Tourist Attractions

Overview

In this fifth lesson of Mapping a Country Study, students research three significant tourist attractions in their chosen country. They communicate their findings through three hand-drawn, coloured images with concise captions, then check their work against the required country-study components and assessment rubric.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• locate and research three significant tourist attractions in their chosen country
• identify physical and human features that make each attraction significant
• communicate geographical information through labelled drawings and concise captions
• review and improve their work using the country-study checklist and assessment rubric

Success criteria

• I can name and locate three significant tourist attractions.
• I can explain why each attraction is important or appealing to visitors.
• I can create three accurate, recognisable, coloured drawings with useful captions.
• I can use the checklist and rubric to identify strengths and next steps.

Curriculum links

• Case study of a local place: location of a place and its historical background.
• Case study of a local place: applying theories of place-making to reach conclusions about change and future possibilities.
• Geographical challenges and opportunities: collecting, analysing, recording, and interpreting information relating to an initiative or place.
• Geographical challenges and opportunities: evaluating the likely success of an initiative or opportunity.

Lesson structure (55 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and retrieval. Teacher opens with the hook and retrieval slides and asks, “What makes a place worth visiting, and who decides whether it is significant?” Students recall the country’s location and previously researched country-study components, then share one attraction they already know.

2. 5–12 min · Model the task. Teacher uses the modelling and criteria slides to distinguish a tourist attraction from an ordinary place, modelling a caption such as: “Milford Sound is a dramatic fiord in the South Island. Its steep cliffs and waterfalls attract visitors for sightseeing and boat trips.” Students identify the location, features, significance, and visitor experience included in the example.

3. 12–27 min · Research and plan. Teacher distributes the tourist-attractions research and planning sheet and reminds students to use reliable class resources or approved websites, recording brief notes rather than copying whole sentences. Students select three significant attractions, record each attraction’s location, key physical or human features, reasons for significance, and ideas for a clear drawing.

4. 27–43 min · Draw and caption. Teacher displays the drawing, caption, and time-check slides and conferences with students, checking that drawings show geographical detail rather than only decorative features. Students create three hand-drawn, coloured pictures and add a short caption to each, including the attraction’s name, location, and explanation of its significance to visitors.

5. 43–51 min · Rubric review and improvement. Teacher directs students to the self-review section of the tourist-attractions research and planning sheet and projects the assessment criteria using the peer-review and rubric slides. Students compare their work with the required country-study components and rubric, use a different-coloured pencil to make at least one improvement, and give a partner one specific, kind suggestion.

6. 51–55 min · Plenary and exit check. Teacher uses the plenary slides to revisit the learning intentions and asks students to complete the final reflection on the worksheet. Students submit or photograph their work and answer: “Which attraction best represents your country, and what evidence supports your choice?”

Resources

• the Tourist Attractions teaching deck
• the tourist-attractions research and planning sheet
• Country-study notes and approved information sources
• Coloured pencils, pencils, erasers, and rulers
• A4 paper or geography books
• Assessment rubric and required country-study components checklist
• Projector or interactive whiteboard

Assessment

• During research, check that students can locate each attraction and explain its significance rather than simply naming it.
• Review drawings and captions for geographical accuracy, relevant detail, clarity, and evidence of independent communication.
• Use the self-review and exit response to identify students needing support before the final country-study lesson.

Differentiation

• Provide a suggested list of attractions, a country map, image references, and sentence starters such as: “_____ is located in _____” and “Visitors are attracted to it because _____.”
• Allow students to sketch from a reference image, use labelled annotations, or dictate captions before editing them independently.
• Support learners with reading or language needs through paired research, chunked instructions, vocabulary explanations, and teacher or peer conferencing.
• Extend confident students by comparing the attractions’ environmental, cultural, or economic importance and explaining which attraction may be most sustainable for future tourism.