The following lessons are optional pre-visit activities that can be used to introduce relevant content and concepts before your excursion.

Lesson plan

Introduction:

1. What is a water body? Can you give me some examples? (ocean, river, lake, creek, wetland, pond).

2. Water bodies usually have either freshwater or saltwater. A saltwater body has lots of salt in it. Can you think of a water body that you have been in that tasted salty?

3. Water bodies that do not taste salty are called freshwater bodies. Which water bodies have you been in that did not taste salty?

Activity:

1. Load the Google Earth Project Freshwater and saltwater bodies in Australia. Distribute student worksheets. (See below)

2. Explain the following to your students:

       We are going to explore FIVE different freshwater and saltwater bodies in Australia using Google Earth. 

       For each water body, you need to write down 2 - 3 words from the list to describe the water body. These words are in the box on your worksheet. 

3. Open the Google Earth Project Freshwater and saltwater bodies in Australia. Using the Table of contents 'next >' button in the bottom left corner of the page, explore the five different freshwater and saltwater bodies provided in the slideshow. When visiting each location in the project:

i. Use the various features of Google Earth, including zoom and the photos provided, to further explore each water body. 

ii. Clarify whether it is a freshwater body or a saltwater body. 

iii. Ask students to write down 2 - 3 words to describe each water body using the word bank on the worksheet provided.

Freshwater locations: Longneck Lagoon, Lake Jindabyne, Murray River

Saltwater locations: Lake Eyre, Pink Lake

Student worksheet

Lesson plan

Introduction:

1. What are some examples of water environments that you have seen? (river, lake, ocean, wetland, dam)

2. What are some of the activities that you do in these water environments. (swimming, fishing, paddle boarding, etc).

Activity:

1. Distribute the student worksheets.

2. Explain to students that they will be completing a tally on the number of people in their class that have taken part in each of the water activities. Demonstrate how to tally. 

3. Read out each water activity on the worksheet one by one. For each activity, count the number of people in the class that have taken part in the activity. Have students record their data in a tally format as they go. 

4. Once all of the data has been collected, discuss the activities that are most common and least common. Discuss some of the reasons why there are differences in the data. 

Student worksheet

Lesson plan

Introduction:

1. What are some environments and places we might see on the excursion?

2. What things might we see on the excursion?

Activity:

1. Introduce words from the Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary lists to students. As a class, choose a word that is new for students.

2. Model how to use a Frayer Model (template included below) to learn more about this word. 

• Write the chosen word or concept in the middle of the page.

• Write a brief definition of the word or concept in the space provided.

• Use the word in a sentence and write the sentence in the space provided.

• Think of an example of the word or concept in context to help illustrate its meaning. Write or draw the example in the space provided.

• Think of a non-example of the word or concept (for example, if your vocabulary word was habitat, a non-example might be a shopping centre). Write or draw the non-example in the space provided.

3. Ask students to use the word in a sentence of their own to assess their understanding of the word's meaning (responses may be verbal or written).

4. Focus on different words from the vocabulary list in preparation for the excursion and complete jointly-constructed Frayer Models as required.