G2.13 food1 v15

2.13 Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?

13. Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?

What’s your favourite food?

This section, the first of two about food, introduces the names of common foods and drinks popular with German children, and shows children buying snack foods.

Children can then learn to talk about which they like or dislike, and which are their favourites - adapting structures previously used with school subjects (Ch.2.6) and leisure activities (Ch.2.11). They can discuss whether particular foods are healthy.

Children will be curious about German food; this is an opportunity to try some and to explore cultural differences.

Chapter 2.14 will introduce more foods, show family meals, and help children understand and respond when offered a choice of food.

NEW WORDS AND PHRASES Likes and dislikes (eating) Was isst du gern?

What do you like to eat?

Ich esse gern...(Pommes) I like ... (chips) Ich esse nicht gern...(Brezeln) I don’t like ... (pretzels)

Mein Lieblingsessen ist...(Pommes) My favourite food is... (chips) die Brezel (Brezeln) die Wurst (Würste) das Gemüse das Obst die Pommes frites or die Pommes die Süßigkeit (~en) die Schokolade der Kuchen der Erdbeerkuchen

DVD: film 13

Introducing the names of foodstuffs:

- pretzel(s) - sausage(s) - vegetables - fruit - chips

- sweet(s) - chocolate - cake - strawberry cake der Schokoladenkuchen - chocolate cake ein/zwei Stück - a piece/2 pieces Drinking Was trinkst du gern?

What do you like to drink?

Film 13: “die Brezel” - Depika has a snack at the zoo café.

Ich trinke gern...(Apfelsaft) I like ... (apple juice) Ich trinke nicht gern...(Cola) I don’t like ... (cola) Mein Lieblingsgetränk ist...(Kaffee) My favourite drink is... (coffee)

Pretzels: at the outdoor café in Freiburg zoo, Depika eats a pretzel: die Brezel.

Sausages: in Freiburg market by the cathedral; Jan buys a traditional German fried sausage in a roll: die Wurst.

Vegetables: We see different vegetables on the market stalls: das Gemüse.

Fruit: ...and some stalls sell fruit: das Obst.

Chips: We see children eating plates of chips: die Pommes frites or die Pommes.

Sweets: Another stall is selling different types of sweets: die Süßigkeiten.

Chocolate: We see chocolate bars (the popular German brand Ritter Sport) on sale in a

der Apfelsaft der Orangensaft das Wasser der Kaffee die Cola

- apple juice - orange juice - water - coffee - cola/Coke ®

Flashcards CD 13

137

Early Start German Pack 2 Ich esse nicht gern Kuchen.

(I don’t like to eat cake(s)) Ich esse nicht gern Süßigkeiten.

Mein Lieblingsessen ist Pommes.

(My favourite food is chips)

PAUSE - part 2, buying cake; a sequence for ‘gisting’.

Asking for cake in a shop: A boy (David) approaches the cake counter in a coffee shop. Shop assistant: “Guten Tag.”

Film 13: “Ein Stück Erdbeerkuchen, bitte.”

=

David: “Ein Stück Erdbeerkuchen, bitte.”

(A piece of strawberry cake, please.)

Shop assistant: “Ja.” The assistant takes a slice of cake: ein Stück.

A girl (Anne) comes in the shop.

Shop assistant: “ Bitte schön?”

Anne: “Zwei Stück Schokoladenkuchen, bitte.”

(Two pieces of chocolate cake, please.)

The assistant serves her: ein Stück; zwei Stück.

=

=

supermarket, and in a specialist chocolate shop: die Schokolade.

Cake: A traditional German cake shop with a variety of delicious cakes: der Kuchen; der Erdbeerkuchen; der Schokoladenkuchen.

PAUSE - part 4, nouns for drinks; likes and dislikes.

Introducing the names of drinks: Was trinkst du gern?

(What do you like to drink?)

Apple juice: der Apfelsaft.

A mother pours apple juice for a child.

Child: “Danke.”

Film 13: “der Apfelsaft”; pouring drinks.

Orange juice: Pouring a glass of orange juice: der Orangensaft.

Water: A family has water with their meal: das Wasser.

Coffee: Pouring a cup of coffee after a meal: der Kaffee.

Cola: A boy stands by a table like a giant Coke can, drinking a can of cola: die Cola.

Likes and dislikes: We see children drinking in the café: Lea: “Ich trinke gern Apfelsaft.”

Jan: “Ich trinke gern Cola.”

The different drinks again: Ich trinke gern Wasser.

Ich trinke nicht gern Kaffee.

Mein Lieblingsgetränk ist Orangensaft.

PAUSE - then do part 3, ‘likes and dislikes’.

=

Likes and dislikes: Depika and Sophie in the zoo café again: Voice: “Was isst du gern?”

(What do you like to eat?)

Depika: “Ich esse gern eine Brezel.” *See HGW 3 Sophie: “Ich esse gern Wurst*.”

We see the different foods again, and hear likes and dislikes: Ich esse gern Schokolade.

(I like to eat chocolate) Ich esse nicht gern Wurst.

Mein Lieblingsessen ist Erdbeerkuchen.

(My favourite food is strawberry cake) Was isst du gern?

Ich esse gern Gemüse.

Ich esse gern Obst.

138

PAUSE - part 5, ‘Healthy Eating’

Healthy / unhealthy: Cartoon of a healthy girl: gesund and an unhealthy girl: ungesund.

Obst ist gesund. Kuchen ist ungesund.

Apfelsaft ist gesund. Cola ist ungesund.

Gemüse ist gesund. Pommes sind ungesund.

2.13 Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?

Your class may find it easier if you deal separately with food and then drink. Finally introduce saying whether food items are healthy These lessons should have a strong cultural element. If possible, give the class a chance to try some of the German foods; compare with the snacks they say they like to eat and drink.

NEW WORDS AND PHRASES 2 Healthy eating gesund - healthy ungesund - unhealthy (Obst) ...ist gesund.

(Fruit) ...is healthy.

(Kuchen) ...ist ungesund.

(Cake) ...is unhealthy.

(Pommes) ...sind ungesund.

(Chips) ...are unhealthy.

Activities 1. Warm up

Talk in German with the class puppet about which school subjects, leisure activities, pets and colours you like, revisiting the structures “gern / nicht gern” and asking, “Was ist dein Lieblings/~fach?/~hobby?/~tier?”. Draw the class into the conversation.

Flashcards CD 13

Süßkigkeiten sind ungesund. Kaffee ist ungesund.

Wasser ist gesund. Würste* sind ungesund. *See “How German Works 3”

2. Watch film 13, part 1

❑ Watch the first part of film 13 to introduce the new vocabulary for foods (not drink).

3. Get used to the sounds

❑ Echoing: Show the Flashcards CD, with food words selected (you can display food and/or drink); sound on and text off (or use flashcards made from the activity sheet).

Pupils echo the words, e.g. “das Gemüse”.

Film 13: cartoon healthy girl represents “gesund”

M

DVD MARKERS

1. Food - introducing new words 2. Die Konditorei - cake shop 3. Likes and dislikes - food 4. Drinks - introducing new words 5. Healthy eating 6. Written words Use the skip key on your remote control

Click to switch sound on/off

Click to switch text on/off

Pay particular attention to words highlighted in the “Key sounds” box. Repeat this until the children are saying the new words confidently; then switch text ON.

Planning your lessons

The main focus is again ‘likes and dislikes’, this time in the context of food and drink.

First, new nouns are introduced, then these are used in re-visited language structures.

The film is divided into sections: give pupils practice with the new nouns first so they get used to hearing and saying them.

Once they are confident, you can extend activities to expressing likes and dislikes.

4. Respond with understanding

139

❑ Play “true or false?” 1 Show the pictures again, with sound and text OFF. When you show the vegetables picture, say “Ist das Gemüse?” The children respond, “Ja, das ist Gemüse” or just, “Ja”. Use your German-speaking puppet to demonstrate.

Make an occasional “mistake”, e.g. show the sausage picture but ask “Ist das Schokolade?”

Early Start German Pack 2 from the activity sheet. When you call out a food item, all the pupils with that picture hold it up for everyone to see.

To add excitement, divide pupils into teams, each with a set of pictures. The first to hold up the correct picture wins a point for the team.

KEY SOUNDS Listen and enjoy copying these typical sounds: where have you heard them before?

as in... Brezel

heard before in tanzen,

zwanzig

as in sind,Süßigkeiten,Apfelsaft

heard before in Solar,

sechs, singen [an example in English is zoo] as in... Wasser,

heard before in

Wurst Wohnung, wo, wie

as in... Schokolade, heard before in

Stück Schule, Schlagzeug

❑ Play “pick-a-snack” 2 Draw a straight line to divide the board in half.

On one side, stick the food (and drink) pictures.

Place a second set of the pictures on the other half of the board, but arranged differently.

Divide the class into teams. One child from each team stands by the board.

as in... Gemüse,

Stück, Süßigkeiten, Würste heard before in Küche, für Kuchen heard before in Zug, Fuß as in...

sind, gesund, trinke heard before in Hund

as in...

as in Getränk

heard before in spät, März [an example in English is let ]

As you call out each food item, the pupils try to be first to remove the corresponding picture from their side of the board.

Flashcards CD 13

When you do this, pupils say “Nein”.

At this early stage, follow a deliberate mistake with the correct name: say “Ist das Wurst?” and pupils reply, “Ja, das ist Wurst.” ❑ Play “true or false?” 2 (game) Show the pictures again, with you saying the words. When you say the correct word for each picture, pupils echo it. Occasionally say the wrong name for one of the pictures. When you do, pupils should remain silent.

❑ Play “what’s in the picnic basket?”

Place a selection of the food (and drink) pictures into a box which will be a “picnic basket”.

Ask children to guess what is in the basket.

When they guess one correctly, take it out and show it to the class. Invite pupils to have a turn.

It is worth checking beforehand that the person choosing what to put in the basket knows the names of the items s/he has chosen.

❑ Play “pick-a-snack” 1 Give everyone one of the food pictures cut out

140

2.13 Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?

Ask children to echo each time, as you establish the by-now familiar pattern for like and dislike (see “How German works 1”), e.g you show chips and a happy face, and say, “Ich esse gern Pommes”; pupils echo.

Repeat for other items. If you select ‘drinks’ as well as ‘food’, pupils may notice ‘ich esse...’ sometimes changes to ‘ich trinke...’ (I drink...).

Pay attention to the ‘key sounds’ in the new words for drinks.

Then switch to “I don’t like...”, until the patterns are established. Ask pupils to predict what you’d say for e.g. “I don’t like chips” or “I like cola”; then show text and play sound to check.

You can select a ‘jumbled’ display, which changes items and like/dislike at random.

5. Watch film 13, part 2: GISTING

❑ Ask children to watch part 2 of film 13 to see if they can follow what happens. Suggest they look for clues, such as: n German words they know already; n what they see in the pictures.

As a class, discuss what this shop sells (see “Talking point 2”, and what the boy and girl want to buy.

When pupils are confident with the new words, move to activities about LIKES and DISLIKES 5. Watch film 13 parts 3 and 4

❑ Watch film 13: “Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?” to see the section on saying what you like and dislike with food. It introduces two new verbs: ‘ich esse...’ (I eat...) and, in part 4, ‘ich trinke...’

(I drink...); also new words for drinks.

❑ Play “what I like: true or false?”

When pupils are confident with the new phrases, switch the sound and text OFF. You say the phrase for each picture, making occasional “mistakes”.

Sometimes show the “gern” symbol, but say “nicht gern”; or show one food, but say another.

If what you say is correct, pupils echo the words; if it is incorrect, they remain silent.

6. Get used to the sounds

❑ Echoing: Using the Flashcards CD, display some likes and dislikes, initially with text off and sound ON.

❑ Play “do YOU like it?”

Give everyone a picture-card from the activity sheets. Ask them to put it flat on the table in front of them so that you can see it.

Move around the room, asking each child if s/he likes the food on their card, e.g. “Isst du gern Schokolade?” Children reply “ja” or “nein” as appropriate. As they gain confidence, they can reply “Ja, ich esse gern Schokolade.”

Click to switch between LIKE / DISLIKE

Each of the food pictures is shown with either the “happy” symbol (“gern”) or the “sad/ grumpy” one (“nicht gern”).

1

❑ Play “Taste-Test” If possible, use some real examples of this chapter’s foods: e.g. some chocolate and sweets; bits of cake; apple slices; small cups of drink.

HOW GERMAN WORKS 1: Likes and dislikes - REMINDER “Ich esse gern Pommes” (I like to eat chips) “Ich trinke nicht gern Kaffee” (I don’t like to drink coffee)

with food, instead of “I like X”, you can say “I eat (or drink) X gladly (or not gladly)”.

NOTE: as in English, you say “I like...” followed by the plural of the noun only if it’s ‘countable’ - e.g. you can count chips, sweets or pretzels, whereas coffee is not lots of separate bits (see “How German works 3” for a fuller explanation).

There are other ways to say what you like in German.

Pupils take it in turns to try a sample and announce what they think.

141

Early Start German Pack 2 They say “Ich esse gern Süßigkeiten” or “Ich trinke nicht gern Orangensaft” as they wish.

Make sure children feel able to refrain from tasting any food: some may have dietary requirements or allergies.

Pupils echo the words, e.g. “Obst ist gesund”, “Pommes sind ungesund”. Repeat this until the children are saying the new words confidently; then switch text ON. Ask children to spot the pattern in when ‘ist’ (is) or ‘sind’ (are) is used - see “How German Works 3”.

■ Make this into a fun “taste-test”, by concealing each food sample under a cloth, so pupils have to Click to switch identify the food as well as say if they like it. between ■ You can expand this into a Food Technology healthy/unhealthy project; see “Cross-curricular activities”.

❑ Play “big sentences” The aim of this activity is to remember the sentence as it grows longer.

Pupils sit in a circle. The first child says, e.g.

“Ich esse gern Schokolade”. The next replies, “Ich esse gern Schokolade und...” and adds another item, e.g. “Obst“. This continues round the group, everyone adding a new item to the list.

If you run out of foods, you can add drinks,”.... und ich trinke gern Wasser.”

The winner is the last pupil to correctly say the longest sentence. Note the record-holder.

9. Respond with understanding

❑ Play “healthy or unhealthy?”

Show the pictures again, with sound and text OFF. When you show the vegetables picture, say, “Was ist das?”.

Children say, “Gemüse.”

You ask, “Ist das gesund oder ungesund?”

(see “extra words and phrases”) The children respond, “Ja, Gemüse ist gesund” or just, “Ja”.

You could use your German-speaking puppet to demonstrate with exaggerated gestures for consuming healthy and unhealthy foods.

5. Working in pairs

❑ Play “gern / nicht gern” Each pair of pupils has a set of food and drink pictures from the activity sheet.

They put the cards face down on the table and take it in turns to turn over a card.

For example, if player 1 reveals a picture of the chips, s/he asks “Isst du gern Pommes?”

Player 2 replies, “Ja, ich esse gern Pommes” or “Nein, ich esse nicht gern Pommes” according to preference.

❑ Play “true or false?”

Show the pictures again - or use the Flashcards CD with ‘food’, ‘drink’, ‘Is it healthy?’ and HOW GERMAN WORKS 3: Is / are - singular / plural “Kaffee ist ungesund” (coffee is unhealthy) “Pommes sind ungesund” (chips are unhealthy) Children already know: “ich bin...”, “du bist...”, “das ist...”

(I am..., you are..., that is...)

3

7. Watch film 13, part 5

❑ Show part 5 of film 13, to introduces ‘Healthy eating’ - see grammar note 2 below.

8. Look at the sounds

❑ Echoing: Show the Flashcards CD, with ‘Is it healthy?’ selected; sound on and text off (or use paper flashcards).

NOTE: just as in English, you say “water is X”, “chips are X” where ‘water’ is an ‘uncountable’ noun (it can be divided into any number of parts); whilst ‘chips’ is a ‘countable’ noun - like sweets and pretzels.

HOW GERMAN WORKS 2: Describe without endings TIP: In German, if an adjective is separated from the noun, it has no ending to worry ADJECTIVE about (hooray!), e.g.:

2

NOUN

separated by a VERB

German works the same way, but a few nouns are different, e.g.: ‘fruit’ and ‘Obst’ are both uncountable; ‘vegetables’ is countable, but ‘Gemüse’ isn’t.

Sausage(s)/Wurst and cake(s)/Kuchen can be a big thing to be sliced up (i.e. uncountable), or lots of little separate things (i.e. countable).

has no ending

Obst ist gesund 142

2.13 Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?

‘Jumbled’ ticked. When they hear correctly that the food pictured is healthy or unhealthy, pupils echo it.

Occasionally pupils may disagree; when they do, they should remain silent.

EXTRA WORDS AND PHRASES Survey and taste test Es schmeckt gut!

That tastes good!

Teacher questions Ist das gesund oder ungesund?

Is that healthy or unhealthy?

Was ist gesund? Was ist ungesund?

What is healthy? What is unhealthy?

❑ Play “Sort: healthy or not?” - as a class Show the pictures again - or use the Flashcards CD with ‘food’, ‘drink’ and ‘Jumbled’ ticked, and no sound. For each item, ask: “Ist das gesund oder ungesund?” You could encourage some discussion in English, e.g. by asking “Why?”.

Flashcards CD 13

❑ Play “Sort: healthy or not?” - in groups Children play in groups; each group has a set of food-and-drink picture cards. Their task is to sort the cards into groups: “gesund” or “ungesund”.

You ask: “Ist das gesund oder ungesund?”. When they place a card in a group, children say “X ist/sind (un)gesund”.

(See ‘Cross curricular activities”.)

Children can use the German they know to ask others their opinion of each food; to say which they like or dislike.

Some pupils may be ready to go further, and give each marks (German class marks go from 1=very good to 6=unsatisfactory), and pick adjectives* to describe the food (*see “How German works 2” for a useful tip).

Child 1: “Isst du gern Wurst? Ja oder nein?”

Child 2: “Ja, ich esse gern Wurst.”

Child 1: “Es schmeckt gut?”

Child 2: “Ja.” Child 1: “Zwei?” (asking about the mark) Child 2: “Eins!”

Before pupils start, go through the vocabulary needed. Children can record their survey results on a spreadsheet and display it as a graph.

When you finish the food survey, tell the children about each sample. See this chapter’s “talking points” on German food; more ideas on www.earlystart.co.uk. Exchange results with a German partner school.

10. Look again at sounds

Now that the new words are familiar, remind pupils of the typical German sounds highlighted in this chapter’s “key sounds” box. ❑ Play “listen to the sounds” or “find the sounds” as in previous chapters.

Introducing the written word

When pupils are familiar with hearing and saying the new words and phrases, you could show them the final sequence of film 13: “Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?”, which repeats each of the key phrases with on-screen text.

❑ ’Healthy Eating’and German

❑ Play “word-picture match” Arrange the names of food and drink items on one side of the board, and the picture-cards on the other, in a different order.

Ask a pupil to come to the front of the class.

When you call out, e.g. “das Obst”, s/he draws a line to link text with picture.

Repeat this with the other pictures.

CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

❑ Food Technology/ICT: Survey & Taste-Test Set up an investigate-and-taste activity with different varieties of German food available in the UK, such as Ritter chocolate, pretzels and German cakes and sausages.

A food pyramid diagram from AID, used in German schools.

The layers are: liquids; fruit and veg; starches; dairy and protein; small layers of sugary/salty ‘treats’ at the top.

In film 13 and this chapter, we talk about foods being ‘unhealthy’ - those you should generally

143

Early Start German Pack 2 eat less of, or consume only in moderation; or ‘healthy’ - those you should eat more of.

Ask children to pin picture cards of foods they know in German onto a ‘food pyramid’ diagram, according to which food group it’s in, and whether it’s ‘healthy’ or not - labelling each in German.

Use a ‘food pyramid’ in your own language (that you already use to teach about food groups and healthy eating advice), or see www. earlystart.co.uk for links to teaching materials produced for German schools.

You could use German posters, etc. as part of a cross-curricular topic on food pyramids and healthy eating.

We suggest you start this activity playing the role of shopkeeper yourself. This will enable you to lead the conversation: with more confident pupils, you could steer them towards developing the language they use. In the shopkeeper role you can also offer clues and suggestions to prompt less confident pupils.

❑ ICT and Literacy: “language swap”.

Arrange a “language swap” with your German partner school. Talk with the class about collecting a “word-bank” to send to Germany.

This should include lots of different and more colourful ways of saying in English that you like or dislike something, e.g. “I loathe sausages”...

Then swap by e-mail, fax or by exchanging digital sound or film files with the Germanspeaking class. ❑ Drama - likes and dislikes:

Pupils can improvise around food they like or dislike, with all spoken language in German and any additional action mimed. Some may prefer to use their puppets.

For example, while packing a picnic basket, pupils could display a variety of characteristics.

One could dislike everything that is suggested; another could be over-enthusiastic and find everything to his/her liking. ❑ Drama - shopping role-play: Children will be familiar with shopping with euros from Ch.2.12. When you are confident that they have mastered the new vocabulary, they can move on to adding words and structures learnt in previous sections to develop complete shopping role-plays.

If you have already begun to develop a class shop or market, use this area to practise different role-plays. Otherwise, lay out pictures of food and drink on a table with clearly marked euro prices.

144

2.13 Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?

Talking point 2

Talking point 1

EVERYDAY LIFE IN GERMANY German cakes and sweets

EVERYDAY LIFE IN GERMANY Traditional German foods: German Sausages

South-western Germany is famous for its Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, better known as Black Forest Gateau. This is made with layers of chocolate sponge, spread with cherries, black cherry jam and whipped cream.

Other types of cake popular in Germanspeaking areas include cheesecakes (Käsekuchen), and many made with fruit, like the strawberry cake (Erdbeerkuchen) seen in film 13.

In film 13 we see many types of cake on sale in a cake shop (die Konditorei). Children buy pieces of cake by asking for “ein Stück”. This is a very useful word that can be used to buy cakes and many other food items if you do not know the exact name of what you want. You can simply point at the cake in question, and say “ein Stück, bitte” - equivalent to “a piece of that, please”.

The Konditorei will also sell handmade chocolates which you buy by weight. They sell marzipan fruits, figures and animals all year round, but especially at Easter and Christmas.

Children may be familiar with seeing chocolate rabbits in the shops at Easter time. However, these have only really become popular in UK in recent years and the large, chocolate, brandnamed Easter egg is still the most common Easter gift in Britain.

The chocolate rabbits or hares originated on the continent, particularly in Germany. They are usually made of dark chocolate and wrapped simply in cellophane rather than the coloured foil that is usual in Britain.

German-made chocolate and bars generally have a higher cocoa content than British ones.

In the film we see Ritter Sport bars on sale.

Pupils may have seen these in the UK. Although international brand-named sweets like “Mars” and “Snickers” are widely sold in Germany, you would expect to find them in a supermarket rather than a Konditorei.

■ Do a Taste Test comparing British and German chocolate; which do children prefer?

Sausage (Wurst) is a traditional German food.

In film 13 we saw children eating sausages as a fast-food snack; in film 14, the next section, it is being eaten for breakfast and supper. In film 1 we saw sausages cooked and sold in the Freiburg market to eat in the street.

There are about 1,500 different kinds of German sausage. Most sausages can be bought all over Germany, but some are special to a particular area or city. Pupils may have heard of Frankfurters - originally from the city of Frankfurt. Munich is famous for its Weißwurst (white sausage).

German immigrants to the USA helped spread the taste for German food: ‘hot dogs’ (a Frankfurter in a bread roll); and hamburgers (a fried patty of minced beefsteak served in a bun, originally from Hamburg).

“Sausage snapping” is a traditional party game played by German children. A row of sausages are hung from a piece of string and the children have to jump up to try and take bites out of their sausage. The first one to eat a whole sausage is the winner!

■ Play the sausage game! (with provision for children with special dietary requirements) ■ Ask children whether they know any other foreign foods popular in the UK - e.g. curry, pasta, pizza...

145

Early Start German Pack 2 ■ Can you find pretzels for children to try?

Children could talk about their favourite snacks - are they healthy / unhealthy? Ask your partner school about the snacks they like.

Talking point 3

EVERYDAY LIFE IN GERMANY Pretzels

Traditional European pretzels (Brezel) are a type of baked snack still made in southern Germany and many other parts of Europe.

Pretzels are made from a plain wheatflourand-water dough rolled and twisted into a large, hand-sized knot shape, then sprinkled with coarse salt and coated with lye (soda) to give a brown colour when baked.

The result is soft and needs to be eaten fresh, within 24 hours of baking.

German immigrants introduced pretzels to the USA, where new varieties were developed.

Mass-produced pretzels are made smaller, and baked hard to give a long shelf life.. They are one of the most popular snacks in the US and in UK, where the large soft pretzels seen in film 13 are not common.

Talking point 3

EVERYDAY LIFE IN GERMANY Heathy eating

Much of the German food we see in film 13 can be unhealthy if eaten to excess. In the past, most people in Germany would have had strenuous manual jobs, and could eat high calorie diets without harming their health.

Nowadays people lead more sedentary lives, and as in many developed countries, obesity rates are rising.

Recent surveys indicate that up to 20% of German children may be overweight. This is still less that the UK, where rates for some age groups approach 30%.

As in the UK, the German government is taking steps to encourage healthier lifestyles.

Throughout the European Union (EU), packaged foods carry nutritional information in one of the agreed standard formats, so that people can more easily compare the salt, sugar, fat and calorie content when choosing in the shops. There is a campaign to encourage people to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, and to improve access to sporting facilities.

German children are taught about the importance of a balanced diet in school - see www.earlystart.co.uk for links to some teaching materials used in German schools. Since most children eat their lunch at home rather than in school, the focus is on educating parents about what to cook for their children, rather than changing school dinners.

12th. Century illustration from Alsace showing a pretzel served to the king at a banquet

There are records of large soft German pretzels going back to Medieval times, when they had a religious significance. The knot shape was thought to resemble praying hands, and the three holes to represent the Trinity. Because they contain no eggs, they could be eaten during Lent, and at Easter.

Nowadays, they are eaten as a snack food, or buttered for breakfast. You can buy them in bakery shops all over Germany.

■ Ask your German partner school about healthy eating - do they eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day? - what fruit and veg do they like?

■ Work out healthy diet plan using foods in film 13 - can they see 5 different fruit and veg for the children to eat?

146

Was isst du gern? Ich heiĂ&#x;e .............................

This page may be photocopied for classroom use

Š 2010 Early Start Languages

Was isst du gern? Ich heiĂ&#x;e .............................

This page may be photocopied for classroom use

Š 2010 Early Start Languages

Was trinkst du gern? Ich heiĂ&#x;e .............................

This page may be photocopied for classroom use

Š 2010 Early Start Languages