AUSTRALIA

Kindergarten-1st Grade I. Find Australia on the map, oceans that surround the continent, neighboring countries, major cities. "Country card" (An A4 card contains basic information about the country as well as pictures)

AUSTRALIA Language : English (primary) 20 Aboriginal languages; Capital: Canberra Flag :

MAP:

Money: Australian dollar Add pictures cut out of magazines such as National Geographic, Travel+leisure etc., postcards, stamps can be included too.

Map of Australia lovely coloring page: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/pdfs/australian_map_colouring_page.pdf

Books: Australia (Continents) by Mary Virginia Fox (ISBN 1403485429 (ISBN13: 9781403485427) ) Are we there yet? A journey around Australia. By Alison Lester (ISBN 1929132735 (ISBN13: 9781929132737) )- great book talking about major Australian landmarks, lovely illustrations. Possum Magic by Mem Fox Where the forest meets the sea by Jeannie Baker (ISBN13: 9780688063634) Dreamtime:Aboriginal Stories by Oodgeroo Noonuccal (ISBN 0688132960) Ready to Dream by Donna Jo Napoli (ISBN13: 9781599900490) Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein, Bronwyn Bancroft (ISBN13: 9780618083442) Sun Mother Wakes the World: An Australian Creation Story by Diane Wolkstein, Bronwyn Bancroft (ISBN13: 9780688139162) Coloring pages : http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/australia_day_colouring_pages.htm Australian animals dot art: materials: q-tips, kids paint, paper, pencil or crayon. Draw or trace the outline of an australian animal (i.e. Kangaroo), dip q-tips into paint and fill the outline with dots.

II III

IV Aboriginal Bark Painting lesson plan http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/elem/AboriginalBarkPainting.htm V Aboriginal "Cave Painting" Art lesson see examples of cave painting materials: kids or tempera paint and brushes, white paper, orange or brown paper, scissors, black sharpie. Draw an animal on a piece of white paper. Color your animal using kids paint, decorate using traditional aboriginal motives (dots, waves etc.). Let dry. Cut the animal's shape out and paste onto orange construction paper. Trace the shape with sharpie, paint more decorations around the animal.

VI Listen to Australian Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFGvNxBqYFI&feature=player_embedded

VII Fun facts about didgeridoo: 1. The Didgeridoo is a wind instrument thought to have originated in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. 2. Researchers have suggested it may be the world's oldest musical instrument, over 40,000 years old. 3. There is a little evidence of the didgeridoo being used as far south as the Alice Springs region of Australia, but traditionally never in the southern three quarters of the country. 4. It has been suggested that the Didgeridoo was an adaptation of traded instruments from India and/or Asia, this is possibly why it was mainly used by coastal tribes of the far North of Australia. 5. Traditionally didgeridoos were made from eucalyptus tree trunks and limbs hollowed out, while still living, by termites, (a small insect like an ant but a relative of the cockroach) or from bamboo in the far north of Australia. 6. Traditionally the termite hollowed Didgeridoo was cut to an average length of 130 to 160cm and cleaned out with a stick or sapling. 7. Today didgeridoos are made from a large variety of materials such as glass, leather, hemp, ceramic, plastic, solid timbers carved out, logs drilled out, dried/hollowed cactus stems, aluminum and other metals and just about any material which can be formed into a hollow tube! 8. The didgeridoo was traditionally used as an accompaniment along with chants, singers and dancers, often in ceremonies. 9. Today the didgeridoo is heard in almost every style of music, rock, jazz, blues, pop, hip hop, electronic, techno, funk, punk, rap etc. There are truly no limits to the use of this awesome instrument. 10. In a few aboriginal groups in certain ceremonies men only played the didgeridoo, but in many groups, outside of ceremony, men, women and children played it. 11. In the same way the guitar originating in Europe, is now owned, made and played by people across the world, the Australian didgeridoo is now owned, made and played by many people all around the globe. 12. In the same way guitars and some drums were originally shaped in the form of the female body and were for men to play only in those cultures, men in certain ceremonies often only used the Didgeridoo. Today it would be illegal (and ridiculous) in most countries to even suggest that the guitar, the drums or the Didgeridoo were not to be played anywhere in the world by one sex or another. 13. The word didgeridoo can be spelt many different ways, none of which are Aboriginal names for the instrument. The word "didgeridoo" was a western word given to the instrument around 100 years ago. For more info see 'The Word Didgeridoo'. Source: http://www.didgeridoobreath.com/kb_results.asp?ID=26 VIII Make a Didgeridoo: http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/australia/didgeridoo.htm

Additional Resources: Art of Australia resourses compilation: http://web.archive.bibalex.org/web/20071030020721/http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lesson s/middle/austral.htm Unique Australian Animals http://australian-animals.net/ National Geographic Kids Facts and Pictures: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/australia/ Aussie Awesome Animals http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/globalbros/2008/12/aussies-awesome-animals.html Aboriginal Rock Art video http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/people-places-kids/australia-rockartkids.html Platypus Parts, incredibly interesting video about amazing animals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNoQvjlmGdk&feature=player_embedded Austalia Unit Study http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnesf2000/salfra/unit.htm Australia Wordsearch http://www.abcteach.com/free/w/wordsearch_australia.pdf Other printables http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/social_studies/places/australia/