Product Journeys

Overview

Today you will explore how local places connect to other places across Australia and the world by tracking one product’s journey from where it comes to where it ends up.

Learning intentions

• Students will explain that places are connected through goods and services.
• Students will identify steps in a product journey from a local starting point.
• Students will describe how different places contribute to producing, transporting, and selling the product.
• Students will use simple maps or pictures to show connections across Australia and beyond.

Success criteria

• I can name a local product and point to its starting place.
• I can sequence at least 3 steps in the product’s journey.
• I can match places (local, other Australian places, and one beyond Australia) to what happens there.
• I can share my ideas respectfully during pair and class discussions.

Curriculum links

• Civics and citizenship: How people, communities and places are connected through services and everyday choices.
• Geography skills: Using simple maps, picture representations, and directions to show places and journeys.
• Humanities and social sciences inquiry: Asking questions, collecting information from sources, and recording findings using drawings, labels, and simple timelines.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min | Welcome and hook

• Show a real item or picture of a common product from the local area (e.g., bread, milk, honey, fruit, clothing item).
• Ask: “Where do you think it began? How did it get here?”

2. 5–12 min | WALT focus and class model

• Introduce WALT: “Explore how places connect across Australia and beyond by tracking a product journey.”
• Model a simple journey with three big steps on the board: local source → transport → shop/consumer.
• Add one “beyond Australia” place as an example (e.g., “some ingredients may come from overseas”) using teacher-provided images.

3. 12–22 min | Product journey sort (hands-on)

• Give each pair a set of picture cards showing possible journey steps and place types (farm/forest, factory, port/ship, plane/truck, supermarket/shop).
• Students place cards in order and choose 3 place “stops” to label using sentence starters: “First, it comes from…”, “Next, it travels by…”, “Then it is sold at…”

4. 22–32 min | Map connections mini-task

• Provide a simple world map poster or Australia map with large, clear labels.
• Students place sticky notes or paper tokens onto the map for their chosen stops: local, one other Australian place, one beyond Australia.
• Teacher circulates, checking they can explain “what happens there” in simple terms.

5. 32–45 min | Pair discussion and teacher conferencing

• Students turn-and-talk to record one key idea: “My product connects places because…”
• Use quick conferencing: listen for evidence of sequencing and place-to-step matching.
• Support neurodivergent students with a clear routine: talk cards (First/Next/Then) and short wait time.

6. 45–55 min | Record learning (timeline creation)

• Students create a short visual timeline in their workbook using three to four boxes.
• Include: 1 local stop, 1 other Australian stop, and 1 beyond Australia stop (or substitute with “another place in Australia” if needed).
• Sentence frame options for EALD: “It starts in…”, “It goes to…”, “People use it in…”

7. 55–60 min | Share out and wrap

• 4–6 students share their timeline in pairs or teacher-led prompts.
• Class success check: “Did we track the journey? Did we connect places?”

Resources

• A real product item or printed high-resolution product image
• Picture card set for journey steps (source, production, transport, sale)
• Simple map posters (local area insert if available, Australia map, and a world map image)
• Sticky notes, tokens, or magnets
• Student workbook/paper with 3–4 box timeline template
• Sentence starters and word/picture bank (local, transport, shop, first/next/then)
• Visual supports for EALD (example timelines and place icons)
• Lanyard timers or visual countdown for transitions
• Coloured pencils, crayons, and glue sticks

Assessment

• Formative checks during pair sorting and teacher conferencing: Can students sequence at least 3 steps and link places to steps?
• Visual timeline review: Evidence of local + other Australian + beyond (or alternative) connections and correct ordering.
• Verbal responses: Students can use simple sentence starters to explain “because places are connected through products/transport.”

Differentiation

• Pair work: Students discuss with a supportive partner; teacher assigns pairs intentionally for balance and language support.
• Increased support for EALD: Provide picture-based sentence frames, a vocabulary/picture bank, and an example timeline to copy-and-adapt.
• Neurodivergent support: Clear, timed routines; reduced card sets for some students; options to use icons instead of writing; predictable turn-taking.
• Extension for advanced learners: Ask students to add a “why” detail (e.g., “It travels because people need it”, “It is made where there are machines/materials”) and include one extra stop (4th box) or a second product connection.

Extension (optional)

• Create a visual timeline of connections studied: Students draw or arrange an additional timeline page that compares two products from today’s unit (if time allows), showing how each product connects the local area to at least two different places.