Family Tree project

FAMILY TREE PROJECT




You will create a family tree using paper provided by the teacher. Please make a rough draft to plan the spacing. When you are sure you have worked out who will be on your tree and how the names will be spaced, only then are you ready to begin working on the “good” paper. Work in pencil and then, when everything is correct, go over your labels in ink or marker.

• The family you represent on your tree may be real or imaginary.

• Your family tree must include at least ten individuals in at least three generations. Your teacher will show you several examples in class. There are also examples in the German I textbook.) Spelling counts, of course! If your family is large and complicated, go ahead and simplify it. I’ll never know the difference! 

• Your tree may “grow” from the bottom to the top, from top to bottom, or from one side of the paper to another. What’s important is that the relationship of the individuals depicted be clear.

• Label yourself “ich”. Label your relatives by name and by their relationship to you. Label your female relatives “meine ___,” filling in the correct relationship. Label your male relatives “mein ___,” filling in the correct relationship.

Examples: Anna Schwarz, meine Tante; Helmut Wagner, mein Großvater

• Include a small picture of each individual on the tree. These may be actual photos, pictures cut from magazines, or drawings. (If you choose to use actual photos, it would be best to use photocopies. I cannot be responsible for the safety of your original photos.)

• Neatness and attractiveness count! The lettering must be neat and legible and done in ink or marker. However, this is not an art class, so don’t spend hours on creative art work. Above all, don’t make silly errors in the German! That’s what’s most important to me!

• If you wish to depart from these instructions in some creative way or to use more creative materials for your family tree, please get Frau Mellem’s approval first.





OTHER ACTIVITIES – DO AS ASSIGNED BY THE TEACHER



1. Write a report about your family. Tell who your relatives are and then some interesting fact about each of them.

Example:

Meine Tante Christel arbeitet bei HyVee und mein Onkel Georg ist Manager von Hardee’s. Meine Halbbrüder wohnen in Springfield, Missouri.



2. Be prepared to make an oral presentation to the class of your family tree.







Masculine relative

Plural form Feminine relative Plural form



der Vater die Väter die Mutter die Mütter





der Stiefvater die Stiefväter die Stiefmutter die Stiefmütter





der Großvater die Großväter

die Großmutter die Großmütter





der Urgroßvater der Urgroßväter



die Urgroßmutter die Urgroßmütter

der Ururgroßvater der Ururgroßväter



die Ururgroßmutter die Ururgroßmütter

der Bruder die Brüder die Schwester die Schwestern





der Stiefbruder die Stiefbrüder die Stiefschwester die Stiefschwestern





der Halbbruder

die Halbbrüder die Halbschwester die Halbschwestern





der Onkel die Onkel or

die Onkels die Tante die Tanten





der Vetter die Vetter die Cousine die Cousinen





der Schwager die Schwäger die Schwägerin die Schwägerinnen





der Neffe die Neffen die Nichte die Nichten







Other useful vocabulary:

die Geschwister – siblings

die Eltern – parents

die Großeltern - grandparents