December 19, 2024admin

Fröhliche Weihnachten at The Christmas Markets

Today and tomorrow, we’ll explore the winter solstice tradition of Germany’s Weihnachtsmärkte, or Christmas markets, where towns come alive with lights, music, and festive treats.

Weihnachtsmärkte are special Christmas markets in Germany. They are set up in town squares during December. People go to Weihnachtsmärkte to buy gifts, eat food, and listen to music. Some stalls sell gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate. Others sell ornaments and handmade toys. 

We’ll learn about what makes these markets special, looking at traditions that have found their way to the United States before create our own crafty — and edible – market stall contributions.

Day 1

We’ll start with a short walk through the market in Frankfurt.

We’ll do a quick reading about the Christmas Markets.

ELA

Next we’ll create our own contribution of a traditional German Star or wooden popsicle stick ornament to our booth.

Math

We’ll wrap up the day with a bit of market math and constructing our own booths out of gingerbread.

Day 2 – Closing down the Markets and the Year

As we come to the end of our unit on Winter Solstice, we’ll close down the market with some traditional fares and a listen to the ringing of the bells called the Glockengeläut.

At the end of the market, on the night before Christmas, people from all walks of life go to their city centers. They get a hot cup of a spiced drink and light sparklers. At 5 or 6 o’ clock, churches from all over the city ring their bells, working as a team to make one beautiful sound:

Here are some of the foods we will enjoy with links to recipes.

ELA Standard & Objective: RI.7.4 (Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone).
Objective:

  • Students will read and comprehend a passage about Weihnachtsmärkte.
  • Students will determine the meaning of key vocabulary words in context.
  • Students will reinforce their learning through a hands-on craft activity: creating Weihnachtssterne (German Christmas stars).

Math Standard: 7.NS.A.3 (Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers.)

Objective:

  • Students will identify and simplify fractions to solve problems related to the stalls at German Christmas markets.