Year 2 Unit Overview

Sub Strand: Geography Length: 4 weeks

Year Level: 2 Concept Focus:

Theme: o Place
Students will investigate the connections between o Interconnection
people and places, and the factors that influence
these connections.

Knowledge and Understanding: Inquiry and Skills:

Refer to hyperlinks o (ACHASSI034)

o (ACHASSK049) o (ACHASSI035)
o (ACHASSK050) o (ACHASSI036)
o (ACHASSK051) o (ACHASSI040)
o (ACHASSI041)
o (ACHASSI042)
o (ACHASSI043)

Knowledge and Understanding Achievement Inquiry and Skills Achievement Standards:

Standards:
o Recognise that places can be described at
different scales.
o Describe how people in different places
are connected to each other.
o Identify factors that influence these
connections.
o Explain why places are important to
people, recognising that places have
meaning.
o Pose questions about familiar and
unfamiliar places and collect information
to answer these questions.
o Represent the location of places and their
features in tables, plans and on labeled
maps.
o Interpret geographical information to
draw conclusions.
o Use simple geographical terms to
describe the direction and location of
places.

Purpose of Unit: Key Inquiry Questions:

Students reflect on places on both local and
national scales. They understand that distance and
accessibility influence how often people visit
particular places and for what purpose. Students
recognise that places are special to people. They
understand the ways in which Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Peoples maintain special
connections to Country/Place.
o How are people connected to places?
o Why are places important to people?
o What factors affect one’s connection to a
place?
o How are different places connected to
one another?
o How do Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples maintain special
connections to particular Country/Place?
Cross Curriculum Priorities:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories
and Cultures
o Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples’ connection to Country/Place,
and the cultural and spiritual significance
of Country/Place.
Lesson Outline
Week 1
Session 1
o Introduce the concept of place -
Diagnostic Assessment.
o Text used as a hook: Are We There Yet?
By Alison Lester (2005).
o What places did the characters visit? How
did they visit these places?
o Use an atlas to locate the explored
destinations.
Session 2
o Investigate places students connect with. Session 2
o Research/record features about the school
location (street names, shops, parks,
libraries).
o Use ICT to research local environment
(school/home suburb) and wider
environment (Australia).
o Create a ‘layered’ map to demonstrate the
scale and connection between these
places.
Week 3
General Capabilities:
Literacy
o Articulate connections to places
Numeracy
o Use directional language when
describing how places are connected
(e.g., near, far, opposite, parallel, north,
south).
ICT
o Use Google Earth to research locations.
o Use search engines to research.
Critical and Creative Thinking
o Investigate the inquiry questions, analyse
the information and draw appropriate
conclusions.
Personal and Social
o Question their family/peers on the places
they have visited/of personal
significance.
Week 2
Session 1
o Share a place of personal importance.
o Locate special place using Google Earth.
Save an image.
o Draw a labelled map of their special
place.
o Write where their special place is, and
what is special about it.
o Formative Assessment (see Appendix
1).
o Investigate connections to Australia.
o Students ask their families questions
about their connections.
o Identify the places they are connected to
on a blank map.
o Create a class connections map.
o Consider similarities and differences
between students’ connections.
Week 4
Session 1 Session 1
o Identify factors that influence people’s o Introduction to the Travel Bag project
connections to place (distance and (see Appendix 2).
accessibility). o Students select and research a particular
o Investigate how you can stay connected city.
with people in different places (drive, fly, o Students pose inquiry questions (guided
Skype). by the criteria).

Session 2 Session 2

o Introduce the different types of o Students continue their Travel Bag

connections people have to place
(spiritual, cultural, etc.).
o Text: Alfie’s Search for Destiny, by
David Hardy (2014).
o Introduce Indigenous Australian’s
connection to their place.
o Play the recording of a Kaurna song
about Kaurna ‘people’s connection to the
land that we belong to’.
o Acknowledgement of Country. Discuss
concept of custodianship.
project.
o Use ICT to research their place.
o Use templates to organise and record
information.
o Finalise projects for homework.
o Summative Assessment (see Appendix
3).

Assessment:
Diagnostic
o Understanding what place is.

Formative
o Locating and describing a place that is special (Week 2, Session 1).

Summative
o Travel Bag – Pose inquiry questions about a particular city, research the city in-depth and
present findings (Week 4, Session 1 & 2).

ICT/Learning Resources:
o Google Earth
o Barefoot World Atlas (app)
o Skype

Sub-strand Connections: Other Learning Area Connections:

History: English:
o People/sites and/or events o Narrative unit. Students will use their
of significance in the local community. place of importance as the setting of their
narrative (ACELY1671).

Mathematics:
 o Interpret simple maps of familiar
locations and identify the relative
positions of key features (ACMMG044).

Formative Assessment Template

Name: _________________________

Criteria 3 - Exceeding 2 - Meeting 1 - Not yet meeting

expectations expectations expectations
Can identify a place they
r r r
are connected to.
Can explain why this place
r r r
is significant to them.
Can collect relevant
information about this r r r
place.
Can present their findings
in verbal and written form. r r r

Process-orientated feedback: ____________________________

 Summative Assessment Task Sheet

Year 2 Geography – Travel Bag

Step 1: Choose a city you would like to visit

Step 2: Find out where your city is

* Which hemisphere, continent, country?
* Where the city is in relation to Australia?
Words to use in your description: north, south, east, west, equator, names of
oceans, tropics, hemispheres, opposite, near, far, etc.

Step 3: Choose 3 of the following topics to find out about your city
* Food
* Money
* Traditional Dress
* A landmark or tourist attraction
* The best time to visit e.g. weather, a special celebration
* An interesting fact

Step 4: Find out how Australians are connected to this city today. Here are some examples
to help you with your thinking.
* Food originally from that city can be bought in Australia today
* People you know have relatives who live in that city
* Australians celebrate a festival which is also celebrated in that city

Step 5: Prepare your information to present to the class. You will include:
* A map
* A flag
* An item to show
* A photo or drawing
* Some writing you have done

Step 6: Decorate your Travel Bag to match your chosen city

Step 7: Practise your presentation.

Step 8: Book a time to present to the class.

Step 9: Present to the class during week 7, 8 or 9.

 Summative Assessment Rubric

I made my presentation very interesting by choosing creative ways to present my information.

My writing, drawings and displays were neat and well-organised.

I explained my information in detail so my audience understood better.

My presentation included all of the information required.

o Where the city is - hemisphere, continent, country
o Where the city is in relation to Australia
o Three choice topics

I included all of these things in my presentation:

o A map o A photo or drawing
o A flag o Some writing I had done
o An item to show o A decorated travel bag

I presented with all of these skills:

o Eye contact o Voice variations
o Loud, slow voice o Confidence

My presentation included most of the information required:

o Where the city is - hemisphere, continent, country
o Where the city is in relation to Australia
o Three topics of my choice

I included most of these things in my presentation:

o A map o A photo or drawing
o A flag o Some writing I had done
o An item to show o A decorated travel bag
I presented my information to the class by myself using most of these skills:
o Eye contact o Voice variations
o Loud, slow voice o Confidence

My presentation included some of the information required:

o Where the city is - hemisphere, continent, country
o Where the city is in relation to Australia
o Three topics of my choice

I included some of these things in my presentation:

o A map o A photo or drawing
o A flag o Some writing I had done
o An item to show o A decorated travel bag
I presented most of my information by myself using some of these skills:
o Eye contact o Voice variations
o Loud, slow voice o Confidence

With support, I presented some of the required information to the class.