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Seven Wonders of the World: Panoramic Views
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Activity Description
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
- Prepare Resources: Ensure students have access to reliable websites for their research and guide them in evaluating sources critically.
- Digital Literacy: Reinforce safe browsing habits and warn students about ads and potential malware when using online resources.
- Collaboration: Encourage peer interaction and teamwork during research and presentations for a more engaging experience.
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 Diploma
Lesson Plan
Objective: Activate prior knowledge about the Great Wall of China and introduce the topic of world wonders.
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- Activity: Show students a teaser image or short video clip of the Great Wall of China without revealing its name.
Discussion Prompt: "What do you think this is? Where do you think it is located? Have you seen or heard of it before?"
- Have students discuss in pairs or small groups.
- Elicit a few responses from the class.
Transition: After discussion, reveal the location as the Great Wall of China and briefly introduce the lesson.
Objective: Set the context for the lesson and explain the learning goals.
Explain:
"Today, we’ll take a virtual tour of the Great Wall of China using a panoramic view, explore its historical significance, and use research skills to learn more about this world wonder."
Learning Goals:
- Explore the Great Wall of China through a 360-degree virtual tour
- .Practice skimming, scanning, and research skills.
- Collaboratively create presentations or reports based on research findings.
Objective: Engage students with the panoramic tour and introduce key facts about the Great Wall.
- Activity: Share the AirPano panoramic view of the Great Wall on a large screen or ask students to explore it on their own devices.
- Guided Viewing Questions:
- What do you notice about the landscape surrounding the Great Wall?
- Can you identify how the structure is built? What materials are used?
- How long do you think the Great Wall is?
(Encourage observation and inference before providing facts.)
- Historical Introduction:
Provide students with a short reading on the Great Wall (from the AirPano site or another resource), highlighting its construction, purpose, and significance in Chinese history.- Other sites with information on the Great Wall
Objective: Research and answer questions related to the Great Wall to build understanding and critical thinking skills.
- Group Activity:
Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific focus (e.g., construction, historical significance, challenges faced during its building, modern-day tourism). - Research Task:
Each group uses online resources (provide a list or have them critically evaluate their sources) to research their assigned focus area. (See sites such as those in the Presentation section.
Students answer the following sample questions: -
- Why was the Great Wall of China built?
- What were the major challenges during its construction?
- How does the Wall’s architecture reflect the culture and resources of ancient China?
- Interactive Research:
Allow students to use devices to explore different angles of the panoramic view and gather more details for their research. Encourage them to take notes and prepare for group presentations.
Objective: Assess students' understanding of the Great Wall of China through presentations or written work.
- Activity:
Each group presents their research findings to the class using a format of their choice: a short slide presentation, a poster, or an oral report.
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- Encourage groups to incorporate visuals from the virtual tour or their research.
- Provide feedback and ask follow-up questions to assess their understanding.
- Written Assessment (Optional):
As an additional task, students can answer a series of comprehension questions based on their peers' presentations or submit a short research report.
Objective: Extend students' learning beyond the classroom and encourage further exploration of world wonders.
- Reflection Prompt:
"The Great Wall of China is considered one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World'. What makes something a world wonder? What other world wonders are you curious about?" - Extension Task (Homework or Project):
Assign students to explore another world wonder (e.g., the Colosseum, Machu Picchu, etc.) from the AirPano website.
- They will use the same research and presentation process to create a comparative study between the Great Wall and their chosen wonder.
Documents
- Great Wall - Answer Key.pdf - Answer Key for Great Wall Worksheet
- Great Wall Questions.pdf - Great Wall Worksheet Questions
Subjects
- Social Studies
- World History
Tags
Creative Commons License
