People, Places, and the Past: A 10-Week History and Geography Adventure
Materials Needed
- Children’s atlas or map of Australia and the world
- Printed or hand-drawn maps of Queensland, Australia, the local area, and the Mediterranean region
- Plain paper, cardboard, notebooks, pencils, coloured pencils, crayons, glue, scissors, and sticky notes
- Ruler, string or wool, craft sticks, paper plates, and recycled materials
- Family photographs and safe family-history information
- Access to a local park, beach, farm, zoo, museum, library, or virtual tour
- Children’s Bible or selected Bible stories about Jesus’ family and life
- Optional: globe, toy animals, toy people, compass, tablet or computer
Curriculum Connections
This unit is designed for a Year 1 learner in Queensland and connects with the Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences. It supports learning about familiar places, local environments, maps, features of places, family histories, people and events from the past, and respectful use of sources.
- Geography: Places and their features, natural and managed environments, location, mapping, and connections to places.
- History: Family history, changes over time, people and events from the past, personal and family connections, and using photographs, stories, objects, and texts as sources.
- Inquiry skills: Asking questions, observing, sorting, recording, comparing, communicating, and explaining ideas.
- Cross-curriculum connections: Literacy, visual arts, mathematics, digital technologies, ethical understanding, and intercultural understanding.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the 10-week unit, the learner will be able to:
- Identify and describe familiar places such as a home, school, zoo, city, farm, park, beach, and river.
- Sort features of places into natural and built or managed features.
- Use simple maps, symbols, a legend, direction words, and location words.
- Explain how people use, care for, and connect with places.
- Use photographs, stories, objects, family memories, and books as sources about the past.
- Describe how a place, object, or family activity can change over time.
- Create and explain a simple family tree connected to Jesus’ family line in the Bible.
- Place selected Bible people and events in a simple past-to-present timeline.
- Share learning through drawings, maps, models, oral explanations, and short written sentences.
Success Criteria
Success looks like this:
- I can use place words such as near, far, north, south, beside, coast, river, city, and country.
- I can tell whether a feature is natural or made or changed by people.
- I can make a map with a title, symbols, and a key.
- I can ask and answer questions about the past.
- I can use evidence, such as a photograph, object, story, or Bible passage, to explain an idea.
- I can show family connections in a clear family tree.
- I can explain that Bible family stories are part of a religious tradition and can also be studied as ancient historical texts.
- I can share my ideas clearly and respectfully.
Suggested Picture Books
- Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker — caring for natural places and noticing change.
- The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson — describing a journey through a landscape.
- Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French — animal habitats and Australian environments.
- Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles — zoos, animal homes, and belonging.
- My Place by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins — people and places changing over time. Select pages suitable for the learner.
- The Little Refugee by Anh Do and Suzanne Do — family journeys and connections to place. Discuss sensitively.
- We Are Australians by Duncan Smith and Nicole Godwin — belonging and diverse connections to Australia.
- Going Bush by Nadia Sunde — Australian landscapes and travel.
- A child-friendly Bible picture book about Jesus’ family, such as The Family Tree of Jesus or a suitable illustrated Gospel story collection.
Unit Format
Complete one lesson each week. Each lesson may take 45–60 minutes. The lessons can be taught at home, in a small group, or as part of a classroom or training session. Use real visits when possible, or replace them with photographs, books, objects, maps, and virtual tours.
Week 1: What Is a Place?
Hook and Introduction
Ask: “If a visitor came to our area, what place would you show them first? Why?” Look at a photograph or book page showing a familiar place.
Tell the learner: “This week we will learn that a place is somewhere people, animals, or plants live, visit, or use. We will notice what makes each place special.”
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
- Show a photograph of a local place.
- Think aloud: “I can see trees, a footpath, houses, and a road. The trees are part of nature. The road and houses were made by people.”
- Introduce the words place, feature, natural, built, local, and environment.
We Do: Explore Together
Look at pictures of a zoo, city, farm, beach, river, park, and home. Ask:
- What can you see?
- Who or what uses this place?
- Which features come from nature?
- Which features were made or changed by people?
Sort picture cards or spoken examples into two groups: natural and built or managed.
You Do: Place Detective
The learner chooses one familiar place and draws it. Label at least three features. Add a sentence such as, “I like this place because…”
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to point to one natural feature and one built feature in the drawing and explain the difference.
Extension and Support
- Support: Provide a word bank and let the learner dictate labels.
- Extension: Add information about how people care for the place.
Closure
Complete the sentence: “A place is special because…”
Week 2: Exploring a Zoo, Farm, or Animal Place
Hook and Introduction
Ask: “Would a penguin, kangaroo, or cow choose to live in the same place? Why not?” Read Edward the Emu or Diary of a Wombat.
Explain: “Today we will investigate how places meet the needs of people and animals.”
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
Model a simple investigation of a zoo or farm. Say:
- “Animals need food, water, shelter, and space.”
- “People may add fences, paths, signs, barns, or enclosures.”
- “A place can have natural parts and parts managed by people.”
We Do: Place Investigation
Use a real visit, photographs, or a virtual tour. Create a three-column chart:
| What I See | Who or What Uses It? | Why Is It Important? |
|---|---|---|
| Example: pond | ducks and visitors | water and animal habitat |
You Do: Design an Animal Place
The learner designs a safe home for an Australian animal. Include food, water, shelter, space, and one way people can care for it.
Formative Assessment
Ask: “What is one natural feature and one feature people added to your animal place?”
Closure
Share the design. The learner says, “My animal needs ___ because ___.”
Week 3: Beaches, Rivers, and Natural Features
Hook and Introduction
Place a bowl of sand, a shell, a leaf, or a stone on the table. Ask: “What natural place might this come from?”
Read selected pages from Where the Forest Meets the Sea or Going Bush.
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
Explain that natural features are parts of Earth that are not built by people. Model words such as beach, coast, river, mountain, forest, island, creek, and bushland.
We Do: Natural Feature Sort
Sort cards or objects into categories:
- Water: beach, ocean, river, creek, lake
- Land: mountain, hill, island, desert, forest
- Living things: tree, coral, bird, fish, kangaroo
Discuss which natural features can be found in Queensland.
You Do: Create a Natural Place
The learner makes a drawing, collage, clay model, or small sensory tray showing a Queensland natural place. Add labels and one care rule, such as “Take rubbish home.”
Formative Assessment
Play “Describe It.” Give clues without saying the name. The learner guesses the natural feature.
Extension and Support
- Support: Use a choice of two answers and picture clues.
- Extension: Explain how weather or people can change the natural place.
Closure
Recap: “Natural features are…” and “We can care for them by…”
Week 4: My Local Area on a Map
Hook and Introduction
Ask: “How could you help someone find the kitchen, letterbox, or local park without taking them there?”
Tell the learner: “Today we will make a map. A map is a drawing that helps us find places.”
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
Draw a simple map of one room or the backyard. Demonstrate:
- Writing a title
- Using simple symbols
- Adding a key or legend
- Using words such as beside, behind, near, far, left, and right
We Do: Map Walk
Walk around the home or local area. Notice three to five landmarks. Make a shared list, such as house, tree, gate, road, park, shop, or bus stop.
You Do: Make a Local Map
The learner creates a map from home to a chosen nearby place. Include a title, at least four places, a path, and a key with three symbols.
Formative Assessment
Give directions using the learner’s map. Ask the learner to check whether the directions work. Then allow the learner to give directions back.
Closure
Ask: “What makes a map useful?” Record the answer in the geography notebook.
Week 5: Places in Queensland and Australia
Hook and Introduction
Show a map of Queensland and ask: “Where might we find beaches, rainforests, farms, cities, and the Great Barrier Reef?”
Explain: “Today we will locate places and compare how they are different.”
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
Find Queensland on a map of Australia. Model how to use location words:
- “Queensland is in the north-east of Australia.”
- “Brisbane is a city in Queensland.”
- “The Great Barrier Reef is near the Queensland coast.”
We Do: Map and Picture Match
Match photographs or cards with locations such as Brisbane, the Queensland coast, a rainforest, a farm, Uluru, and a city. Discuss similarities and differences.
You Do: Travel Planner
The learner chooses one Queensland place to visit. Create a mini travel card with:
- Place name
- Where it is
- What it looks like
- What people can do there
- One way to care for the place
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to locate Queensland, Brisbane, and one chosen place on a map.
Extension and Support
- Support: Use a large map, coloured stickers, and adult guidance.
- Extension: Compare the chosen place with the learner’s local area.
Closure
Say together: “Places can be close or far away, and every place has features that make it special.”
Week 6: Family Stories Are History
Hook and Introduction
Show an old family photograph, object, recipe, letter, or piece of clothing. Ask: “What could this tell us about the past?”
Explain: “History is about people and things from long ago. Family stories help us learn about our own past.”
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
Model how to ask questions about a family source:
- What is it?
- Who used it?
- When was it used?
- What does it tell us?
- What do we still need to find out?
We Do: Source Detective
Examine two family sources. Sort information into:
- I can see or know
- I think or wonder
Explain that a source gives us clues, but sometimes we need more information.
You Do: Family Interview
The learner interviews a family member or trusted adult. Suggested questions:
- Where did you live when you were young?
- What games did you play?
- What was school or work like?
- What has changed since then?
- What family story would you like me to remember?
Formative Assessment
The learner shares one fact learned from the interview and identifies the source of that fact.
Safety and Choice
The learner may choose not to share private family information. A fictional family, a historical family, or a public figure’s family may be used instead.
Closure
Complete: “One way we learn about the past is…”
Week 7: Making a Family Tree
Hook and Introduction
Ask: “How are you connected to your parents, grandparents, or other special people?”
Explain: “A family tree is a diagram that shows family connections. Families can be large, small, blended, adoptive, foster, extended, or chosen with people who care for us.”
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
Model a simple, fictional family tree. Demonstrate how lines show connections and how names or pictures can be added.
We Do: Plan the Tree
Choose which family members or caring adults to include. Discuss respectful language and explain that not every family has the same shape.
You Do: Create a Family Tree
The learner creates a family tree using paper, craft materials, or a digital drawing tool. Include:
- The learner
- Parents, carers, grandparents, or other important family members
- Names or labels
- Lines showing connections
- One family memory, tradition, place, or story
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to explain two connections on the tree using the sentence frame: “___ is connected to me because ___.”
Extension and Support
- Support: Use a pre-drawn tree and add only the learner and two generations.
- Extension: Add birthplaces, migration journeys, languages, traditions, or important dates.
Closure
Discuss: “Family history helps us understand where people have come from and how lives are connected.”
Week 8: The Family Tree of Jesus
Hook and Introduction
Ask: “Have you ever heard a story about someone who lived long ago? How can stories help us remember people?”
Explain: “Today we will explore a Bible family tree connected to Jesus. The Bible is a sacred text for Christians. We can read it as part of religious learning and also study its people, places, and stories as texts from the ancient past.”
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
Read a child-friendly version of Matthew 1:1–17 or Luke 3:23–38. Explain that the two Gospel family lists are presented differently. For a seven-year-old, use a short selection and say:
- “A genealogy is a record of family connections.”
- “The Bible names many people in Jesus’ family line.”
- “Some people in the story lived a very long time ago.”
- “Different books may tell a family line in different ways.”
We Do: People and Places
Place cards for selected people in a simple sequence:
Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → Judah → David → Solomon → Joseph → Jesus
Use a map to locate a few related places, such as Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth. Emphasise that these places are in the ancient Near East, far from Queensland.
You Do: Make a Jesus Family Line
The learner creates a visual family line using names, symbols, and arrows. Add one Bible reference or story beside selected people, such as:
- Abraham — a journey and promise
- David — a king of Israel
- Joseph — Jesus’ earthly father in the Gospel stories
- Jesus — born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth
Formative Assessment
Ask:
- What does a genealogy show?
- Which person comes before David in our simple sequence?
- Which places are connected with Jesus’ story?
Respectful Learning Note
Present Christian beliefs respectfully while allowing the learner to ask questions and distinguish between a Bible story, a religious belief, and other historical evidence such as archaeology, maps, and ancient writings.
Closure
The learner says: “A family tree helps us see…”
Week 9: Ancient Places and Life in Jesus’ Time
Hook and Introduction
Show pictures or drawings of an ancient village, market, fishing boat, road, olive tree, house, or synagogue. Ask: “What would be different if we lived 2,000 years ago?”
I Do: Teacher or Adult Model
Explain in simple language:
- “Ancient means very old, from a long time ago.”
- “People travelled by walking, boats, or animals.”
- “Many homes were made from stone, mud brick, or wood.”
- “People lived near water, farms, roads, and towns.”
Use a map to show the approximate region associated with the stories of Abraham, David, and Jesus.
We Do: Then and Now Comparison
| Long Ago | Today |
|---|---|
| People walked or used animals | People use cars, buses, bikes, and trains |
| Messages were carried by people | People can use phones and computers |
| Many tools were made by hand | Many tools are made in factories |
You Do: Ancient Village Model
The learner builds or draws an ancient village connected to a Bible story. Include at least four features, such as homes, a well, a market, a farm, a road, a place of worship, or a lake.
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to identify two similarities and two differences between an ancient village and the learner’s local area.
Extension and Support
- Support: Provide feature cards to choose from.
- Extension: Explain why people might build a settlement near water or fertile land.
Closure
Recap: “People in the past made choices about places because they needed…”
Week 10: Final Project — A Journey Through Places and Time
Hook and Introduction
Say: “Today you will become a mapmaker and history storyteller. You will show how places, people, families, and events connect.”
Review the unit objectives and success criteria.
I Do: Model the Final Product
Show how to create a simple project with four sections:
- My Local Place: a map or drawing of a familiar Queensland place.
- Natural and Built Features: labelled examples.
- My Family History: a family tree or caring-people tree.
- Jesus’ Family and Ancient Places: a selected family line and map or timeline.
We Do: Project Planning
Help the learner choose a format:
- Fold-out poster
- Scrapbook
- Story map
- Digital slideshow
- Three-dimensional model with an oral explanation
Create a checklist and plan the order of the sections.
You Do: Create and Present
The learner completes the project and gives a short presentation. The presentation should include:
- One familiar place and its features
- One natural feature and one built feature
- One map symbol or direction word
- One family-history source or memory
- One explanation of the Jesus family line
- One comparison between life long ago and life today
- One way to care for a place
Summative Assessment Rubric
| Skill | Achieved | Developing |
|---|---|---|
| Describes a familiar place | Names and explains several features | Names at least one feature with support |
| Uses mapping skills | Includes a title, symbols, key, and location words | Uses some symbols or location words |
| Understands natural and built features | Correctly identifies and explains both types | Identifies some features correctly |
| Uses history sources | Uses a story, photograph, object, or memory as evidence | Shares a past story or object with help |
| Explains family connections | Clearly explains the family tree and selected Jesus family line | Shows some connections with support |
| Communicates learning | Shares ideas clearly using pictures, words, and speech | Shares some ideas with prompting |
Reflection
Ask the learner to complete these sentences:
- “The place I understand better now is…”
- “One thing that changes over time is…”
- “One source that helped me learn was…”
- “A map is useful because…”
- “One question I still have is…”
Ongoing Assessment Strategies
- Listen for accurate use of geography and history vocabulary.
- Keep a weekly geography and history notebook.
- Save maps, drawings, interview notes, timelines, and models in a portfolio.
- Use quick oral checks at the end of each lesson.
- Ask the learner to explain thinking rather than only name answers.
- Give specific feedback: “Your map has a clear key. Add a title so readers know what the map shows.”
Differentiation for Diverse Learners
- Allow answers through drawing, speaking, acting, building, pointing, or writing.
- Use short sessions with movement breaks.
- Provide word banks, sentence starters, picture cards, tracing maps, and partially completed diagrams.
- Read texts aloud and allow the learner to respond orally.
- Offer choices of local places, family sources, project materials, and presentation formats.
- For advanced learners, include a scale, compass directions, a longer timeline, additional ancient places, or a comparison of two historical sources.
- For sensitive family or religious topics, use fictional examples, public historical figures, or the learner’s choice of what to share.
Key Vocabulary
place, feature, natural, built, managed, environment, map, symbol, key, direction, local, coast, river, city, farm, history, past, present, source, evidence, family tree, genealogy, ancient, timeline, tradition