Variety of Landscapes

Overview

In this lesson (lesson 2 of 27), students classify Australia’s distinctive landscapes and significant landforms by location and features. They build on lesson 1 by moving from general awareness of landscapes to using a simple framework to organise and describe variety across Australia.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify and describe a range of Australia’s distinctive landscapes and significant landforms.
• Students will classify landscapes using clear geographic features (e.g. vegetation cover, landform type, climate clues, land use).
• Students will locate iconic landscapes/landforms on a map and explain why they are iconic (scenery, cultural importance, recognition).
• Students will communicate geographic information using appropriate map and diagram conventions.

Success criteria

• I can name multiple distinctive Australian landscapes/landforms and where they are found.
• I can sort landscapes into categories using consistent criteria.
• I can mark and label at least 3 landscapes/landforms on a map accurately.
• I can explain what makes each chosen landform/landscape distinctive and iconic.

Curriculum links

• Geography 7–10: AC9HG8K02 — the location and distribution of Australia’s distinctive landscapes and significant landforms.
• Geography 7–10: AC9HG8S02 — collect, organise and represent data and information, including using geospatial technologies and digital tools as appropriate.
• Geography 7–10 (lesson focus on spatial classification): students use map-based representation and geographic descriptions to support understanding of distribution and iconic features.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up (Think–Pair–Share). Teacher displays 6 landscape images (desert dunes, tropical rainforest, coastal cliffs, inland plains, alpine peaks, wetlands). Students quickly think then pair to name the landscape type and guess where in Australia it might occur.

2. 5–15 min · Direct teach (Classification framework). Teacher introduces a simple “Landscape Sorting Tool” with 4 criteria: landform/shape (mountain, plateau, dune, coastal), water influence (none/some/rivers/coast/wetlands), climate/vegetation clues (hot/dry/green/cold), and human visibility (tracks/settlements/agriculture/tourism). Students practise applying the criteria to two sample images using sentence starters on the board.

3. 15–25 min · Map mini-lesson (Location and distribution). Teacher models how to locate iconic places using a blank Australia outline map and a legend key (north/south/east/west; major regions). Students complete a guided example: teacher calls out “Central Australia” and students place a marker for an iconic landform (e.g. Uluru) and write a 1–2 sentence description of what makes it distinctive.

4. 25–45 min · Main task (Landscape classification stations). Teacher sets up 3–4 stations with landscape cards and a corresponding map region strip (e.g. Central/Northern/Coastal/South-West/Alpine). Students rotate, choosing 3 cards per group, then:

• sort each landscape into the correct category using the tool’s criteria,
• label the best matching region on the map,
• record one distinctive feature and one reason it is iconic (recognition, beauty, importance to people). Teacher circulates, checking that students use consistent criteria and that map placements align with Australian geography.

5. 45–55 min · Share-out (Gallery walk + evidence). Teacher asks groups to stand by their map and briefly explain one landscape using the structure: “This landscape is distinctive because… It is located around… It is iconic because…” Students move to two other group maps and leave one “Glow” comment (what’s clear) and one “Grow” comment (what could be improved in classification or location).

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket (Quick check). Students complete a short exit ticket:

• Name one landscape/landform from Australia and where it is found.
• State the classification criterion you used (e.g. landform shape or water influence). Teacher collects for immediate feedback.

Resources

• Printed Australia outline maps (one per student) with north arrow and blank legend area
• Landscape image set (printed or projected) and landscape cards with short feature prompts
• “Landscape Sorting Tool” handout (4 criteria) and sentence starters
• Coloured markers or sticky dots for map labelling
• Station folders for groups (cards + region strip + recording sheet)
• Gallery walk comment slips (“Glow”/“Grow”)
• Timer (visible) and board/slide for teacher modelling
• Optional digital tools: tablets/computers with a simple mapping/drawing app or shared slide to annotate maps

Assessment

• Teacher observation during station work: accuracy of classification criteria and map placement
• Gallery walk comments: evidence of students understanding “distinctive” vs “iconic”
• Exit ticket: identifies whether students can locate and classify at least one landscape/landform using geographic reasoning

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide partially completed maps (major regions already outlined) and pre-taught sentence starters.
• Offer a word bank for descriptors (e.g. arid, alpine, coastal, rainforest, dunes, cliffs, wetlands).
• Group students strategically so they can discuss and justify classifications.
• Extension:
• Ask students to justify why a card could fit two categories and decide using the “best match” criteria.
• Encourage adding one interconnection statement (e.g. how water or rock type might influence the landscape look) as a challenge.
• EAL/SEN considerations:
• Use visual prompts and reduce writing load by allowing short dot-point responses first, then one sentence.
• Check understanding of key terms (“iconic”, “distinctive”, “distribution”, “landform”).