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Parent guide · Grade 2 German · Unit 3

Lesson 3.2 Stille Nacht

Written for the parent. The Read aloud parts are written to your child; read them as they are. Do this parts are for you. Answers for you are marked Listen for.

At a glance

Time
3 sessions of 15–20 minutes
Goal
Name five Christmas words in German. Hear the Christmas story from Luke. Sing the first verse of Stille Nacht.
You need
  • Yellow or white paper
  • Scissors (a parent helps), glue, a string
  • A sketchbook or plain paper, and crayons
  • A King James Bible
Print
Worksheet A · the lesson page (it also has a short video (3:22))

Steps

  1. Do this together: What do you see in your house at Christmas? A tree, a star, candles, a manger scene? Name them in English. Today you learn them in German and sing the most famous German Christmas song of all.

  2. Read aloud: The story. Long ago in Bethlehem, Mary laid her newborn baby in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Out in the fields, shepherds were watching their sheep at night. Suddenly an angel stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. The angel said: Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. The shepherds hurried and found the baby lying in the manger. That is what Stille Nacht sings about: the holy night, the holy Child, and the shepherds who first heard the news.

    Read aloud: How German sounds. Weihnachten means holy nights: ei says eye, and ch is throaty: VY-nahkh-tun. In Christkind, ch at the start sounds like k: KRIST-kint. Stern has st said sht: SHTERN. In Kerze, the z says ts: KEHR-tsuh. Wish someone a merry Christmas: Frohe Weihnachten! (FROH-uh VY-nahkh-tun).

    Read aloud: Say it and move. Rock the baby in your arms: das Christkind! Point up high: der Stern! Make a tree shape with your arms: der Tannenbaum! Hold up one finger like a candle: die Kerze! Open your arms wide: Frohe Weihnachten!

  3. Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

    • Weihnachten [VY-nahkh-tun]: Christmas
    • das Christkind [dahs KRIST-kint]: Christ Child
    • der Stern [dehr SHTERN]: star
    • der Tannenbaum [dehr TAHN-nun-bowm]: Christmas tree
    • die Kerze [dee KEHR-tsuh]: candle
    • das Geschenk [dahs guh-SHENK]: present; gift

  4. Show: How do you say Merry Christmas in German?

    Say this: “Merry is froh.”

    Say this: “Christmas is Weihnachten.”

    Answer: Frohe Weihnachten!

    Show: What did the angel tell the shepherds?

    Say this: “He brought good news.”

    Say this: “A Savior was born.”

    Answer: Unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

  5. Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

    Ask: Say Christmas in German.

    Listen for: Weihnachten.

    Ask: Say star in German.

    Listen for: Der Stern.

    Ask: Say candle in German.

    Listen for: Die Kerze.

    3 more on the lesson page.

  6. Read aloud: Make a German paper star, a Weihnachtsstern, for your window.

    Steps:

    1. Cut two squares of paper the same size.
    2. Fold each square in half and in half again, then cut a zigzag edge.
    3. Unfold and glue the two shapes together, turned a little, to make a star with many points.
    4. A parent writes Frohe Weihnachten in the middle.
    5. Hang it in the window and say der Stern.

    Tips for you:

    • Make stars for every window.
    • Sing Stille Nacht while you work.

    Done when your child can say:

    • My star hangs in the window.
    • I can say five Christmas words in German.

  7. Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

    1. In your German notebook, draw a manger, a star, a fir tree and a candle. Label them das Christkind, der Stern, der Tannenbaum and die Kerze. Write Frohe Weihnachten! across the top.

  8. Read aloud: The Christmas tree comes from Germany. German families decorate it on Christmas Eve, Heiligabend, and open their presents that evening. In many homes the children wait outside the room until a little bell rings to tell them the tree is ready.

    • Saying Christkind with a soft ch. At the start of Christ, ch says k.
    • Saying Stern with st. Say sht: SHTERN.

  10. Draw two cards each of a star, a tree, a candle, a manger, a bell and a present. Mix them face down. Turn over two at a time and name them in German: der Stern, die Glocke (bell), das Geschenk (present). Keep the pairs you find.

  11. Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Name five Christmas words in German.; Hear the Christmas story from Luke.; Sing the first verse of Stille Nacht.

  12. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

    Luke 2:11 (KJV)

    In the German Bible of Martin Luther (1912 revision), this verse reads: <i lang="de">denn euch ist heute der Heiland geboren, welcher ist Christus, der HERR</i> The angel brought the best news ever told: the Savior was born! That is why we celebrate Christmas.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

  1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
  2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
  3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.