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Teacher's Guide for CALLIOPE ® Wonders of the World
September 2006 Teacher's Guide prepared by Leslie Anderson Morales
According to some accounts, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to ease his wife's homesickness (Amytis was from present-day northern Iran and her new home looked nothing like the place she grew up in). Other histories state that the gardens never existed. How do you think these conflicting stories came about? Olympia was the oldest and most important of the four all-Greek festivals. In ancient time, the Olympic games began with a footrace. In recent years, sporting events have grown to include snowboarding and beach volleyball. Write 3-5 pages (or more!) describing a conversation between an ancient Olympic athlete (or spectator) with his contemporary counterpart. The five natural wonders described at the front of this issue are grand in scale. Could a natural wonder be smaller in size? Take a look at your environment. Describe five "natural wonders" that are not bigger than your house or school. The list of wonders has changed over the centuries. How do you explain this? Why do you think creating or having such lists was important to the creators? Why were these lists important to those who learned about them?
The Great Pyramid at Giza is more than 4,000 years old. The mathematical principles involved in its design are as impressive as the labor and resources that went into its construction. Select a building in your community and find out more about it e.g. its dimensions, the cost of construction, the time it took for it to go from idea to reality, the number and types of smaller companies that may have been involved in its construction, etc.
Some statues (or temples) were designed to honor someone who was loved or respected. Design a monument for someone who's important to you. What does it look like? What is it made of? Where is it located? What went into making your decisions?
Alexandria the Great set out to accomplish a number of goals that benefited the people he ruled. Briefly describe these achievements. Which of them survives to this day?
The criteria for "wonders" is subjective. Create a list of wonders that can be found in your hometown or your state.
The manmade wonders of the ancient world did not include the written word. Explain why imagery was so important.
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