Seven Wonders of the World Project

DUE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH, 2013

We just finished learning about the New 7 Wonders of the World. They are:

Chicken Itza Machu Pichu Christ the Redeemer Roman Colosseum The Taj Mahal The Great of China Petra

Now you will create a poster or a 3D model of your favorite wonder. As you create it, try to convince everyone why your wonder is the best one in the world.

Choose the wonder you would like to explore.

1. Gather as many facts as possible. a. Facts need to include :

a) Where is the Wonder located? (Country, City)b) When was it built? (What century)c) Who created the wonder?d) How were the people that created the wonder? e) Find out as the history behind the creation

2. Find pictures and different images3. Create a collage on a poster, or a 3 D model

How will I be graded?

1. My poster or model is labeled with a title. 2. The location of the wonder is included.3. All the questions listed above are included in my facts. 4. I have included two or more pictures of the wonder. 5. I talked about the civilization that created the wonder. 6. My project is neat and clean.7. I have my name, date and period behind my poster or somewhere in my

model.

Project must be turned in. If you do not turn in, you will receive 6 F’s. If you turn in late you will lose 5 points per late day.

Chichen Itza

The famous Mayan pyramids of Chichen Itza (chee-chehn eet-sah) in Maya literally means: "Mouth of the well of the Itza".

Their castle looks like a pyramid, is called El Castillo. It's 75 feet tall. The large steps end in two big serpent heads. The Mayans knew a lot about the calendar. On the first day of spring and the first day of fall, the sun casts shadows on the steps that look like a snake wiggling down the pyramid.

To the Maya this was a lucky symbol. It meant the golden sun had entered the earth, meaning it was time to plant corn.

Chichen Itza "chee-cha nee-sa" was created by people called the Itzles in 445 BC. About 800 years later, the city was empty. Why the people left is still a mystery. The people made many pictures of feathered serpents, eagles and jaguars.

The architecture of El Castillo is full of symbolism, particularly with reference to the important Mayan calendar. The four stairways leading up to the central platform each have 91 steps, making a total of 364; added to the central platform this equals the 365 days of the solar year. On either side of each stairway are nine terraces, which makes 18 on each face of the pyramid, equaling the number of months in the Maya solar calendar. On the facing of these terraces are 52 panels, representing the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars would become realigned.

CHRIST THE REDEEMER

1. Christ the Redeemer known in Brazil as Cristo Redentor is an official name for this gigantic statue that reaches 105 feet into the sky and sits on the top peak of Corcovado mountain which reaches 2,300 feet tall. The Corcovado Mountain is in the Tijuca Forest National Park of Brazil.

2. Christ the Redeemer was designed by a local engineer da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski. Christ the Redeemer is one of the most recognized monuments. The Statue took five years to build and is made of reinforced concrete.

3. Christ the Redeemer statue was built exclusively on the money donated by the Catholic community of Brazil.

4. The stones were brought to the Corcovado mountain from Sweden.5. The statue was officially presented to the public by the Brazilian president Getulio

Vargas in 1932.6. Christ the Redeemer Statue is the tallest religious statue in the world with total

height reaching 40.44 meters including its foundation.7. The statue was included in the New Seven Wonders of the World list in 2007.8. In order to reach the statue you need to climb 220 steps, however a flight of

escalators was built recently to allow its older or weaker visitors to be able to get to the viewing area.

9. The Christ the Redeemer has lightning rods on the top of the head, on the arms and hands because the statue has been hit by lightning more than a dozen times. 2,300-ft peak of Corcovado2,300-ft peak of Corcovado

MACHU PICHU

Machu Pichu is a city built by the Incas in the Andes Mountains which is more than 7,000 feet above sea level. Machu Picchu is the most visited tourist destination in Peru.

Machu Pichu is a a symbol of the Incan Empire and built around 1450AD In the Quechua Indian language, “Machu Picchu” means “Old Peak” or “Old

Mountain.” Machu Picchu is made up of more than 150 buildings ranging from baths and

houses to temples and sanctuaries. The compound contains more than 100 separate flights of stairs. Most of the

individual staircases were carved from one slab of stone. Although many of the stones that were used to build the city were more than 50

pounds, it is believed that no wheels were used to transport these rocks up the mountain. Rather, it is thought that hundreds of men pushed the heavy rocks up the steep mountain side.

Many different theories exist about Machu Picchu’s purpose – a royal estate and a secret ceremonial center among them.

The Incas were some of the best masons in the world. The structures were so well built with a technique called ashlar (stones that are cut to fit together without mortar) that not even a knife blade can fit in between stones.

Machu Picchu was an astronomical observatory, and its sacred Intihuatana stone accurately indicates the two equinoxes. Twice a year, the sun sits directly over the stone creating no shadow.

Unfortunately, most cities built by the Inca civilization were destroyed by the Spanish conquest. Machu Picchu was in a hidden location – invisible from below – and not found, making it one of the most well-preserved Inca cities and an archeological gem.

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Construction began on the Great Wall of China during the Qin Dynasty, around 208 BC. In later years, Chinese dynasties repaired, rebuilt and expanded many sections of the Wall.

The Wall is a unique structure that snakes through the mountains of China for 4,500 miles. That's longer than the distance across from New York to California by about 1,000 miles!

The Great Wall is 25 feet tall and 15-30 feet wide. That's wide enough for two cars to drive on!

The Great Wall of China served the purpose of protecting the Chinese Empire from attacks and invasions from the north during the early dynasties of China

Many small walls were constructed by multiple Chinese emperors. Most of these small walls no longer exist as they were revamped during the Ming Dynasty, between 1368 and 1644 A.D., while much of the rest of the world was still developing.

The facts show many people worked to build the Great Wall of China. Ancient records show that more than 300,000 soldiers and 500,000 commoners worked to build it. That's about the same as the population of San Francisco!

Building the wall was hard work. Some of it was in very hot weather and some in the bitter cold. In the earliest stages, builders rammed earth and stone into the walls. But in the Ming Dynasty they used bricks, limestone and tiles, as well.

PETRA

The ancient city of Petra was literally carved from the sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan.

The Nabataeans built temples and tombs, houses and halls, altars and aquaducts. And they built a civilization that stood at the crossroads of the ancient Near East, a center for commerce as the spice routes and trading trails of the time all flowed through Petra.

At its peak the city of Petra was home to some 20,000 Nabataeans who, in the midst of the desert, built an ingenious system of waterways to provide their city with the precious liquid.

This spectacular city is carved with freestanding temples and nearly 3,000 tombs, dwellings, banquet halls, altars, and niches, all cut into the rose-colored sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan.

The city also has an elaborate aqueduct system which is estimated to have carried about 40 million liters (12 million gallons) of fresh spring water per day, enough to sustain a modern-day American population of more then 100,000.

Petra was used as one of the sets of Indiana Jones. The only access to Petra is though a 300 meter high canyon. Petra was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt in 1812. Petra is a Greek word for “rock”. It is at Petra were King Aretas called for the arrest of the Apostle Paul at the time of

his conversion. Petra was occupied in 1,200 BCE, but made the capital in 312 BCE. Since the early 1800s, when it was "rediscovered," clues to daily life in this "lost

city of stone" are being unearthed and today we are beginning to see once again what Petra looked like 2,000 years ago.

Roman Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum is located in the beautiful Rome, Italy. It is a greatly designed amphitheater that can hold 50,000 people.

It is made of concrete and brick. The bottom of the Colosseum covers approximately 6 acres.

The ancient Romans were great builders. They built things to last. The Colosseum was built of concrete, faced with stone, as were most amphitheaters.

It was built in the early days of the Roman Empire, around 70 CE. It was designed to host huge spectacles. Anyone could attend the events in the Colosseum. Admission was free

It was meant for entertainment like gladiator fights, religious purposes, and for reenactments of previous wars. It was built from 70 to 72 AD when Vespasian was in control.

This Ancient theatre was 160 feet high. To enter, you could choose one of seventy-six entrances! The building was made of limestone, brick, concrete, and marble. There were four stories of windows, arches, and columns. Each of the three outside floors has eighty arches.

Some people were not lucky enough to have a seat in the Colosseum. If you didn't mind standing, the Colosseum could hold up to 70,000 spectators!

This is where the ancient Romans gathered to watch bloody combat between gladiators, and battles between men and wild animals. This is where they threw people to the lions! To see men being killed was very entertaining to the ancient Romans. On occasion, they flooded the Colosseum with water, to hold naval battles. During the battles, many competitors died.

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world.

It is a romance celebrated in marble and glorified with precious and semi-precious stones and that’s the way to appreciate it!.

One of the most interesting Taj Mahal facts is that the building appears to be a different color depending on what time of day it is, and whether or not there is a moon at night.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most popular Agra tourist attractions, and the building was started in 1631 by Shah Jahan.

Taj Mahal facts which are fascinating include the fact that all of the artisans and skilled workers had their hands removed when the building was finally finished. This was to ensure no other structure could compare to the magnificent Taj Mahal.

The construction of the Taj Mahal took twenty two years to complete, and required more than twenty two thousand workers who were brought in from all over. There were more than one thousand elephants that were used just to haul the materials needed.

One of the really fascinating Taj Mahal facts has to do with the exterior pillars. These were placed at an outward tilt, so if an earthquake occurred the fall of the pillars could be controlled.

One of the less common known Taj Mahal facts is that many jewels and semi precious gems were used to decorate the structure. Over the years and through a number of wars and pillages these jewels were removed, but you can still see where they were.