Scales of Places

Overview

In this lesson (lesson 7 of 9), students explore geographical scales by looking at places at three levels: local, state and national. They sort pictures, discuss what each scale means, and practice explaining how places can be different sizes.

Learning intentions

WALT: Define geographical scales (local, state, national) and use them to describe places.

Students will:

• Recognise that “local” refers to where we live and nearby places
• Recognise that “state” refers to Western Australia
• Recognise that “national” refers to Australia

Success criteria

• I can sort pictures into local, state and national places.
• I can tell the difference between local, Western Australia (state) and Australia (national).
• I can use words like near, Western Australia and Australia to describe my choices.

Curriculum links

• Understanding people, places and environments through observing and describing places at different scales
• Developing geographical questions and explanations using everyday geographical language
• Civics and citizenship connections: recognising their place in Western Australia and Australia
• Building inquiry skills: noticing details, comparing, and using simple evidence from pictures

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 5 min – Welcome and hook

• Show three large cards: “Near me”, “Western Australia”, “Australia”. Students turn and talk: “What might each card mean?”
• Teacher collects ideas, gently correcting toward local/state/national language.

2. 10 min – Teach and model with visuals

• Use a simple picture map on the board: start with a school/park (local), then zoom out to Western Australia (state), then zoom out again to Australia (national).
• Say and repeat: “Local is near us. State is our state. National is our country.”
• Quick checks: point to an image and ask: “Is this local, state or national?”

3. 15 min – Picture sort: local / state / national

• In groups of 3–4, provide a set of place cards (examples: school, park, street; Perth, Albany, Esperance; Australian landmarks or map of Australia).
• Students place cards onto three hoops or posters labelled with colours/icons (home icon = local, state outline = state, country outline = national).
• Teacher circulates, asking: “What scale is this? How do you know?”

4. 10 min – Whole-class sharing and using sentence frames

• Students choose one card and share using a sentence frame:
• “This is a local place because it is near…”
• “This is a state place because it is in Western Australia…”
• “This is a national place because it is in Australia…”
• Teacher listens for accurate scale language and provides immediate feedback.

5. 10 min – Compare and refine (teacher-led table activity)

• On the board, draw a three-column chart: Local / State / National.
• Teacher shows 3 mixed images, one at a time. Students vote using hand signals (thumbs up for their choice).
• Discuss differences: “If it’s in our state, but not right near us, which scale is it?” Emphasise that scale is about how far/which area.

6. 7 min – Individual quick check (exit ticket)

• Each student completes a short matching task: draw a line from three images to the correct scale labels (or circle the correct label for pre-printed options).
• Teacher collects quickly for assessment.

7. 3 min – Wrap-up

• Students chorally repeat: “Local, state, national.”
• Teacher previews next lesson: using scales to ask and answer simple geographical questions about places.

Resources

• Picture cards showing places from local, state and national scales (laminated if possible)
• Three posters/hoops labelled with icons (home/WA outline/Australia outline)
• Sentence frame strips for students
• Large classroom visual “zoom” map: local → Western Australia → Australia
• Hand signal cards (optional) for voting
• Personal exit ticket sheets with matching/circling tasks
• Coloured pencils or markers
• Timer and whiteboard/marker

Assessment

• Observation checklist during picture sorting: whether students place cards into the correct scale
• Listening/written evidence from sentence frame sharing (teacher notes)
• Exit ticket matching/circling for quick, individual evidence of understanding

Differentiation

• Use visual examples and icons for EALD: home icon for local, WA outline for state, country outline for national; minimise text and repeat language clearly.
• Provide supported sentence frames with word banks (near, Western Australia, Australia) and allow oral responses for students who need it.
• Offer a scaffolded card set for neurodivergent students (fewer cards at first, then extend with more challenging cards once confident).
• Extension (advanced learners): ask students to justify their sorting with an extra clause (e.g., “It is local because it is close to our school”) and to include a second example for the same scale.

Extension (optional)

• Short story task (for advanced learners): Students write a short story including all three scales. Require at least:
• one local place (near the school),
• one state place (somewhere in Western Australia),
• one national place (somewhere in Australia).
• Provide a simple story starter: “Today I went to… Then we travelled to… Finally, in Australia…”