Sunshine Coast Explorer: Mapping Natural Wonders and Culture

Lesson Overview

Subject: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) — Geography & Culture

Target Age: 7 Years Old (Year 2 Equivalent)

Duration: 60 minutes (can be split into two 30-minute sessions)

Setting: Homeschool, Classroom, or Small Group

Materials Needed

• A map of Australia or a globe (or access to Google Earth)
• Printed or digital photos of:
  • The Glass House Mountains (especially Mt. Tibrogargan and Mt. Beerwah)
  • Sunshine Coast beaches (e.g., Noosa Heads or Mooloolaba)
  • Local wildlife (Koalas, Kangaroos, Rainbow Lorikeets)
• A large sheet of blue or green construction paper (for the map base)
• Playdough (brown, green, and blue)
• Colored markers, crayons, or pencils
• Small safety scissors and glue sticks
• Printable landmark labels (provided in the lesson)

Learning Objectives & Success Criteria

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:

1. Locate the Sunshine Coast and Queensland on a map of Australia.
2. Identify and describe at least two natural features of the Sunshine Coast (beaches and mountains).
3. Recognize the Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) people as the Traditional Custodians of the Sunshine Coast land and retell a simplified version of a local Dreamtime story.

Success Criteria

• "I can point to Queensland and the Sunshine Coast on a map."
• "I can name the Glass House Mountains and explain how they look."
• "I can share one fact about the Kabi Kabi people and their connection to the land."
• "I can create a 3D map showing the ocean, the beaches, and the mountains of the Sunshine Coast."

Instructional Sequence

1. Introduction: The Helicopter Tour (10 Minutes)

Hook: Put on some pretend pilot goggles or a hat.

Teacher/Parent Talk: "Welcome aboard Sunshine Coast Helicopters! Strap in your seatbelt. *Whoosh!* Today we are flying all the way to a beautiful place in Australia called the Sunshine Coast. It is located in the state of Queensland. Look out your window! What do you think we will see? Blue oceans? Giant green mountains? Let's find out where we are landing!"

Map Activity:

• Show a map of Australia. Point to Australia as a whole.
• Help the student find Queensland (the "pointy top-right" state).
• Zoom in or point to the Sunshine Coast (just north of Brisbane).
• Ask: "Is the Sunshine Coast near the ocean or in the middle of the dry desert?" (Guide them to see it is right on the coast/edge of the water).

2. Body: Discovering the Land & Stories (20 Minutes) — "I Do, We Do"

Step A: Traditional Custodians & The Mountain Family (I Do)

Teacher/Parent Talk: "Before we explore, we must remember that people have lived on the Sunshine Coast for thousands and thousands of years! The First Nations people of this land are the Kabi Kabi (sometimes called Gubbi Gubbi) people. They love and care for this land. They have special stories about how the mountains were made."

Show a picture of the Glass House Mountains.

Teacher/Parent Talk: "Look at these mountains rising straight out of the flat ground! The Kabi Kabi people say these mountains are a family. The tallest one is the father, Mount Tibrogargan. The mother is Mount Beerwah. The other smaller mountains are their children. Tibrogargan looks like a giant gorilla looking out to the sea to protect his family. Can you make a face like a protective father gorilla mountain?"

Step B: Sandy Beaches and Sunny Waves (We Do)

Compare the rocky, ancient mountains with the coastal beaches.

• Show a picture of Noosa Beach or Mooloolaba.
• Discuss sensory details: "If we were standing on this beach right now, what would we feel under our toes? What would we hear? What color is the water?"
• Have the student act out: swimming in the waves, walking like a crab on the sand, and shading their eyes to look at the mountains in the distance.

3. Hands-On Practice: Build a 3D Sunshine Coast Map (20 Minutes) — "You Do"

The student will create a physical representation of the Sunshine Coast's geography.

Instructions for the Student:

1. The Ocean and Land: Take a large sheet of paper. Color one side bright blue (for the Pacific Ocean) and the other side green/light brown (for the land).
2. The Sandy Beach: Use yellow/beige playdough or color a strip right where the blue ocean meets the green land. This is the coast!
3. The Mountain Family: Use brown or grey playdough to sculpt tall, pointy shapes. Place them on the green land section.
   • Make one big father mountain (Tibrogargan) and one big mother mountain (Beerwah).
   • Make 2-3 smaller baby mountains.
4. Label the Map: Write or paste pre-written labels onto small toothpicks or paper flags, and stick them into the map:
   • "Pacific Ocean" (placed in the blue area)
   • "Kabi Kabi Land" (placed on the land)
   • "Glass House Mountains" (placed in the playdough mountains)
   • "Sandy Beach" (placed on the coastline)

4. Conclusion & Recap (10 Minutes)

The "Explorer's Report" Show-and-Tell:

Have the student pretend to be a reporter broadcasting live from the Sunshine Coast, using their newly created 3D map as a visual aid.

Prompting Questions:

• "Reporter [Child's Name], can you show us where the ocean is on your map?"
• "What is the name of the special mountain family we can see behind you?"
• "Who are the Traditional Custodians who have cared for this beautiful land for a very long time?"

Assessment

Formative Assessment (During the Lesson)

• Observe the student’s ability to locate Queensland on the map of Australia.
• Listen to the student's participation during the mountain story—can they identify Mt. Tibrogargan as the father mountain?

Summative Assessment (End of Lesson)

Evaluate the completed 3D Sunshine Coast Map using the checklist below:

Differentiation Strategies

Support Scaffolding (For learners needing extra help)

• Pre-drawn template: Provide a map template where the coastline is already drawn, so the student only needs to add playdough to designated areas.
• Match-up Labels: Instead of writing words, provide picture-to-word matching cards (e.g., picture of a beach matched to the word "Beach").

Extension Activities (For advanced or highly engaged learners)

• Wildlife Research: Research a native animal found on the Sunshine Coast, such as the *Loggerhead Turtle* (nesting at Mon Repos / local beaches) or the *Koala*. Draw this animal and place it on the map.
• Language Connection: Learn a local First Nations word. For example, the Kabi Kabi word for sun is "Nyanga". Add a drawing of "Nyanga" shining over the map.