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Amazing
Australia
 G'Day
Mates! - From:
Social Science
Disciplines:
Anthropology,
Geography, History
Mrs. McLeod's 2nd Grade
Echols County
Elementary
Information /
Resource Web Pages:
 Zoom
School
Australia - This is a
visually appealing
web site geared toward young
children. They can click on different pictures to learn many
facts about Australia.
 Australian
Museum Online - Learn
about the environment
and indigenous cultures of Australia.
Take a virtual tour of the museum. There are links for students
and teachers.
Australian Animals
- This is a great interactive
web site where children can click on animals to see and learn about
them
(location, habitat, and description).
Australia
for Kids - A great deal
of information
can be found on Australia from this
site. Students can read a book, learn about the language, view
the flag and a map, and find fun activities to do.
Australian
Food - A history of
Australian food,
as well as innovations in Australian
food, is described here. There are several Australian recipes
that you can make at home.
Australia:
The Land and Its People - This is a very informative web
site.
Students can learn about the land of Australia, as well as its people
and their culture.
The
First
Australians - This web site is about the original people who
inhabited Australia. It gives a brief description of the
Aborigines and the Torres Strait Islanders.
Kids
Down Under
- Kids can learn about Australian animals and many interesting
facts. They can view a map and the flag, read an online story,
and take a quiz. There are also fun activities and worksheets
that teachers can use.
Australia
Down Under
- Read about the aborigines, geography, animals, and music of
Australia. This web site has a section of "fun stuff", including
a
coloring book and quizzes.
Australian
Homes -
This web site is contains a collection of Australian homes.
Students can find out the history of each of the homes, as well as see
pictures of them.
 Go to the web site Australia
for Kids. Read the
picture
book, and then take the quiz. You can check your answers after
you finish the quiz.
GA
QCCs:
S.S.2.11: Compares the present day
customs and lifestyles of the United States to
selected places in the Eastern Hemisphere including Japan and
Australia-food, shelter, clothing, transportation, fine arts
(music, art, and
literature), natural and
man-made
resources, and production of
goods/services.
LA.2.30:
Reads for understanding and rereads as needed for
clarification, self-correction, and further comprehension.
 Click on the Zoom School
Australia web site.
Print out the coloring page for Australia's flag. Color the flag
correctly using the appropriate colors.
GA
QCC:
S.S.2.11: Compares the present day
customs and lifestyles of the United States to
selected places in the Eastern Hemisphere including Japan and
Australia-food, shelter, clothing, transportation, fine arts
(music, art, and
literature), natural and
man-made
resources, and production of
goods/services.
 Using the Kids Down Under
web site, read about the
didgeridoo. When you finish, write three facts about a didgeridoo.
GA
QCCs:
S.S.2.11: Compares the present day
customs and lifestyles of the United States to
selected places in the Eastern Hemisphere including Japan and
Australia-food, shelter, clothing, transportation, fine arts
(music, art, and
literature), natural and
man-made
resources, and production of
goods/services.
LA.2.40:
Writes a minimum of three sentences about a topic.
 Pretend you have a pen pal who lives in
Australia. Go to the Australia:
The Land and Its People web site. Click on the Oz Kids link
to
learn how to speak like an Aussie kid. Then write your pen pal a
friendly letter using at least 5 of the Aussie words you have learned.
GA
QCCs:
S.S.2.11: Compares the present day
customs and lifestyles of the United States to
selected places in the Eastern Hemisphere including Japan and
Australia-food, shelter, clothing, transportation, fine arts
(music, art, and
literature), natural and
man-made
resources, and production of
goods/services.
LA.2.42: Writes in a variety
of genres to include correspondence (including writing letters and
addressing envelopes).
 Collaborative Activities to do at Home
 Go to the Australian Museum
Online site. Help
your child
take a virtual tour of the museum. When finished, your child will
write a description of three things he/she saw on the tour.
GA
QCCs:
S.S.2.11: Compares the present day
customs and lifestyles of the United States to
selected places in the Eastern Hemisphere including Japan and
Australia-food, shelter, clothing, transportation, fine arts
(music, art, and
literature), natural and
man-made
resources, and production of
goods/services.
LA.2.40: Writes a minimum of
three sentences about a topic.
Using the Australian
Food web site, find one
Australian food that
you and your child would like to learn about and
make. Follow the recipe for the food you choose.
Students will bring the food they make to school and share it with the
class. They will give a brief description of the food along with
its history.
GA
QCCs:
S.S.2.11: Compares the present day
customs and lifestyles of the United States to
selected places in the Eastern Hemisphere including Japan and
Australia-food, shelter, clothing, transportation, fine arts
(music, art, and
literature), natural and
man-made
resources, and production of
goods/services.
LA.2.5: Uses
oral language for different purposes: to inform, to persuade, and to
entertain.
LA.2.17: Follows written
directions.
An acrostic poem is a type of poetry that can
be written to show what you know about a particular topic. You
choose a word as your topic, and then use each letter in the topic as
the beginning of a word or line that tells something about that
topic. Click
here to see some examples. Help your child write an acrostic
poem using the word Australia or any Australian topic.
GA
QCCs:
S.S.2.11: Compares the present day
customs and lifestyles of the United States to
selected places in the Eastern Hemisphere including Japan and
Australia-food, shelter, clothing, transportation, fine arts
(music, art, and
literature), natural and
man-made
resources, and production of
goods/services.
LA.2.42:
Writes in a variety of genres to include
correspondence (including writing letters and addressing envelopes).
Help your child go on
an information
scavenger
hunt. You
can
use the given web sites or other available resources. You and
your
child
will need to find the following things: the capital of Australia,
3 animals native to Australia, 5 Aussie words and their meanings, 2
popular tourist attractions, an Aboriginal musical instrument, 2
Australian foods, an important good exported from Australia, and 2
types of Australian homes.
GA
QCC:
S.S.2.11: Compares the present day
customs and lifestyles of the United States to
selected places in the Eastern Hemisphere including Japan and
Australia-food, shelter, clothing, transportation, fine arts
(music, art, and
literature), natural and
man-made
resources, and production of
goods/services.
Resources for
Children
1. Rookie
Read-About Geography: Australia - written by Allan Fowler
This is a great non-fiction book for
children to
read. It discusses the continent of Australia and why it is
called "the land down under". Children can read about the places
to visit, such as the cities, the outback, and the Great Barrier
Reef. They can also learn about the animals. There is a
"words to know" section in the back of the book.
2. Postcards from Australia - written
by Helen Arnold
This interesting book is a collection of
postcards
written as if by children. As the children travel through
Australia, they write about the many different things they
encounter. The children tell about the cities, transportation,
the languages, the outback, occupations, animals, the bush, the
Aborigines, and tourist spots. There is also a glossary included.
 3.
Australia - written by
Betsey Chessen and Pamela Chanko
This is an easy-to-read book for
children. It
tells about each of the things that "Australia is", such as the cities,
ranches, land forms, places to visit, animals, and the flag.
There
are informative facts in the back of the book.
Just for Fun:
4. Koala Lou
- written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Pamela Lofts
This is an enchanting story of a young Koala
who
thinks her mother does not love her anymore. She enters the Bush
Olympics to see if she can win her mother's love again. She did
not win the gum tree climbing competition, but realized in the end that
her mother loved her all along. This story is set in Australia
and has wonderful illustrations of the many animals you can find there.
5. I Dreamed I Was a Koala - written
by Debra A. Johnson
and illustrated by Stephanie Kranz
A young boy travels to Australia in his
dreams. He hears a kookaburra and notices that he is a
koala. He meets the many animals of Australia while he is
there. Then Australia disappears, and he realizes that he was
just dreaming.
6. Marsupial Sue - written by John
Lithgow and
illustrated by Jack E. Davis
This is a cute story written in the form of
lyrics. It is about a young marsupial who is unhappy being a
kangaroo. She gets hurt throughout the book as she tries to be
like other Australian animals. In the end, as she enjoys being
like a wallaby, she realizes that a kangaroo is just like a
wallaby. Therefore, she is finally happy as a kangaroo.
Resources for Parents
1. Australia:
Enchantment of the World - written by Ann Heinrichs
This is a very informative resource
for
parents. It explores almost everything you need to know about
Australia, including the geography, animals, occupations, religions,
arts, and ways people live. There is also a handy timeline of the
history and fast facts section at the back of the book.
 2. Australia
ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Australia -
written by Sarah Heiman and illustrated by Arturo Avila
This is written as an alphabetical journey
through
the many aspects
of Australia. It contains a great deal of information as it
explores the people, culture, geography, wildlife,
and history of Australia. It also includes activities, fun facts,
and
a glossary.
3. Journey Through Australia - written by Rod and Emilie
Cooper
This book contains a wealth of
information about
Australia. You can learn about the cities, sports, bush,
Tasmania, Aborigines, animals, and landscapes. An informative
fact file and time chart can be found in the back of the book.
Just for Fun:
 Video by National
Geographic Kids Video:
Really Wild Animals: Wonders Down Under -
narrated by Dudley Moore
You can travel to
Australia with National Geographic's animated globe named Spin.
While there, you can learn about the many interesting and strange
qualities of the animals from "the land down under".
Pre-Post Test
1. Why is Australia called the "land down under"?
a. It is below the United States.
b. It is an island.
c. It is south of the equator.
d. It is partially under water.
2. Australia is the only continent that is also a __________.
a. state
b. country
c. peninsula
d. colony
3. What are ranches known as in Australia?
a. farms
b. cities
c. the outback
d. stations
4. Which of the following was a weapon used by the aborigines?
a. boomerang
b. crossbow
c. slingshot
d. catapult
5. What is the name of an aboriginal musical instrument?
a. didgeridoo
b. kookaburra
c. billabong
d. dingo
6. Which of the following animals is not a marsupial?
a. kangaroo
b. wallaby
c. koala
d. platypus
7. Which good is an important export from Australia?
a. eucalyptus
b. coral reef
c. wool
d. beef
8. The hot and dry outback, located in the middle of Australia,
is also known as the __________.
a. desert
b. grassland
c. bush
d. plain
9. What does bush tucker mean?
a. an unusual Australian animal
b. foods found in the wild
c. a person who lives in the bush
d. a type of shrub
10. Australia's most popular tourist attraction is a huge, red
sandstone rock that rises from the earth and seems to glow at
sunset. It is known by the Aboriginal name of __________.
a. Uluru
b. Great Barrier Reef
c. Coober Pedy
d. Coral
Answers to Pre-Post Test:
1. c
2. b 3. d
4. a 5. a
6. d 7. c
8. c 9. b
10. a
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Activities for
Children