Activity: Where were the gold fields?

YEAR: 5

OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITY

For this geography activity students will be required to locate the places where the Gold
Rush of the 1800s occurred on both a large paper map and an online map by reading source
material and reading maps to locate the areas.
CONTENT DESCRIPTORS
Geography:
Collect and record relevant geographical data and information, using ethical protocols, from primary and
secondary sources, for example, people, maps, plans, photographs, satellite images, statistical sources and
reports (ACHGS034)

GENERAL CAPABILITIES:
Literacy
Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing

Comprehend texts

Critical and Creative Thinking

Inquiring identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas

Organise and process information

ICT
Creating with ICT

Generate ideas, plans and processes

Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

STATEMENT OF IDENTIFICATION
For this activity students will be reading and gathering information from source documents
about the names of locations where gold was found which incorporates literacy and critical
and creative thinking. Students need to comprehend the texts and draw information from
them to use on their maps. ICT is also incorporated with students needing to plot the points
for their map on an online, interactive website.
CROSS CURRICULUM PRIORITIES
Sustainability
World Views
OI 5 World views are formed by experiences at personal, local , national and global levels and are linked to individual and community
actions for sustainability

INQUIRY QUESTION: Where were the Victorian gold fields located?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to:
Locate places on an online and hard copy map
Draw information from sources

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

We will find the gold fields on an online and hard copy map
We will read and locate information in source documents
RESOURCES:
Zeemaps
o www.zeemaps.com
Victoria hard copy maps one for each student
Gold stickers
Laptop
Visit Melbourne Tourist site
o http://www.visitmelbourne.com/Regions/Goldfields/Things-to-do/Historyand-heritage/Gold-rush-history.aspx
Australian Gold Rush website
o http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-goldrush
National Museum of Australia
o http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/collection_interactives/endurance_scroll
/harvest_of_endurance_html_version/explore_the_scroll/australian_gold_ru
sh
TEACHER KNOWLEDGE
For this activity, the teacher needs to know where the gold was found in the Victorian Gold
Fields and have an understanding of the Golden triangle and how to find it on the map to
introduce the concept to the students. The teacher needs to understand how to plot the
points on the interactive map and also plot the points on the hard copy map.
STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read the websites and write down any locations that tell you where gold was found
2. Using the hard copy map of Victoria, find the locations where gold was found using a
pencil first
3. Plot the points using the gold nugget stickers
4. Use a pencil to join the stickers to see if you find any familiar shapes formed by the
different locations
5. Once you have found the locations on your hard copy map go onto
www.zeemaps.com and set up your map with your starting point being Melbourne.
6. Enter in all the towns where Gold was found on your interactive map
7. Screen shot this map and print out for your geography book
8. Email your map to your teacher

ASSESSMENT/EVALUTION OF STUDENT LEARNING:

Assessment of learning is conducted in this lesson through the use of students having to
identify and plot mapping points using information given to them to finalise their
understanding of the content descriptor. In previous lessons students would have
undertaken mapping exercises using some locations from the gold rush however this activity
will also assess reading comprehension skills from their gathering of locations.
LESSON MODIFICATION TO ACCOMMODATE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS:
The activity can be alternated to be for groups or pairs for the students who do not quite
understand the mapping concept. Students can work in groups or pairs for the first part of
the activity and then use the online map to work individually to see if they can grasp the
concept.