Monday, March 12, 2012

Gifted Gab and the Classroom Corner--The Hanging Gardens of Babylon!

My little ones are knee-deep into their study of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, and we are having a blast!  Today was wonder #2--The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

After learning about the gardens built by Nebuchadnezzar II, viewing some awesome pictures of what historians and artists believe the gardens looked like, and talking about the method of irrigating the gardens with an Archimedes screw, we were ready for today's 2 extension activities.

First, my students used recycled boxes and paint to create their own models of the Hanging Gardens in small groups!  They had a blast, however here is a tip for you...We painted the base coat before we went to recess.  That way the boxes had time to dry while we were outside. 

When we came back in, I helped by hot gluing the boxes together and students worked collaboratively to add details like trees, ivy, waterfalls, steps, etc.
Then, we began work on our own classroom Hanging Gardens!  We suspended plastic sandwich bags with ribbon.  Then students added a wet paper towel and 2 dried butterbeans.  These are thumbtacked to our classroom bulletin board, and I am hoping we will have sprouts when I see this group again next week.
If you are interested in learning more or using this resource in your own classroom, the link below is for you!  Have a great night, everyone!!!  Shannon :-)

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