Building Background Activity

1. Tell your students that Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria. Visit Google Earth and type in “Salzburg, Austria.”

 

Teacher Note: If you do not have Google Earth, you may download it at http://earth.google.com/.

 

Use an LCD projector if possible to share information with the class.

Allow your students to explore different aspects of Austria using this interactive tool. For example, you can click on the “Layers” tab, and see various places of interest such as Mozart’s house and Mozart’s birthplace by selecting “Panoramio.” You can also choose to view buildings, roads, street views and geographic features.

 

You may also view a map of Austria at the National Geographic Map Machine website at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com. A third option is to use reference books from a library.

 

Visit the program website at www.little-amadeus.com and explore the sections “Marketplace,” “Mozart House” and “Post Office.” This will help your students visualize the different places that were part of Mozart’s everyday life.

 

2. Calculate how far your school is from Salzburg, Austria (Mozart’s birthplace). You can find this information in reference books in your school library. Create a class signpost showing the distance. You may make this out of wood, poster board, construction paper, or any suitable material. Have the students draw pictures of Austrian landmarks on the sign. Invite the class to add additional images and text to the sign as they learn more about Mozart and Austria throughout the remainder of the lesson activities. Post the signpost in your classroom.