Let's Visit Australia

#TheCompleteSeries7lessons

Your class will discover how Australia's states and territories piece together to make-up the vast continent and will be able to visualise and describe the many varied landscapes. Your children will use maps and symbols to improve their mapping skills and find out where Australia's animals live and what they eat. They will go on to explore the culture and lifestyle of some typical Australian children and make comparisons between Australia and the United Kingdom.

You might also be interested in our Around the World KS1 Geography lesson pack.

#Lesson1StatesandTerritories

The first lesson in this scheme of work explains where Australia is in the world and what makes it a special continent. Your children will be shown how Australia is divided into states and territories and learn their names. This lesson also shows the capital cities of Australia and challenges your class to recognise the shapes and positions of the states and territories.

#Lesson2UsingaCompass

Challenge your class to improve their mapping skills in this lesson as they use Australian maps to describe the location of the states, territories and famous icons. Your children will explore how to use north, south, east and west to describe the position of the states and territories. They will use maps and grids to explain directions and to navigate around Australia, visiting some famous icons along the way.

#Lesson3ClimateandWeather

Your class will begin to understand how big Australia is in this lesson as they learn about the different climates and weather around the country. Your children will look at the contrasting climates of Hobart and Darwin; by learning about these cities, your children will understand just how varied Australia's weather can be. There is also an opportunity for children to become Australian weather reporters!

#Lesson4ChristmasintheUKandAustralia

This lesson reveals more differences between Australia and the United Kingdom. Christmas Day is a focal point in this lesson which will help your class compare what life is like in two different parts of the world. Your children will learn that Christmas Day occurs in different seasons around the world, and compare and contrast the ways it is celebrated in different countries.

#Lesson5PhysicalFeatures

Australia has some amazing landmarks and physical features. Explore some of these with your class, and remind your children what the difference is between physical and human features. Your children will then write descriptions about the physical features in Australia, including mountains, hills, deserts, beaches and rivers.

#Lesson6UnusualAnimals

Emus, kangaroos, wombats and more! Your class will love learning about the strange and wonderful animals found in Australia. They will learn about the characteristics of different animals around Australia and begin to understand that there are some very dangerous creatures living in the country.

#Lesson7Cultureandlifestyle

Ben and Bindi will take your class on an Australian culture journey. Your children will get a brief insight to the lives of the Australian Aborigines and discover how differently some of them live compared to non-aboriginal Australians. Your children will see what it is like to live in Australia and what people do in their leisure time. There is also an opportunity to learn about Australia Day, and what this historical event means for the Australian people.

Free Overview (Medium-Term Plan)

Download a free overview to support your teaching of this scheme of work.

Free Assessment Grid

Download a free, editable assessment grid to support your teaching of this scheme of work.

Curriculum Objectives covered

• KS1 - understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country.
• KS1 - use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather.
• KS1 - use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map.