Education Programs

Mapping the Maestra

Welcome to the BSO's “Mapping the Maestra” project!  Maestra Alsop has agreed to “check-in” from concert halls around the globe during her 2011-2012 season travels.  You and your students are now able to trace her movements each week, exploring the music and cultures of nations throughout the world while strengthening various science, technology, engineering, math, and geography skills.

Begin by downloading Google Earth on your computer.  Next, click on the file below and start your journey around the globe. 

Select the 'layers' that interest you from the Google Earth Gallery.  Through these tools, you can compare the weather in Baltimore, Maryland to the weather in Sao Paulo, Brazil; see the inside of concert halls by selecting 360 degree cities; calculate the total number of miles she will travel throughout the season; or, find the nearest shipwreck off shore!

Explore Maestra Alsop's route by double clicking on individual cities and locations under the 'places' tab, or, by clicking on the 'route' icon.

There really is no limit to what you can learn by “Mapping the Maestra!” Use our Classroom Exercises and Recommended Google Earth Add-ins to guide your journey.

Follow the Maestra

Click here to follow the maestra in Google Earth

This project uses Google Earth. Click here to download Google Earth.



Suggested Google Earth Add-Ins

360 cities

Shipwrecks

Where is Hubble?

Tsunami Wave Height Model

World Energy Consumption

Real-time Earthquakes

World Oil Consumption

World Population Density

 


Suggested Classroom Excercises

Classroom Applications
http://realworldmath.org/Real_World_Math/About.html

  • Time Zone Issues:
  • Around the World Math:
  • Exchange rates:
    • http://realworldmath.org/Real_World_Math/Exchange_Rate.html
    • Objectives:
      • Use exchange rates to find currency amounts from around the world
      • Write and solve proportions
      • Example: If Maestra Alsop has $10, how much will it cost her to buy a $5 cup of coffee using pounds and how much will she have left in pounds? Will she have enough to purchase a $2 muffin in London?

  • Line Graphs:
    • http://realworldmath.org/Real_World_Math/Line_Graphs.html
    • Objectives:
      • Mark and label a uniform grid to graph on
      • Display data in a line graph
      • Elevation graphs, etc
      • Example: What is Maestra Alsop's average global elevation while on the ground? Study the affects of elevation change on the body, etc.

  • Estimation:
    • http://realworldmath.org/Real_World_Math/Estimation.html
    • Objectives:
      • Estimate an amount of area covered
      • Express an estimate as a fraction and as a percent
      • Solve a word problem using an estimate
      • Example: Estimate the amount of miles Maestra Alsop has flown in October as well as how much airplane fuel?

  • SketchUP:
  • Estimating Distance:
    • http://realworldmath.org/Real_World_Math/Estimating_Distance.html
    • Objectives:
      • Draw standard measurements between concert halls (cities) and convert between the Metric and the Imperial system.
      • Example: How many times has Maestra Alsop been to Europe ? How many hours traveling? How much plane fuel burned? What is Maestra Alsop's Ecological footprint? How much is spent on air travel and hotels?

  • Real World:
    • Objectives:
      • Using online sources to book flights within a budget
      • Use online sources such as Wikipedia to study the local languages and cultures that Marin influences.
      • Use Wikipedia to learn key points about each country, city or state?
      • How many countries has Maestra Alsop visited? Cities? Languages? States? Continents?
      • Use online sources to learn about various governments and what important local events are occurring when Maestra Alsop visits. What may she be experiencing.
      • Planning budgets, cost of travel, conversions rates etc.
      • Learning about the concert halls, when they were built and going back in history to what the area would have been like when it was built. Learning about the history of a location as well and the evolution of the orchestra and music program. For example: Baltimore verses Sao Paulo.
Marin Alsop - West Coast Tour.

April 7, 2012

We're here in Eugene, Oregon, about to do the final concert on our tour to the West Coast.

For me, coming to Eugene is very special because my first Music Director position was with the Eugene Symphony Orchestra and I still have lots of friends here and tons of great memories from my seven years with the ESO.

Eugene is a small city nestled in the hills of Oregon.  The University of Oregon is here so there's a vibrant, youthful character to the city.  People are kind, caring and very supportive of the arts.  And it is thanks to my friends that the BSO could come on tour to Eugene.

We started our tour in Costa Mesa California, which is close to Los Angeles and then we flew north to San Francisco where we did three different concerts at the University of California in Berkley. The first was for 1,600 elementary, middle and high school kids.  That was so much fun! Our program focused on nature and the world around us.

Next we did our main concert with the phenomenal Scottish percussionist, Colin Currie and finished up with a performance of a live film score written to accompany a silent film from 1928 called the Passion of Joan of Arc.

It was great fun to do such a variety of concerts for so many different audiences.

But, for me, tonight is the highlight.  Wish us luck!


Click here to read more about Maestra Alsop's adventures!