Øresundsbroen

The Øresund Bridge (Øresundsbroen), which opened up for traffic in July 2000 is unique since it connects two countries, Denmark and Sweden.  For more than a houndred years the two countries planned a fixed link between Malmø and Copenhagen but one obstacle after another stopped the plans, until now. The bridge is a combined bridge and tunnel and one of the largest constructions in Europe with its 8 kilometre bridge, 4 kilometres artificially made island, called Pepparholmen, and a 4 kilometres long tunnel.

COPENHAGEN

Over one thousand years of history is written in Copenhagen's cobbled squares and copper spires, its buildings, streets and parks.  Copenhagen is a traditional city. There is only one skyscraper downtown, but it's a classic!

Hans Christian Anderson

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Danish author and poet, wrote many poems, plays, stories and travel essays, but is best known for his fairy tales of which there are over one hundred and fifty, published in numerous collections during his life and many still in print today.

http://andersenfairytales.com/en/main

LEGO

In 1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, master carpenter and joiner in the village of Billund, Denmark, sets up business. His firm manufactures stepladders, ironing boards - and wooden toys. In 1934 the company and its products now take on the name LEGO, which is formed from the Danish words "LEgGOdt" ("play well").  In 1947 the LEGO company is Denmark's first to buy a plastic injection-molding machine for making toys. In 1949 the company produces about 200 different plastic and wooden toys, including Automatic Binding Bricks, a forerunner of the LEGO bricks we know today. Introduced in the United States in 1962, the first LEGOs came in loose sets of bricks. By 1966, however, LEGO kits were guiding young hard hats in snapping together all kinds of buildings, trucks, planes, and ships.

http://www.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx

THE LITTLE MERMAID

The Little Mermaid symbolizes the fairy tale by Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen, the story of a young mermaid who fell in love with a prince who lived on land, and often came up to the edge of the water to look for her love.  The Little Mermaid statue was a present from brewer Carl Jacobsen (The Carlsberg Breweries) to the city of Copenhagen, made by a then little known sculptor called Edvard Erichsen. The Little Mermaid was unveiled at Langelinje in 1913, as part of a general trend in Copenhagen in those days, selecting classical and historical figures to be used as decorations in the city's parks and public areas.

Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens has been woven into the life of Copenhagen since 1843. Tivoli is right in downtown Copenhagen, between the city hall and the central railway station. While much of Tivoli is devoted to gardens, restaurants, theaters, and a tiny lake for pleasure boating, there are 25 fanciful rides, spangled with lights day and night. The kids can try out a merry-go-round of tiny Viking ships, a Ferris wheel with cars shaped like hot-air balloons, a set of dragon boats, and the Flying Trunk, where you wheel past wooden-doll scenes from Hans Christian Andersen stories.  Profuse flower beds, fantasy pavilions, tiny twinkling lights illuminating it at night -- the entire fairy-tale effect is magical, just what you'd expect from the homeland of Hans Christian Andersen. 

http://andersenfairytales.com/en/main

DENMARK

We will be spending a lot of time over the next few weeks learning all about Denmark, its people, its customs, its history and so much more!  Our classroom will be turned into a little version of Denmark and the Beta/Gamma class will be expert tour guides!