Germany Brothers Grimm, Schultüte, & Black Forest Cake A Hands-on Lesson Plan for Children

Aug 31, 2022

Neuschwanstein Castle

Want to know more about Germany? Are you a lover of travel, geography teacher, homeschooling or involved parent, student, or life-long learner? In an effort to make world geography more meaningful and memorable, I’ve compiled all you will need to locate Germany on a map, cook a German meal, watch YouTube clips on Germany, color the flag, create a German craft, read a great book about Germany, and more!

Map showing Germany

Where is Germany?

Locate Germany on this map of Europe. Use this map of Germany to label the capitol, Berlin. Mark other relevant features (rivers, mountains, famous locations, etc.) if desired. If you’d like to spend a bit more time researching the country, you can add the language, currency, type of government, religion, and/or famous landmarks. Write them on the back of the map. You can easily find all this information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany.

Ulm Cathedral

Fun Facts About Germany

• The German Autobahn is the oldest, and one of the densest, motorway networks in the world.
• The tallest church in the world, Ulm Cathedral, is in Germany. It is 530 feet high.
• The Wurzburg Residence of Germany boasts of housing the largest fresco ceiling in the world, measuring 7287 square feet and done by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, a Venetian painter.
• The world’s most colorful caves (as per Guinness Book of Records), the Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes, are in Germany.

Info Credit

Flag of Germany

Germany’s Flag

Print and color the flag of Germany and learn the history and meaning of it from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Germany.

Visiting Germany on YouTube

German Meal

German Meal

Prepare and serve

• Bratwurst (Sausage) with Sauerkraut,
• Spargelgemuse (Fresh Asparagus)
• Cantaloupe
• Apfelschorle (Apple drink) and German beer (if desired), and
• Black Forest Cake.

If you would like to include the German staple of Wiener Schnitzel (Breaded Veal) in your meal, go to A is for Austria for the recipe.

Serving Size

Serves: 6

Bratwurst (Sausage) with Sauerkraut

• 6 slices bacon
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 minced clove garlic
• 1 (19.4 oz) can of sauerkraut (or a smaller can if your family isn’t fond of sauerkraut)
• 2 medium peeled and sliced potatoes (or 2 cans of peeled and sliced potatoes)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup white grape or apple juice or beer
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed (optional)
• 1 pound bratwurst
• 1 large cored and sliced apple

Instructions

1. In a deep skillet, cook the bacon, drain most of the fat, and crumble into pieces. In the same skillet, fry the onion and garlic in the remaining bacon fat over medium-low heat until tender. Add the sauerkraut, potatoes, water, white grape (or apple) juice, brown sugar, bouillon, bay leaf, and caraway seed. Add enough water to cover potatoes and bring to a boil. Add the bratwurst to the mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add apple slices and simmer 5 to 10 more minutes. This recipe came from http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Germany.html.

Serving Size

Serves: 8

Spargelgemuse (Cooked Asparagus)

• 2 pounds of asparagus (use white asparagus if available)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 hardboiled egg

Instructions

1. Wash the asparagus and snap off the hard ends. Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water for 7 to 10 minutes (until tender) and drain. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add cheese to butter and cook until melted and lightly browned. Serve asparagus topped with cheese sauce. Garnish with a sliced, hardboiled egg. This recipe came from http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Germany.html.

Apfelschorle (Apple drink)

If preferred, you can simply purchase apple-flavored soda/soda pop, which can usually be found in the Hispanic section of most grocery stores & at Wal-Mart.

Serving Size

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups apple juice
• 1 bottle of club soda (1-liter 33.8 ounces)

Instructions

1. Mix equal parts of apple juice and club soda in a tall drinking glass and serve. This recipe came from http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Germany.html.

Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen (Easy Black Forest Cake)

The recipe below is an Americanized version of the recipe. If you’d like the authentic version of Black Forest Cake, try Authentic Black Forest Cake or Black Forest Gateau ( Cake ).

Prep timeCook timeReady inYields

30 min

30 min

1 hour

12-16

Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) box devil’s food cake mix (prepared & baked according to package directions in a 9×13 casserole dish)
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling (or use 2 cans if you know you like cherries)
• 2 tablespoons almond extract
• 1 (5 1/8 ounce) box prepared instant vanilla pudding
• 1 (8 ounce) thawed container Cool Whip
• chocolate sprinkles
• maraschino cherries

Instructions

1. Mix together the cherry pie filling and almond extract. While the cake is still warm, use a fork to poke holes across the top of the cake. Spread the cherry pie mixture across the top. After the cake has cooled for at least 20 minutes, fold the Cool Whip into the pudding, and spread the pudding mixture over the cherry mixture. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles and cherries and refrigerate until you are ready to serve it. This recipe & photo came from http://www.food.com/recipe/easiest-black-forest-cake-51521.

Read a book about Germany

Make a Schultüte (a back-to-school-cone)

Many German parents give their children Schultüte, a cone filled with goodies, on their first day of school. Make one by following the directions at alphamom.com.

If you have extra time, another great activity would be to make a gingerbread house or to decorate gingerbread cookies, both of which originated in Germany!

Find more great activities and crafts related to Germany at www.ehow.com and at dltk.kids.com.

Read a book about Germany

Pray for the People of Germany

To find out about the religious nature of Germany and specific ways you can pray for the country, go to operationworld.org.

Where is Berlin, the capital of Germany?

Other countries that begin with the letter G

Would you prefer to study a different country? Try one of these.

Gabon

Gambia

Georgia

Ghana

Gibraltar

Greece

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe

Guam

Guatemala

Guernsey

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Ready to visit other countries?

Go to http://iijuan12.hubpages.com/hub/around-the-world-in-26-letters to find links to all the countries we “visited.” Each webpage features a menu, craft, books, video clips, worksheets, and more!

© 2011 Shannon

What first comes to mind when you think of Germany? – Or please leave a note to let me know you dropped by! I LOVE hearing from you!

Shannon (author) from Florida on August 20, 2012:

@TreasuresBrenda: Thank you!

Treasures By Brenda from Canada on August 20, 2012:

Great information on Germany. We visited twice, both times very briefly.

Delia on December 12, 2011:

Very nice lens…I really enjoyed it. I remember my Schultüthe and even have a photo of me and my sister with them on one of my lenses. Thanks for sharing, it was a walk down memory lane.