Teacher's Guide for CALLIOPE: Maria Theresa

Teacher guide prepared by: Cyndy Hall. Ms. Hall is a Southern California teacher, writer, and keyboard musician.
Vocabulary:

hereditary, ancestor, homage, genealogy, archduke, coronation, renunciation, succession, chivalry, sovereign, pragmatic, sanction, acceding, skirmish, revenue, reliance, dogma, humanitarian, docile, tabulated, abbess, prophecy, paprika, gilding, Rococo, alchemy, fleet, entourage, regalia, dignitary, imperial, parody, virtuoso (virtuosa), marionette, serfdom, bequest, dominions, abolition, motto, exile, supranational

1. How did Germany choose a new king? What made this process different from other European monarchies?
2. Why did the Habsburgs and other European rulers rewrite their family histories?
3. Why did the Electors refuse to elect a ruler from the Habsburg family in 1308? What did the Habsburg family do as a result?
4. Design a simple chart showing the succession of Habsburg (and other) leaders in early Germany. Include a brief description of each leader's most significant achievements.
   
   

   Ruler's Name	Achievements

   
   
5. What is an arranged marriage? Why would arranged marriages be beneficial to the Habsburg family dynasty?

1. What did Charles V believe to be his family's 'holy mission'?
2. Why do you think Charles V wanted to eradicate Protestantism in his empire?
3. Was Charles V a successful ruler? Why - or why not? Write a short newspaper-style obituary (a summary of Charles V's life as it might have appeared in a newspaper after he died).

1. Why did Charles VI create the Pragmatic Sanction? What were the provisions of the Sanction? How did Charles negotiate approval of the Sanction among the other rulers in Europe?
2. Read "Problems of Inheritance" (p. 14 - 15). Why would the Pragmatic Sanction help perpetuate the memory of Charles VI?
3. What else did Charles VI do to ensure he would be remembered throughout history?

1. Look up the legend of Jason and his search for the Golden Fleece. Why do you think Philip the Good created an honor in Jason's name?
2. What was the purpose of the Order of the Golden Fleece? What were the responsibilities of each member?
3. Why was the Order of the Golden Fleece so important to Habsburg rule?

1. When Emperor Charles VI died, some people thought the monarchy was doomed to failure. Why?
2. What did Maria Theresa do that surprised her enemies?
3. Could Maria Theresa be described as a vengeful ruler? Why?
4. After researching other accounts of the life of soldiers in the 1700s (You can find information in the library or on the Internet.), create a fictional infantryman. Write a letter from this soldier to his mother, describing his loneliness and conditions on the battlefield.

1. Author Robert Nemes writes that Maria Theresa "felt a deep sense of duty to her subjects and to her family." What social group formed the majority of her subjects? Did these people have an easy life? Explain your answer.
2. Write a short paragraph describing Maria Theresa's "proudest legacy." How did this change the lives of children?

1. What did Maria Theresa's children do each day? Do you think that Maria Theresa was an easy-going or strict parent? Give three examples from the article that support your answer.
2. Why did Maria Theresa choose spouses for most of her children? Were all the marriages successful? Why or why not? What happened to the children who did not marry?
3. Using the library or Internet resources, research the life of Marie Antoinette, then choose one of the following activities:
   1. Write a short fictional autobiography from Marie Antoinette's point of view.
   2. Design a 4 - 5 page fictional magazine feature about Marie Antoinette's life. Include drawings of her clothing, hairstyles, houses, and daily life.
   3. Make a series of Marie Antoinette paper dolls, detailing her clothing and hairstyles.
   4. Construct a simple shoebox diorama showing Maria Theresa and her children at home.

1. Check out the Schonbrunn palace on the Internet at: www.schoenbrunn.at/e/homepage.html
2. The Schonbrunn Zoo can be found on the Internet at: http://www.zoovienna.at/e_index.html

1. What were Maria Theresa's chief legacies to her people?

1. Do you think that Karl Habsburg's parents were influenced by the way Maria Theresa raised her royal children? Support your answer with information from pages 45 - 46.
2. What legacy do you think Maria Theresa left for Karl Habsburg and his children in the 21^st century?

1. Don't forget to try out the yummy recipes on pages 29 - 31.
2. Make a group of marionettes (see directions in "A Merry Marionette" on pages 40 - 41) and prepare a short puppet show for a kindergarten or preschool class.

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Updated: 11/21/08 01:12 pm
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