Social Studies Unit -- Wonders of the World

When we think of the wonders of the world, we usually think of the seven ancient wonders of the world described by Philo of Byzantium and the ancient Greeks. We might wonder why these were chosen when we think of other wonders that seem more, well, wonderful. Because the Greeks had only traveled around the Mediterranian they only knew of the wonders they listed. And like most every civlization, they believed that their culture would survive forever. They had no way of knowing that none but one of the original seven, ironically the oldest, would last into the medeival years.

As time went travelers, historians, scientists and average citizens around the world speculated on other wonders of the world. Below are links for the original seven wonders, plus other lists compiled over the years. But now we have an awesome new opportunity. Sine we in 2007 have a global awareness of what other countries have and we have traveled the globe, we will develop a new set of wonders. new7wonders.com is compiling based upon votes from around the globe, what the 'new 7 wonders of the world' should be. In July of 2007, the list of ancient wonders was completed. Now we are voting on the wonders of the natural world. By voting American Idol style, we can be part of global history in this project.

Why seven, you might ask? Seven is a holy and sacred number in many of the world's religions. In Christianity, we think of seven days of creation (and of the week), seven virtues, seven deadly sins. Other religions use seven in their worship and practice. Seven is believed to be a perfect number. So the ancients used seven and so we keep the tradition.

Check out these links and have students explore the information, images and history about these world wonders. You can use these links and other activities to teach a unit around the many wonders of the world. Each link contains photos, images, data, clickable maps, interactive activities and printouts for students to use.

Resources for Teachers:

7 Wonders of the Ancient World