Australia’s States Map

Context and Curriculum Alignment

This 30-minute lesson for Year 3 students aligns with the Northern Territory Curriculum for Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), specifically targeting Geography content descriptions and elaborations under:

• Location focus: The representation of contemporary Australia as states and territories and the locations of neighbouring regions (Content code: AC9HS3K03)
• Skills development: Locating and identifying states and territories and their capital cities using maps and globes (Elaboration: AC9HS3K03_E1)
• Understanding diversity of places: Comparing Australia with neighbouring countries (Elaboration AC9HS3K05 may be lightly referenced)
• Inquiry skills: Developing questions and interpreting maps (Content codes: AC9HS3S01, AC9HS3S03)
• The lesson supports general capabilities for critical thinking and literacy, and cross-curriculum priorities including respectful recognition of First Nations People by introducing awareness of their Countries (AC9HS3K03_E3)■

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Locate and name the six states and two territories of Australia and their capital cities on a map and globe.
2. Understand that Australia is made up of different states and territories each with unique identity.
3. Begin to recognise Australia's neighbouring countries and the directions they are located relative to Australia.
4. Develop curiosity by asking questions about Australian locations.
5. Interpret basic map symbols like state boundaries and capital city markers.

(Aligned with AC9HS3K03, AC9HS3S01, and AC9HS3S03)

---

Lesson Breakdown (30 minutes for 9 students)

1. Introduction & Hook – "Map Adventure" (5 minutes)

• Show a large wall map or digital map of Australia including states and territories.
• Ask students where they think they live — introduce the Northern Territory, then expand to all states and territories.
• Engage by asking: “Can you find where you live?” and “Which states have you heard of?”
• Briefly show students the globe and point out Australia.

Rationale: Familiarises students with visual geographic context and triggers interest【1:AC9HS3K03, AC9HS3S01】.

2. Interactive Group Activity – “Explore the States” (10 minutes)

• Provide students with printed outline maps of Australia (no labels) and coloured pencils.
• Project or show on board a labelled map of Australia with states and capital cities.
• Guide the class through naming each state and territory while tracing on their own maps.
• Students colour each state/territory with a different colour.
• Students label each state/territory and capital city (e.g., Sydney for NSW, Darwin for NT).
• Teacher reads out fun facts about one or two capital cities to make it relatable (e.g. Darwin’s tropical weather).

Supports spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and reinforces state-territory names and capitals as per AC9HS3K03_E1, AC9HS3S03_E5.

3. Neighbouring Countries Introduction (5 minutes)

• Using a simple labelled map illustrating Australia and its near neighbours (Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands), briefly point out neighbours.
• Show direction clues (e.g., north of Australia is Papua New Guinea).
• Ask students if they or their families have connections or stories from these places to personalise learning.

Include AC9HS3K03_E2 elaboration about neighbouring countries and location awareness.

4. Inquiry and Reflection – Question Time (5 minutes)

• Guide students to develop inquiring questions such as:
  • "Why do we have states?"
  • "What might each state be famous for?"
  • "How is the Northern Territory different from other states?"
• Record student questions on a whiteboard or chart paper for future lessons, encouraging curiosity and engagement (AC9HS3S01).

5. Wrap-up & Quick Assessment (5 minutes)

• Quick verbal quiz: Teacher names a state/territory and asks students to shout out or point on their maps.
• Students share one interesting thing they learned.
• Use thumbs up/down to gauge confidence about knowing states and capitals.
• Collect maps to review for assessment of spatial understanding and labeling accuracy.

---

Resources Required

• Large wall or digital map of Australia with states, territories, and capitals
• Globe or world map for neighbour orientation
• Printed blank outline maps of Australia (one per student)
• Coloured pencils or crayons
• Whiteboard/Flipchart for questions and answers

---

Assessment

• Informal formative assessment during the quiz and observation of student engagement and map accuracy.
• Review of students' coloured and labelled maps for correct identification of states, territories, and capital cities.
• Observation of students formulating meaningful questions during inquiry time.

---

Additional Notes for Teachers

• Emphasise the Northern Territory’s place in Australia to align with local context.
• Incorporate First Nations perspective briefly by mentioning that the states and territories also cover many Aboriginal Countries, respecting their ongoing connection to land (AC9HS3K03_E3).
• Use voices, chant or song to reinforce state and capital names to help memory.
• Consider students' backgrounds to relate neighbouring countries culturally where possible.

---

This lesson plan inspires curiosity, spatial thinking, and respect for diverse geography, fulfilling key Northern Territory curriculum requirements in a fun, engaging, and age-appropriate manner for Year 3 students in a small class【1:AC9HS3K03】【7:AC9HS3K05】【13:AC9HS3S01】【11:AC9HS3S03】.