Around The World – Australia – Free Lesson Plan and Worksheets

Lesson

Grade Level: K-2 Activity Time: 15-20 Minutes

Common Core Standards: Represent and interpret data.

Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.B.3
Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.¹

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.C.4
Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.

 Materials

• Australia Brochure
• Australian Safari Game Spinner
• Australian Safari Game Graph
• Markers, Crayons, or Color Pencils

Introduction: Read and complete the brochure with students. Tell them now that they’ve read about Australia, they’re going on a safari. Ask children if they’ve been on a safari before and if they have, ask them to share the kinds of animals they saw.

Activity:

You’re going on an animal safari through Australia’s outback and rainforests. On the safari there are kookaburras, koalas, and kangaroos. Tell students they’re going to make a prediction (guess), “Which animal will you see the most of on the safari?’’ Explain, there’s something called probability that can help us with our guess. Probability tells us how likely it is that something will happen. You can guide children by asking, “Which animal do you see the most of on the spinner?” and, “Which animal do you see the least of on the spinner?”

Children take turns spinning the spinner. Whichever animal they land on, they will color in a square on the corresponding graph. For example, if a child lands on a kangaroo, they will color in one box above the kangaroo on their safari game graph. Do a few examples together as a class, so children get the hang of the game.

Wrapping Up:

Have children share their findings. Which animal did they see the most of? Why do they saw more of that animal than the others?”

Ideas for guiding questions:

• Which animal has the most boxes colored in?
• Which animal has the least boxes colored in?
• Does the animal with the most squares colored in match their prediction?
• Why do you think there was the most _______?
• Why do you think there weren’t very many _______?

Vocabulary: Herbivores, outback, rainforest, wombat, kookaburra, kangaroo, koala, endangered, safar, probability