Activities for the Seven Natural Wonders of the World

The Cable News Network, also known as CNN, compiled in 1997 a list of what they believed to be the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The list included the Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Harbor at Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest, Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), Paricutin Volcano and Victoria Falls. There is debate related to whether there should be more wonders included on the list. Young children in middle school are developmentally ready to learn about the Seven Natural Wonders through instructional activities.

Wonder Debate

Set up seven, two-person debate teams and assign each team one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Each team has two days to research their Wonder and prepare a pitch for convincing the rest of the class members that their Wonder is the most spectacular and should be No. 1 on the list. Each team has 10 minutes to present its position. At the end of the debates, the class votes on which of the Seven Natural Wonders is the most outstanding. List the Wonders in order of the number of votes each one received to create the class list of the Seven Natural Wonders.

Wonder Collage

Creating a collage of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World is an effective activity that supports students' knowledge of the Wonders. Prior to each student making their own collage, have them spend about a week reading information about the Wonders, documenting their sources, and creating a collage of the Wonders. Collect as many nature magazines as possible for students to use in the creation of their collages. Ask students to share their collage with the class, to describe interesting aspects of it and to present their sources.

Wonder News Report

Assign each student one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World to prepare a news report. The report is to include information about where the Wonder is located, how old it is, the annual weather patterns, natural resources associated with it and dangers it is facing. Students may get creative by featuring pictures, charts and other visuals with their reports.

Wonder Food Fest

Plan and host a class-wide Seven Natural Wonders of the World Food Fest. Divide the class into seven groups and assign each group one of the Wonders. The goal is to research the foods of the country and region and to prepare a plan of the food items they want to serve at the food fest. Each group is to prepare a five-minute presentation on their Wonder and the foods they are sharing. When all presentations are complete, everyone gets the opportunity to taste the different food options.


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