids.yahoo.com/reference/world-factbook/country/gm--Germany
- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html
- http://www.germanculture.com.ua/index.html
- http://www.learnhistory.org.uk/germany/

German belongs to the group of languages known as Germanic. Throughout Germany, people speak Hochdeutsch (Standard German) as well as local dialects. Written German is the same everywhere, based on the language used by Martin Luther when he translated the Bible in the 16th century.

Some Useful Words and Phrases:
Guten Morgen = Good morning
Auf Wiedersehen = Good-bye
Bitte = Please
Danke = Thank you
Wie geht es Ihnen? = How are you?
Danke, sehr gut  = Very well, thank you.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DVD Review and Giveaway: A Mile in His Shoes

A Mile in His Shoes is a family-friendly movie (PG) about a young man diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism) and how his God-given talent (his amazing throwing ability) helps him and others. It's about overcoming challenges in life. It is based on the book "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" (a true story). It's directed by William Dear, the director of "Angels In the Outfield." It stars Dean Cain who plays Arthur Murphy, a baseball coach and Luke Schroder who plays Mickey, the main character. Excellent performances! My family and I enjoyed this movie. It spoke to my heart deeply because one of my kids has symptoms that are similar to Asperger's Syndrome but the doctors diagnosed him with anxiety disorder, instead. My son is very athletic and great with numbers like Mickey. He is also sensitive to noise and crowds like Mickey. When Coach Murphy sees Mickey (a farmer boy) throw apples at a bucket for his pigs, he knows that he has just fo...
45 comments
Read more

When Calls the Heart Season 2 Premiere Review plus Giveaway

UPDATE : The giveaway is over. The winner (randomly chosen using random.org) is Karen Lossing ("Victorianlady8"). Congratulations to Karen! Thanks, everyone, for entering my giveaway! About the series: The series is inspired by Janette Oke’s bestselling book series about the Canadian West. “When Calls the Heart” tells the captivating story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coalmining town where life is simple, but often fraught with challenges. Lori Loughlin plays Abigail Stanton, a wife and mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine, along with a dozen other miners, has just been killed in an explosion. The newly widowed women find their faith is tested when they must go to work in the mines to keep a roof over their heads. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) who believes That...
38 comments
Read more

Curriculum Clean Out--Spring 2011

I am participating in the Curriculum Clean-Out hosted by Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations . I'm a little late in joining so my giveaway deadline will be Friday, May 6th at midnight (Pacific time).  The item I'm giving away is Eenie Meenie Miney Math!  This book is filled with fun games and activities for parents to play with their preschooler(s) while "teaching" them math. The playing/learning takes place during daily routines. To enter: Leave a comment here and your email address. This giveaway is open to US residents only. For extra entries: 1. Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect or NetworkedBlogs                           2.  "Like" my Facebook page, Christ Alone, at http://www.facebook.com/ChristmyLordandSavior/                   ...
52 comments
Read more