In this activity, students are shown a panoramic view of the Great Wall of China and asked to answer some questions about it. This Web site offers panoramic views of the seven wonders of the world: the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum, Petra, the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, Rio de Janeiro, and Chichen Itza. There is a brief description of each place, but you will want to have your students do a bit more research to complete a geography lesson.
Screenshot of the Great Wall of China panorama
Preparation
Choose the place you want your students to visit, or assign a small group to each panoramic view. For this example, the Great Wall of China is chosen.
Be sure the site works as it should at your school before using it with your students.
If you choose a different panoramic view, you will need to create some questions. If you use the Great Wall, we have provided some questions and an answer key. See the Example Documents and print the questions for your students.
Teacher Tips
You can turn your students loose to do research, but only if you have already taught some research strategies, and how to think critically about the Web sites they find. Also be sure to teach them about avoiding ads, as these can be a real problem if they contain malware.
More Ways
This lesson can provide a model for a lesson on any of the seven wonders, and there are also other panoramic views on the site that you can use.
Program Areas
ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation
View Lesson Plan
Warm-up
Engagement
Objective: Engage students and activate prior knowledge about the Great Wall of China.
Activity:
Project the panoramic view of the Great Wall of China on the screen.
Divide students into small groups and ask the following questions:
What do you see in this image?
Have you seen this landmark before?
Do you know where it is located?
Can you share anything about its history or significance?
Introduction
Enhancement
Objective: Introduce the topic and provide background information.
Activity:
Share two brief paragraphs about the Great Wall of China (located below the image).
Read the paragraphs aloud as a class.
Discuss any difficult vocabulary or concepts.
Presentation
Engagement
Objective: Enhance understanding of the Great Wall through direct instruction and guided research.
Activity:
Ask comprehension questions about the text (refer to Example Document: Questions about the Great Wall).
Provide a printed handout with these questions for students in their groups to complete.
Practice
Objective: Develop research skills and deepen knowledge about the Great Wall.
Activity:
Assign students to research more information about the Great Wall using recommended websites.
Provide specific research questions and tasks on a handout.
Encourage students to skim and scan for information, practicing these research skills.
Evaluation
Objective: Assess students' understanding and ability to present their research.
Activity:
Have students in their groups share their research findings through one of the following formats:
A short written report
A slideshow presentation
An oral report
Ensure each student or group answers the questions from the handout and includes additional interesting facts they discovered.
Application
Objective: Apply research skills to new contexts and encourage critical thinking.
Activity:
Ask students to write additional questions based on their research.
Organize a class activity where students exchange questions and attempt to answer each other’s queries.
colosseum, comprehension, field, field trip, geography, Great Wall, Great Wall of China, machu picchu, machu pichu, panorama, research, Rio de Janeiro, scanning, skimming, taj mahal, trip, virtual, virtual field trip, world, world geography, Chichen itza, China
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Recommendations for Use
In the absence of an active administrator or explicit usage guidelines, it's advisable to adhere to standard best practices:
Personal and Educational Use: Viewing and sharing links to the panoramas for personal enjoyment or educational purposes is generally acceptable.
Non-Commercial Use: Avoid using the content for commercial purposes without obtaining permission from the rightful owner or estate.
Attribution: If you reference or share the content, provide appropriate credit to Hans Nyberg and Panoramas.dk.
No Modification: Do not alter or modify the panoramas without explicit consent.
View AI Reference
ChatGPT was used to rewrite this lesson in the WIPPEA format
