Exploring the Seven Wonders of the World – Montessori Classroom Activity Ideas

When I was a child, I remember learning about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and dreaming of the day when I could explore them first-hand. Imagine my shock to learn that only the Pyramids of Giza are still standing!

Known to the Greeks as theamata, or things that must be seen, these ancient wonders are more available to your Montessori students than ever before. While you may not be able to physically travel there, virtual field trips (vft’s) and webquests add new life to these ancient and revered sites. Studying the ancient wonders in your Montessori classroom provides a cross-curricular look into ancient cultures. Through them, topics of literature, history, math, geometry, physics, chemistry, astronomy, botany, art, and physical and cultural geometry can be studied.

Exploring the Seven Wonders of the World – Montessori Classroom Activity Ideas

Wonders of the earth are not just limited to ancient history, however. On July 7, 2007, voters from the global online community voted on a ‘new’ set of Seven Wonders of the World. These include:

• Chichen Itza, Mexico
• Christ Redeemer, Brazil
• The Great Wall, China
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Petra, Jordan
• The Roman Coliseum, Italy
• The Taj Mahal, India

And while difficult for most of us to travel to see them, your Montessori students and a wealth of information available to them in both print and online media formats.

While the ancient and “new” lists of seven wonders focus on cultural geography and manmade objects, there is a list of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

• Grand Canyon, Arizona, The United States
• Great Barrier Reef, Australia
• Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Mount Everest, Himalayas
• Aurora Borealis
• Parícutin Volcano, Michoacán, Mexico
• Victoria Falls, between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

While exploring the wonders of the world and its people first hand is always preferable, modern technology allows children in the Montessori environment to explore beyond the walls of their classroom and community and seek to understand the world around them.

For more information, please visit:

• http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/assets/PDF/Seven_Wonders_of_Ancient_World.pdf
• http://www.allstaractivities.com/general/vacation%20info/visiting-ancient-wonders.htm
• http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/16-history/280-seven-wonders.htmly/280-seven-wonders.html
• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/history/ancient-wonders//
• http://7wonders.mrdonn.org/index.html

Virtual Field Trip:

• http://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/wonders.htm

Webquests:

• http://www.dedham.k12.ma.us/webquest/spring2002/jj/
• http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/ldevinney/SevenWondersWebquest.html
• http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=5780
• http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=26704

NAMCs curriculum manuals provide many activities to act as a springboard for further discovery and exploration of the world, its history and culture.

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Thursday, June 9, 2011.