#9408
THE SEVEN
WONDERS
OF THE
ANCIENT
WORLD
AMBROSE VIDEO PUBLISHING, INC.
1999
Grade Levels: 8-11
30 minutes
DESCRIPTION
The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Bablyon, the Statue of Zeus, the Temple of
Artemis, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of
Alexandria come to life with computer animation. Gives a brief history and statistics, and looks
at present-day ruins of these seven architectural wonders of the ancient world.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Subject Area: History
• Standard: Understands selected attributes and historical developments of societies in Africa,
the Americas, Asia, and Europe
Benchmark: Knows significant historical achievements of various cultures of the world
(e.g., the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Taj Mahal in India, pyramids in Egypt,
temples in ancient Greece, bridges and aqueducts in ancient Rome)
Subject Area: Visual Arts
• Standard: Understands the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
Benchmark: Understands how factors of time and place (e.g., climate, resources, ideas,
technology) influence visual, spatial, or temporal characteristics that give meaning or
function to a work of art
Benchmark: Understands relationships among works of art in terms of history,
aesthetics, and culture
INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS
1. To introduce the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
2. To describe the physical characteristics of each of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
3. To examine the history of each of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
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Captioned Media Program
VOICE 800-237-6213 • TTY 800-237-6819 • FAX 800-538-5636 • EMAIL
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BEFORE SHOWING
1. What are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
2. Where are these Seven Wonders located?
AFTER SHOWING
Discussion Items and Questions
1. Describe the Great Pyramid of Giza and for what purpose was it built.
2. Describe the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and for what purpose were they built.
3. Describe the Statue of Zeus at Olympia and for what purpose was it built.
4. Describe the Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus and for what purpose was it built.
5. Describe the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and for what purpose was it built.
6. Describe the Colossus of Rhodes and for what purpose was it built.
7. Describe the Lighthouse of Alexandria (or Pharos) and for what purpose was it built.
Applications and Activities
1. Research and write a brief report on each of the Seven Wonders of the World.
2. Pick one of the Seven Wonders of the World and create a story using materials of your
choice.
3. Draw one of the Seven Wonders of the World, using proportionally scaled measurements.
4. Pick one of the Seven Wonders of the World and imagine you are helping to build it. What
and how many materials are needed? Use ancient “technology.”
SUMMARY
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built by Khufu (Cheops), 2nd
pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty, around the year 2560 to serve as his
tomb. It was built over a 20-year period by 100,000 seasonal
workers, not by slaves. It contains two million blocks of
limestone, each over two tons. It is supposed that the stones
were pulled or pushed up a slippery mud-covered sand ramp
and levered into place. The 13 acres it covers could
accommodate St. Peter’s, the cathedrals of Florence and Milan,
and St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey combined. It was 481
feet high. Over time, it has lost 30 feet off of the top. It was the tallest structure in the world
for over 43 centuries. Inside are corridors and galleries. The pharaoh’s chamber is at the
pyramid’s heart. Stones fit so tightly that a card will not fit between them.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were supposedly built in
the 6th century BC by King Nebuchadnezzar for his Median wife,
Amytis. Little of what is known about them comes from Greek
historians and the writings of Strabo and Philo of Byzantium.
Located on the east bank of the Euphrates River about 30 miles
south of Bagdad, Iraq, they cover about 10,000 square feet
and were around 80 feet high.
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Captioned Media Program
VOICE 800-237-6213 • TTY 800-237-6819 • FAX 800-538-5636 • EMAIL [email protected] • WEB www.cfv.org
Funding for the Captioned Media Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Education
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was designed by the architect
Libon and built about 450 BCE. The Athenian sculptor Phidias
created the statue over a wood frame. In the 1st century CE, the
Emperor Caligula tried to move it to Rome, but failed when the
scaffolding collapsed. After the Olympic Games in 391, it was
ordered closed by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius as a pagan
site. It was destroyed by fire in 462. The statue was 20 feet wide
at the base and stood 40 feet high.
The Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was
built around 550 BCE f marble. It was sponsored by
the Lydian King Croesus and designed by the Greek
Chersiphron. It was 430 feet long and 60 feet tall.
Bronze statues were by the major artists of the time
including Phidias. It was a marketplace and religious
institution. Kings and commoners who visited from as
far as India left gifts to the goddess, some of which
have now been unearthed. It was burned by a single
man in 356 BCE and destroyed by the Goths in 262.
It was torn down in 401 CE by St. John Chrysostom.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built around 350 BCE
by Artemisia, the wife and sister, of Mausolus, ruler over Caria.
Caria was far from the Persian Empire’s capital and Mausolus
was virtually unknown except for his Mausoleum. It had 102
feet sides and was 140 feet tall. It stood for 16 centuries in
good condition until an earthquake damaged it. In the 1400s,
the Knights of St. John of Malta invaded the region and used
the mausoleum stones to build a castle. Today, their castle
remains at Bodrum, southwestern Turkey, where polished
stones and marble blocks can be seen within its walls.
The Colossus of Rhodes was erected as a statue of the Rhodesians’
sun god, Helios. In attempt to break up the commercial alliance of the
Greek island of Rhodes and Egypt, Macedonians besieged the capital in
305 BCE. The statue was finished in 282 and stood until the
earthquake of 226. It was broken at its weakest point—the knee.
Ptolemy III offered to rebuild it, but an oracle was consulted and
forbade it. Arabs sold its remains in 654 CE. It was cast in bronze by
the sculptor Charles of Lindos and fortified with stone and iron. It
stood 110 feet high.
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Captioned Media Program
VOICE 800-237-6213 • TTY 800-237-6819 • FAX 800-538-5636 • EMAIL [email protected] • WEB www.cfv.org
Funding for the Captioned Media Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Education
The Lighthouse of Alexandria (or Pharos) was a project
conceived by Ptolemy Soter, Alexander the Great’s successor
in Egypt, but carried out by Sostratos of Cnidus. Its total
height was 384 feet. An internal core was used to lift fuel
for the fire. In ancient times, a statue of Poseidon adorned
the summit. Earthquakes damaged the Lighthouse in 1303
and 1323, and in 1480 the Egyptian Mamelouk, Qaitbay,
used its stones to build a fort. Centuries before Columbus,
departing sailors realized that the Earth was round as they
saw the Lighthouse “disappear” from bottom up.
RELATED RESOURCES
CMP
Captioned Media Program
• Athena’s City #3334
• Clash of the Titans #6907
• Geography Principles: Natural and Manmade Wonders #9193
• Pyramid #3284
World Wide Web
The following Web sites complement the contents of this guide; they were selected by professionals who
have experience in teaching deaf and hard of hearing students. Every effort was made to select
accurate, educationally relevant, and “kid safe” sites. However, teachers should preview them before
use. The U.S. Department of Education, the National Association of the Deaf, and the Captioned Media
Program do not endorse the sites and are not responsible for their content.
• SEVEN WONDERS—GET CLUED IN
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sunken/wonders/
Displays pictures of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and challenges you to name them.
Provides clues in science, geography, and history if you need help. A PBS NOVA site.
• CNN INTERACTIVE DESTINATIONS
http://www.cnn.com/travel/destinations/9705/seven.wonders/
Take a virtual tour of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Presents a brief background of
how these seven imposing projects began.
• EXPLORE THE PYRAMIDS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/textindex.html
View Khufu from the top; get the inside story of Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure, and The Sphinx;
read the history of Giza; answers commonly asked questions; follow the excavation; and much
more! A PBS NOVA site.
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Captioned Media Program
VOICE 800-237-6213 • TTY 800-237-6819 • FAX 800-538-5636 • EMAIL [email protected] • WEB www.cfv.org
Funding for the Captioned Media Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Education
