Bald kommen die KNUSPERHÄUSER!

Gingerbread House time is special in many communities, including North Kingstown High School. Perhaps next year we should make it a town-wide event, as they did in BELLINGHAM, WA.

Today's ProJo included Chef Martha Sylvestre, a culinary arts teacher at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center with some of her students. Their structures look like they will turn out to be amazing! They are focusing on real architectural elements in Watch Hill. (The print version has another photo; the article will soon hang on our classroom wall.)

CHECK IT OUT!



Remember, this "Alternate Semester 1 Anchor Assignment, with a focus on Culture" is due in the Media Center first thing NEXT Tuesday, December 14. These structures take a lot of planning, for base, pattern, ingredients, decorations, as well as actual dough (and icing) preparation, structure creating, window inserting (don't forget to do this before you bake!), baking, cooling, assembling, decorating, not to mention determining how to transport your masterpiece to the school.

Take photos. Save your notes and receipts.

Und, viel Spaß, ALLE!

Mein schöner bunter Weihnachtsteller

The first song in this track from an album called "Eine Kerze (Candle) für Papa" , by Peter Sebastian, is a Sankt Nikolaus song. It's about the way celebrating Sankt Nikolaus Tag (December 6) helps to ease the long wait until Christmas (...verkürzt mir die Zeit bis zur Heiligennacht...).

He recalls all the delicious treats Sankt Nikolaus left him on his "Weihnachtsteller," or Christmas Plate, which is a regional variation of leaving one's shoe outside the door.

Here's the song: MEIN SCHÖNER BUNTER WEIHNACHTSTELLER, von Peter Sebastian, with the text right below.

--> Which of the seasonal vocabulary words do you already recognize by now?

Strophe: I Die Augen sind groß, die Herzen ganz weit,

sie ist wieder da, die Weihnachtszeit.

Die Städte erstrahlen im festlichen Glanz. die Städte = the cities (and Weihnachtsmärkte)

Sie leuchten so hell und verzaubern uns ganz. leuchten = gleam/shine; verzaubern = enchant

Bin ich Zuhause, freu ich mich auf ihn,

den Weihnachtsteller, am warmen Kamin. der Kamin = the chimney

Refrain: I Mein schöner bunter Weihnachtsteller,

verkürzt mir die Zeit bis zur Heiligennacht.

Denn all` die Leckereien ( = all of the delicious treats),

hat mir schon der Nikolaus mitgebracht.

Auf meinem bunten Weihnachtsteller,

sind Lebkuchenherzen und Marzipan. das Lebkuchenherz = the gingerbread heart (pendant)

Auch Äpfel, Nüsse, Schokolade.

Und jedes Jahr ein Weihnachtsmann.

Strophe: II Kein Mensch der sich heut` über Kälte beklagt, beklagen = to grumble; complain

denn sie ist ein Grund für den Weihnachtsmarkt.

Hier lockt uns der Glühwein, so süß und heiß.

Er schmilzt sogar in den Herzen das Eis. schmelzen (schmilz - geschmolzen) = to melt

Bin ich Zuhause, freu ich mich auf ihn,

den bunten Weihnachtsteller,

am warmen Kamin.

By the way, next up on the track are two invitations to dance. First is Sebastian's "Der letzte Walzer mit dir", which is "schön schmalzig!". The next one "Tanz noch einmal mit mir" is a bit "techno." (...ich will mit dir den Himmel spüren...)

Aber zurück zu den Enten!

Hört her! Ich habe ein Entenrap für Kinder gefunden.



Und? Könnt ihr mitrappen?

Oh Tannenbaum

Wir können auch sehr schöne Weihnachtsbäume hier sehen.



Songtext:

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!
Wie treu sind deine Blätter! treu = loyal; true
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit, grünen = to be green
Nein, auch im Winter, wenn es schneit. schneien = to snow
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!
Wie treu sind deine Blätter!

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! gefallen = to please
Wie oft hat nicht zur Winterzeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut! erfreuen = to bring joy
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren: dein Kleid = your dress lehren = to teach
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit HERE: Its (the greenery's) hope and reliability...
Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit. ...gives comfort and strength in all times
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren.

VORSICHT! Hier kommt Krampus! (Watch out!)

In some south-central regions of Europe, Sankt Nikolaus travels about with a side-kick named Krampus. This is historically a horned, long-tongued man-beast with animal legs, who deals out the coal -- and worse -- to those children who have "forgotten" to behave their parents during the year.

Interspersed with real footage of Krampus-Sieges on Sankt Nikolaustag (below) are postcards and other illustrations of this man-beast, often with Krampus carting children away. That's because some of the legends involve children whom Krampus brings deep into the woods, only to abandon them, leaving them to try to make their own way back home.

Do you suppose these kind of stories helped to encourage good behavior ?

If you dare watch, you'll see for yourself how these legends return in parade form today. Various communities, especially in Switzerland, send Krampus delegations into the streets on Nikolaustag (December 6). Certain candidates from the crowd are actually attacked with branches and sticks. I imagine that these folks do remember their encounters with Krampus for a long while, helping perpetuate the legend of Krampus when they tell about them each year at this time.



--> Might you decide to stay home on Nikolaustag?

Jackie Chan bei WETTEN DAS!

One of Germany's most popular TV shows, WETTEN DAS (BET ON IT!) pits personalities against regular folks with various talents. Janna V. bet that she could karate chop through cement blocks with her hand, 4 out of 5 tries, all while cradling a raw egg in her hand -- without the egg breaking. Jackie bet against her (such that, if Jana were successful, he'd have to take a yodeling lesson from the yodeling artists in attendance, and then perform for the audience).

Can you guess the outcome?

Kaugummi in der Schule?

--> DO YOU CONSIDER THIS NEWS?

SOURCE: PHYSORG.com [Science:Physics:Tech:Nano:News]

To improve learning, German school allows chewing gum

December 1, 2010

Few things annoy a teacher more than a pupil chewing gum in class, but a primary school in southern Germany is now actively encouraging them to do so -- in order to improve their grades.

kauen = to chew der Kaugummi = chewing gum

"Chewing gum is good for the children's health and improves their cognitive performance," said Wolfgang Ellegast from the education ministry in Bavaria, home to the Volkenschwand school where the pilot project is being run.

"No one is being forced to chew gum," headmaster Hans Dasch told AFP. "But it helps the children concentrate and deal with stress, particularly during written tests."

He added: "The prerequisite for learning with fun is that kids come to school without fear and that they feel happy... Therefore we are encouraging them to chew gum in break and in lessons."

Chewing gum is also good for dental health, particularly after meals when it is not possible for the 70 children aged between six and 10 at the school to brush their teeth, organisers said.

But it is not anarchy. According to a "firm agreement" with teachers, the children must keep their mouths closed while chewing -- except for when speaking, of course -- and properly dispose of the gum.

To this end, each desk is equipped with a special container decorated by the children themselves with bees, ladybirds, snails and the like, in partnership with a local artist.

"All the children respect the rules. None of them blows bubbles ... No one sticks gum on their seats," said the headmaster, who admits that he chews gum too, along with several teachers.

"The pupils chew in a very disciplined manner."

(c) 2010 AFP