Activity Title: 'Where in the World'

Subject Area: Geography

Grade Levels: 5th + 6th

Using an atlas or topography map, students will locate the cattle station Moolooloo. Practical application of this activity can be a whole class lesson or incorporated into one of several classroom stations. As a group activity, students may work ingroups of two-five members. It is recommended to comprise each group of a range of abilities and learning levels.

Close monitoring of these groups keeps a balance within the group participation so that one student is notdominate in completing the work at the station while others are uninvolved.

Each member is required to document work completed in their journals with feedback and calculations. The groups are given twenty minutes per station to complete their research and work before moving on to the next station.

Materials:

• Classroom atlas/map of the Northern Territory of Australia
• Topographic map
• Journal for recording data

Background and Procedure: Topography maps provide information about the land forms in a particular section of the country. They give us longitude and latitude for location of place, plus elevation indicated by contour lines. Through the use of these maps, certain characteristics of place may become evident, i.e., hilly regions, mountainous areas.

Discuss in your group how this information would be useful to people traveling cross-country. What would they look for as far as landmarks that would make the trip easier. Would location of water be important? What if you are an early day pioneer and have livestock? How would distance between supply stops affect your travel plans?

Analyze and Conclude:

Using a topographic map or an atlas of the Northern Territory, locate, using longitude/latitude coordinates, the location of Moolooloo cattle station. List the names of the nearest location for supplies and guess how these supply points might relate to Expedition 360’s travel across Australia.

Moolooloo coordinates: 16 degrees 20’ S. 131 degrees 27’ E

Lesson Extensions:

Recreate the cattle trail that Nat Buchanan followed when he first brought cattle to the ‘transition zone’ (grasslands between the deserts of the southern region and the tropical Top End) of the Northern Territory. Using a map and long/lat coordinates, plot points of his departure to the east. Then, list the various stops he made along the way.where the large cattle herds were to be used to stock the early cattle stations.

N.B. Teachers please note that this lesson activity relates to the 'Background to Activity' section in Discovery Zone # 15: 'Ringer for a Day'.