Activity Title: States, Territories and Capital Cities

Year
Level: 3
Activity Overview:
During this activity students will demonstrate their ability to name,
organise and locate capital cities, states and territories of Australia.
Students will work effectively in small groups to complete a puzzle
of Australia and place labels on the locations of the capital cities.
Student Prior Knowledge:
Ability to name and locate all states and territories of Australia
Mostly accurate understanding of the location of capital cities
within the states and territories
Basic understanding of the major physical features of the
country
Teacher Prior Knowledge:
Accurate knowledge of the locations of capital cities within
Australian states and territories
Accurate knowledge of the locations of major landmarks and
physical features within Australia
Curriculum:
The representation of Australia as states and territories, and
Australias major natural and human features (ACHGK014)
General Capabilities:
Intercultural Understanding
In Geography, students develop intercultural understanding as
they learn about the diversity of the worlds places, peoples,
cultures and environments. As they investigate the
interconnection between people and places and the
meaning and significance that places hold, they come to
appreciate how various cultural identities, including their own,
are shaped
Cross-Curriculum Priorities:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
The Australian Curriculum: Geography emphasises the
relationships people have with place and their
interconnection with the environments in which they live
Learning Objectives: (teacher language)
Students work effectively in groups
Students are able to demonstrate their knowledge of states,
territories and capital cities by arranging the puzzle pieces
correctly
Learning Intentions: (kid friendly language)
Share the work around the group
Complete the map puzzle and correctly label the capital cities
Resources:

 Australian Cities, States and Territories puzzle

Activity Process:
1. Students are split into groups of 2-3
2. Each group collects 1 puzzle set and finds a space to work in
(on the floor or at desks)
3. Students are given time to rearrange the states so that they
create the land of the country
4. Students then place the capital cities onto the completed
puzzle
5. Finally the students place the two landmarks onto the map
puzzle. The teacher may add more landmarks during class
discussions
Modifications:
Groups that are struggling to find the correct placement for
puzzle pieces are encouraged to ask another group for
guidance. This further develops their independence from the
teacher
Assessment:
Assessment as learning
Students demonstrate their knowledge of states, territories
and capital cities through correctly placing the puzzle pieces.
The teacher monitors student progress throughout the lesson
and makes anecdotal records to record whether the children
are competent at this activity