Research world landmarks to create a global calendar

Every country in the world has nationally known landmarks or monuments. These landmarks often represent or symbolize the culture of a country (showing photosynths of these landmarks will give students an excellent view of them in their specific context). Go to www.photosynth.net. You can click the geo-tag on a photosynth to link to a world map displaying the location of the landmark.

The Eiffel Tower is a familiar landmark in Paris, France. The Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt, and the Great Wall of China are also well known around the world. How many famous landmarks can you name?

The Statue of Liberty in New York City, United States, is an example of such a national landmark. What do you know about the Statue of Liberty and what it tells us about the United States of America?

All landmarks tell us something about a country or culture, but they tell us different things in different ways. A place can be designated as a landmark for many reasons. It can represent the country or culture because of the following reasons: [You may want to show your students photos of these or other landmarks from the World landmarks site (see link at right) or photosynths of the landmarks on the Photosynth site (see link at right) to illustrate your point. The Photosynth site has a great collection of interactive, three-dimensional views of famous national landmarks, many of them geo tagged.]

• It has a unique construction, like the Coliseum in Rome or the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., United States. Can you name others like this?
• It has a distinctive color, shape or size such as the Kremlin in Russia or the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. Can you name others like this?
• It has functional significance, like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, United States, or the Tower Bridge in London, England. Can you name others?
• It has symbolic significance, like the Blarney Stone in Ireland or the White House in Washington, D.C., United States.
• It has unique and remarkable natural features, like the Grand Canyon in the United States or the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Can you name others like this?
• It has a special meaning for the history of that country or culture, like the hills and fields where the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in the American Civil War or the Acropolis in Greece. These landmarks are called historic landmarks.

In the United States, fewer than 2,500 sites have been designated as National Historic Landmarks. These landmarks have been determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be nationally significant in U.S. history and culture. What are some of the landmarks that you think should be on this list? Why? [Compare their answers to the United States National Park Service's list of National Historical Landmarks by state (see link at right)].

Former Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote this about the United States' national historic landmarks: "As a nation, we have allowed too much of our heritage—the places and objects that comprise the collective memory of America—to deteriorate. These reminders of our past should be protected to inspire future generations. Their preservation is our sacred trust." [Source] What do you think she means by this statement?

In this project, you will explore the famous landmarks of countries around the world and discuss how those landmarks represent the identified countries. You will also discuss how the landmarks reflect that country's collective memory and represent that country to the world.

Divide the class into 12 teams, one for each month of the year. Each team will choose a country, research its landmarks, and create a page for the class calendar. The calendar will feature all 12 countries, each with one significant landmark or monument.

Student activity

The student handout link at right (Office Word document, 22 KB) includes details on the main activities for this lesson plan, including Step 1: "Select and research a country and a landmark" and Step 2: "Create a page in the 'Around the World' calendar."

Create a calendar for the student activity

1. Open Office Publisher 2007
2. Use a calendar template to quickly create a custom calendar. Make sure you include a text box near the photo placeholder so that students can enter information about their landmarks.

If you have Office Word 2002, or a more current version, and want to use the Calendar Wizard, use the following steps to create a calendar using a template:

1. Open Word.
2. In the New Document task pane, in the New Form template section, click General Templates.

3. On the Other Documents tab, double-click the Calendar Wizard. Click the Next button to begin.

   Note: if the Calendar Wizard is not already installed, Word will begin installing it automatically. You might have to supply the Microsoft Office CD or network location of the Office Setup application.

4. Select one style of calendar from the three choices available (Boxes & Borders, Banner, or Jazzy), and then click Next.
5. Select whether you would like to print your calendar in Portrait (vertical) or Landscape (horizontal). Click Yes to leave room for a picture. Click Next.
6. Select the starting and ending months for the calendar, and click Next.
7. Click Finish to see the new calendar.
8. Name the calendar, and save it.