Recall previous year's Building Bridges program. Evaluate what was good and what wasn't, making a list of Pro's and Con's on the board. Catch the class up to date with events that happened over the summer. Remind them that Australian children attend school year round unlike us. Brainstorm some possible ideas for this year's projects.

Lesson 2 Map Skills ( five periods)

See Bloom Unit, Knowledge #2. Examine map of Australia posted on bulletin board. Locate major cities (Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Mildura), major rivers (Murray), oceans (Pacific, Indian, Antarctic), states and capitals.

Identify same on individual student map utilizing poster and SS books.

Bloom unit, Analysis #2.

Bloom unit, Synthesis #2

Lesson 3 Vocabulary Skills ( five periods)

See Bloom unit, Knowledge #1. Dictionary review of guide words and easy search techniques.

See Bloom unit, Comprehension #1, writing process

See Bloom unit, Synthesis #1, writing process, cooperative groups

Lesson 4 Science Skills ( six periods)

See Bloom unit, Knowledge #3. Access information from Australian mammals video, picture book Wild Australians by Wendy L. Jennings, Grolier's encyclopedia on the computer, regular encyclopedias. List animals and give brief characteristics.

See Bloom unit, Comprehension #2. Just for fun and more background building of indigenous animals, share "The Bush School" from Maria's e-mail letter 8/9/97, copies for groups. Write a brief report about several indigenous Australian animals in a cooperative group

See Bloom unit, Application #2. Plate tectonics. Explain concepts of plates as they relate to the earth's crust. Demonstrate plate movements using pie pan, water, styrofoam plate cut into pieces, hot plate. Show diagram of Pangea. How might this explain why Australia has animals found no where else in the world?

See Bloom unit, Application #1. Review concept of seasons. Utilize visual model of earth and sun to illustrate tilt's effect on seasons. Illicit reason for opppositional seasons in Australia. Serve as starting point for joint weather project with Cooinda.

Lesson 5 Social Studies Skills ( four periods)

Read "Tiddilick" an Australian folktale. Discuss influences of environment on native beliefs. Share the plight of the Aborigines, compare their situation to minorities in the United States. Bloom unit, Evaluation #1.

Gather research data about population, land size, annual rainfall, average salary, etc... and compile information. See Bloom unit, Analysis #1in cooperative groups, Venn diagram.

Compare British flag with Australian flag. Share the debate over possibly changing flag, reasons. Bloom unit, Evaluation #2

Resources:

• Maps: political, economic, topographical; model of Earth, sun, moon
• Pictures: Pangea, indigenous animals (calendar from Australia), Sacred Heart students and Maria's family, flags of Britain and Australia
• Books: "Tiddilick", "Wild Australians", Social Studies text, atlas
• Teacher's guides: 2 folders and one book purchased from teacher supply store
• Run-offs: outline maps of Australia, 2 per student; Venn Diagram, 1 per group; The Bush School story, 1 per group
• Supplies: paper, markers, large rolls of paper, binding machine and binders, colored pencils