HASS UNIT PLAN
Sub strand: Geography
Year level: Foundation
Year level theme:
Identifying features of places and exploring
why places are special to us.
Knowledge and Understanding Content
Descriptions covered
The representation of the location of places
and their features on simple maps and
models (ACHASSK014)
The places people live in and belong to, their
familiar features and why they are important
to people (ACHASSK015)
(ACARA, 2018)
Knowledge and Understanding Achievement
Standards aspects assessed
Students describe the features of familiar
places and recognise why some places are
special to people. Students recognise that
places can be represented on maps and a
globe and why places are important to
people.
(ACARA, 2018)
Brief description of the unit’s purpose
 Students will develop their
Length: 4 weeks
Concept focus:
 Place and space
 Perspectives
 Significance
Inquiry and Skills Content Descriptions covered
Pose questions about past and present objects,
people, places and events (ACHASSI001)
Collect data and information from observations and
identify information and data from sources
provided (ACHASSI002)
Sort and record information and data, including
location, in tables and on plans and labelled maps
(ACHASSI003)
Interpret data and information displayed in pictures
and texts and on maps (ACHASSI007)
(ACARA, 2018)
Inquiry and Skills Achievement Standards aspects
assessed
Students observe the familiar features of places and
represent these features and their location on
pictorial maps and models.
Students reflect on their learning to suggest ways
they can care for a familiar place.
(ACARA, 2018)
Key Inquiry questions to guide unit thinking
 What does your special place look like?
 understanding of their personal world
and the places they live in and belong
to.
 Students will explore different places
and identify features of place.
Opportunities to incorporate Cross
Curriculum priorities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories
and Cultures
Students are introduced to the Aboriginal or
Torres Strait Islander Country/Place that the
school is located on.
Students understand why Country/Place is
significant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander People.
Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
Students are provided with a variety of
photographs of different countries and
cultures including Asia.
Sustainability
Students explore different areas of society
that are cared for by people, such as parks,
waterways, heritage buildings etc. Students
discover how and why these places are cared
for, who provides this care and ways in which
we can contribute.
Learning activities/experiences
Implementation of boxes labelled and
designed as follows for students to explore;
 Our Classroom
 Our School
 Our City
 Our State
 What makes a place special?
 How are places similar?
 How are places different?
 How can we care for our special places?
Opportunities to incorporate General Capabilities
Literacy
Understanding learning area vocabulary
Using language to interact with others.
Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal
learning area texts.
Use knowledge of sentence structures.
Numeracy
Using spatial reasoning through interpreting maps
and diagrams.
Information and Communication Technology
Capability
Generate solutions to challenges and learning area
tasks.
Using multimodal technology.
Critical and Creative Thinking
Organising and processing information.
Posing questions.
Identifying and clarifying information and ideas.
Personal and Social Capability
Appreciating different perspectives.
Ethical Understanding
Considering different viewpoints.
Intercultural Understanding
Developing respect for cultural diversity.
Investigating different cultures and cultural identity.
Assessment tasks
Formative
Teacher observations and anecdotal notes
regarding each student’s engagement with learning
tasks, participation with class discussions, progress
of learning.
Analysing students work.
  Our Country Pre-assessment. (See Appendix 4)
 Our Continent Exit cards. (See Appendix 5)
 Our Planet

 A geography display is set up in the

Summative
classroom.
 Students engage in an excursion to Students are provided with a ‘choice board’ (See
visit Living Kaurna Cultural Centre. Appendix 1) and chose two activities from the
 The use of Google Maps allows board to complete.
students to explore different streets,
suburbs, and countries.
 Students design and create their own
map circle flip books.
 Students get to experience a variety
of different assessments through the
implementation of choice board.
 Students explore the schools
environment.

ICT resources available Learning resources available

 Interactive whiteboard  Our place in the world boxes
 Laptops  Maps
 iPads  Photographs of different places
 Google maps
Lesson outline for the 4 week unit Based on 2@90 minute periods per week
.

Week 1 Week 2
Session 1 Session 1
Lesson focus: Engagement Lesson focus: Explore
Students are engaged in the new topic by Students create map circle flipbooks (See appendix
being introduced to Youtube videos such as 2). The labels are similar to the labelled boxes used
‘Where is Matt?’ This video showcases a last lesson.
variety of different countries and locations  Me
with fun music and dancing. The video  My Room
introduces students to different countries and
 My Home
places with fun music and dance.
Class discussion surrounding the video;
 What did you notice about the
different places that Matt visited?
 How could we tell that each place was
different?
 Who in the class has travelled to a
different place before?
Students will use the strategy of ‘think-pair-
share’ to discuss their thoughts and ideas.
Students share their answers with the whole
class.
Students are then introduced to a variety of
different maps on the Geography wall display.
Session 2
Lesson focus: Engagement
Students are presented with several boxes
that are arranged from smallest to largest.
They are designed and labelled as the
following:
 Our Classroom
 Our School
 Our City
 Our State
 Our Country
 Our Continent
 Our Planet
 My City
 My State
 My Country
 My Continent
 My Planet
Students create designs to represent what each
section is to them.
This task allows students to recognise and identify
geographical divisions and expand their global
awareness and conception.
Students begin to understand how they and the
community fit in the wide world.
Students are encouraged to question and explore
each section of their books and their peers.
Generating conversation and notes through
comparing similarities and differences.
Session 2
Lesson focus: Explore
Students participate in an excursion where they
visit Living Kaurna Cultural Centre. Students will
experience a tour/program where they learn about
the importance and significance of Country/place
and why it is so significant to Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people as well as others.

Each box has designs that correspond with

the label and inside are items that also
correspond. Such as photographs, pictures,
postcards, icons, memorabilia etc.

Students are placed into groups that rotate

around the room discovering the different
items in the box. Once students have
explored all of the boxes class discussion is
initiated as to what they found, what each of
the items where, what they mean etc.
Again, the strategy of ‘think-pair-share’ is
implemented.

Students are shown a series of photographs

that explore different areas of society that are
cared for by people, such as parks,
waterways, heritage buildings etc. Students
discover how and why these places are cared
for, who provides this care and ways in which
we can contribute.
Week 3
Session 1
Lesson focus: Explain
Explicit teaching occurs as students are
introduced to maps and their key features are
highlighted. Teacher uses maps of the
classroom, school, suburb etc.
Google Earth is utilised as an interactive
resource.
Students are given an activity sheet to label
(or cut and paste) the corresponding features
to an example map.
Students understand how to identify different
features on a map.
Session 2
Lesson focus: Elaborate
The choice board is introduced to the class
and each activity is clearly explained to the
students. Students complete two activities on
the choice board and will present one to the
class during the final lesson.
The choice board activities allow students to
understand that different places have various
features and will begin to identify such
features in their own special places.
Students begin their activities and will
continue on with them next lesson.
Potential HASS sub strand connections
Differences and similarities between students'
daily lives and life during their parents’ and
grandparents’ childhoods (ACHASSK030)
Linking with history, students could explore
and understand how a variety of places have
changed throughout time.
Week 4
Session 1
Lesson focus: Elaborate
Students continue to work on their activities.
Students are encouraged to work collaboratively
and share their thoughts, ideas, and questions with
their peers.
Teacher makes observations with the class,
assisting and supporting students as necessary.
Teacher also clarifies concepts, information, tasks,
misconceptions etc. as needed.
Session 2
Lesson focus: Evaluation
Students present one of their completed activities
to the class. Rubric is used by the teacher to mark
students. (See appendix 3) Class discussion is
generated and guided by teacher for students to
reflect on their learning of place and identifying
map features.
Potential other learning area connections
Mathematics
 Students use decoding skills to understand
map keys.
 Students interpret maps and diagrams.
 Students construct their own maps.
 Students construct three dimensional
models.
 English
 Students engage in whole class discussion
using and developing their verbal language
skills.
 Students identify key features on a map
 Students have the choice to write about
their special place if they chose.

Science
 Students understand how and why the
environment is cared for.

The Arts
 Students engage in dance and song.
 Students have the choice to draw their
special place

Information Communications Technology (I.C.T)

 Students are engaged with interactive
technology such as Google Maps,
Minecraft, Paint.
Topic background resources (for teacher use Pedagogical resources to support the teaching of
only) to support teaching learning for the the unit
unit  GeogSpace
 PrimaryConnections – the 5Es Teaching and
 GeogSpace learning Model
 Google Earth  Orlich, D. (2001). Teaching strategies.
 YouTube Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
 Scootle  Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005).
Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.

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Appendices

Appendix 1 – ‘Choice Board’

Appendix 2 – Circle flip book example.
Appendix 3 – Rubric
Appendix 4 – Pre-Assessment for Choice Board
Appendix 5 – Exit Card