Introduction

G'DAY

In conjunction with the Olympics in Sydney, the seventh grade students will be completing an interdisciplinary unit about Australia.  You will create a product for an Aussie Walkabout where other students, parents and community members will learn about Australia.
Students will display and discuss their projects with their peers and teachers and be given time to make improvements before a final grade is given.

---

• Aussie search engines
• animals
• sports
• art/music
• social studies
• weather
• general/misc
• Waltzing Matilda

Beginning/Getting Started
Students will be introduced to the unit in the fall by pairing up with
 penpals or keypals in Australia. Teacher will brainstorm
 and model for students what kinds of questions to ask such as:
 What is the weather?  What is school like?…They will exchange
 information regarding the similarities and differences between the
 two cultures. Letters they get in return can be displayed on a
 bulletin board for all to read

 As part of the letter writing unit, students will write letters to gather
 information about Australia.

 The students will complete KWL chart in reading class about Australia.

Middle
Students will have access to the internet to research Australia with
 their project goal in mind.  Students may concentrate on one
 particular area, but must include information from all core subject
 areas including  math, science, social studies, language arts and the
 related arts. Related arts will include sports, foods, music, art,
 dance, and clothing.
 Products will include, but are not limited to, magazine, trifold
 display, power point presentation, oral presentation, expository
 essay, children’s story, magic school bus book, video, virtual tour,
 timeline, etc.
 Students will be monitored throughout the project with teacher
 conferences and/or checklists.
 Teachers will introduce the unit, give instruction, and assist
 students in their investigations and product choices.  Teachers will
 provide numerous websites to keep students focused.  If students
 have trouble making a connection in particular areas, teachers will
 provide suggestions or ideas to explore.  Students will need several
 days of internet access as well as library research time.  Teachers
may also spend class time relating Australia to their subject areas.
 such as geography, animals, literature, and current events.
 By the end of the unit, students should still be  corresponding with
 other students via keypals or penpals.

End/Culminating
At the end of the unit, the students will present their projects to
 classmates in small groups for peer evaluation.  They will be given
 some time to improve their project and then present to the class.
 An "Australian Walkabout” Evening will be planned for parents so
 students can share their products with others.
 A final Venn diagram will be completed comparing Australia to the
 United States.

-- Assessment: 

 Preassessment will be done with the KWL chart
 Portfolio of notes
 Checklist
 Conference with teachers
 Peer assessment
 Letters assessed by language arts teacher before
      being sent out
 Final product
 Participation in the Venn diagram
 Teacher shall also check for signs of growth,
      interest in what they have learned, motivation to share, and record keeping throughout the unit
 
 

     Alignment with the Standards

-----LanguagArts-1A, 1B, 1C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5C

Conclusion
Learner Outcomes:
   1.  Students will be able to increase their awareness of Australia
 by using their letter writing skills to acquire information from
 penpals in Australia.

  2.  Students will build upon and reinforce prior knowledge about
 various aspects of Australia.
   3.  Students will allocate time and materials when planning and
 preparing products.
   4.  Students will read and interpret information from charts,
 graphs, diagrams, and maps.
  5.  Students will acquire information from books, maps,
 newspapers, and other sources, and will present this information
 using a variety of techniques.  They will be able to describe the
 diversity of culture of Australia and compare it to the United
 States.
 6.  Students will be able to create charts, graphs, diagrams, and
 maps when appropriate.
 7.Students will employ new technology to access information and
 analyze it for usage in their project.
  8.Students will appreciate their own culture as well as the diverse
 cultures of Australia .