Teachers' Resources
Here is our selection of useful resources for teachers of German. If you have any further recommendations, please contact us!
World War One Christmas Truce Commemorations
Between 2014 and 2018 the UK, and other countries, will mark the centenary of the First World War, a global conflict that killed more than 15 million people. Interpretations of the war continue to divide historians and politicians today, and debates about how to mark it remind us that memory is inevitably political.
To help negotiate these debates, the Peace Committee has prepared separate packs of resources for school teachers and church ministers to mark one of the most remarkable events in the annals of modern warfare: the December 1914 Christmas Truces. Following weeks of fraternization, men right down the Western front from the North Sea to Switzerland laid down their arms to mark Christmas. These spontaneous acts of festive goodwill directly contradicted orders from high command, and offered an evocative and hopeful – albeit brief - recognition of shared humanity.
The Martin Lurther King Peace Committee, which is organised by both Newcastle University and Northumbria University, has created two different resource packs to help mark the 1914 Christmas truces in the run up to Christmases from 2014 until 2017.
Schoolteacher Resources
The first is for schoolteachers and includes ideas, lesson plans, hand-outs, and Powerpoint slide shows for lessons across a wide range of subjects (aimed primarily at 8-14 year olds), assemblies, and carol services.
Download the flyer about the resouces for schoolteachers (PDF409KB)
Download the resource pack for teachers (PDF7MB)
Download the Christmas Truce Slideshow for schoolteachers (PPT4.2MB)
Download the Arts Project Slideshow for schoolteachers (PPT2MB)
Download the Perspective Slideshow for schoolteachers (PPT1.4MB)
Download the Carol Service Text for schoolteachers (PDF1MB)
Church Leader Resources
The second set of resources is for church leaders, with ideas for Advent/Christmas church services, carol services, Sunday School activities, and school assemblies.
Download the flyer about the resources for Church Leaders (PDF307KB)
Download the resource pack for Church Leaders (PDF6MB)
Download the Sunday School slideshow (PPT2.5MB)
The resource pack for Church Leaders is also available in text formats for easier use with copy-and-paste. There is an Open Document format file, a Rich Text file and a Microsoft Word file. Both are readable by most common word-processing applications. Odt is a non-proprietary format and preferred by professional archivists.
Silent Night, Holy Night (word)
Silent Night, Holy Night (odt)
Silent Night, Holy Night (Rich text)
All of the above resources are available for free download. The Peace committee have a limited number of hard copy editions available for those who are unable to download them. Please contact mlkpc@ncl.ac.uk for more information.
For more information about the Martin Luther King Peace Committee and their work, visit their website here.
The Tyneside cinema offers a series of MFL events in the autumn and spring terms. These include half day events for GCSE and full day for A Level. They include watching a film in the target language, and carrying out written, group and speaking activities based around the themes and ideas featured in the film, but also linking to the curriculum. They are facilitated by professional MFL educators and supported by Student Ambassadors from Routes Into Languages, who lead group activities and give information about further language study.
Past German related events have included Die Wand (2012) Das Leben der Anderen (2006) and Das Wunder von Bern (2003).
| Information regarding these MFL Study days shall be updated with reference to Tyneside cinema's calendar. You can also access a wide range of free resources from past MFL study day here. |
Previous study days have included a GCSE German day about the film das Wunder von Bern on 2nd October 2014 and an A Level German day about the film Goodbye Lenin on 13th November 2014.
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The UK-German Connectionwebsite has an excellent and comprehensive list of links for German teachers. |
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The Goethe-Institut provides a range of activities and ideas.
Teachers can also subscribe to the G-I’s regular newsletter for teachers of German |
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Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, provides excellent resources for the classroom, which are connected to current news stories and regularly updated. |
| Fluter.de is an online magazine aimed at 16-22 year olds, containing informative features on current German cultural and political issues. A great resource for AS/A2+ students and teachers of German. | |
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The BBC offers a range of materials for German language-learning: |
| Planet Schule contains an array of articles, videos and fact-files, all aimed at teachers and learners of German: | |
| Education Scotland offers a set of online games for primary and older pupils – ‘Hennings Haus’: | |
Find out what German teachers around the world are doing to engage their students - for example, in Australia!