Australia

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(Big idea - Through mapping activities, specific place labelling and analysis of geographical influences students will gain a basic understanding of Australia as a place. Geographic discovery will also reveal the unique characteristics of Australia, its people and its wildlife.)

Children will -
Look at the following geographical aspects of the continent of Australia: population, culture, economy and land use, problems and prospects, physical features, climate.

Interpret and read information on a map, gather and interpret data from various types of maps to draw valid conclusions eg city, road, climate, population, etc.

Access appropriate data to support geographic research from computer, encyclopedias, etc

Introduce the unit with the following clues - (ask children to shut eyes and put their heads down. When all clues are read get the children to write their answer on a piece of paper)

Each child will be given a map of Australia and asked to label each state and their capital city. A list of other features can also be labelled.

Children will be divided into workable groupings. Each group will research an assigned state or territory. Projects will include information on major cities, capital city, physical features, landforms, wildlife, products, weather, population, size, emblems and flags and any other interesting information. Groups will also be asked to find any Aboriginal based names with double"o's" in their state or territory. Maps will be presented showing places mentioned. Each group will publish their work on the computer and import any pictures they can find in relation to their project.

Explain and discuss with class the concept of an Australian walkabout. Aborigines are always going walkabout. A walkabout is a long walking trip. But it is not just for fun. Aborigines go walkabout to look for food. If they need a place to camp, they go walkabout.

Use this "walkabout" idea to take the class on a cultural walk through Australia. The items below could be separate components, completed in individual daily lessons or could be assigned to groups within the class and a final day of presentations made.

Boomerangs: experiment with the geometric designs of aboriginal art by making boomerangs. Make a simple boomerang pattern and have students trace it onto heavy paper. Students then decorate their boomerangs. Encourage them to use red, yellow, black and white, the dominant colors in Aboriginal art.

Aboriginal Myths: Teacher-directed reading or class group reads the story "Why the Kangaroo Hops on Two Legs" and presents to class. Also, the creation of a myth and acting it out could be part of this task.

Hold a Regatta: Australians combine hard work with an irrepressible enjoyment of life. Focus on these values and on Australia's climate by holding your own "Henley-on Todd Regatta." This regatta is held on a dry river bed where competitors race bottomless boats by standing inside them and running. Have children work in groups to build and decorate bottomless boats from large cardboard boxes.

Place students into small groups, providing each with a labelled map of Australia.

Distribute handout, "Simulation: Lost in the Outback" to read and discuss with students.

Explain to the students that each of the class groups represents the group of scientists from the University of Hawaii.

Students will use the Australia map and atlases and other resource materials to map the scientists' travels from Darwin to each of the destinations on the simulation handout.

The co-operative learning teams will include: Geographer, Anthropologist, Botanist, Zoologist, Climatologist. Pass out individual assignment cards to each member of each group, as well as the Group Survival Card.

Using information given on the individual assignment cards, students will research their specialisation. A large variety of resources for students to use in their research will be available.

Note: If there are more students in the group than number of occupations, let two students work together as anthropologists or zoologists since these occupations will require more research.

Students should keep note cards and share all research with their group. The group will research and work together for several days to brainstorm survival solutions. Remind the group that it must take them at least three days to reach Tenant Creek. Adventurous groups can extend the journey to last beyond three days.

A group journal will be kept with each student making daily entries from his/her occupation's point of view. Although the point of view may vary, students' journal entries must agree according to actions the group takes.

Groups can share their simulated journeys with the class in a variety of ways, including: sharing journals and journey on a prepared map, illustrating events during the journey, dramatising conversations between scientists that might have taken place during the journey, making dioramas of the outback area in which they were lost.

In December 1992 a group of scientists from the University of Hawaii travelled to Australia to participate in an Asian-Pacific symposium on global warming. The symposium would take place in Darwin and the group made plans to arrive a week early in order to drive south and see several of Australia's natural features including Ayers Rock and the Olgas.

The group flew to Tenant Creek and from there took a smaller plane to an airfield on the outskirts of Alice Springs. From there the group rented camping equipment, a four-wheel drive vehicle and purchased food to last five days. The group then hired an Aboriginal guide to drive them 450 km southeast to Uluru National Park, site of Ayers Rock.

The sightseeing trip went smoothly and thanks to the Aboriginal guide's knowledge of the area, the group arrived back at Alice Springs two days early. The symposium would begin in three days, on December 16. The scientists decided to drive the 700 km to Tenant Creek. Along the way they would visit Devil's Marbles and camp for two days in the semi-desert area, 250 kilometres southeast of Tenant Creek. They purchased a few more supplies and made arrangements for the Aboriginal guide to go with them and return the vehicle at the end of the trip.

Again, the trip was pleasant but uneventful. At nightfall of the second day the Aboriginal guide and scientists headed back to Tenant Creek. Leaving at dusk meant that the group would not have to endure the scorching heat in their vehicle. One-half of the way through the trip, the vehicle broke down; the guide discovered the problem: a thrown rod. The group decided to set up camp for the rest of the night and decide what to do in the morning. The next morning the scientists awoke to find out that the Aboriginal guide had taken off on a walkabout. When or whether he would return to the group was unknown. The group was lost in the outback!

Your group is 120 km from Tenant Creek in a desolate part of the outback. Walking even 4 km/per hour for 10 hours a day means you are still three days away form the airfield. No chance of making the symposium on time!

Your best bet is to start walking! Take inventory of your items to determine what is important to take and what is not. Remember, it's a three-day trip and December in Australia is no snowball!

You hold the key to the way back to civilisation; you have the map! Remember -- without geography you're nowhere. You just might be the leader of this group.

Work with others to discover the closest cities, aboriginal reserve areas, water sources, herding stations, etc. You will also have the job of tracking the group's progress on your map of Australia. Add any pertinent information to the map (and its key if necessary).

A knowledge of the Aboriginal culture groups is helpful. Read about Aborigines to learn the following:

During your group meetings show how this knowledge will help the team survive on the journey. Record pertinent data in journal and synthesise for presentation.

A knowledge of plants in the area is helpful. Research the types of vegetation found in the Northern Territory and if the plants are safe for human consumption. Draw illustrations of each plant-type and make into a book. Who knows, you may discover a new species!

But, more importantly, which of these plants are edible and will help your team survive? Share this information in your group committee meetings and record as journal information for later presentation.

A knowledge of the animals of Australia would be helpful. Which animals would you expect to find in the outback? Which animals or animal products could be used as a food source. Work with the anthropologist to find out what animals were/are consumed by aboriginal groups.

This information will be pertinent for team survival and would link well with Anthropologist information. During the group committee sharing session, all data collected should be shared, journalised, and selected for later presentation.

A knowledge of precipitation patterns and temperature patterns would be helpful. Can we expect any surprises in the form of weather in the outback? When is the best time to travel in order to cover a greater distance?

Collect, record, and share this information during group committee meetings. Your information, combined with the information of the other team members, will provide pertinent survival data.

Students can investigate and decipher Australian use of dialect and slang. Place on the blackboard the following vocabulary list for students to decipher - (This could be done for homework).

Bush --- (any rural area)
Back of beyond --- (most distant place)
The Big Smoke --- (a city)
Hard yacker --- (Tiring work)
Mob --- (Flock (of sheep))
Outback --- (inland region)
Jumbuck --- (Sheep)
Digger --- (Once a miner, now a soldier)
Willy-willy --- (A cyclone)
Up a gum tree --- (In a mess)
Station --- (A sheep ranch)

Avago y'mug --- (Have a go, you mug) A frustrated plea to people (mugs) who are not trying hard enough. Used often at sporting events
Back of Bourke: --- Australia's inland, or Outback
Bickies: ---biscuits
Bloke: --- a person used in the same way as "guy" in the United States
Blowie: --- a blowfly; mosquitoes are referred as "mozzies."
Blue: --- an argument
Blueys: --- sack of personal belongings
Bonza or beaut: --- good
Burl: --- try; attempt
Chook: --- a chicken, as in "running round like a chook with its head cut off;" a phrase used to describe people in a panic
Curl-the-mo: --- magnificent specimen
Dobber: --- an informant
Drongo or nong: --- idiot
Dunny: --- toilet
Fair crack of the whip: --- a plea for leniency
Kangaroos in his --- not of sound mindtop paddock:
Nipper: --- a young child, also known as an ankle biter.
Oz: --- Australia; Australians call themselves "Aussies."
Pom or Pommie: --- an Englishman
Shout you a seven: --- buy you a drink
Stone the crows: --- an expression of surprise
Strine: --- language; manner of speaking
Swaggies: --- homeless; bums; street people
Tinnie: --- a beer can; alcohol "grog or plonk" is drunk at "pubs" (bars)
Twist: --- greatest
Yobbos: --- hooligans, also known as "hoons" and "ratbags."

Activities taken from 'Creative and Practical Ideas for the Multiple Intelligences Classroom' -

Make a model of a famous Australian tourist attraction. Paint water colours of tourist attractions.

Aboriginal culture precedes European history in Australia. Find out ten facts about Aboriginal culture.

Would you rather live in the country or in the city? Compile a list of advantages and disadvantages for each before you decide.

Why is Australia called 'The Lucky Country'? Think of 12 reasons. Display your work in poster form so that other people can easily understand your ideas.

Groups will present their projects to the class. These will be displayed for children to peruse them at their own time.

Children will make an alphabetical list of Australian place names and then place these on a map of Australia.

Harrold, Jenni and Bartley, Sue Social Studies 6 RIC Publications Pty Ltd 1990

Wayne, Steve Creative and Practical Ideas for the Multiple Intelligences Classroom