brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart-secret-music/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Do you like classical music? Can you remember a song after you hear it only once?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: composer, concert, piece, king, travel. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (3:52). Students follow the transcript. Play it a second time if needed. |
| 20–28′ | Comprehension | Worksheet C (or the online Story Challenge): check answers together. Ask “How do you know?” |
| 28–35′ | Grammar | at the age of + number: to say how old someone was when something happened. Show “At the age of five, he made his first pieces.”, then do worksheet E together. |
| 35–43′ | Worksheet | Students do worksheet A, B and D alone or in pairs. Check with the answer key. |
| 43–45′ | Speaking | In pairs: “Mozart started music very young. Is it better to start learning something very young? What did you start at a young age?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- composer (noun): a person who writes music. “Mozart was a great composer.”
- concert (noun): an event where people listen to music. “He gave concerts in many cities.”
- piece (noun): one song or one work of music (a piece of music). “He wrote more than 600 pieces.”
- king (noun): the man who rules a country. “He played for the King in London.”
- travel (verb (past: travelled)): to go to other places. “The family travelled for three years.”
Grammar: at the age of + number — to say how old someone was when something happened. “At the age of five, he made his first pieces.”
Discussion questions
- Mozart started music very young. Is it better to start learning something very young? What did you start at a young age?
- What was the hardest moment in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's story? What did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “at the age of + number”. (From the story: “At the age of five, he made his first pieces.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- composer (noun)
- concert (noun)
- piece (noun)
- king (noun)
- travel (verb (past: travelled))
- opera (noun)
- queen (noun)
- note (noun)
- to go to other places
- a play where the actors sing
- a woman who rules a country, or the wife of a king
- an event where people listen to music
- a person who writes music
- the man who rules a country
- one sound in music, or the sign for it on paper
- one song or one work of music (a piece of music)
B Complete the sentences from the story
composer · travelled · King · pieces · opera · Queen · concerts · note
- The family for three years.
- He wrote down every .
- The Magic Flute is a famous by Mozart.
- He played for the King and in London.
- He wrote more than 600 .
- He played for the in London.
- Mozart was a great .
- He gave in many cities.
C Did you understand?
- Mozart was born in Rome.True / False
- Who wrote down Mozart's first pieces?
- The King
- His teacher in Rome
- His father
- A choir
- How long did the family travel?
- Three weeks
- Three years
- Ten years
- One month
- Mozart listened to the secret music many times before he wrote it down.True / False
- How many pieces did Mozart write?
- About 60
- Six
- More than 6,000
- More than 600
D Put the words in order
- five / made / age / of / At / first / pieces / he / the / his
E Grammar: at the age of + number
We use it for to say how old someone was when something happened. At the age of five, he made his first pieces. · At the age of fourteen, he went to Rome. · He died at the age of thirty-five.
Example from the story: At the age of five, he made his first pieces.
- At the of five, he made his first pieces. (age / year / old)
- At the age fourteen, he went to Rome. (of / in / on)
- He died the age of thirty-five. (at / in / on)
F Your turn
Retell Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1e 2d 3h 4f 5a 6b 7c 8g
B. 1 travelled · 2 note · 3 opera · 4 Queen · 5 pieces · 6 King · 7 composer · 8 concerts
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 False · 5 d
D. 1 At the age of five he made his first pieces.
E. 1 age · 2 of · 3 at
Transcript
In Rome, a boy of fourteen heard secret music.
People say he listened only once.
Then he wrote it all down.
This is the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Composer. A composer writes music.
Mozart was a great composer.
Concert. At a concert, people listen to music.
He gave concerts in many cities.
Piece. A piece of music is one song or one work of music.
He wrote more than 600 pieces.
King. A king is the man who rules a country.
He played for the King in London.
Travel. When you travel, you go to other places.
The family travelled for three years.
Now, one pattern: at the age of.
We use it to say how old someone was.
He was five.
He made his first pieces.
At the age of five, he made his first pieces.
Ready? Let's begin.
Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756.
His father was a musician.
At the age of three, he played the keyboard.
At the age of five, he made his first pieces.
His father wrote them down.
The family travelled for three years.
He played for the King in London, and he gave concerts in many cities.
At the age of fourteen, he went to Rome.
In a big church, he heard secret music.
People said that no one could copy it.
Could Mozart do it?
His father wrote that Mozart listened only once.
That night, he wrote it all down.
People say he heard it again and fixed a few small parts.
He was a great composer.
He wrote more than 600 pieces.
He died at the age of thirty-five, but people still play his music.
Let's review. Mozart was a great composer.
He gave concerts in many cities.
He wrote more than 600 pieces.
He played for the King in London.
The family travelled for three years.
And remember: at the age of five, he made his first pieces.
Mozart's story teaches us: listen carefully, and you can learn a lot.
Want more interesting lessons?
Go to brightlivesenglish.com.
Please subscribe and learn with us.