Global Issues Geography

Overview

This lesson is the 18th in a 20-lesson unit exploring how Australia connects to the world. Students will investigate two current global issues (climate change and migration) using geographical thinking, including where changes are occurring and how they affect people and places.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify key geographical features involved in climate change impacts and migration routes
• explain how Australia’s connections with other countries can change people and places
• use information from sources to organise evidence about an issue
• communicate conclusions clearly using a simple map or flow model

Success criteria

Students can:

• name at least two ways a global issue affects people and places in a specific region
• describe one connection between Australia and an affected country or region (for example migration, trade, tourism, aid, education, defence, cultural influence)
• create a map or flow model with an appropriate title, legend, and a clear direction of movement or impact
• use evidence from sources to justify their claims

Curriculum links

• Australia’s interconnections with other countries and how these change people and places, including researching effects on their own place and another place in Australia
• the motivation of people migrating to Australia and their effects on Australian society - the geographical diversity and location of places in the Asia region, and its location in relation to Australia - locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources; create maps using cartographic conventions ## Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook. Teacher displays two short image sets: flooding/drought and people moving/travel documents (print or digital). Students quick-write: “Where might this be happening and why?” then share one idea with a partner.

2. 5–12 min · Set the geographical question. Teacher models a guiding question on the board: “How do climate change and migration affect people and places, and what links do they create with Australia?” Students discuss in pairs and choose one issue for today’s investigation (climate change or migration).

3. 12–22 min · Direct teach: Geographical lens. Teacher mini-lesson using a graphic organiser titled: Where? Why? What changes? Who is affected? How does it connect? Students add one example sentence for each prompt based on the images (no need for factual detail yet—focus on thinking).

4. 22–40 min · Source investigation (groups of 2–3). Teacher provides two source packs (one for climate change, one for migration). Each pack includes:

• a short secondary summary (teacher-prepared text)
• 1 simple data visual (for example a drought/flood description, a migration push–pull summary, or a brief country profile)
• one photograph or short excerpt from a primary-style narrative (teacher-prepared) Students complete an organiser: identify the affected region, key causes/motivations, and evidence of effects on people/places. They underline evidence they may use in their final product.

5. 40–52 min · Create a map or flow model. Teacher explains the task: Students choose one of the following:

• Impact map: show the affected region(s) and one or two environmental/economic effects
• Migration flow: show likely direction of movement, and label push/pull factors and a place of arrival Students create their model using classroom map templates or digital mapping tools. Teacher circulates, checking for map requirements: title, legend, north point (if using a map), and clear direction/sequence (if using a flow).

6. 52–58 min · Gallery share and feedback. Students do a “gallery walk” in pairs. Each pair leaves one Glow (what is clear) and one Grow (one improvement) comment on a sticky note attached to another student’s model.

7. 58–60 min · Exit ticket. Individually, students answer: “One way this issue changes people and places is… Another connection to Australia could be…” Teacher collects for formative assessment.

Resources

• Two issue image sets (print or digital): climate change impacts and migration movement
• Two teacher-prepared source packs (climate change; migration) with short summaries and visuals
• Graphic organiser sheets: Where/Why/What changes/Who is affected/How does it connect
• World map or Asia-region map templates (paper) and rulers
• Legend cards, label prompts, and colour pencils
• Optional digital devices with simple mapping/flowchart tools
• Sticky notes for feedback and gallery activity

Assessment

• Formative checks during partner discussion (teacher listens for geographical reasoning: where, why, effects, connections)
• During group investigation, teacher reviews organisers for evidence use (students underline or list at least two pieces of evidence)
• Exit ticket to confirm students can link an issue to effects on people/places and suggest an Australia connection

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters on the organiser (for example “The issue is happening in… because…”, “People are affected by…”, “Australia is connected through…”); offer a partially completed map template with pre-printed legend options
• Support for EAL/New arrivals: allow first-draft notes in home language or simplified English, then provide structured paragraph frames for the final sentences
• Extension: students add a second connection pathway (for example aid and education, or trade and tourism) and explain how it changes both places (affected country and a place in Australia)
• SEN/learning support: reduce writing load by allowing label-only models first, then a short oral explanation recorded by the teacher or peer