
Welcome to the Travel Tribe History & Culture of the Seven Wonders of the World!
Students will explore the different types of Seven Wonders & the significance of the number seven.
An introduction to the country of Egypt.
Discover the history of Egypt.
Explore fun facts about Ancient Egypt.
Dive into the culture and traditions of Arab culture, and explore Egypt's capital city of Cairo.
Explore the language(s) of Egypt and the general standard of living.
Explore religious and secular holidays, and the delicious food culture of Egypt.
Students summarize what they learned.
TRAVEL JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
When and where did people first settle in Egypt?
What are the official and unofficial languages of Egypt?
Why did men and women wear makeup in Ancient Egypt?
How would you want to spend a day in Cairo?
How would you describe Arab Culture? What are the two most important aspects of Arab Culture?
How do you greet someone in Egypt?
How do you decline an offer in Egypt? What other interpretation does the word yes have in Egyptian society?
What are the major holidays of Egypt, and which ones might you enjoy?
How would you describe Egyptian cuisine, and which tasty Egyptian dishes might you want to try?
Students are introduced to the only remaining Ancient Wonder of the World: The Great Pyramid of Giza.
Discover the history and fun facts of Giza.
Students explore the construction of the Great Pyramid and what is inside this ancient structure.
Students discover the history of the Pharaohs, their role in society and the most famous Pharaoh - Cleopatra.
Students summarize what they learned about Giza.
TRAVEL JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
What (and who!) is inside the Great Pyramid of Giza?
How long did it take to build, and how many men did the construction require?
Where is the entrance to the Great Pyramid and how do you get there?
How would you describe the importance and role of Egyptian Pharaohs, and who is the most famous woman Pharaoh?
Who/what might you want buried with you as your version of buried treasure?
Students are introduced to the process of how the Seven New Wonders were chosen.
Students explore how the Seven New Wonders of the World were chosen out of the 200 "Wonder Contenders."
Students summarize what they learned about the Seven New Wonders of the World.
TRAVEL JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
What are your thoughts on the Seven Wonders of the Modern World?
What were the requirements for being a Wonder Contender?
Would these be the Seven Wonders you would have picked, or would you have chosen something different?
An introduction to the country of China.
Discover the history of China, including Peking Man, the 1000+ years of Chinese Dynasties, and history of paper money throughout China.
Students explore the geography of China and the animals found throughout the country.
Students discover the three most common religions in China: Taoism, Buddhism & Confucianism, and the impact that Communism has had on daily life of the Chinese people.
Students explore the capital city, Beijing, and the history and facts of Chinese characters, the writing system and language(s).
Students dive into the history of Chinese Medicine, including tea, foot massages and acupuncture, as well as the importance and wide-spread influence of the Ancient Silk Road.
Students explore the major holidays and aromatic food culture of China.
Students summarize what they learned about China.
TRAVEL JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
How many people live in China?
How old is Peking Man, and what are his characteristics? Why was Peking Man so special to the study of evolution?
What is the tallest mountain in the world, and what mountain range is it a part of?
What does Hima (of the Himalaya Mountains) mean?
What are your thoughts on the lifestyle and food intake of the Giant Pandas? Would you want one as a pet?
What are the Three Teachings and which religions does it include?
How and why does China have a goal of building Communism? What are some restrictions in daily life as a result of Communism?
What does Beijing mean, and is it the first name of this city?
Why were Chinese characters simplified?
What does the Chinese word for culture translate to?
How did the Forbidden City get its name?
What is the significance of tea and natural medicine in China? Which natural remedies might you want to try, and what ailments would you hope that they cure?
How is silk made and why is it special?
Which of the Chinese holidays would you want to celebrate?
What is the most popular dish of China? How is Peking Duck made?
Students are introduced to #1 of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World: the Great Wall of China.
Students explore fun facts about the Great Wall of China.
Students discover the construction and history of the Great Wall of China.
Students explore the use of rice while building the Great Wall, fact-check the myth that this massive structure can be seen from space, and learn the history why the Great Wall is sometimes called The Longest Cemetery in the World.
Students summarize what they learned about the Great Wall of China.
TRAVEL JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
Why is the Great Wall known as the Stone Dragon?
Why was the Great Wall built, and how long is it? How long do you think it would take to walk the entirety of the Great Wall?
How were the materials transported to the Great Wall, and who built it? How would you have transported materials during this time?
What was rice used for?
Can you see the Great Wall from Space?
Why is the Great Wall known as The Longest Cemetery in the World?
An introduction to the country of Jordan.
Discover the history and fun facts about Jordan.
Students explore the lifestyle and animals found throughout Jordan.
Students discover the capital city of Amman.
Students explore the food culture and daily life in Jordan.
Students summarize what they learned about Jordan.
TRAVEL JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
Where is Jordan?
What is the weather and climate like?
What are the two important seas of Jordan, and why are they special?
What societies influenced Jordan, and what is the national language and religion?
How is the capital city Amman evolving and changing?
What are your thoughts on this hot climate?
How might life in Jordan differ from your own?
Students are introduced to #2 of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World: Petra.
Students explore fun facts about Petra.
Students dive into Petra's main attraction - the Treasury - and other noteworthy locations throughout this ancient site.
Discover the history of Petra and the Nabataean Empire.
Students summarize what they learned about Petra.
TRAVEL JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
What is Petra, and why is it called the Rose City?
How do you think the Treasury was built, and what tools would you have used during this time?
Who are the local animal herders that live around Petra?
What did scientists discover underneath the treasury, and what are some other key locations of Petra?
What are your thoughts on Petra being mentioned in the Bible?
What animal is commonly used to assist tourists and locals in Petra?
An introduction to the country of Italy.
Students explore fun facts about Italy.
Students discover the history & fun facts about Italian opera, and listen to a clip of an Italian Operatic Art Song, by Arditi, "Il bacio," (The Kiss), performed by the author of the course!
Discover the history & landscape of Italy, as well as the two volcanoes that scientists watch on a daily basis.
Students discover the major city of Venice, the Rainbow Island of Italy, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Amalfi Coast, and the olive and fig growing region of Tuscany.
Students discover the capital city of Rome and the country within it: Vatican City.
Students explore the food culture of Italy: pizza, pasta, gnocchi (and how to say 'gnocchi'), gelato, lasagna, and the very first pizza place in the world.
Students summarize what they learned about Italy.
TRAVEL JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
What are some of the most famous locations of Italy?
Which two countries are located within Italy's borders?
Why is Italian the most popular operatic language and what are some popular Italian operas that you might like to see?
Why are scientists watching Mount Vesuvius (and Etna) so closely?
What (and who) is a Renaissance Man?
How many private bridges are in Venice?
What is the Rainbow Island of Italy and why do you think the houses are so many different colors?
What are some typical foods of Tuscany?
Which Italian foods are your favorite?
What is the difference between gelato and ice cream?
Which of the two original pizza types would you try?
How do you pronounce gnocchi?
Welcome to Travel Tribe's History and Culture course on the Seven Wonders of the World!
In this dynamic, fast-paced course, we will explore the history, language, food, culture, traditions, celebrations, geography, animals and famous sites of the countries of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World: China, Jordan, Italy, Mexico, Peru, India and Brazil. We will also discover the importance, culture and historical details of the country with the only remaining Ancient Wonder of the world: Egypt and the Great Pyramid of Giza. The course then dives into the construction, history and fun facts about each of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, as well as the Great Pyramids. This class isn't all dates and names though - it's so much more! Students explore local traditions and fun facts that shape these countries into the exciting and dynamic places that they are today.
Some of the fun-fact topics we will explore:
Where are the oldest human remains of anywhere on earth?
Why are cats everywhere in Rome?
What is the most popular tourist destination on the entire continent of South America?
What is Arab Culture?
What is the Mexican Axolotl and is it true that it can re-grow its limbs?
How far did the Roman Empire reach, and what are the primary Roman remains that we can see from Tunisia to England?
What is the significance of Silk?
Why are some Mexican Cenotes - or sink holes - considered sacred?
How long does it take to weave one Peruvian poncho out of Alpaca fur?
Why is Brazil's Carnival such a major event?
Where was the first opera performed, and what's the most popular operatic language?
In what country do cows and monkeys freely wander the city streets?
Travel Journal
As the saying goes, "Traveling makes you speechless, and then makes you a storyteller." In this course, you will be prompted to answer questions similar to the prompts above in your Travel Journal, in order to further your understanding and curiosity about each of the eight countries that we explore in this course.
About The Author
My name is Kelsey Betzelberger, and I have been teaching for over 10 years. I was trained as an opera singer at Northwestern University in Chicago, and visited 45 countries around the world while performing at opera houses in Italy, Germany, England, Argentina, France, Croatia and the Netherlands. I also teach German, French, and music, and I have lived in seven different countries with my husband and our three well-traveled, geriatric cats.