Americas Landforms

Overview

In this lesson (3 of 5) students explore the major landforms of North and South America and connect them to unique native animals. They will use explicit instruction plus movement-based activities to build key geographical vocabulary, then create a visual representation and brief presentation.

Learning intentions

• WALT: Explore major landforms and describe how animals are adapted to life in different places within North and South America.
• WALT: Gather information from a provided animal fact sheet and use it to create a short explanation.
• WALT: Present a visual representation clearly using appropriate geographical language.

Success criteria

• I can name major landforms from North and/or South America (e.g., mountains, plateaus, plains, deserts, rainforests, river systems).
• I can match an animal to a landform region and explain why it suits the habitat (simple cause and effect).
• I can create a neat visual representation (map or labelled scene) showing landforms and an animal.
• I can speak for 30–60 seconds using words from the checklist.

Curriculum links

• Students learn to explain the influence of people, including First Nations Australians and people in other countries, on the characteristics of a place (applied through “landforms shape habitats and where people/animals live” discussion).
• Students locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources (fact sheets and images) and choose relevant details.
• Students evaluate information and data in different formats to identify patterns and infer relationships (matching animals to habitats/landforms).
• Students present descriptions and explanations using relevant terms and conventions (presentations using “landform + animal + adaptation” structure).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Movement warm-up (landforms). Teacher leads a quick body-movement game: students mimic a mountain (hands up), a flat plain (arms wide), a river (snake arms), and a rainforest (wriggle fingers/trees sway). Students copy the landform actions and respond to teacher prompts: “Which landform is this body-shape showing?”

2. 6–14 min · Explicit teach: landforms + animals. Teacher displays a simple “Americas Landforms” reference image (no labels required yet) and teaches 6–7 major landforms with quick examples: mountains (Andes/Rockies), deserts (in relevant regions), plains, rainforests, plateaus, and major river valleys. Students complete a guided note sheet: draw one symbol for each landform and write a one-word descriptor (e.g., “high/cold”, “hot/dry”, “wet/green”).

3. 14–22 min · Game to check understanding: Landform Match. Teacher places picture cards around the room (landform cards and habitat clues like “lots of rain”, “snowy peaks”, “wide grassland”). Students, in pairs, rotate and match one landform card to one clue card, then explain their match in one sentence using stems: “This landform is ____ because ____.”

4. 22–33 min · Information task: animal fact sheets. Teacher models how to extract key points from a provided fact sheet: habitat (landform), diet, how the animal adapts (e.g., camouflage, insulation, claws), and one interesting fact. Students select an animal for North or South America (or teacher assigns), highlight 3 key facts, and record them using a simple organiser: Landform → Where it lives → Adaptation → Evidence from the sheet.

5. 33–46 min · Make: visual representation. Teacher provides materials and clear success criteria: include (1) landforms (label or symbols), (2) animal placement on the correct continent, and (3) a 2–3 sentence explanation. Students create a visual representation (map or labelled scene) and attach their explanation to the side.

6. 46–55 min · Present: gallery share. Teacher sets a respectful speaking routine: “Face your partner, speak slowly, point to your landform.” Students present to a partner or small group (30–60 seconds), using a checklist. Teacher circulates and provides quick feedback on accuracy and clarity.

7. 55–60 min · Exit ticket (quick assessment). Students answer on a slip: “Name one landform and one native animal from North or South America, and explain one adaptation using ‘because’.”

Resources

• Pre-made “Americas Landforms” reference image (teacher and student copy)
• Animal fact sheets (with colour images) for both North and South America options
• Landform picture cards and habitat clue cards (for matching game)
• Guided notes sheet with landform symbols and one-word prompts
• Visual creation materials: paper, colouring pencils/markers
• Label stickers or templates (continent outlines)
• Clay modelling option (pre-cut landform shapes and plasticine or air-dry clay)
• Speaker checklist strip for presentations
• Exit ticket slips

Assessment

• Formative checks during:
• landform movement responses (teacher observes quick understanding)
• landform match explanations (“because” sentences)
• Summative for this lesson:
• visual representation accuracy (landforms + correct continent + animal-habitat link)
• exit ticket (landform + animal + one adaptation explained)

Differentiation

• Low-literacy support:
• Provide sentence starters and a word bank (mountains, rainforest, desert, plains, river, plateau, habitat, adapt, because).
• Offer a partially completed organiser with prompts and space for drawings.
• Allow recording ideas using pictures/icons if needed, then teacher transcribes for the final 2–3 sentences.
• Tactile learners:
• Offer clay models to build a simple “landform layer” and place a small animal model/picture card on the matching habitat.
• Dyscalculia support:
• Remove any requirement for measuring or complex counting; keep tasks visual and categorical (match, label, place).
• Use consistent layouts (same positions on sheets every time) and minimal handwriting load.
• High-achieving students:
• Require an extra “adaptation reason” sentence (e.g., “The animal has ____ so it can ____ in this landform.”).
• Ask them to add one additional landform label that could connect to the animal’s wider range.

Differentiation / Extension for advanced learners

• Advanced option (if time in make/present block allows):
• Students identify how the landform might influence where settlements or human activities could happen nearby (e.g., valleys for farming/transport, mountains limiting travel).
• Students add a second animal from the other continent and write a mini comparison: “North/South animal is suited to ____ because ____.”