People live in places: Important places - homes

Early Stage 1
Geography: Kindergarten
Topic: 
Important places: Homes

People live in places: Important places - homes

Students explore the places they live in and belong to. They develop an understanding of what makes a place special and how this may differ for different people. Students learn about the importance of looking after places.
Key inquiry question #1: 
What are places like?
Key inquiry question #2: 
What makes a place special?
Key inquiry question #3: 
How can we look after the places we live in?

Content summary

Students:

  • investigate the importance of places they live in and belong to, for example: 
    • identification of places they live in and belong to (ACHGK002, ACHGK004)   
    • discussion of why places are special and how people care for them       
    • explanation of why people need to take care of places 

Background notes for teachers

The focus of this sequence of activities is on place. As students will be most familiar with their home, this provides a good introduction to the concept of place. The inquiry can be expanded to include other places students belong to and why they are important. The inquiry leads to actions students can undertake to care for their place.

Student Activities

Activity 1

Homes

Students discuss what a home is and what it encompasses, ie the dwelling, its surroundings, its contents, its occupants.

 

Number of set tasks: 1

Activity 2

Are all homes the same?

Students collectively observe images of dwellings.  Use the ‘Observe’ and ‘Interpret’ questions to guide student observations and interpretations.
 

Number of set tasks: 1

Activity 3

Homes and people

Compare the photos. What is a home? Why is it special? How do people care for their home?

 

Number of set tasks: 1

Activity 4

My home

Students draw a picture of their home or take a photograph of it and identify themselves in their special place at home.

Number of set tasks: 1

Activity 5

Caring for my home

Students share how they care for their home. Through a discussion students explain why people need to take care of their homes and places that are special to them. 

Number of set tasks: 1

Activity: Teachers notes

Activity 1

Engagement and questioning - Discuss what a home is and what it encompasses, i.e. the dwelling, its surroundings, its contents, its occupants and formulate questions for the geographical inquiry.

Activity 2

Visual representations – Students collectively observe images of dwellings (Sources 1-8). Use the ‘Observe’ and ‘Interpret’ questions to guide student observations and interpretations.

Fieldwork – Take students into the school playground to observe the variety of homes near the school. Take photographs to record observations. Students also bring a photograph of their own home.

Activity 3

Processing information - Compare the photos. What is a home? Why is it special? How to people care for their home? What is similar about each of these homes? Make a list. 
Word bank: door, garden, home, live in, people, roof, walls, windows, yard, cleaning, garbage, family, gardening, mowing, privacy, putting away, safety, shelter, raking, sweeping, washing

Activity 4

Representing information  - My home
Draw your home or paste in a photo of it. Write or draw what you like to do at home. 
Draw yourself in your special place at home. Write or draw how you care for your home.

Activity 5

Communicating – Caring for my home
Students share how they care for their home. Through a discussion students explain why people need to take care of their homes and places that are special to them. 
Using a video recording app such as Adobe Voice or PicPlayPost, students present their images from Activity 3 and explain how and why they care for their home and special places. 

Additional resources

Picture books

Home by Carson Ellis​
Home by Jeannie Baker
Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein and Bronwyn Bancroft 

NSW syllabus for the Australian curriculum - Geography

Outcomes

A student:

  • GEe 1 identifies places and develops an understanding of the importance of places to people
  • GEe 2 communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools

Geographical inquiry skills

Acquiring geographical information

  • pose questions and make observations (ACHGS001)
  • record geographical data and information (ACHGS002)

Processing geographical information

  • represent data using charts or graphs (ACHGS003)
  • draw conclusions based on discussions of observations (ACHGS004)

Communicating geographical information

  • present information (ACHGS005)
  • reflect on their learning (ACHGS006

Geographical concepts

  • Place: the significance of places and what they are like e.g. places students live in and belong to and why they are important.
  • Space: the significance of location and spatial distribution, and ways people organise and manage the spaces that we live in e.g. location of a place in relation to other familiar places.
  • Environment: the significance of the environment in human life, and the important interrelationships

LAC

Learning across the curriculum

  • Sustainability
  • Literacy
  • Difference and diversity