Australia

Lisa Blair

Resource Unit on Australia

• 2nd Grade• This Unit on Australia is created to be

used over a 5 day period. This unit will help students better understand where Australia is and what the culture is like.

Objectives

• To better understand the culture of Australia by actively engaging in Australian based lessons

• The students will enjoy these activities because they are hands on activities. The students will enjoy learning about the exciting Australian culture!

Introduction to Australia• Captain James Cook claimed Australia for England

in 1770. It was first used as a prison colony by the English. The first free settlers landed in Sydney in 1793. Today Sydney is Australia's largest city. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most unique buildings in the world.

• The first people to live in Australia were aborigines. Aboriginal means first. They were like our Native Americans. Today there are still aborigines in Australia. Some live on reservations, some live on ranches (called stations or property) or in cities. You can see some examples of their beautiful art if you visit Australia.

Vocabulary

• Australia• Coral Reef• Preserve• Kangaroo• Aborigine• Culture• Continent

Day 1Australian Animals A to Z

• Students will create an ABC picture book of animals unique to Australia

• Objective: Students will learn about the animals that are unique to Australia

• Materials: text books, library books, websites, or other resources about Australia, construction paper, markers, animal printouts, scissors, glue

Australian Animals A to Z Lesson

• Lesson: • Discuss background information about animals

that are unique to Australia using text books, library books, websites, etc

• Distribute materials to students and assign 1 letter to every student. The student will find an animal for their letter.

• The students will draw or use pre-cut Australian animals and the students will write a sentence about their animal.

• When the students are finished, the teacher will collect the pages and compile them into a book

Culminating Activities

• Students will have to list 2 facts about each animal from the books that they created

Day 2The Great Barrier Reef

• Objective: Students will learn about the Great Barrier Reef in Australia

• Materials: Text books, library books, websites, pictures of the Great Barrier Reef

• Explain to the students what coral is and that the Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef in the world and is off the coast of Australia

• Show the students pictures of the Great Barrier Reef

• Discuss that the Great Barrier Reef is being threatened

Culminating Activities

• Students will have to list 3 ways that they can help preserve the Great Barrier Reef

Day 3How the Kangaroo Got Its

Pouch• Objective: Students will obtain knowledge about

a legend from the Australian culture

• Materials: One copy of the Australian Legend, Kangaroo Gets a Pouch, for each student, paper, and pencils

• The class will discuss what a legend is and what they know about kangaroos

• Distribute the Legend and read it together

Culminating Activities

• Let the students choose parts and act out the Legend

• The students will write their own legend in their journals

Day 4Where in the World is

Australia?• Let students explore! They locate Australia on a

world map and use an outline map of the country to complete a map-skills worksheet.

• Objectives:• Students correctly locate Australia on a world

map or globe. • Answer oral questions about Australia. • Complete a map-skills worksheet about Australia.

Day 4

• Materials:• a globe or world map • a copy of an outline map of Australia

• Ask students to find Australia and the equator on the world map or globe. Ask students whether Australia is north of the equator or south of the equator. After soliciting students' responses, explain that Australia has the nickname the "land down under" because the entire continent is south of the equator.

Culminating Activities

• Students will answer questions based on the map of Australia

1. Sydney, Australia's largest city, is located in _____.(a) New South Wales    (b) Victoria    (c) Tasmania

2. Australia's capital city is _____.(a) Brisbane    (b) Melbourne    (c) Canberra

3. Hobart is located in _____.(a) Tasmania    (b) South Australia    (c) Victoria

Aboriginal Bark Art

• Objective: To gain knowledge about Aboriginal Culture and Art

• Materials: Information on Aboriginal Art from websites, brown paper bags for every student, tempera paint, paint brushes, Q-tips

• Review information on Aboriginal art using websites and other resources.

.

Culminating Activities

• Using brown bags and tempera paint, the students will create their own bark paintings

• The students will write a paragraph in their journals on what they learned about Aborigines

Teacher References

• AUSTRALIA: Our Global Village

• Unusual facts about the "land down under" are shown in lessons about endangered animals, the Aborigines, myths, and folktales. Students dine on vegemite sandwiches and join a sports day.

• AUSTRALIA'S ABORIGINES • Takes viewers to a remote corner of northern

Australia to discover what may possibly be the last generation of a fascinating culture that has endured for more than 40,000 years.

Teacher References

• THE ART OF CURRENCY: Money Around the World • Poster displays bills from 24 countries with quick facts for

each note. Country currencies: Australia,

• ANCIENT WORLD HISTORY ACTIVITY SAMPLER • performing puppet shows of creation stories from various

cultures (Australia,

• ADVANCED POLITICAL DESKPAD MAPS • Markable and washable laminated desk maps

come in packs of ten. Includes Australia

Student References

• Books:• The Watering Hole by Graeme Base• Explains why it’s important to conserve our resources

• Uno’s Garden by Graeme Base• Graeme Base is from Australia

• Australian Animals by Caroline Arnold

• A good introduction to the creatures of Australia. Directed towards younger readers.

Student References

• Look What Came from Australia by Kevin Davis "Australia is one of the world's seven continents, but it is also a country with a fascinating culture.“

•  Australia ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Australia by Sarah Heiman

An alphabetical exploration of the people, geography, animals, plants, history, and culture of Australia

Student References

• YOUR Magical Reef Adventure For ages 8 to 10YOU explore the colourful underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, when things start to go wrong. Can YOU save the reef?

• YOUR Magical Journey into the Outback For ages 8 to 10YOU are travelling deep into the Australian Outback. Then the bus breaks down and YOU discover the Magic of ancient aboriginal Sun Rock.

Student References

• YOUR Australian Dinosaur Friends • YOU are a young Muttaburrasaurus in prehistoric

Australia. Together with YOUR friend the Nanantius Eos you explore this land of dinosaurs and reptiles and make a surprising discovery!

• One Woolly Wombat by Rod Trinca• "A now-classic Australian counting book, featuring

native animals and other features of the Australian landscape and lifestyle

Student References

• Imagine by Alison Lester• "This is a beautifully illustrated children's book

that explores animals and their habitats, including ocean, jungle, Arctic, country/farm, prehistoric age, African plain and Australian Outback."

Media References

Aborigines Sydney

Bark Art Kangaroo

Media References• Songs:• The Vegemite Song

We're happy little VegemitesAs bright as bright can be.We all enjoy our VegemiteFor breakfast, lunch, and tea.Our mother says we're growingstronger every single week.Because we love our Vegemite.We all adore our Vegemite.It puts a rose in every cheek!

Media References• Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree

1) Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,Merry, merry king of the bush is he,Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh, Kookaburra,Gay your life must be.  2) Kookaburra sits in the old gum treeEating all the gumdrops he can seeStop, Kookaburra, Stop, KookaburraLeave some there for me. 3) Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,Counting all the monkeys he can seeStop, Kookaburra, Stop, Kookaburra,That's no monkey, that's me

Media References• www.princetonol.com/groups/lad/lessons/elem/AboriginalBa

rkPainting.htm

• http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/kanpouch.htm

• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/coralreef/coralreef.shtml

• http://mbgnet.mobot.org/salt/coral/threats.htm

• www.silverbushmusic.com/barkpain2.html

• http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2130.shtml

Media References

• Videos• Australia’s Aborigines- shows the culture of

Aborigines

• Australia’s Kangaroos- Documentary on Kangaroos

• Wild Australia- Documentary of Australia’s Wildlife

Media References

• Computer games:• Word search- find Australian animals

in a word search

• Online Printables• Map of Australia-students can print

off map of Australia and label it• http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2130.shtml

•http://www.planetozkids.com

Media References

• TV Series• The Crocodile Hunter• Volume 3 'Steve's Aussie

adventures‘• Australia's Wild Frontier

• Volume 5 'Jungle Steve' • Jungle in the Clouds

Media References

• PowerPoint Slideshow• (my slideshow on Exploring

Australia)