Welcome to Australia!

Introduction

How much do you know about Australia?

Do you even think about the country?

Did you know that Australia is a country and a continent?

What has Australia contributed to the world?

For this webquest, you will research the country and its peoples, culture, values, government, and history.  This is essential to understand the novel we will be reading that is set in Australia.

Task

By the end of this webquest, you will be able to create a travel brochure for potential immigrants and travelers to the country.

Your brochure will include informative articles and advertisements for the culture, the people, scenic/historical places, and cultural events.

You WANT people to come to Australia, and you want them to be prepared, so give them the most information in the most attractive way you can.

I have provided an example in Google Classroom.  Use that as a guideline for setting up a brochure.  One of the things it includes is resort and hotel names.  You don't need that, just focus on the information I require.

Process

1.  You must assign the following roles to the group members:

  • The Geographer: researches the terrain, climate, agriculture, important cities, important historical/cultural sites, and population dispersion.
  • The Historian: researches the 5 most important historical events of Australia.
  • The Sociologist: researches the values of the society, the people (ethnicity, language), customs, holidays, foods, clothing.
  • The Diplomat: researches the government, imports/exports, currency and currency exchange.
  • The Career Advisor: researches the educational system from primary to university and careers/jobs.

To complete this task, each person will need to:

  1. Use the links at the bottom of this page to research your areas, or look at the books.  Explore them, a lot of information is hidden away like little surprises.
  2. Take notes on the information relevant to your job.
  3. In your own Google Doc, write your information in a format that is manageable: lists, short articles, or pictures.  Information specific to a territory should be kept separate from information relevant to the country as a whole.
  4. The number of pages in your document will differ depending on how you want to present information.
  5. Don't number the pages of your document yet because they are not in the group's document.

To create your pamphlet, your group will need to:

  1. Create a Google Doc that everyone can edit.  You can use tables if you like since there is no column option.
  2. Copy and paste the work each member has done into the group document.
  3. Create a Table of Contents and number each page in the brochure.
  4. Organize information:
    1. Each state/territory will have its own section with information relevant to it.
    2. The information that is relevant to Australia as a whole will be divided into categories with Titles for each section (Places of Interest, Culture, Holidays, etc.)
  5. Include pictures of Australia

Links:

Australia's Government Page - Good starting point for most of the information.

Australia's Government Fun Facts page - Quick Sheet of facts

Information Planet's Quick Facts - good for a reference sheet for travelers

Facts about Australia - Travel Information about Australia

Books (to be found in H-13 classroom):

Culture and Customs of Australia by Laurie Clancy

Cultures of the World: Australia by Vijeya and Sundran Rajendra

Cultural Atlas of Australia, New Zealand, and The South Pacific by Richard Nile and Christian Clerk

Evaluation

Your travel pamphlet will be graded on the following:

Making A Brochure : Welcome to Australia!

CATEGORY

4

3

2

1

Sources

Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 95-100% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.

Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 94-85% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.

Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 84-75% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.

Sources are not documented accurately or are not kept on many facts and graphics.

Content - Accuracy

All facts in the brochure are accurate.

99-90% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.

89-80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.

Fewer than 80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.

Attractiveness & Organization

The brochure has exceptionally attractive formatting and well-organized information.

The brochure has attractive formatting and well-organized information.

The brochure has well-organized information.

The brochure\'s formatting and organization of material are confusing to the reader.

Graphics/Pictures

Graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics.

Graphics go well with the text, but there are so many that they distract from the text.

Graphics go well with the text, but there are too few and the brochure seems \"text-heavy\".

Graphics do not go with the accompanying text or appear to be randomly chosen.

Writing - Organization

Each section in the brochure has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Almost all sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.

Most sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.

Less than half of the sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.

Spelling & Proofreading

No spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.

No more than 1 spelling error remains after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.

No more than 3 spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.

Several spelling errors in the brochure.

 

Conclusion

Have you learned how complex the Australian continent and country is?

Have you come to appreciate the wonder of Australia?

Have you learned how Australia has been involved in the world?

Then you are ready to travel to Australia in Tomorrow, When the War Began!!!!!