Folklore: German Stories For Children

Subject: BS: German Stories For Children
From: LilyFestre
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 06:34 PM

Guten Tag!

   I'm working on a school project and am searching for German stories for children that would be suitable for classroom use. Any recommendations?

Many thanks!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 06:44 PM

The brothers Grimm were German. May be of some interest?

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: MudGuard
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:04 PM

What size of stories?

"Momo" or "Unendliche Geschichte" by Michael Ende?
Or shorter stories?

Could you provide more details?

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 14 Nov 04 - 07:16 PM

Guest-whoever you are-in my day (and perhaps yours) Grimm's Fairy Tales would have been just the ticket. But, alas, today we don't want to scare the little babes...all that sexist junk, the blood, the sneaking and conniving...those stories are downright, well, grim.

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 02:51 AM

No, John - there are some very nice stories without bloodshed in the Grimm Bros' Fairy Tales. Take Dornröschen (the sleeping beauty?), Der Gestiefelte Kater (tomcat in boots), or Froschkönig (frog king).
Lily - Other collectors or authors of German fairy tales: Ludwig Bechstein, Wilhelm Hauff.

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: Jeanie
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 04:24 AM

It depends on the age-group you're working with and whether you are looking for old and/or traditional material - but under 11s would enjoy "Max und Moritz" by Wilhelm Busch (naughty boys who play tricks on people). Online illustrated dual language version here, with quiz pages: Max & Moritz

There is an excellent dramatized version, "Grimm Tales", adapted by Carol Ann Duffy and Tim Supple, as performed by the Young Vic in London in the 1990s and published by Faber (ISBN 0 571 22142 4). Each tale is reasonably short, with a small cast, and suitable for older classes to rehearse in groups and come together to perform for each other - or for a more full-scale production. I've seen a Year 9 class, for instance, successfully put on a staged version of "Hansel & Gretel" from this.

For infant age-group (5 to 7s) there is a lovely teaching plan for directed improvised drama sessions based on "Sleeping Beauty" in "Making Sense of Drama" by Jonothan Neelands (publ. Heinemann ISBN 0 435 18658-2), which, as well as dealing with the story, also looks at PSHE themes "working together; working against impulsive aggressive behaviour" through the characters.

I think traditional fairy or folk tales are brilliant springboards for PSHE through drama. I'm in the middle of some sessions based on "Red Riding Hood" at the moment with 8 year olds (can't help thinking of that Bob Newhart recording whilst I'm doing it !)

All good wishes,
- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: Jeanie
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 04:54 AM

I forgot to add, Michelle, that there are plenty more German stories online on that same Virginia Commonwealth University site, including the Brothers Grimm.

Also, the "Red Riding Hood" sessions (at least 2 hours' worth - but could be condensed or extended, and divided into short or longer periods at a time) plus additional writing activities, are in: "Drama Lessons for 5 to 11 Year Olds" by Judith Ackroyd & Jo Boulton, publ. David Fulton Publishers, ISBN 1-85346-739-1. I thoroughly recommend this book.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:06 AM

There is a good German author, Johann Peter Hebel, who wrote some shorter stories good for children, too.
More German authors, and others, you'll find online in the Projekt Gutenberg

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:23 AM

I'd opt against traditional sources like the Grimm brothers unless it is for students that really specialise in German. There are too many words that have to be explained and are of no use for today's conversation. When I read Grimm stories to my daughter (I do, because I think she should know the tradtion) I often have to explain a word. Nobody uses today 'Hirsebrei', gestiefelt', 'spindeldürr' 'Ebenholz' 'Wackerstein' etc. Imagine me saying in a conversation when you ask me where I plan to go next "I'm going o'er the raging main" just because I have read it in a song.

For more modern stories/writers look for Michael Ende (see Mudguard above, though I'd prefer the Jim Knopf stories of him), see Erich Kästner (Das fliegende Klassenzimmer, Emil und die Detektive, Das doppelte Lottchen). For serious material (allowing political discussions after the reading) look for short stories by Kurt Tucholsky, Heinrich Böll, Wolfgang Borchert.

Only if they really know already a lot of German the old tales are to be recommended.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: LilyFestre
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:57 AM

Wow! You guys are the best! Lots to start with just from the postings above!

The age group? From kindergarten to 6th grade...sorry about that...should have posted that from the start.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: German Stories For Children
From: Jeanie
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:57 AM

Michelle - are you wanting stories *from Germany* (but translated/adapted into modern English ?) or stories *in German* ?

In my earlier suggestions, I was assuming you wanted to work with the stories in English.

If working in the German language, I agree with Wolfgang about the vocabulary and sentence structure difficulty in original texts - unless you specially adapt the stories yourself. I've found that often even simplified versions of stories intended for German children are too difficult for English-speakers in the first few years of learning German, and have to be adapted to suit a particular class.

If you ARE looking for stories written in German, there is a series of simplified readers in German (with English vocabulary list and comprehension exercises, graded from near beginner to GCSE standard (age 16), that comes in a box, for class or homework reading. Publisher's name escapes me - best place to enquire in the UK is "Grant & Cutler" language booksellers, London. There are a good mixture of stories, adventures and comedy, some based on known tales (e.g. Dracula). The stories are *in* German, but not all necessarily *from Germany*.

I agree- for post GCSE (i.e. 16 - 18 year olds specializing in German), Borchert stories go down very well.

Hope this helps,
- jeanie (Drama and German teacher, UK)