You’ve probably heard someone say the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space. It sounds amazing, but is it actually true? Today’s warm-up invites you to investigate, think critically, and decide for yourself.
Today’s Prompt
True or False: The Great Wall of China is visible from space.
Explain your reasoning using National Geographic Kids as your main research source.
Step-by-Step Directions for Students
- Read first. Go to National Geographic Kids and search for information about the Great Wall of China.
- Think critically. Decide whether the statement is true or false based on what you find.
- Write your explanation. Use at least one fact from your research to support your claim.
- Post your paragraph. Write your answer in the blog comments using complete sentences.
Sentence Starters
If you are not sure how to begin, try one of these:
- I believe the statement is true or false because…
- According to National Geographic Kids, one fact that supports my answer is…
- This shows that…
- Many people might think the wall is visible from space because…
Why We Are Doing This
Learning to question what you hear is an important part of being a critical thinker. In science and social studies, we rely on evidence instead of assumptions. This activity helps you practice explaining your reasoning and citing reliable sources like National Geographic Kids.
Extension Challenge
Find another popular “space myth.” It could be about the Moon, planets, or astronauts. Use a credible source to check whether it is true or false, then share what you learned.
When you’re finished, check out the rest of our blog for more tips, ideas, and activities to help you learn and grow. Be sure to follow our classroom Instagram page for behind-the-scenes moments, project highlights, and fun updates. Let’s work together to make learning fun, exciting, and something you look forward to every day!
13 Responses
l believe the statment is not true because the moon is way to far to even see the tallest building on earth. So if the china wall is taller then the tallest tower you couldnt even see it from the moon.
I do not think that the great wall of china is visible from space because the only thing that you can see on the planet is debri and water.Another reason why you can’t see it is because how far away the wall of china is from space.That is why I think you can not see the great wall if of china from space.
I believe the statement is false because the word is big but so is the great wall of china but it is not big enough to see it in space. There are even pictures or videos of the earth but none of them have a visible eye to see the great wall of china. You can look at maps and pictures and you still can’t see it.
I believe the Great Wall of China is not visible from space. According to National Geographic, the wall is composed of a material that blends in with the surrounding terrain. It is very narrow, and things like clouds and fog can cover it, making it impossible to see. The wall doesn’t stand out from the terrain. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space without the help of technology.
Can you see The Great Wall Of China from space? No, because It´s a myth because the wall is too narrow and blends in with the surrounding terrain, making it impossible to see from a distance. Astronauts have confirmed they cannot see it, and while photos taken with a zoom lens from low Earth orbit can capture it, this is not the same as being able to see it with the unaided eye. I wrote this based off of the information from an article on National Geographic Kids. I feel like it would be difficult to see the Great Wall Of China from space since it is pratically blending in with it’s terrain and it’s WAY to narrow. This is why you can’t see The Great Wall Of China from space.
False: The Great Wall of China is not visible from space.because The wall is only about 6-9 meters (20-30 feet) wide in many places, which is too narrow to be easily discerned from a great distance.materials of the wall are similar in color to the surrounding landscape, making it blend in rather than stand out. It can occasionally be seen from low Earth orbit with the naked eye, but this requires very specific lighting and atmospheric conditions, and even then, it is often only visible with magnification.
No, the Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space, since the Great Wall of China is at its maximum height of 14 meters and is 13 miles or 21 kilometers long, which means that it cannot be seen at all. The maximum we could reach to see the Great Wall of China is 11 kilometers. Of course, from a somewhat high height of 2 meters we will not see it because of the height, we will see it because of the length of the wall and about its information of width or height is Including its branches and secondary constructions, it is estimated to be about 21,200 km long [2] from the border with Korea, at the edge of the Yalu River, to the Gobi Desert, along an arc that approximately outlines the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, although today only 30% of it is preserved On average, it measures 6 to 7 m high and 4 to 5 m wide
I believe the statement is false because based on National Geographic, the wall blends in with its surroundings. It’s also not wide enough to be seen from a distance like that. The only way we may be able to see The Great Wall of China is by using the help of special cameras meant to zoom in extremely close.
You cannot see the great wall of china from space because the Apollo 12 Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean said that the only thing you can see from up there is “mostly white, some blue and patches of yellow, and every once in a while some green vegetation.” Also the wall is made to blend in with the surrounding terrain. So the Apollo 12 Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean debunked the myth and so it is false you can not see the great wall china from space.
False, the Great Wall of China can not be seen from space with a naked eye. Due to BBC sky at night magazine the Great Wall of China can not be seen. It was during the Apollo missions that the myth of being able to see the Great Wall of China from the surface of the Moon was empirically debunked. This was confirmed by China’s own first astronaut, Yang Liwei, “The Earth looked very beautiful from space, but I did not see our Great Wall,” he said. Due to this information from BBC sky at night magazine the Great Wall of China is not visible from space.
I think you cant see the great wall of china from outer space because it is not thick and as tall as the biggest building on the world.
and it blends in with the mountains around it so it is meant to be not visible in space or for the the people around it.
so that’s why I think you cant see the great wall of china from outer space.
Many people might think the wall is visible from space because some people once believed that the Great Wall of China was so big, it could be seen from the surface of the Moon. But it is impossible to see with the naked eye and one space based myth that we all have heard is the idea that the Great Wall of China is the only human made structure that can be seen from space. This shows that not all things can be seen from space.
According to National Geographic, one fact that supports my answer is “it is difficult to discern with the human eye even from low Earth orbit” which basically means even from a closer view from space you still wont be able to see it with a naked eye.