ENGLISH · GRADE 9 · UNIT 1 · AUSTRALIA · LIFE DOWN UNDER
🇦🇺 Australia – Life Down Under
A guided English course based on the book unit: Australia, road trips, the Outback, Uluru, Indigenous cultures, dangerous animals, emergencies, personal stories, grammar and presentation skills.
👣 Erledigte Schritte: 0 / 8
🌏 Welcome to Australia!
In this course you will explore Australia step by step. You will work with maps, photos, short texts, road trip ideas, survival tips, culture, grammar, personal stories and presentations.
The course follows the book unit but gives you a clearer Moodle learning path: first you collect facts, then you read, speak and write, then you practise grammar, and finally you create your own Australia product.
„Australia is a country of contrasts – from the red desert to the blue ocean, from ancient cultures to modern cities."
Keep this in mind as you explore the unit.
📒 Notebook Entries: Australia – Life Down Under
Copy these entries neatly into your English notebook. They help you focus on the most important facts, words, phrases, grammar and writing tools from the unit.
📌 Entry 1: Australia – Basic Facts
Heading: Australia – Basic Facts
Australia is a country and a continent in the southern hemisphere. Its capital city is Canberra. Sydney is Australia’s biggest city. Australia is famous for the Outback, Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, unique animals, long distances, beaches and multicultural cities.
📌 Entry 2: Useful Australia Vocabulary
Heading: Australia Vocabulary
Places: coast, desert, Outback, reef, sheep station,
highway, beach, city
Animals: kangaroo, koala,
emu, camel, crocodile, snake, jellyfish
Culture:
Indigenous Australians, tradition, dot painting, didgeridoo,
boomerang, community
Problems: bushfire, heat
stress, snake bite, rip current, emergency
📌 Entry 3: Road Trip Language
Heading: Talking about a road trip
On a road trip you can describe climate, landscapes, roads, driving and activities.
Useful sentences:
I would like to visit … because
…
I would go with …
I would like to see …
Australia looks
exciting because …
📌 Entry 4: Indigenous Australians
Heading: First Australians
Indigenous Australians are the First Peoples of Australia. Their cultures, stories, art, dances, languages and traditions are an important part of Australian identity. Topics such as Uluru and Aboriginal culture must be discussed with respect.
📌 Entry 5: Emergencies in Australia
Heading: Staying safe in Australia
In Australia tourists must be careful in the Outback and at the beach. Important safety advice includes: drink enough water, stay calm, keep out of danger, swim between the flags, protect your skin and call emergency services when necessary.
📌 Entry 6: Grammar – Talking about stories
Heading: Tenses for personal stories
We use the simple present for habits and regular life. We use the simple past for completed actions in the past. We use the past progressive for actions that were happening at a certain moment.
Examples:
I live near the coast.
We travelled
through the Outback.
It was raining when we arrived.
📌 Entry 7: Giving a presentation
Heading: Presentation Skills
A good presentation has a clear structure, interesting visuals and your own words. Do not just read from your notes. Speak slowly and clearly, look at the audience and ask for questions at the end.
📌 Entry 8: My Opinion
Heading: My opinion about Australia
I think Australia is interesting because …
I would like to visit …
because …
One thing that surprised me is …
In my opinion,
Australia is special because …
I would / would not like to do a
road trip in Australia because …
🎯 Your goals in this course
- I can understand basic facts about Australia.
- I can describe landscapes, cities, animals and life in Australia.
- I can read short articles and find important information.
- I can talk about road trips, places and activities.
- I can understand and use safety phrases for emergencies.
- I can talk about Indigenous Australians respectfully.
- I can use tenses to write a short personal story.
- I can prepare and give a short presentation.
📖 Let us start with this storybook
and now answer these questions referring to the text:
Hier sind 15 abwechslungsreiche Fragen zum Text, aufgeteilt in verschiedene Schwierigkeitsstufen (direktes Textverständnis, Nachdenken & Kombinieren sowie für "Experten").
Da du das Storybook sicherlich für den Unterricht nutzt, habe ich die Fragen auf Englisch formuliert, damit sie direkt zum Text passen.
Direct Text Questions (Einfache Fragen – direkt im Text zu finden)
- According to the text, what is the smallest and flattest continent on Earth?
- Which country is also called the "Land Down Under"?
- What is the name of Australia's tallest peak, and how high is it?
- How much of the Australian continent consists of desert?
- What is the capital of Australia?
- Which city is the largest one you can find in Australia?
- What are the names of the two oceans that surround the continent?
- Where exactly is the Great Barrier Reef located?
- Which state is the largest in size, and which one is the smallest?
Thinking & Connecting Questions (Mittelschwere Fragen – erfordern genaueres Lesen)
- The text mentions that Australia's largest lake is "often dry" and its land is "least fertile". What does this tell us about the climate and the nature there?
- In which part of Australia do most people live? Why do you think that is, looking at the description of the other states?
- Why is the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) special when you look at its location on a map?
Animal & Culture Expert Questions (Für echte Australien-Experten)
- What makes mammals like the platypus and the echidna so unique compared to most other mammals?
- Can you name at least four marsupials (Beuteltiere) or other unique animals mentioned in the text?
- What are the two popular nicknames for Australia used at the end of the story?
💬 Discuss these questions with your partner or in class. Write down your answers in your notebook.
📚 Book Path: How this Moodle course follows the unit
The Moodle course is built around the main steps from the book unit. Use this path when you want to know where you are in the unit.
1️⃣ Life Down Under
Map, photos and first questions: nicknames, cities, landscapes, animals, climate, driving on the left and seasons.
Skill: activating prior knowledge and speaking.
2️⃣ An Australian road trip
Watch, collect and compare notes about climate, landscapes, roads, driving and activities.
Skill: listening/viewing and speaking.
3️⃣ Articles from around Australia
Work with short texts about Uluru, new citizens, bushfires, camels and dangerous animals.
Skill: reading for information and reporting to a group.
4️⃣ Emergencies in Oz
RFDS, Outback safety, heat stress, snake bites, beach signs, lifeguards and tourist advice.
Skill: listening, reading, speaking and writing tips.
5️⃣ Pride in my people
Aboriginal culture, music, dance, symbols, First Australians, history, problems today and special culture.
Skill: respectful reading, discussion and writing.
6️⃣ A window on your life
Read personal stories, revise tenses and write your own short personal story.
Skill: writing a real or fictional personal story.
7️⃣ Swerve
Read a longer road story, retell key events and work with characters, suspense and predictions.
Skill: reading, retelling and character work.
8️⃣ Giving a presentation
Learn how to make a presentation clear, interesting and confident.
Skill: preparing, presenting and giving feedback.
1️⃣ Warm-up: First impressions of Australia
Start with the video. While watching, write down at least five words or ideas that come to your mind.
✏️ Mini task
- When I think of Australia, I think of …
- One thing I already know about Australia is …
- One thing I would like to find out is …
- One place I would like to visit is …
2️⃣ Explore: Materials and independent work
Use the following materials to work with the unit. They support the book topics and help you collect ideas for your final product.
🔎 Reading mission
Choose three topics and collect facts in your notebook:
- Uluru and Aboriginal Australians
- immigration and multicultural Australia
- bushfires and natural dangers
- camels in the Outback
- dangerous animals
- beach culture and safety
- life in remote areas
3️⃣ Guided Moodle Course: Life Down Under
Now enter the embedded Australia course. Work step by step and complete the tasks inside the course.
✅ Course checkpoint
- What was the most interesting Australia fact you learned?
- Which book topic did you understand best?
- Which task was difficult?
- Which Australia topic would you like to explore more deeply?
4️⃣ Book-based Learning Modules
These modules connect the Moodle course directly with the book unit. Work through them in order or use them as stations.
🌏 Module A: What do you know about Oz?
Use the map and photos. Answer questions about cities, landscapes, animals, climate, road signs, First Australians and seasons.
Output: Australia fact sheet.
🚗 Module B: An Australian road trip
Watch or imagine a road trip and collect notes about climate, landscapes, roads, driving and activities.
Output: road trip table and speaking notes.
📰 Module C: Articles from around Australia
Read short texts about places, people, animals and problems. Then report your findings to your group.
Output: top three things that make Australia special.
🚑 Module D: Emergencies in Oz
Work with safety tips from the RFDS, beach signs and lifeguard situations.
Output: tourist safety guide.
🖤💛❤️ Module E: First Australians
Learn about Aboriginal culture, history, art, dance, symbols and challenges today. Work respectfully and carefully.
Output: respectful information page.
✍️ Module F: A window on your life
Read personal stories and revise tenses. Then write your own short personal story.
Output: personal story for your dossier.
📖 Module G: Swerve
Work with a longer road story. Retell events, describe characters and predict what happens next.
Output: story map or character network.
🎤 Module H: Giving a presentation
Learn how to structure, practise and present your Australia product.
Output: final presentation with feedback.
🧠 Language Focus: Tenses, useful phrases and passive forms
The book unit works strongly with personal stories and tenses. The existing course also includes passive forms, which are useful for country facts.
1️⃣ Simple present
Use it for habits, facts and regular life.
Example: Many people live on the coast.
2️⃣ Simple past
Use it for completed actions in the past.
Example: We visited Uluru last year.
🧱 Padlet: Australia Knowledge Wall
Share your facts, questions, and creative ideas about Australia on our class Padlet. Post vocabulary, interesting facts, or even a short text about a topic you like.
📌 Padlet Ideas
- Post an Australia fact with a picture.
- Share a useful phrase for a road trip.
- Write about an animal or a place.
- Explain an Aboriginal symbol or tradition.
- Ask a question about the Outback or the cities.
🏆 Final Project: Your Australia Presentation
Choose one of these project formats to show what you have learned about Australia. Be creative and use the material from the course.
🎤 Live Presentation
Present a topic (e.g., Uluru, road trip, animals) with slides and visuals.
📹 Video
Create a short documentary about Australia with voice-over.
🖼️ Poster
Design an informative poster about a specific Australian theme.
✍️ Travel Blog
Write a blog post about a road trip or a visit to a landmark.
🎭 Role Play
Act out a scene in the Outback or at a tourist information centre.
✅ Your project should include:
- at least 5 facts about Australia
- 3 new vocabulary words
- a clear structure
- your own opinion or reflection
- visuals (pictures, maps, etc.)
- good presentation skills
📝 Klassenarbeit – Vorbereitung Unit 1 · 60 min
Hier siehst du, welche Themen aus dem Kurs in der kommenden Klassenarbeit abgefragt werden – und wie du dich optimal vorbereitest.
Facts about Australia
Capital, cities, landscapes, animals, climate, etc.
↳ Kurs: Notebook Entry 1, 2Vocabulary & Phrases
Road trip, emergencies, culture – use in context.
↳ Kurs: Notebook Entry 3, 5Reading Comprehension
Short articles about Uluru, bushfires, etc.
↳ Kurs: Module C, MaterialsGrammar (Tenses)
Simple present, simple past, past progressive.
↳ Kurs: Notebook Entry 6, Language FocusWriting / Speaking
Write a short personal story or give a short talk about a topic from the unit. Use the phrases and structure you learned.
↳ Kurs: Module F, G, H · Project⚡ Schnell-Check: Bist du bereit?
✅ Wenn du alle Punkte abhaken kannst, bist du perfekt vorbereitet!
💭 Abschlussreflexion
Beantworte diese Sätze, um deinen Lernfortschritt zu überprüfen:
- Jetzt verstehe ich besser, dass Australien …
- Eine wichtige Vokabel, die ich gelernt habe, ist …
- Bei der Grammatik (tenses) muss ich noch üben …
- Die interessanteste Tatsache war …
- Für mein Projekt möchte ich …
👩🏫 Lehrerhinweis
Dieser Kurs begleitet die Unit „Australia – Life Down Under“ und kann als Moodle-Lernpfad, als Stationenarbeit oder zur Wiederholung vor der Klassenarbeit eingesetzt werden. Die Struktur folgt den Buchkapiteln und bietet klare Sicherungs- und Vertiefungsmöglichkeiten.
🇦🇺 Australia – Life Down Under · English Grade 9 · Unit 1
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