Help with school project in Germany

[finknottle]

Ds1's new secondary school has a project week in mid-Feb and I've volunteered to do something wrt English.

It's only 4 half-mornings, well, 3 really and then a presentation on the Open Day on the Sat.

Ds1 is so happy there and the teachers are v good. It's a small village school, quite new and while they've been renovating work-shops & labs etc, they've few resources for English.

As the children only really started learning English at the start of the school year they won't be up to much language-wise but need to be involved, i.e. we need to do something they can present.

I thought I'd do a British Isles display:

England
Wales
Scotland
Ireland

We can paint flags,
have posters/maps showing capitals etc
typical food, maybe write out short descriptions
sport (rugby, hurling, football, cricket)

So I need material. Have a couple of magazines I can cut a few pics out of.
Thought I'd contact the embassies in Berlin but the project starts on Feb 13th and don't have much time.

Help! Ideas, old mags you don't need - anything, please

Geez woman why are you knocking yourself out with the flapjacks? Honestly fudge is easy, just mix it all together and pour it into the tray to set.

Or what about those kind of traybakes with rice crispies/cornflakes or porridge oats? You know with butter, cocoa, golden syrup, sugar etc. You just melt the butter with golden syrup and pour into the dry ingredients, bake in a swiss roll tin or a long flat tray. Then you ice the whole tray with chocolate icing when you're done and cut it into squares. That's the kind of thing we used to make ourselves at their age. I can look for some recipes if you like.

Then there's music. Would you or ds be up to strumming a guitar and singing "I am sailing" or something like that with easy lyrics that they may know already? Everyone here seems to have learnt "Mull of Kintyre" at school for some reason I cannot fathom.

Thought flapjacks would be easy! No rising to worry about (scones) and sweet.
The flakes with chocolate I've often done for kg/school birthdays as dead easy but thought it would be cheating as "typisches Gebaeck"

Am never keen on making sweet stuff - thought fudge would be sugar thermometer and rolling ball stage...

Gimme easy typical UK recipe that is finknottle - proof

BTW singing "I am Sailing" seems to be obligatory at every German school event I've been to over the last 4 yrs.

Suppose if things get really dire I could ask for a computer and we could watch Rod Stewart on YouTube

Speaking of Basil Fawlty, you know when we were in Denmark on holiday the first time, dd (3) was always speaking German. At that stage she generally spoke more German than English so we often spoke German with her too, for an easy life.

Anyway, we were walking around some little Danish village and she said something in German so I said, no in Denmark we'd better speak English, I don't think it goes down well if you speak German here. Oh,she says, why mummy? So I said the German army occupied Denmark during the war so they probably don't like the language too much. Anyway she and dh go to the bakery next morning and he asks her in German what they should get and she looks all shocked and says, "NO daddy, you mustn't speak German here." "Why not?", he asks and she says (and it is so fawlty towers: "Because of the War !"

Hysterical and tbh I don't think they have the least problem there with anyone speaking German these days.

Ds2 loves our old Fawlty Towers video and is always puzzled by the Germans episode. I explained that Basil had a bang on the head & is barking mad anyway and ds must never make fun etc... he said, all right mum, I just like the other bits... Thought OK, he's old enough now.

One day realised dd then 4 was watching it with him - came in to take her away & found her goose-stepping around the living room, finger on top lip a la Basil.

ok have to head off to the library now, dd is out of books again and she goes to chess after school, so I'll be back late but I'll have a bit of a think about a simple recipe and have a look at some books I have, see if I can come up with anything.

I think painting the flags is a good idea. Have you got a picture they can use to work from already? I'd do a big German flag too

That's kind SueW but I think I'll be OK with what I've got.
Sandy has activated my brain and I've realised I can of course scan & copy a few things from books/comics here. Stuff that has basic vocab like cup/saucer etc. - the children will never realise it comes from dd's pink comics once it's on a white A4 sheet.

Yep, I can print out small maps etc and then they can do big ones on poster-size paper.
V glad now we got a new copier/scan/printer last year.

If I hear it's going ahead I shall be back with The Plan - till then, thanks

I'm so sorry I didn't get in touch. We have all been hit by the most atrocious long-drawn-out feverish-cold bug. I have had it worst, had fever for 4 days and developed bronchitis.

What, if anything, would you still be looking for?

Poor you - just what you need with wee one and baby.
Just moral support Sandy's got me energized and once you start thinking, "I could do ..." then more ideas come.
It's a pain not knowing if on or not, tbh. Didn't want to do loads and see it all for nowt but as I said, with 3 children, there's bound to be another project at some point so ideas won't go to waste.
Thanks for thinking of me

Am v pleased there are so many great projects on offer tbh, feared it would be meagre. And I had a good talk with the head last week.

Just noticed this.

How about trifle? Really easy to make (use flan base) and everyone likes trifle.

I have a Scottish flag that I can lend you, a big one.

I teach English to children and find that they are always interested in the normal things, like when children start school, that they wear uniforms. Do you have a school uniform that you could let them try on?

A kilt would be good, that is always a laugh, getting the boys to try on a "skirt".

The castle that Hogwarts was filmed at is Alnwick Castle. They do a thing with designing your own heraldic shield. Could you do something like that?

Rofl at SSandy's "Don't mention the war" moment.

I love trifle but am thinking of things we can make and store over night in a tin then offer with tea at the Open Day.

Thanks for the offer of the flag - would rather not borrow stuff that might get torn/stained. Am planning on having them paint large flags - then do bits on each country around the flags.

Loved the heraldry. Great thing about asking for help on here is all the links. Will show ds2, he loves all that.

Have just sent myself an e-card of the castle so can print out a good picture - thanks!

Are you a Scot/Scottish expert? If so, what would you say are:
typical food
most-loved sport
drink
person

All my knowledge is prob so cliched: haggis/football/whisky/Robert the Bruce and his spider

And Wales anyone?

food: leeks
drink: all I know is the pubs used to close on Sundays
sport: rugby
famous: ? Lloyd George, Tom Jones?

Back to the BBC school site I think

HI Fink - sorry to hi-jack but I posted on another thread and had no replies - I am coming over to Cologne in the summer and want to hire a car. Is it true that children under 12 must use a car/booster seat? Or is it just if they are in the front? My dses are 9 and 11 and both are ove 150cm.

Btw how about 'typical' foods (easy ones) ie scotish shortbread is a good one, english pancakes, irish coffee (without the alcohol) welsh er,um...lamb?Leeks? welsh rarebit?

The law is younger than 12 or under 150cms must be in a car-seat. Ds1 (11) doesn't use one anymore.

Glad to help.

For sitting in the front it's the height that counts I see after a quick google. So only allowed if child is over 150 cm.

Thanks Fink -dses won't be in the front probably. Good luck with the 'all things british' day.

You are velcum

Sandwiches are a very brittish thing...I mean, made with proper White bread (rather then the disgusting "Toast" Bread...)

English Trifle, could be fun

Cricket is a very english thing sportswise...

Katherine Zita Jones is a famous Welsh person (right?)

Englsih Breakfast/ Irish Breakfast/ Scottish Breakfast...which are all teh same but with their little local specialities, like Soda Bread, and stuff

Blackpudding...may make them run though, lol

Fruitcake

Hadn't thought of breakfast - those little Nuernberger Bratwurst, bacon, eggs... hmm.
Def alternative to flapjacks. Tried them with honey and they worked but jaw-achingly sweet.

And cucumber sandwiches - with soft white bread.

Feeling a bit more optimistic about the kitchen day. 7.45 - 12.45 is a bit long for making just flapjacks. Can easily work with toast, sarnies, breakfast...big pot of tea.
Thanks

Oh, yes, do a breakfast with beans and bacon and eggs. We often invite friends for breakfast rather than for a meal, and they love our Scottish breakfast.

Another idea, for all things Scottish: A mini Highland games. You could maybe do this for the actual open day. Tossing the caber, throwing the hammer, tug-of-war. Maybe even some county dancing. You could teach them the Gay Gordons or Strip the Willow. Strip the Willow is great fun. Where abouts are you in Germany? There are a few country dance troops in Germany. And loads of Highland Games.

Got to go to kindergarten. Will be back later.

Scottish drink -Irn Bru! Horrible stuff! Lots of scots seem to love it though! You probably can't get it though. (Am in Gutersloh if I can help get anything through(shhh) Naafi!)

Be prepared for them to layer on the Marmite as if it were Nutella though...

If you want, I am happy to wander round the local tourist office and send you stuff?

Blackpudding is just Blutwurst. [boak]