Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

A2 Reading ⏱️ 12 Minutes

The History of Grimm Fairy Tales

Discover how two German brothers collected classic stories and shared them with the world.

💡 How to use this lesson

👩‍🏫 For the Teacher

Guide students through this 12-minute reading activity to practice factual recall and vocabulary comprehension.

Check answers together using the explanations shown after each item.

🎓 For the Learner

First, read the short article carefully and review the vocabulary box for useful key words.

Next, answer the 8 questions below in order from easy to hard to test your understanding.

School Website Article

Reading Passage

Collecting Old Tales

The Brothers Grimm were two German brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, who collected old stories. The Grimm museum in Kassel says that the brothers started to collect fairy tales in 1806. The museum says many tales came from women of well-off families, who heard them from servants, farmers and merchants. The museum also says the first book came out in two volumes, in 1812 and 1815. The NEH says there were 86 tales in 1812 and 70 more in 1815. UNESCO says the book is on its Memory of the World list with registration year 2005. UNESCO also says the tales exist in more than 160 languages and cultural dialects on every continent.

📖 Key Vocabulary

well-off

rich; having a lot of money or property.

servant

a person who works in another person's house cleaning or cooking.

merchant

a person who buys and sells things for business.

volume

one book in a set of books published together.

dialect

a local way of speaking a language in a specific area.

continent

a very large area of land, such as Asia, Europe, or Africa.

✏️ Reading Comprehension Exercises

Answer the 8 questions below based on the article above.

1 True / False

The Brothers Grimm started collecting fairy tales in 1806.

____ True ____ False

2 True / False

The women of well-off families created all of the fairy tales by themselves.

____ True ____ False

3 Multiple Choice

In which years did the first book come out in two volumes?

____ a. 1806 and 1812 ____ b. 1812 and 1815 ____ c. 1815 and 2005 ____ d. 1806 and 1815

4 Multiple Choice

According to the NEH, how many additional tales were added in 1815?

____ a. 86 more tales ____ b. 160 more tales ____ c. 70 more tales ____ d. 2005 more tales

5 Matching

Match each organization or place with the information they provide:

Source

Tale counts (86 & 70)

Memory of the World list

Collecting year (1806)

Grimm Museum in Kassel

____Tale counts (86 & 70) ____Memory of the World list ____Collecting year (1806)

The NEH

____Tale counts (86 & 70) ____Memory of the World list ____Collecting year (1806)

UNESCO

____Tale counts (86 & 70) ____Memory of the World list ____Collecting year (1806)

6 Matching

Match each word from the passage with its correct definition:

Word

Part of a book set

Sells things

Large land area

Local way of speaking

merchant

____Part of a book set ____Sells things ____Large land area ____Local way of speaking

volume

____Part of a book set ____Sells things ____Large land area ____Local way of speaking

dialect

____Part of a book set ____Sells things ____Large land area ____Local way of speaking

continent

____Part of a book set ____Sells things ____Large land area ____Local way of speaking

7 Short Answer

What list is the Grimm book on, and what was its registration year according to UNESCO?

Type the name of the list and the year.

____ (Type answer here...)

8 Short Answer

In how many languages and cultural dialects do the tales exist today according to UNESCO?

Type the number from the passage.

____ (Type answer here...)

Reading: The History of Grimm Fairy Tales

The History of Grimm Fairy Tales

💡 How to use this lesson

Collecting Old Tales

📖 Key Vocabulary

✏️ Reading Comprehension Exercises

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