Monday, February 8, 2016

The Taj Mahal!

The Taj Mahal is spectacular in MANY WAYS!


One of the ways that it is especially unique is its symmetry.  Each element of the Taj Mahal has a mirror part to it.
  
You can see this most easily when you look at the map.  Parts of the Taj Mahal have one line of symmetry and parts have two lines of symmetry.  Do any parts have more than two lines of symmetry?  Can you find the lines of symmetry?  The map was provided in two of India's official main languages, Hindi and English.  Below you can see it in Hindi.

What have you learned about the Taj Mahal?  Why do you think that it is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World?
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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2016 at 6:39 AM

    The students love seeing you in the picture! They noticed symmetry with the building reflecting in the pool. They were also asking about the renovations, at first wondering if there were new buildings. - Ms. Barbacano's class

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    1. Bowman School India ProjectFebruary 9, 2016 at 4:17 PM

      If you stand exactly in the right spot, you can see the exact mirror in the pool! There are over 10, 000 visitors a day to the Taj Mahal, so sometimes you don't get to stand in exactly the right spot. I am happy to share space to see this amazing building.
      Did you know that you have to take off your shoes to go into the main white marble building of the Taj Mahal? Some of the other buildings on either side of the white marble building are made out of red stone.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2016 at 6:56 AM

    Before seeing your blog, students noticed the symmetry of the inlays! We've just finished our morning meeting and we were wondering what daily routines look like for Indian students?

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    1. Bowman School India ProjectFebruary 9, 2016 at 4:14 PM

      Hi Mrs. Barbacano's class,
      I am looking forward to sharing more about schools. I am still learning. Stay tuned!

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  3. Mr. Curhan's ClassFebruary 9, 2016 at 2:56 PM

    Dear Dr. Anton,

    The students have greatly enjoyed reading your blog and seeing you in the picture of the Taj Mahal! After learning some background information about the Taj Mahal, we brainstormed some additional questions:

    -Can people swim in the lake (Yamuna River) by the Taj Mahal?

    -How was it built so that everything could stay together without collapsing/falling?

    -Was it made of any other materials besides marble and gems?

    -Does anyone live in it?

    -How big is the Taj Mahal?

    -What color is the Taj Mahal at night? (Is it a different color during the day and at night)

    -Does anything live in the river?

    -Did the Taj Mahal ever have to get rebuilt/repaired?

    -How many people come to the Taj Mahal each day or each year?

    -Can people climb up inside the towers?

    -Were the towers used for protection (were military officers stationed up there?)

    -On the towers, how could they bend the bricks to make them circles?

    -How did they choose what designs to make on the Taj Mahal?

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    1. Bowman School India ProjectFebruary 9, 2016 at 4:13 PM

      Wow, you have LOTS of questions about the Taj Mahal. I will answer some right now, and will be going back to visit again and see if I can find the answers.

      The original designers of the Taj Mahal are not known. The only artisan who was allowed to sign his work was a calligrapher. He in scripted the Quran versus on the walls. I will share more pictures of the calligraphy.
      The Taj Mahal is currently being restored. This is when an old building is fixed so that it remains strong. You can see in the picture that there is scaffolding around the outside of some of the towers. This is so that workers can safely climb up and make repairs.
      The Taj Mahal is a temple. No one has ever lived in it. Even Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan did not live in the Taj Mahal. They lived in another palace a little ways away called the Red Fort. I will be sharing pictures of this later.

      The Taj Mahal is made of white marble. It is carved to be round. When someone uses bricks to make a round tower, they overlap the bricks at an angle slightly, so that the building can be round. You can try this with legos.

      I am learning about some of the other mausoleums and forts in the area. Stay tuned for more information and pictures

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  4. Mr. Curhan's ClassFebruary 9, 2016 at 3:00 PM

    Dear Dr. Anton,

    Our class will be learning about schools and education in India soon! We have brainstormed some questions that perhaps you might be able to help us answer from your trip and experiences!

    1. Are schools outside (open-air) or inside schools?
    2. What are the different ways that students get to school?
    3. What kind of food do they have at the schools?
    4. Do they wear uniforms at school?
    5. Are there tables or chairs like we have here?
    6. What materials are the school buildings made of?
    7. What kind of technology do they have?
    8. How big are the schools?
    9. What is the school day like? Do they have recess
    10. Do the schools have water fountains?
    11. Do the schools go by grades (first grade, second grade, etc.)
    12. Do the kids play games at recess?
    13. Do you have to apply to get into school?
    14. Do they use money (like rupees) to buy lunch?

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  5. Bowman School India ProjectFebruary 9, 2016 at 4:02 PM

    Thanks for generating great questions. I will be looking to help you answer some of these -- and I will need help for others. Stay tuned for another blog post on schools.

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