Universität Koblenz-Landau
Campus Koblenz
Institut für Anglistik (IFA)
WS 04 / 05
Children’s Literature / Area Studies
Carsten Simonis
Students: Jennifer Trosdorff, Stefanie Bernard
Breakfast
Definition of breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal of the day. It is usually eaten in the early part of the morning. The
word “Breakfast” literally means “to break fast”. If you fast, you eat no food for a period of
time usually at night when you are sleeping. However in the morning you break this fast by
starting to eat.
Open discussion: “Why should we teach the topic “breakfast” in primary school?”
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The topic is directly related to the daily life of children.
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Children learn an important vocabulary of daily life and if they make a trip abroad,
they will be able to use it.
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The topic is an opportunity to show children cultural differences between Germany
and America/England for example. In this way they get cultural awareness.
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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. All people especially children need it
to get energy for the whole day.
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Moreover children can learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy food.
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Children can participate actively in this topic by organizing an English breakfast in the
classroom for example.
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Additional the topic “breakfast” includes a social aspect, because having breakfast is a
get-together with the family and you can talk about your common plans for the day.
British Breakfast
In England school and work start later than in Germany. Therefore they have more time in the
morning and are able to enjoy a great breakfast with many different kind of food.
Sometimes a member of the family gets up earlier than the others do and brings them “early
morning tea”, so that they are able to have a cup of tea and some biscuits while lying in bed.
Mostly an English breakfast starts with having some cereals or fruit juice. After this the
people have bacon and eggs, baked beans on toast and scrambled eggs. Then they continue
with toast or bread with butter and marmalade. Normally you drink tea, which is stronger than
the one we know in Germany, but there are also a lot of people who prefer coffee.
A typical British breakfast consists of:
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cereals:
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marmalade:
jam:
milk:
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drinks:
fruits:
vegetables:
baked beans
sausages
bacon
ham and eggs
scrambled eggs
bread
toast
roll
biscuits
butter
cheese
Cornflakes, Rice Crispies, Weetabix and All Bran with milk (and sugar)
Scotland: Porridge (made of oats, salt and water with milk and sugar)
kind of bitter-sweet jam made of oranges or lemons with the peel in it
made of strawberries, plums, cherries and other kinds of fruits
Milk is often delivered in one-pint bottles (half a litre) to the front door.
You have to take them in immediately, so that birds are not able to peck
a hole in the caps and drink the cream.
The empty bottles are washed and put out in front of the door at night.
3 types of milk:
1) semi-skimmed milk (red cap)
2) normal milk (silver cap)
3) milk with the whole cream (gold cap)
coffee, tea, cacao, fruit juice (orange, grapefruit, apple, tomato)
orange, apple, banana, plum, pear, cherry, pineapple, strawberry, melon
carrot, tomato, mushrooms
Meals in England
Lunch:
During the week lunch is a light meal, a salad for example, but on weekends lunch is of great
importance. Mostly you have meat (e.g. lamb) with potatoes and vegetables (beans, peas etc.)
as the main course. After it you always have a pudding (ice-cream, apple pie or fruit tart).
Tea:
The next meal is at about 5 o’clock in the afternoon. There you have a cup of tea, bread,
butter, jam and sometimes cheese or ham and a salad.
Dinner:
Because the British don’t have a big lunch on weekdays, they have a big meal in the evening
between 6 and 8 o’clock.
Supper:
Before the English go to bed they sometimes have a hot drink (coffee, cocoa, milk) and some
cheese, biscuits or cake.
English eating habits
In Britain there is no way of saying “Guten Appetit” as we do in Germany, but the people
wait until everyone is sitting at the table and is ready to begin.
Don’t put your hands on the table unless you need them to use your cutlery, because having
your hands or even your elbows on the table is very impolite.
You have to hold the fork the “wrong” way up when you eat meat, vegetables etc. So you
have to eat your peas by squashing them onto the back on the fork.
American Breakfast
Frequently Americans have breakfast on their way to school or work in the morning, because
they are very often in a hurry.
Above all the preparation of the eggs is very different. There are scrambled or fried eggs or an
egg omelette. If you order simply a fried egg in American restaurant, you will have to choose
from at least three options which include the main possibilities: A “sunny-side-up” egg could
be compared with the German way of frying eggs. It is fried on one side only with the yolk
facing up (the “sun“). A fried egg “over” means an egg fried on both sides so that the yolk is
quite firm afterwards. A fried egg “over easy” means an egg fried on both sides but in such a
way that the yolk does not get hardened and stays a little bit runny (“easy”).
A typical American breakfast consists of:
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drinks:
orange juice, milk, tea, coffee
eggs:
scrambled eggs, omelette, fried eggs
crispy bacon
ham
warm sausages
fried potatoes
hash browns
oat meal (hot oat porridge)
French toast with warm maple juice
toast (wheat toast, rye toast)
cereals with milk or juice
biscuits
pancakes with maple syrup
waffles
bagels
croissants
doughnuts
muffins
hot apple pies
cinnamon rolls
jam or marmalade
syrup
peanut butter
cream cheese
butter
fruits
German Breakfast (Frühstück)
The classic German breakfast consists of a variety of bread and rolls, honey, jam, and coffee
or tea. For those who prefer a savoury start to the day cheese and cold meat are also served.
For a more lavish breakfast you may also get offered a boiled egg, yoghurt or quark (a very
popular cream cheese), fruits and muesli or cornflakes.
Meals in Germany
Lunch (Mittagessen):
Traditionally the midday meal is eaten quite early (between twelve and one o'clock) and is the
main meal of the day. More often than not it consists of potatoes, vegetables and meat. In
Catholic areas no meat was eaten on Fridays with a fish or egg dish being served instead.
Dinner (Abendbrot):
The dinner is often eaten at about six o'clock. As the name suggests (Abendbrot, literally
evening bread), it is usually a cold meal served with different kinds of bread, a selection of
cheese, cold meat and salad. A small hot dish (often leftovers or a soup) may also be served.
Many people take black or herbal tea with the meal.
Since most Germans start their day fairly early they tend to eat their meals earlier in the day
than Irish people. Restaurants serving traditional German food often do not provide hot meals
after ten o'clock.
Coffee and cake (Kaffee und Kuchen):
On Sundays an additional snack is often served in the afternoon. A variety of cakes are
prepared and offered to family and friends. In Germany you will often be invited "zum
Kaffeetrinken" (meaning coffee and a substantial intake of cake) rather than lunch or dinner.
The cakes that are served depend largely on the season. In summer, for instance, you might
get a freshly made plum or strawberry cake (Pflaumenkuchen, Erdbeerboden) whereas in
winter you might get offered a Christstollen or Früchtebrot which are both made with dried
rather than fresh fruit. The variety of cakes available in Germany is countless and some have
become quite well known outside Germany, like the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest
Gateau) and Apfelstrudel.
German eating habits
The general change in lifestyle has modified traditional German eating habits
considerably. Many Germans, for instance, now eat their main meal at dinner time rather
than at midday and the classic German breakfast is often substituted by an American style
breakfast with cereals. Unlike their French and Italian neighbours, however, most
Germans like a hearty start to their day and will take their time over breakfast. It is not
unusual to be invited over for breakfast by friends. Many young Germans like to go out
for breakfast if they have the time. Most German cafés have an extensive breakfast menu
and serve breakfast or brunch until three o'clock.
Although many Germans still eat a comparatively large amount of meat, most people now
favour a more modern and healthy way of cooking. Foreign cuisines have become an
integral part of the staple diet of most Germans, and Italian favourites like pizza and pasta
are now as common in Germany as they are anywhere else. Because of the many migrants
from southern and central Europe some foreign cuisines are more readily available than
others. Most German towns, no matter how small, have an Italian restaurant and ice cream
parlour and a stall where Turkish specialities like Döner Kebab and Börek can be bought.
In bigger cities you will often see Greek and Yugoslavian restaurants. Asian food has also
become very popular. Less noticeable, but typically German, are the many Schnellimbiss
stalls which offer German variations of fast food like Currywurst, (fried sausage with a
spicy tomato sauce) Pommes Frites (chips), Kartoffelsalat, (potato salad) Frikadellen,
(meat balls), etc.
Game: Presenting new language of breakfast
This game should be used at the beginning of the very first lesson. With the help of this game
the teacher introduces pupils to new words and the topic of breakfast.
First the teacher puts a box filled with breakfast items like a plate, a cup, a pan, a knife... on a
table, so that everybody can see it. The box is covered with a cloth.
Then he asks one pupil to come in front of the box to take one item without looking under the
cloth.
Following absolutely surprised about the thing the teacher says: “It’s time for a nice
breakfast! Oh, have a look, this is a cup! Great! Kevin, What is it?”
Next the pupil answers: “It is a cup!” The sentence can be repeated together with the whole
class.
After that the teacher asks the pupil: “Can you help me lay the table?”
The pupil answers: “Yes, I can help you lay the table.”
And then the teacher says: “Then put the cup on the table.”
Afterwards some other pupils come in front of the box to take things out of it in the same
way.
Game: Repeat it, if it’s true
The teacher shows a breakfast item or a picture to the class and makes a statement about it.
For example the teacher shows a picture of a spoon and says: “This is a teapot.” The pupils
should repeat the statement if it’s true, but they shouldn’t say anything if it’s untrue.
Vocabulary
Key words:
Nouns:
Verbs:
Structures:
table, tablecloth, chair, plate, cup, saucer, glass, bowl, teapot, pan, knife, fork,
spoon
to lay the table, to have breakfast, to put
Oh, have a look, …
This is a/an …
What is it?
It is a/an …
Can you help me to lay the table?
Then put the … on the table.
Breakfast Song
Come to breakfast!
Come to breakfast!
Dear class three!
Dear class three!
Apples and bananas!
Apples and bananas!
Toast and jam!
Toast and jam!
Groupwork
Every student takes a picture card. Then everybody has to find out which group he/she
belongs to. Someone who has a fruit on his/her card (e.g. an apple) has to join the “Fruits
group”, for example.
Fruits Group (apple, banana, orange, pear):
Reshape the story of the “Very Hungry Caterpillar” into a story, which can be used for a
lesson about the topic “Breakfast” in primary school. Then present it to the course.
Dishes Group (teapot, pan, plate, fork):
Create a funny story with living breakfast things and present it to the course on primary
school level.
Drinks Group (coffee, tea, milk, orange juice):
Create a role play on the breakfast table by using structures and key words and present it to
the course on primary school level.
Food Group (cheese, bacon, cereals, egg):
Create a story by using the words from the word cards and present it to the course.
All students sit in a circle and take a word card. Then the teacher reads the story and the
students listen. Every time when one of the words from the word cards is mentioned, the
pupil, who has taken the card, has to stand up and turn around 3 times. When the word
“breakfast” is read, everybody has to do so. This game gets really difficult, when words or
just even the same words are read one after another.
Pancake Day
Shrove Tuesday which is popularly called Pancake Day is the day before the first day of lent.
Because of not being allowed to eat milk, eggs and fat during the lent, the people made
pancakes to use up all these things. Nowadays people traditionally eat pancakes with lemon
juice and sugar. There are also held pancake races in several places in England. People line
up in the streets holding a frying pan with a pancake in it. When someone starts, the racers
begin to run while tossing their pancakes, which means that they throw them up into the air to
turn them and catch them again in their pans. The first one who reaches the finishing line is
the winner.
Poem: The Pancake
Mix a pancake
Stir a pancake
Pop it in the pan.
Fry the pancake
Toss the pancake
Catch it if you can.
Game: Bingo
Organize the group into a circle. You have a pile of cards lying in front of you. Every student
gets a set of three pictures. The game-master shuffles his cards and takes one of them, which
he shows to the children. Then he asks: “This is a … Who has got a …?”. Every pupil who
has got the same picture is allowed to mark it by putting a chip on it. After this the gamemaster continues with the next card. When one student has marked all his pictures, he has to
shout “Bingo” and is the winner.
Song: The Muffin Man
Do you know the Muffin Man,
The Muffin Man, the Muffin Man?
Do you know the Muffin Man,
Who lives down Drury Lane?
Yes, I know the Muffin Man,
The Muffin Man, the Muffin Man.
Yes, I know the Muffin Man,
Who lives down Drury Lane.
We all know the Muffin Man,
The Muffin Man, the Muffin Man.
We all know the Muffin Man,
Who lives down Drury Lane.
Game: Domino
Recipe of chocolate muffins
Ingredients:
2 eggs
5 oz / ¾ cup / 150 g sugar
4 oz / 4/5 cup / 110 g all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3½ oz / 2/5 cup / 100 ml milk
5 oz / 2/3 cup / 150 g butter
4 oz / 120 g chocolate chips
method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C/350deg F/Gas mark 4.
2. Grease 6 large muffin tins or cups.
3. Beat the eggs with sugar, mix with flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla and milk.
4. Fold in the melted butter.
5. Add chocolate chips.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min or until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean.
The Chocolate Muffins may be served hot or at room temperature.
Sources
Julie Ashworh, John Clark: Festivals – Footsteps
Egon Turecek: Act it out in English – öbv & hpt
Brigitte Schanz-Hering: Around the year – Klett
Brigitte Schanz-Hering: Around the year 2 – Klett
Friederike Schöning: The Kids’ English Club. Teacher’s Guide 1 – Studienkreis
Gordon Lewis, Günther Bedson: Games for children – Oxford
Günter Gerngross, Herbert Puchta: Playway to English 2 (Pupil’s Book) – Helbing/Klett
Günter Gerngross, Herbert Puchta: Playway to English 3 (Pupil’s Book) – Helbing/Klett
Early Bird. Englischprogramm für die Grundschule. Fruits and vegetables – Finken