Exploring a Country

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 16 of 20), students choose a country of interest and begin focused research into its geographical features, culture, and resources. They use guided inquiry questions, collect information from primary and secondary sources, and organise their findings for a future presentation.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• Develop research questions about a chosen country’s geography, culture, and resources.
• Locate and collect information from primary and secondary sources in different formats.
• Organise research findings using a map, notes table, or simple flow chart.
• Explain how Australia and the country they research are connected (at least one connection).

Success criteria

Students can:

• Write 3–5 clear research questions using question words and key ideas.
• Use a globe/map tool to locate the country relative to Australia and label key features.
• Collect facts from at least two sources and sort them into categories (geography, culture, resources).
• Identify one connection between Australia and the country and describe a possible effect on places.

Curriculum links

• AC9HS6S01: develop questions to investigate people, events, developments, places and systems (research question types for a task).
• AC9HS6S02: locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats.
• AC9HS6K04: investigate Asia-related places and how location relates to Australia (including using a globe/digital map).
• AC9HS6K05: explain Australia’s interconnections with other countries and how these change people and places (at least one connection with effect).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval and goal setting. Teacher asks: “What makes good research questions?” and shows the unit’s overall goal on the board; students name one question they want to answer about their country.

2. 5–15 min · Country choice and quick geography check. Teacher provides a short list of recommended countries (Asia and the Pacific focus) and a paper/digital outline map; students confirm their selected country and locate it on a globe/digital map, then record latitude/longitude if available from the map guide or class resource set.

3. 15–25 min · Direct teach: question types and key terms. Teacher models turning a topic into investigable questions (geography, culture, resources, and interconnections) and reminds students to keep questions specific; students choose question stems and draft 3–5 research questions.

4. 25–45 min · Source collection sprint (primary and secondary). Teacher sets a time-limited “sprint” using prepared source packs or teacher-provided browsing lists (no links), including one primary-type item (photo, short excerpt, interview transcript, artefact description) and one secondary source (fact sheet, atlas entry, reputable report excerpt); students collect notes, record source details (title/author/where from), and highlight key facts to match their question categories.

5. 45–53 min · Organise findings using a simple structure. Teacher shows a model organiser: a map box (location and physical features), a culture box (customs/food/education beliefs), a resources box (natural resources and how they’re used), and an “Australia connection” box (trade/tourism/migration/aid/education/defence/cultural influence); students fill in their organiser using the facts they collected.

6. 53–58 min · Share and clarify (mini conferencing). Teacher conducts quick teacher-student check-ins with a checklist (questions clarity, at least two sources, categories complete, connection attempted); students share one promising fact and one question they still need to research.

7. 58–60 min · Exit ticket. Students submit: (1) their final 3–5 research questions, and (2) the one Australia connection they plan to investigate next.

Resources

• Globe or digital mapping tool (tablet or computer)
• Printed outline world map and/or Asia/Pacific map
• Student country research organiser (map box, culture box, resources box, Australia connection box)
• Research question stems (e.g., “Where is…?”, “What physical features…?”, “How do people…?”, “What resources…?”, “How is it connected to Australia?”)
• Teacher-prepared source packs (primary and secondary excerpts) for selected countries
• Highlighters/coloured pencils for categorising notes
• Note-taking sheets and source record cards (title, author/organisation, date, type)
• Timers and checklist for conferencing
• Laptops/tablets or printed alternatives if technology is limited

Assessment

• Formative checks during conferencing: accuracy of country location, clarity of research questions, and evidence of categorised notes.
• Teacher observation in the source sprint: students can distinguish primary vs secondary source type using prompts.
• Exit ticket: review questions quality and whether students have attempted an Australia interconnection.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence starters for research questions and a partially completed organiser template with prompts.
• Offer “must include” facts for geography (location and at least two physical features) and resources (one resource type and one way it is used).
• Provide a glossary or word bank (e.g., coastline, climate, settlement, natural resources, culture, trade, tourism, migration).
• Extension:
• Students add a short “effects” statement: “This connection can change people and places by…” using evidence from notes.
• Students include an additional research question about patterns (e.g., climate influencing settlement or resources).
• EAL/SEN:
• Allow bilingual dictionaries and visual scaffolds (icons on the organiser for geography/culture/resources/connection).
• Use small-group reading of primary/secondary excerpts with guiding questions.