Geography. Capital - Canberra. Australia is the only country in the world that occupies the territory of the entire continent of the same name, as well as about. Tasmania and surrounding islands. The country is located in the southern and eastern hemispheres, washed by the seas of the Pacific and Indian oceans. In the north it is washed by the Timor and Arafura Seas and the Torres Strait, in the east by the Coral and Tasman Seas, in the south by the Bass Strait and the Indian Ocean, in the west by the Indian Ocean. The coastline is slightly indented. Australia is a continent of deserts, semi-deserts and dry woodlands, occupying vast internal spaces; only on the east coast of the country rises the low mountain range of the Great Dividing Range with the highest point of the country - the town of Kosciuszko (2228 m). Along the east coast for almost 2000 km. stretches a cluster of small islands, underwater hills and coral reefs - the Great Barrier Reef. The total area of the country is about 7.7 million square meters. km.
Climate. Due to its enormous size and unique geographical location, the country has a wide variety of climatic conditions - from subequatorial regions in the north to temperate maritime regions in the south. The hot and humid northern parts of the country give way to semi-desert tropical central regions, and the southern and southeastern coasts already belong to the subtropical zone, with a fairly pleasant warm climate. Tasmania is the “coldest” region of the country with a temperate climate, but there are also plenty of areas that are excellent for recreation. Therefore, you should be careful when choosing a holiday destination, taking into account the climatic characteristics of the country. The hottest time of the year is from November to January, at this time throughout the country the temperature ranges from +20 C to +32 C, and in the central regions it can reach +38-42 C. Moreover, after only 1.5 - 2 hours after sunset, the temperature can drop by 10-12 C. On the Pacific coast and the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, the weather at this time is milder.
It is relatively cold in June - August, the temperature does not rise above +15-18 C, and in the temperate zone it sometimes drops to 0 C. In winter, rain is frequent. May to August is the ideal time to travel, September to December is the peak season.
Time. The country has 3 time zones (ahead of Moscow by 6 - 8 hours). Time in Sydney is 7 hours ahead of Moscow in winter, and 8 hours in summer. In addition, time also varies from state to state, where sometimes half an hour is added to standard time.
Political condition. Australia is a constitutional monarchy, an independent member of the British Commonwealth. The head of state is the Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General. The head of government is the prime minister, usually the leader of the party that wins the parliamentary elections. The legislative body is a bicameral parliament (House of Representatives and Senate). At the moment, the constitutional fate of the country is being decided - whether it should be a presidential republic or remain under the jurisdiction of the British crown. The form of government is a democratic federal state of 6 states and 2 territories.
Population. About 19.2 million people. Approximately a quarter of the population are descendants of settlers from Great Britain and Ireland, as well as immigrants from other countries of the world. About 230 thousand people from the territory of the former USSR live in Australia, including about 52 thousand Russians. There are about 228 thousand indigenous people (1.5%), they live mainly in the interior of the country.
Language. The official language is English; Italian, Greek, Chinese and indigenous dialects are used. Australian English has a number of peculiarities in pronunciation - a slightly stretched “a” instead of “e”, frequent abbreviations of many words, an abundance of purely Australian slang phrases, etc.
Religion. The majority of the population are Catholics and Protestants. Recently, the number of people professing other religions has been growing, mainly Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Lamaism, Taoism and some others.
Story. The Dutch were the first to discover Australia at the beginning of the 17th century, but they were not on the eastern shores, and the discovery did not seem promising to them. In 1768, Captain James Cook, on instructions from the English government, went to the Pacific Ocean to conduct scientific observations of the passage of Venus between the Earth and the Sun. He also received a secret mission to find the “Unknown Southern Land,” which scientists believed would balance the lands of the Northern Hemisphere. Captain Cook coped with the task, and in April 1770 his ship Endeavor dropped anchor in Botany Bay. Then James Cook explored the east coast, which he named New South Wales, mapped it and declared it the property of the English King George III. However, interest in the new lands arose later. In the 17th century in Great Britain there were two capital punishments: the death penalty and deportation from the country, to which it was sometimes replaced. America served as the place of deportation, but after winning independence in 1783, it refused to accept English prisoners. There was a need to find a new place, as the prisons in England were very soon overcrowded. This situation provided the impetus for the settlement of Australia. So, in 1787, the First Fleet, led by the first Governor General Arthur Phillip, prepared to sail. Phillip had at his disposal 750 prisoners and 220 sailors and officers with their wives and children. Arthur Phillip liked the natural port, which James Cook named Port Jackson. Here the arrivals landed and began to build the settlement that laid the foundation for Sydney. On January 26, 1788, the creation of the new colony of New South Wales was officially announced. In 1793, the first free settlers arrived. Until the mid-19th century, the development of Australia continued: new lands were explored, settlements and colonies were founded, and entrepreneurs appeared in the field of industry and agriculture. Governance institutions are gradually being formed, political and social life is emerging. The discovery of rich gold deposits in the mid-19th century attracted masses of settlers to Australia and gave a significant impetus to the development of industry and further development of the continent. On September 17, 1900, Australia declared its desire for independence from England, and in 1901 the unification of the colonies (now states) took place ) to the Commonwealth of Australia, the first federal elections and the first census were held. In 1908, construction began on the first capital - the city of Canberra, where the government moved from Melbourne in 1927. Australia participated in the First World War as part of the Allied forces. On April 25, 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed at Gallipoli in Turkey, where more than 10,000 people died. This day became a day of memory and sorrow. During the Second World War, Australian troops took part in battles in Asia, and Australia itself actually turned into an American naval base, which greatly contributed to the “Americanization of the country.” The post-war development of Australia was marked by further economic growth, new waves of immigration, and intensification of social and political life. In 1960, Aboriginal people were recognized as Australian citizens; today there are about 30 thousand of them. Australia is a multiethnic state, where one in four people was born outside the country.
Attractions
Opera in Sydney
When we say “Australia” or “Sydney”, we immediately imagine the quaint building of the Sydney Opera House. Resembling a swan or a surreal ship trying to unfurl its sails, or gigantic shells, the Opera House is the main symbol of Sydney. It is located near the Harbor Bridge, in the harbor at Bennelong Point. This place received its name after an Australian Aborigine, a friend of the first governor of the colony. Before the opera building, this place was a fort, and then a regular tram depot. The Opera building covers an area of 2.2 hectares. The image of white shells above the water - this was precisely the creative concept of the young and daring architect Jorn Watson. On 29 January 1957, his design was selected from 233 proposals submitted to an international competition sponsored by the New South Wales Government. Construction of the building began in 1959. Inside the Sydney Opera House, two amplitudes are built into the platform. 
the theater, above them are the foyer and bars, and beyond are the arches of large white-tiled sinks floating at a height. In reality, implementing the air project was not easy. Problems were caused by the complexity of the geometry and the repeatability of shell shapes. A little later, Watson solved the problem of the Opera's design: all segments of the shell had to be cut from one spherical surface! They say that the architect’s decision was prompted by his four-year-old son, who showed how he could peel oranges. The citrus peel proved that curved surfaces adjacent to each other can be obtained from a sphere. Eventually all the shell parts were assembled on site, the ribs were “stitched” with tension cables, and the Sydney Opera House vaults fanned out to form the corresponding side of the shell. “Scales” with ceramic tiles blocked the gaps between the ribs; in total, 1 million tiles cover 4 thousand “scales.” There are shiny tiles in the center of the scales, and matte ones at the edges, thus creating the iridescent surface that Watson dreamed of. “Sun, light and clouds will make the roof come alive,” he once said. “So the audience will never get tired of watching.” The architect himself was forced to leave the construction of the Sydney Opera House due to disagreements with the new government. However, on October 20, 1973, the building was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II. Now the Sydney Opera House has not only elevated music to new heights, but has also become a symbol of the entire country. It is best to admire this miracle of architecture and design from the stern of the ship, then the building turns into a semblance of a castle in the air or a white-winged swan ready to take off.
Harbor Bridge
Harbor Bridge in Sydney Harbor
, nicknamed "The Hanger" by everyone, is Australia's most recognizable landmark. It was built during the Great Depression. It is one of the largest arch bridges in the world and Sydney's largest bridge. He is one of the main Sydney sights. Built Harbor Bridge in 1932. It connects the Sydney areas of Davis Point and Wilson Point, separated by a bay. Before the bridge, communication across Port Jackson Bay was always carried out by ferry, or people were forced to take detours, which took a lot of time and effort, as they were 20 kilometers long and passed over a total of 5 bridges. In the middle of the 19th century, over the course of 50 years, various engineers from different countries proposed 24 bridge projects, and even one tunnel. But, none of them were approved. Australian John Bradfield solved this problem. After all the examinations, he made a number of preliminary recommendations. On their basis, in 1922, the International Competition for an arch bridge with granite bank abutments was held. Many applications were considered, but the victory went to London engineer Ralph Freeman. They, together with Bradfield, began construction of the arch bridge in 1924. The construction of the most ambitious bridge in Australia took 8 years. This was a truly great event, since it all happened during an economic crisis that lasted more than one year. But the Australians endured it, and in gratitude received the largest arch bridge in the world. The arched central span is 503 m long, but it is not only the length of the arch that plays a role in defining it as the largest bridge. Height bridge above sea level is 134 m, large ocean liners can easily pass under the bridge. The width of the bridge is 49 m. It has 8 lanes for cars, 2 railway lines, as well as a path for cyclists and a sidewalk for pedestrians. Probably few bridges in the world consist of such a combination of types of traffic. The bridge cost Australia $20 million to build and currently costs $5 million to maintain. Now those who move across the bridge pay about 2 dollars, although previously they paid only 6 pence. Surprisingly, even with such a small fee, the bridge still paid for itself by 1988. To build such a large-scale bridge, about 800 residential buildings had to be demolished, and 1,500 workers were employed in its construction, who worked for 8 years. It is not surprising that so many workers were involved, since the total number of rivets on the structure is more than 6 million.
Sydney Tower
Sydney Tower, (literally "Central Point") is the tallest single-standing structure in Sydney and the second tallest in Australia, and is also the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere (after the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand). Sydney Tower is included in the World Federation of Tall Towers. It is open to the public and is one of the main attractions of the city. Sydney Tower rises 305 m (1,001 ft) above Sydney's Central Business District, 100 Market Street (between Pitt and Castlereagh Streets), where the city's business and shopping hub is located. At first, the tower belonged to the AMP financial corporation, which owned the Centrepoint Shopping Center, and was officially called “AMP Tower” and was intended for telecommunications. After Westfield Group acquired Centrepoint in December 2001, the tower became known as Sydney Tower. The tower was designed in 1970 and construction began in 1975. Public use of the tower, at that time the fourth tallest building in the world, began in August 1981. The final cost of the structure was AUD 36 million. dollars. There are three main sections in Sydney Tower. The first is a closed observation deck at an altitude of 250 m, from which you can view the city at 360°. On the site there is a small souvenir shop and a display where you can always find out the status of the tower, the current wind speed or atmospheric pressure. 18 meters above there is an open area with a glass floor - Skywalk platform. A visit to it is included in special tours, which may also include a virtual trip across Australia called OzTrek. Under the main observation deck there is a restaurant for 220 people. Every year it receives more than 185 thousand people, of which at least 50 thousand are foreigners. The tower can accommodate a maximum of 960 people. The rise to the top is carried out by three double-deck high-speed elevators, which can take a visitor to the tower to the very top - the observation deck - in approximately 40 seconds at maximum speed. You can also climb the stairs, which, by the way, includes 1054 steps. Sometimes the Sydney Tower is used to launch grandiose fireworks, and during the Christmas and New Year holidays it is always illuminated with colorful lights.
Chinese Garden of Friendship
TO 
The Chinese Friendship Garden is an ornamental Chinese garden at the southern end of Darling Harbor (Sydney area), next to Sydney Chinatown. Stylized as a traditional private elite garden from the Ming Dynasty, the Garden of Friendship represents a true heritage of Chinese history and culture and allows you to get acquainted with the centuries-old traditions of Chinese landscape art, architecture and unique landscape design. The Garden of Friendship was planted by specialists from Guangzhou, Sydney's sister city. Sydney Chinatown was by that time already quite rich and filled with “islands” of traditional Chinese culture. The garden was officially opened in 1988 as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations and was named the "Garden of Friendship", symbolizing the beginning of strong cultural friendship between China and Australia. It must be said that the difference between decorative Chinese gardens (and the Sydney Friendship Garden in particular) from Western ones is that they do not have planted flower beds or “ironed” lawns. Instead, corners of wild nature are recreated in picturesque landscapes and waterfalls, mountains, lakes and forests “appear”. 
In keeping with the tradition of classical Chinese gardens, the Friendship Garden employs the famous principle of using four key elements: water, plants, stones and architecture. A uniform and natural combination of these elements should create harmony and tranquility in the outside world. The garden abounds with exotic plants. Due to the similar climates of New South Wales and Guangdong, many plants, including rare and unusual plants native to southern China, grow in the Friendship Garden and include some fossil species and the famous red mulberry (the plant symbol of Guangdong). The Garden's unique attractions include the Dragon Wall, a symbol of the cultural connection between New South Wales and Guangzhou; Lotus Fragrance Water Pavilion; Gemini Pavilion; A tea house where you can try all the traditional varieties of Chinese tea. There is a Jade Pavilion there; Round Pavilion; Chamber of Clear Rhythm; Wandering gallery and much more
Sydney Observatory
Built in 1858, Sydney Observatory is Australia's oldest observatory and one of the most important monuments to Australia's scientific history. The observatory is recognized by the New South Wales government as a site of “national significance” and is included in the country’s cultural heritage list. The observatory is located near Sydney's historic Rocks district and the world-famous Sydney Harbor Bridge, and is easily accessible from anywhere in the city by bus, train, ferry or car. Sydney Observatory. Historically, the Sydney Observatory had very broad functions: it was intended for navigation navigation, meteorology and accurate time determination, and, of course, the study of the stars of the southern hemisphere of the planet. Astronomers worked and lived in the same building until 1982, when the Sydney Observatory became part of the Power Station Museum. Today the observatory is both a museum and a public observatory with an important role in the study and popularization of astronomy and conducting wide and accessible telescopic observation of the stars of the Southern sky. You can see us at the observatory 
worthy historical value - a unique telescope made in 1874 with 29-centimeter lenses, adjacent to an ultra-modern computer-controlled telescope with lenses with a diameter of 42 cm. The observatory has the latest alpha-hydrogen telescope for comprehensive observations of the Sun; a virtual “space theater” in 3D format, where all the stars and constellations of near-Earth space are projected. Everything about Sydney Observatory is designed to accommodate visitors of all ages and interests. A visit to the Sydney Observatory can include entertaining lectures and day or night viewing through telescopes. Guests of the observatory can take a virtual “space journey” in a 3D theater or launch a rocket at a school holiday seminar. In the evening and at night, visitors can make wonderful observations of the Moon, planets and stars of the Southern sky.
Cathedral of the Virgin Mary
It seemed that in such an ultra-modern city as Sydney, where almost everything reminds of the future, there could be nothing that would take us to medieval Gothic Europe, located in the other hemisphere of the planet. But that's not true! In the very center of the City, Sydney's business district, on College Street, stands the largest church in Australia - a real neo-Gothic cathedral! This is the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, full name Cathedral of the Virgin Mary - Help of Christians, is a Catholic cathedral and one of five Australian cathedrals with the honorary status of a “minor basilica”. The largest (though not the tallest) church in Australia. The first stone for the foundation of the Catholic Church was laid on October 29, 1821. A short time later, the church was completed; it was built in the neo-Gothic style, shaped like a Latin cross. Since 1842, when the Catholic diocese was formed in Sydney, the church began to perform the functions of a cathedral. In 1865, a fire broke out in the cathedral, almost completely destroying it. The first stone for the foundation of the new cathedral was laid in 1868. The construction of the gigantic building took a very long time and in stages. In 1882, the premises of the first stage of construction of the building were consecrated. The main nave was not completed until 1928. The richly decorated crypt was built in 1961. For many years there were no spiers above the two towers of the cathedral's façade, creating a feeling 
incompleteness. In 2000, with financial support from the country's government, the spiers above the towers were finally erected. The architecture of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary is typical of the English Gothic Revival of the 19th century. The cathedral is built of golden sandstone, which on the outside has acquired a brownish tint due to weathering. Inside the building, the sandstone has retained its golden hue, which is successfully emphasized by the lighting of the temple. The cathedral is oriented from north to south, the altar part faces north. The plan of the church is traditional for English medieval cathedrals - it has the shape of a cross, with a bell tower erected above the intersection of the nave (the main building of the cathedral) and the transept (side chapels). Two more towers frame the façade. The altar has a square finish. There are three entrances to the temple in the main facade, two additional entrances are located in the arms of the transept. In the western arm of the transept is a copy of Michelangelo's famous Pietà from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The cathedral is famous for its stained glass windows, work on which lasted more than 50 years. In total, the cathedral has about 40 stained glass windows, the images on which are dedicated to various biblical themes. The first cathedral, which was destroyed by fire in 1865, housed Australia's largest organ at that time. In the new cathedral building, the installation of the organ was completed in 1942. The organ is located in the gallery above the main entrance of the cathedral.
Sydney Aquarium
Sydney Aquarium is a large aquarium open to the public. It is located on the eastern side of Darling Harbour, north of the Pyrmont Bridge. The Sydney Aquarium is famous throughout the world for the colossal diversity of its inhabitants. More than 650 species of Australian flora and fauna for which water is the main habitat! The aquarium was opened in 1988 to celebrate Australia's 200th anniversary, it is one of the largest aquariums in the world and is considered one of the city's main tourist attractions, with more than half of its visitors coming from overseas. The theme of the Sydney Aquarium is the inhabitants of the continent's aquatic system and marine ecosystems. The complex and fragile nature of Australia's uniquely diverse aquatic environments is highlighted. Some of the Aquarium's inhabitants are housed in the main hall, while others are housed in the open-air aquariums. The Seal Habitat and Open Ocean exhibits include two massive aquariums (one of the largest in the world) and feature underwater tunnels that allow visitors to explore marine life in indoor aquariums. The Open Ocean Aquarium has the world's largest 
Shark lecture. Some of the sharks weigh up to 300 kg and reach more than 3 m in length. In December 1991, the first aquarium with fur seals was opened. Sydney Aquarium has since been rebuilt and the new Fur Seal Aquarium opened in September 2003. It displays Australian sea lions, sub-Antarctic and New Zealand fur seals. In this aquarium, seals can be observed from below from the side - through the transparent walls of the underwater tunnel, and from above - from the open observation deck. The exhibition “Southern Ocean”, located in the aquarium, shows the life of little penguins. In October 1998, the Great Barrier Reef complex opened, showcasing tropical aquatic flora and fauna, the inhabitants of a coral cave, a coral atoll, and including a large oceanarium. More than 6 thousand animals are housed in this aquarium, which contains 2.6 million liters. water pumped from Darling Harbor, but filtered and heated before being released into the aquarium itself and its adjacent reservoirs. The water is maintained at a constant temperature of +25°C. The Great Barrier Reef Aquarium is 33 m long and 13 m wide, with a total area of approximately 370 sq.m. and a water depth of 3.5 m. The final exhibition in it is the “Reef Theater”, where the amazing life of the coral canyon can be observed through a window (7x4 m) 26 cm thick. Mermaid Lagoon Aquarium opened in December 2008. It is the new permanent home for the porpoise and wuru, dugongs that were formerly resident at Sea World on the Gold Coast. Mermaid Lagoon has both above-water viewing platforms and underwater tunnels. Other animals in the aquarium include ray sharks, guitar fish, zebra sharks, eagle rays and many other varieties of fish.
Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo is Sydney's most famous and oldest zoo. "Taronga" translated from the Aboriginal language means 
it "Beautiful view." It officially opened on 7 October 1916 under the auspices of the New South Wales Zoological Parks Board in the Sydney suburb of Mosman. Divided into eight zoogeographic sections, the zoo is home to more than 2,600 animals on 21 hectares, making it one of the largest zoos in the world. The first public zoo in New South Wales was opened in 1884 by entrepreneur Billy Swamp at Moore Park, on the site of what is now an exclusive boys' and girls' high school. Inspired by a visit to the Hamburg Zoo in 1908, the Minister for Zoos, Albert Sherbourne Le Souif, conceived the idea of creating a new zoo. After realizing that the Moore Park site was too small, the State Government made available 43 acres (17 ha) of land north of Sydney Harbour. In 1916, the new zoo was provided with additional 
9 acres (3.6 hectares) of land. The stylized ancient "Aqueduct" was opened in 1915 and was one of the earliest features of the Taronga Zoo landscape. This was the main path for visitors to cross the large natural ravine that crossed the road to the zoo. Old photographs show this road as a kind of romantic path, isolated on both sides by dense thickets. The aqueduct became a reminder of medieval Italian grottoes. The tunnel underneath is also very popular. In 1967, major changes took place at the zoo, leading to improved scientific work and animal conservation. New exhibits were created: the Platypus Exhibit, the Nightlife Building, waterfowl ponds and the outdoor Rainforest Bird Aviary. Was built 
Veterinary Quarantine Center and Zoo Education Center. Previous attractions - elephant rides, children's trains, monkey circus and carousel - have given way to scientific and educational programs such as Friendship Farm and the Seal Theater. In the mid-1980s. A long cable car has been installed, allowing visitors to explore Sydney Harbor and the Zoo in comfort. It stretches from the beginning of the zoo to the ferry pier in the city Harbor. In 2000, the zoo acquired five elephants from Thailand, and in 2008 a marine section, the Great Southern Seas, opened. The zoo is home to about 340 species of animals. They are displayed in various kinds of exhibitions. Among them:
- "Wetlands of Australia" with black-necked stork, sandhill crane, pelican, royal spoonbill, Pacific black duck and more. etc.
- “Walking around Australia” with swamp wallabies, red kangaroos, emus, etc.
- "House of the Platypus" with the platypus itself, the southern wombat and the kangaroo rat.
- "Nightlife of Australia" with tiger marsupial marten, long-nosed bandicoot, potoroo, ring-tailed possum, flying squirrel and more.
- "Great South Seas" with leopard seal, California sea lion, Australian pelican, little penguin, etc.
Regional state general education budgetary institution "Border Special (Correctional) General Education Boarding School"
"Lesson is a journey"
on the mainland
Australia"
Geography teacher:
Loskutova Marina Gennadievna
The purpose of the lesson:
Educational: generalization and systematization of knowledge about the geographical location, flora and fauna, and population of the continent of Australia.
Correctional and developmental:correction of verbal memory based on students’ exercises in memorizing and retaining geographical concepts and objects in memory, development of oral speech.
Educational: to cultivate interest in studying the nature of the world through geography lessons, to promote the formation of a tolerant attitude towards other peoples.
Equipment and materials: physical map of the world, presentation, interactive whiteboard, handouts.
Lesson type: generalization and systematization of knowledge.
During the classes
I. Organizational moment.
Hello guys!
Who is on duty today? The duty officer will be my assistant in class today. Is everyone present in class today? Who is absent?
Check if everything is ready for the lesson? (pens, notebooks and textbooks)
Human kindness is the most amazing phenomenon in the world.
We smiled at each other. I see you are in a good mood. Today my colleagues came to our lesson, give them your smiles. Let's get ready for active work. Now, let’s sit down calmly.
II. Updating knowledge.
1. Guys, how many continents are there on our planet? (Eurasia, North America, South America, Africa, Antarctica and Australia) SLIDE (working with an interactive whiteboard, showing continents on a physical map of the world)
III. Preparation for the perception of the topic.
What an amazing continent we have been studying for several lessons (Australia).
Now find, among the proposed contours of the continents, the continent that we studied. (Continents are signed with numbers)
Task “Find the continent by contour” Slide
(Checking task completion)
So, guys, what continent are we going to talk about today? (Australia) Well done, you did the job right. Slide "Australia"
Today we will go on a trip, that is, we will be tourists. And first we need to remember what we know about Australia.
Listen to an excerpt from the poem and identify those statements that talk about the features of the continent of Australia. SLIDE
“Australia is a country in reverse
It is located below us.
They're obviously walking upside down there,
There's a year turned inside out,
The gardens there bloom in October,
It's summer there in January, not in July,
Rivers flow there without water
(They disappear somewhere in the desert).
Animals are born from eggs,
And there the dogs don't know how to bark,
Trees climb out of their bark on their own.
There rabbits are worse than a flood
The capital has no population.
Australia is the opposite country...” G. Usova
(Student answers:
Located in the southern hemisphere;
Summer comes after calendar winter;
Rivers - cries - drying up during the rainless period;
The emu and cassowary birds do not fly;
The platypus and echidna hatch their young from eggs and feed them with milk like mammals;
The wild dog dingo does not bark, but only yelps;
Eucalyptus sheds its bark;
There are many wild rabbits that devour everything around;
The capital Canberra has a smaller population than the cities of Sydney and Melbourne)
Conclusion: What did we remember after listening to the poem? About the features of the continent of Australia: named geographical objects, representatives of the flora and fauna.
VI. Checking the studied geographical concepts and objects.
Now each of you can feel like a real traveler - a researcher who will perform various tasks.
Guys, what should a traveler be able to do? (orientate yourself and know various geographical objects and their concepts).
That's right, to notice and see all the wonders and beauty of the mainland, you need to be very attentive. Therefore, we will need a “Traveler’s Diary”, in which you will note the correctness of completing tasks. And at the end of the journey we will sum up the results.
(In front of the completed task, you place a + sign in your diary)
On our journey, we need to remember some geographical concepts that we need to remember and know.
1. " Geographical concepts." SLIDE
Define geographical concepts.
Artesian water-
artesian well-
aborigines-
boomerang-
Conclusion: guys, you know geographical concepts well and today they will be useful to you.
(Who answered my questions and answered correctly, put a + sign in your diaries, if you answered incorrectly, put a - sign)
There has been some confusion on our journey and we need to find the right answer. SLIDE
2. Match.
You need to connect the beginning and end of the sentence with arrows.
| 1. Symbol of Australia | |
| 2. Low plants with a dark trunk and a tuft of grass at the top | 2. Casuarina |
| 3. Thickets of dry bushes | 3. Mangrove forests |
| 4. Thickets of evergreen trees and shrubs, the roots of which are on the surface and absorb moisture from the air | 4. Grass Trees (Black Boy) |
| 5. “Christmas” or “iron trees” | 5. Eucalyptus |
Conclusion: Did you find the correct answers?
What helped you find them?
Knowledge of geographical concepts helped.
Guys, in order not to get lost, you need to navigate the mainland and know the location of geographical objects.
3. Name geographical objects using given numbers. SLIDE 
Guys, let's check if you have marked the objects on the contour map correctly. (Chain check: one calls, everyone checks).
You are well oriented on the contour map, now you definitely won’t get lost in the area.
(Filling out the diary)
And to be attentive on the road, we need to rest a little!
Physical education minute. SLIDE
"Travel on the map." To travel you need to know the sides of the horizon. Let's mark them on the map. The teacher asks everyone to stand up and look at the map to the north, south, west, east. Now close your eyes, lower your head and silently count to 10. We opened our eyes, spread our hands in different directions, as if showing how big our card is.
Well done! Now we are rested and ready to travel further
V. Repetition and analysis of basic geographical facts.
During our trip, we were caught in a downpour, and some of your travel notes became impossible to read. To do this we need to fill out a punched card.
“Fill out the punch card” SLIDE
| Indian Ocean | Pacific Ocean | Australia | ||
| What ocean is Australia washed by? | ||||
| Canberra is the capital of which continent? | ||||
| The Nile River is located on which continent? | ||||
| On what continent does the Kangaroo live? |
Peer review.
In your diaries, put a + sign if there are 3-4 correct answers, a “-” sign if 1-2 correct answers
Conclusion: Have we completed the task? Is it now possible to read our travel notes? What helped you complete this task?
Knowledge about the mainland of Australia helped. Now you are not afraid of any downpours.
Well done! Great job. Don't forget to keep your travel journals. And you and I move on.
2. Composition of the population of Australia.
Any traveler, coming to a foreign country, strives to get to know the local residents. Consider the composition of Australia's population.
Population: Indigenous and newcomers. SLIDE
Guys, is there a difference between the indigenous and alien populations?
Give a brief description of the life of the indigenous population of Australia.
Conclusion: Guys, can we distinguish an aborigine from a migrant? By what signs? By skin color, by appearance, by lifestyle.
VI.Testing the acquired knowledge. SLIDE
Name the representatives of marsupial animals in Australia.
Which bear is called the symbol of Australia?
Why do Australia have laws prohibiting the export of plants and animals?
Are there volcanoes on the mainland?
What landform is typical for Australia?
Australia is the largest………continent.
What animals are depicted on the Australian coat of arms?
“Breadfruit” grows in Australia, why is it called that?
What animals are featured on Australian coins?
Flightless bird in Australia?
Guys, it’s not for nothing that we studied the continent of Australia for several lessons? Did this knowledge help you today on our journey?
VII. Lesson summary.
Our journey has come to an end. What do you remember most? What continent did we travel to? What oceans wash the continent? What are the indigenous people of Australia called?
Well done, you know everything.
Throughout your journey, you filled out the Traveler's Diaries. Now you will announce your results and we will sum up who was the most attentive researcher of the Australian mainland today. Count your + , and we will write your results on the board.
You all did a good job today. Based on your results, the most attentive was………………………………………………………, but I also watched how you worked in class. Comments
Announcement of grades for the lesson.
VIII. Reflection
“Happiness is when you are interested in life. Life is interesting - when you learn something interesting, when you feel good with others, when you are ready to do a lot for others.” SLIDE
It was interesting for me, guys, to work with you today, and I feel exactly the moments of happiness. Can you relate these words to yourself?
Is anyone satisfied with themselves and felt confident during the lesson and coped with all the tasks? Did anyone find it difficult to complete the task? And who felt insecure? There are smiley face cards on your desk. Show the emoticon of the feeling you are experiencing.
Thank you for the lesson. SLIDE
October 18, 2015, 10:36 pmI never dreamed of Australia. It seemed to me that it was so far and expensive that it was almost impossible. At the same time, I travel a lot and often, I’ve traveled all over Europe, been to America and several Asian countries. My little personal hobby is looking for tickets, planning trips for myself and friends, so I have bonus cards from all airline alliances, I am subscribed to mailing lists of all airlines and discount sites, and every day I receive dozens, if not hundreds, of emails with information about any promotions and sales. This is exactly how Australia “sailed” to me. I simply could not pass up tickets for 500 Euros round trip, at a regular cost of 1200 Euros! And even adding a flight to London, where the journey to Australia began, it turned out to be very, very cheap.
A visa to the country of Kangaroo is quite easy to obtain. I collected a minimum set of documents, attached an account statement, a rough travel plan, a copy (not even the original!) of a foreign passport with all visas and stamps, and sent the entire package by mail to the consulate. Since I live in Latvia, but am a Russian citizen, I could choose between consulates in Moscow or Berlin. I chose Berlin. And after 10 days, I received an official notification by email that I had been issued a multivisa for a year. Hurray for a trip!
My route looked something like this: Melbourne - Red Center - Cairns and Great Barrier Reef - Brisbane - Gold Coast - Sydney - Melbourne. I traveled alone, didn’t rent a car, traveled by plane and booked excursions in advance from home.
My Australia began in Melbourne - a lovely city, very similar to London. I walked, fell in love with the country and fought jetlag.
The next day an excursion along the Great Ocean Road was planned ( Great Ocean Road, GOR)- one of the most beautiful roads in the world, 243 kilometers long along the coast of Victoria, which was built from 1919 to 1932 by soldiers returning from the First World War.
Along GOR There are a huge number of stops with beautiful views, exits to the ocean and towns. It was Easter, it was a weekend in Australia, and whole families of locals, with dogs and children, came to the coast from the very morning for picnics and surfing.
The main attraction of the GOR and a lure for millions of tourists from all over the world are the Twelve Apostles - rocks of different heights and shapes protruding from the water near the shore. In fact, there are only 9 rocks left, the rest were destroyed by winds and waves. A long and narrow path leads to the cliff where the observation deck is equipped, along which people continuously walk from morning until late evening. Many people specially come at sunset and sunrise to watch the sun set or rise. They say this is one of the most beautiful sights on Earth.
Another interesting place is London Bridge or London Arch. Several decades ago, two parts of the arch were connected to each other, and it was even possible to drive a car along it to the very edge, but due to the influence of wind and waves, the arch became thinner, until one fine moment it collapsed into the sea. By the way, at that time there were people on the right side of the Bridge, but there were no mobile phones at that time. Luckily, one guy from the company did not have time to cross the Arch before it collapsed, so he ran to the nearest town for help. Everyone was saved, no one was hurt.
In general, I liked GOR, but on the Greek islands I came across no less beautiful and picturesque seaside roads.
From Melbourne I flew to the Red Center - this is an area in the middle of the continent, a national park and the traditional habitat of the Aboriginal people, where literally everything is connected with their history and rituals.
On a fairly large territory of the national park there are two mountain complexes: Uluru ( Uluru, stress on the first syllable, a massive oval-shaped orange-brown rock formed about 680 million years ago) and The Olgas, Kata Tjuta - 36 massive rounded rocks and many gorges and valleys.
I spent only about 38 hours at the Red Center. During this time, I walked through Olgas, watched the sunset at Uluru, watched the sunrise at Uluru and walked the basic route around Uluru (36 km and 6 hours of amazing stories about the history, traditions and rituals of the Aboriginal people).
This is an amazing place! If you've ever wondered what Mars looks like, the Red Center is for you. It's hot, dry, incredibly expensive, and there are only 2 cities from which you can get to the mountains, but it's all definitely worth it to see and feel the magic and energy of all 700 million years of this earth's existence.
Then my path lay to the city of Cairns - the “gateway” to the Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is nothing interesting; it doesn’t even have a beach, although it is located on the coast itself. But from Cairns, every day and all year round, hundreds of boats and yachts go to the GBR, where you can swim, snorkel or scuba dive. I am an avid diver and chose the latter. It’s impossible to be on the GBR and not dive!
Two days of absolute paradise, and not a single photo - I felt so good that I didn’t want to take pictures. But a very friendly turtle swam up to me nose to nose, and a 2 meter long reef shark swam a meter away from me.
Next, I sent her from Brisbane to fulfill my childhood dream of holding a koala. Only there is a nursery where, the only one in the country, you can hold a koala and even take a photo with it. At the same time I saw, petted and fed one rather mangy ostrich and a bunch of kangaroos and wallabies. Koalas, by the way, stink terribly!
I don’t know how to use Photoshop, but I don’t want to show my face, so the photo is like this :))
Brisbane itself is quite a nice and convenient city for living, with a sandy beach and a large swimming pool equipped right in the center, with a large and interesting botanical garden and the ability to drive to a bunch of beautiful beaches and even islands in an hour. I wish I could have stayed longer, but my path lay further - to the Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast is similar to Miami - many, many kilometers of sandy beaches and high-rise buildings. The ocean is cold, the waves are big, the wind is strong. But a couple of days to rest and breathe some air is just the thing. I lived with a friend, on the 30th floor of an 80-story building with a stunning view :)
After resting, breathing in the sea air, talking with a friend, tasting the best steak in the world and trying Stand up paddle boarding, I moved on to Sydney.
Sydney is the country's most populous city and main financial centre. The energy and rhythm are similar to New York, but there is much more sun even in April, when it is calendar autumn in Australia.
See the flags on top of the bridge? There is a place for abseiling, and there my panicky fear of heights almost took over. But the gorgeous view and thrill were worth it :)
The next day, the last excursion was planned, to a beautiful place - the Blue Mountains National Park (photo above), so named because of the bluish smog caused by the fumes of eucalyptus trees, coloring the mountains in bluish-blue shades when viewed from a distance.
There is also an amusement park (4 or 5 carriages moving vertically or horizontally on ropes), which was absolutely not worth the money spent and the 30-40 minutes of standing in line for each carriage. It was much more interesting to walk along numerous hiking trails of varying complexity and length. Eucalyptus trees smell amazing and provide coolness. I followed the longest route, but even it was not difficult and took only 3 hours.
In general, Australia is an amazing country. A country of national parks, amazing nature and rare animals, a country of barbecues (places for which are equipped in literally every park and public garden), a country of surfing and doing nothing (they don’t even have homework in schools!), a country of space, ocean, a country that stole a big piece my heart.
A selection of materials on introducing children of senior preschool age to the outside world on the topic “Travel to Australia”
Lesson objectives:
Introduce children to the geographical location, nature and culture of Australia.
Exercise children in drawing and appliqué.
Develop gross and fine motor skills.
Improve visual skills.
Cultivate curiosity.
Progress:
Australia is the world's largest island and smallest continent. (Show on map). Its entire territory is occupied by one country - Australia. This is what the flag of this country looks like. (Show picture).
The capital of Australia is Canberra. And the oldest and largest city in Australia is Sydney. This city is famous for its beautiful bridge and opera house. (Show picture).
Australia receives the least annual rainfall in the world.
Exercise “Show Australia on the map”
The people of Australia are friendly and welcoming. These are mainly immigrants from other countries. They speak English and dress like you and me.
The indigenous people of Australia are the Aborigines. (Show picture). Before European settlers arrived, only Aborigines lived in Australia. Aboriginal clothing is unusual. This is a loincloth. Aboriginal people paint all other places with bright colors and decorate themselves with beads made from plant seeds and shells
(Show picture).
Painting with children's makeup "Australian Aborigines"
Children draw white stripes on each other's faces.
This is how the Australian Aborigines draw pictures and patterns in an interesting way. (Show picture). The drawing consists of dots.
Drawing "Australian pointillism"
Children use dots drawn with cotton swabs to paint over the image.
Due to the hot, dry climate, the natives had to come up with different ways to obtain water. For example, from tree roots, dew on leaves, and even from the belly of frogs.
Experimental research activity “How to get drinking water from salt water?”
And we will try to get drinking water from salt water. Pour water into a deep basin together, add two tablespoons of salt, stir until the salt dissolves. Place washed pebbles at the bottom of an empty plastic glass so that it does not float, but its edges should be higher than the water level in the basin. Pull the film over the top, tying it around the pelvis. Squeeze the film in the center above the cup and place another pebble in the recess. Place the basin in the sun. After a few hours, clean, unsalted drinking water will accumulate in the glass. This is explained simply: water begins to evaporate in the sun, condensation settles on the film and flows into an empty glass.
This weapon - the boomerang was originally a throwing weapon of the Australian aborigines; it was made of hard wood in the shape of a flat sickle and was used for hunting and, less often, as a military weapon. The Aborigines threw boomerangs and competed in dexterity in fighting games. If it was launched in a certain way, if it did not meet any obstacles, it would return back. Nowadays the boomerang is not used as a military weapon, it is rarely used in hunting, but in Australia it is one of the souvenirs sold in stores. Additionally, boomerang throwing is a favorite game on the continent.
Making a boomerang
The boomerang is cut out of cardboard and decorated with drawings or stickers.
200 years ago English laws were very strict. A defendant could be sentenced to death for stealing a shirt or a loaf of bread. But the convict was given life if he agreed to go to hard labor in Australia. Convicts were sent there on ships and had to work hard. Bound by a common chain, with a heavy cannonball on their feet, they cleared the land, broke stones, built roads and grew crops.
Australian fauna
The fauna of Australia is unique. Only here live many animals that cannot be found anywhere else, on any other continent.
There are no monkeys here at all, and there is only one predator - the wild dingo. (Show picture). In Australia, the oldest animals preserved to this day are the echidna and the platypus. This is where marsupials live: kangaroos, koalas, possums, wombats.
Outdoor game “Carry the Cubs in the Bag”
Children connect their hands with their arms down into a castle into which a soft toy is placed. Then the child with the toy goes through an obstacle course.
Both adults and children know the symbol of the country - the most popular animal is the kangaroo. (Show picture). There are a lot of kangaroos in this country. At night, attracted by headlights, kangaroos come out onto the road and jump under the wheels of cars. This country even has a kangaroo road sign that warns drivers of the danger. In Australia, kangaroos are small, but there are also very large ones - up to three meters.
Outdoor game "Kangaroo"
Participants squeeze balls between their knees or ankles.
Holding the ball with your feet, you need to race from one line to another. If the ball jumps out, the participant must immediately stop, pick it up and, holding the ball again with his feet, begin jumping from the place of the forced stop.
The northern part of Australia is simply teeming with crocodiles. (Show picture). The most bloodthirsty animals - alligators - simply eat the people they come across. Adults can weigh up to a ton, and measure 3-4 meters in length.
They are the only mammals in the world that lay eggs.
The platypus has webbed feet and a duck's beak. When the first researchers saw the platypus, they thought that it was parts of different animals joined together, like in a fairy tale.
Modeling "Crocodile"
Marsupial koala bear. (Show picture). Very cute, looks like a teddy bear. The koala lives in eucalyptus groves. Spends all his time in the trees. He doesn’t drink water because he eats eucalyptus leaves, and their juice is enough for him. Koalas do not recognize any other food.
Coloring the picture “Koala”
There are sharks off the coast of the Australian continent, but they are not dangerous unless provoked. Sharks never attack first; they are not conflict creatures. (Show picture).
In local zoos you can find an animal called a wombat. (Show picture). This indigenous inhabitant of the continent is a small guinea pig.
There is an animal in Australia called the Tasmanian devil, which is very similar to the French bulldog. (Show picture).
Australian birds
Australia is home to unusual, colorful birds.
Ostrich Emu. The bird is about two meters high and does not fly. But he runs very fast. Lives in large herds that constantly move in search of food and water. The female emu lays large green eggs, but the male does the incubation.
The cassowary is a bird as tall as a person. She can't fly, so she lives on the ground. The cassowary feeds on berries and plant roots. He knows how to stand up for himself - he kicks simultaneously with both legs, armed with sharp spurs.
The cockatoo is an Australian parrot that is also known in other countries as a domestic bird. He is very sociable and lives in numerous flocks.
Cane toads are one of the most beloved pets of Australian children.
The longest fence in the world was built in Australia. (Show picture). It was built to fence off sheep from wild dingoes, of which there are many on the continent. And there are three times more sheep in Australia than people.
Can you build a long fence?
Construction game "Long fence"
Children are invited to build a long fence from a large number of building material parts.
The Great Barrier Reef is a collection of coral reefs and islands.
The largest coral reef. (Show picture). It is so large that it can be seen even from the moon. Coral reefs are formed from the skeletons of tiny polyp organisms. The Great Barrier Reef has grown for many thousands of years and continues to grow. Some corals grow hard, sharp and white. Other corals are soft, porous, and brightly colored.
Thousands of sea creatures live among the corals. In addition to fish, you can see crabs, worm-like mollusks, and starfish. Among the inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef you can see scary-looking predators - octopuses, barracudas (sea pike), reef sharks, poisonous sea urchins and jellyfish.
Visual activity “Corals and reefs”
Children draw corals on a common sheet of whatman paper and then glue cut-out fish.
Australian game "Green Puzzle"
A large sheet is torn into pieces. Each player gets one. After the first one places his fragment on the ground. Other players must attach the remaining parts to it so that a whole sheet is formed.
Australian cuisine
People who moved to Australia from all over the world brought their culinary customs and favorite dishes. Nowadays, in restaurants and cafes you can try the food of real aborigines - kangaroo meat baked on coals, crocodile meat and possum meat. Seafood dishes are prepared all along the coast. Australia is famous for its incredibly aromatic tropical fruit juices.
New Year
New Year in Australia begins on January 1, at this time it is hot there, so Australians celebrate the holiday on the beaches. Santa Claus appears in a bathing suit. He rushes across the sea on a special board - a surf. Children open gifts and splash into the water.
About everything in the world:
In 1930, the film “The Rogue Song,” about the kidnapping of a girl in the Caucasus Mountains, was released in America. Actors Stan Laurel, Lawrence Tibbett and Oliver Hardy played local crooks in this film. Surprisingly, these actors are very similar to the characters...
Section materials
Lessons for the younger group:
Classes for the middle group.