Created by:  Joanna Glass

                    Steve Goda

                    Brian White

 

 

 

 

 

ITALY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Your school is planning a trip to Italy.  Your parents will allow you to go them and miss two weeks of school if you promise to take note of certain things so you can tell your family all about your trip. 

      Here is a list of items you have to learn about on your trip to Italy!

1.              Form of money.

2.              Layout of Italy.

3.              Italian architecture.

4.              Italian food.

5.              Florence.

6.              Venice.

7.              Rome.

8.              Italian language.

Form of Money   

      The money that Italians use is called Lira.  The bills are in the amounts of 100,000 Lira, 50,000 Lira, 10,000 Lira, 5,000 Lira, 2,000 Lira and 1,000 Lira.  Coins are worth 500 Lira, 200 Lira, 100 Lira and 50 Lira.

      Go to www.travel-italy.com/library/travel_tips/money/italian-lira.html to see what Italian currency looks like.

      Now to learn how to convert Italian Lira into U.S. Dollars, visit www.xe.com/ucc.

 

      If you have 5,000 Lira left over at the end of your trip and exchange it for U.S. Dollars, how much money will you get back?

 

Amount:                                           Date: 

 

 

      If you are in Venice and want to buy an Italian ice for 2,000 Lira, how much would that be in U.S. Dollars?

 

Amount:                               Date: 

 

Layout of Italy

      Italy is a mountainous country located in south central Europe.  The country is a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea. 

 

What four countries border the northern part of Italy? 

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

To what countries do the islands of Corsica and Sardinia belong? 

1.  Corsica belongs to ___________________________.

2.  Sardinia belongs to ___________________________.

To answer these questions, go to www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/europe/Europe.jpg. 

      Italy is divided into 20 regions, including the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.  The capital city is Rome. Go to http://www.tricolore.net/culture/map.htm.

Now list five regions of Italy.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What five bodies of water surround the 5,000 miles of Italy’s shore line?  To find out, go to http://www.britannica.com/eb/art?id=1779&type=I.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

 

     

 

Architecture

      Italy is famous for its architecture.  There is an abundance of ancient architecture leftover from the Roman Empire.

 

One excellent example of Italian architecture is the leaning Tower of Pisa.  The tower is actually a bell tower to a cathedral.  Construction of the tower began in 1173 and took 200 years to complete.  It was once thought that the tower was designed to lean, but that is not true.  However, the tower did begin to lean during construction.  The exact reason why the tower leans is still a mystery today.

 

      To visit the official website of the Tower of Pisa, go to http://torre.duomo.pisa.it.  Why do you think the Tower of Pisa leans?

 

Food

Italy is also very famous for their food.  Italian Food is not just a meal but also a form of art and a particular way of life.  Some Italian dishes to look for while you are visiting are Spaghetti, Fresh Roasted Lamb, Homemade Ravioli, and various Seafood Dishes depending on the region you visit.  To find out more visit these sites:  www.newagora.com and www.italcuisine.it .  The second website displays cuisine by region.  The map below shows the regions you may choose to investigate.

 

 

 

      Below, there is an example of how a Italian restaurant might look like on your visit.

 

 

Florence

      Florence is located on the banks of the Arno River.  It is home to some of the most outstanding art collections in the world.  One such collection is the Uffizi Gallery which was founded in 1581 and is one of the oldest museums in the world.

 

      Go to the Works Index at www.televisual.it/uffizi and find Rembrandt’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man.  Also make a list of 4 works of art in the Uffizi Gallery that you liked during your trip to Italy and explain what you liked about them.

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venice

      Venice is a beautiful city in Italy that is noted for its gondolas, palaces and museums.  To see what Venice has to offer, go to http://search.gallery.yahoo.com/search/corbis?p=venice.

 

      What year did Venice acquire Cyprus and how?  Go to http://www.republicofvenice.com/history.html.

 

Rome

      Two well-known examples of Roman architecture are the Pantheon and the Coliseum, both of which are located in Rome.  The Pantheon was built between 118-128 A.D.  The dome inside is an architectural marvel.

 

      Go to www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Pantheon.html.  How many columns are on the outside of the Pantheon?  What were the original uses of the Pantheon?

 

      The Coliseum was the first permanent amphitheater built in Rome.  Its size and design are truly amazing.  It was completed around 80 A.D.  The Coliseum held 50,000 people, had 80 entrances and the façade is as high as a 12-15 story building. 

 

      To view the Coliseum, visit http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Roman_Colosseum.html.  What was the basement of the Coliseum used for?

 

Language

      To learn more about the history of the Italian language, go to www.teleport.com/~napoleon/italian/develop.html.

When did the spoken Italian used today begin to spread?

      Go to www.ipl.org/youth/hello/italian.html.  List six words in the English language that come from Italian.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

      To learn some words in Italian, visit www.fortunecity.com/millenium/skip/168/dictionary.html.

 

 

Write the Italian equivalent to the following words.

Hand

Morning

Window

Restaurant

Plane

Eat