Places are both similar and different
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Types of Landforms from Mocomi
Australia and its neighbours
Kakadu National Park
Covers more than 20,000 square kilometers, is the biggest national terrestrial park in Australia. Terrestrial means the park is on land only, not water. The park is more than 200 kilometers north of Darwin, in the tropical part of the Northern Territory. the park covers a huge area from the coast in the north, to the rocky ridges and stone country in the south, and floodplains, billabongs, and lowlands in between. Australia has about 898 bird species that live only in Australia, and about 300 of them can be found at Kakadu National Park. There are also many varieties of animals, fish and plants native to Australia that can also be found there. Many people think Kakadu Park's wildlife, landscape, climate and natural beauty make it a special place, especially the traditional owners, the Binji/Mungguy, who share it with people around the world. the Binji/Mungguy are an aboriginal people who have lived on this country and cared for it for 50,000 years. What makes the park really special is that the area has the oldest surviving human culture in the world today. Kakadu has the longest continuous collection of rock art in the world. You can see Aboriginal Cultural Rock Art at Ubirr and Nourlangie. Kakadu National Park is so special that in 1981 it was placed on the World Heritage list. This means it is special and must be protected. |
AustraliaAustralia is the sixth biggest country in the world but much of the middle part of the country is flat, dry desert and not many people live in the desert. Most people live on the east and south coast where there is plenty of water, trees and plants. There are just 22.5 million people living in this huge country.
Because Australia is so big, the weather and landscape is very difference across the country. For example, there is the Great Dividing Range in the east, the Australian Alps where it snows every year, and the tropical climate in the north. Australia's most famous animal is probably the kangaroo. |
Australia's biggest neighbour is Indonesia, which has more islands and more volcanoes (147) than any other country in the world. Indonesia has thousands of islands, but most people live on 5 or 6 of the very big ones, like Java and Sulawesi. Indonesia has tropical rain forest and farmland and lots of mountains in the bigger islands.
The weather in Indonesia is hot, humid and tropical in most places. Indonesia is much smaller than Australia in size. It would take up more than four Indonesia's to take up the same space as Australia does on a map. But, many more people live in this country than in Australia, over 11 times more! Indonesia's most famous animals is probably the orangutan. Indonesia |
Sumatran Rainforest
Sumatra, Indonesia, the biggest of Indonesian islands that is entirely in Indonesia, once used to be covered entirely in rainforest, which is a forest in a tropical area where it rains a lot. but in just the last 50 years, much of it has been removed because of logging and economic development. Many people think that rainforests are special places and should be protected for many reasons. First, because they produce oxygen which we need to breathe. Second, cutting down the forests releases carbon from the soil and contributes to global warming. But forests are also important because of their natural beauty, and they are home to many native people, wildlife and plants. For example, the Sumatran orangutan is a kind of great ape that can only be found on Sumatra, and it is endangered. Three national parks containing rainforest in the isalnd of Sumatra were made UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2004. There you can find the highest lake in South East Asia (in the Bukit Barisan Andes area) named Lake Gunung Tujuh, the world's biggest flower (Raffleasia arnoldi) and the world's tallest flower (Amorphophallus titanium). |
Mount Bosavi
Papua New Guinea, the second largest island in the world, has a wide variety of different wildlife found nowhere else, and diverse landscape and terrain. It has the largest area of rainforest in Asia, and almost more than 700 species of birds, about the same as Australia. About half the bird species can be found only in Papua New Guinea. The Yellow Capped Pigmy Parrot, is the smallest kind of parrot, and is not much bigger than an adult thumb. This parrot can be found in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. A California scientist, Dr. Jack Dumbacher, in 2009 went on an expedition to Papua New Guinea with a team of scientists to explore as area around Mount Bosavi, an extinct volcano in a remote area. The volcano rises out of the Lowlands of New Guinea and is not attached to any other mountains. Some areas of Mount Bosavi are part of the Sulamesi Wildlife Management Area. There is a lit of mining, oil drilling and logging activity in the area. These activities threaten the wildlife and landscape. The scientist's goals during their expedition discovered 40 new species, including 16 frogs, 3 fish, spiders, bats and a giant rats 82 centimeters long. |
Papua New GuineaAustralia's neighbour to the east is Papua New Guinea, and is much smaller than Indonesia. In fact, the western half of the island it occupies is actually part of Indonesia. Only the eastern half is Papua New Guinea.
Australia is more than 16 times bigger than Papua New Guinea, which is very mountainous with coastal lowlands and rolling foothill,s and rain forest. The middle part of Papua New Guinea has a high ridge of mountians called the Highlands, which has densely packed forest. the climate is tropical with monsoons, there is also lots of volcanic activity. Most recently on August 29, 2014 when Mount Tavuvur erupted erupted on the island of New Britain. Papua New Guinea has an amazing array of unusual wildlife, like the Queen Alexander Bird wing butterfly, the biggest butterfly on the planet with a wingspan of 28 centimeters. |
New ZealandAustralia's neighour to the south is New Zealand, which is like Australia in that most people do no live in the middle part of the country, because it is so mountainous.
New Zealand has two main islands, the South Island, which is long and narrow, and the North Island. Most people live in cities on the North Island. New Zealand is also much small than Australia. it would take more than 28 New Zealand's to fill the space Australia takes up on a map. There are often earthquakes in New Zealand, and there is also volcanic activity. The climate is temperate which means it is not too hot, not too cold, but just right. New Zealand's most famous animal is the kiwi, a flightless bird. |
Fiordland National Park
many people think New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, the country's biggest national park and a UN World Heritage Site, is a very special place. Fiordland, on the south western part of the South Island, was created by glaciers more than 100,000 years ago, and has many fiords, which are u-shaped glacier carved valley flooded by the sea. Fiordland has many sections of ocean between high rocks, tall waterfalls, shimmering lakes, rolling valleys and nearly 500 kilometers of walking trails. Three of the most popular long walks in New Zealand are at the Fiordland National Park; the Routeburn Track, Kepler Track, and Milford Track. The most popular walking path is the Milford Track, which lets you walk for 53 kilometers, enjoying nature and the beautiful alpine and fiord scenery. If you decide to go on New Zealand's most popular walk, you will start at the head of LAke Te Anau, continue through mountain passes, suspension bridges and boardwalks to enjoy breathtaking views of mountain peaks, valleys and waterfalls. |
Climate types of Australia
Australia's state capital climate graphs
Climate is the average weather in a place over a long time. For example, Europe and North America have a climate with warm summers and cold winters. The weather, however, can change from day to day. It might be sunny one day, and rainy the next. (Morgan 1999, p.6)
Different parts of the world have different climates. Some climates are hot and other climates are cold. Some climates have alot of rain and other climates are very dry. Some climates have four seasons, others have two.
Tropical climates
• Tropical climates stay warm all year round.They usually only have two seasons: the wet season (when it rains a lot) and the dry season (when it does not rain).
Desert climates
• Desert climates are very hot in the daytime but can be cold at night-time. Deserts arevery dry. They do not get a lot of rain.
Temperate climates
• Temperate climates have four seasons. In summer it is hot, in spring and autumn it is warm, and in winter it is cold. Rain can fall at any time of year, but falls mostly in winter.
Polar climates
• Climates in the Arctic and Antarctica are very cold in winter and less cold in summer. Polar areas are sometimes called cold deserts because they get little rain.
Different parts of the world have different climates. Some climates are hot and other climates are cold. Some climates have alot of rain and other climates are very dry. Some climates have four seasons, others have two.
Tropical climates
• Tropical climates stay warm all year round.They usually only have two seasons: the wet season (when it rains a lot) and the dry season (when it does not rain).
Desert climates
• Desert climates are very hot in the daytime but can be cold at night-time. Deserts arevery dry. They do not get a lot of rain.
Temperate climates
• Temperate climates have four seasons. In summer it is hot, in spring and autumn it is warm, and in winter it is cold. Rain can fall at any time of year, but falls mostly in winter.
Polar climates
• Climates in the Arctic and Antarctica are very cold in winter and less cold in summer. Polar areas are sometimes called cold deserts because they get little rain.
Climate types of the World
Similarities and differences between places
1. Look at climate graphs on Weebly
2. Pick two climates to investigate, print and stick into book
3. Answer questions about the two places
4. Create and answer three of your own questions
5. Complete a Venn diagram about the similarities and differences
6. Write a reflection on what you have learnt
2. Pick two climates to investigate, print and stick into book
3. Answer questions about the two places
4. Create and answer three of your own questions
5. Complete a Venn diagram about the similarities and differences
6. Write a reflection on what you have learnt
Australia's neighbours climate graphs
What is on Treasure Island?
1. Using the directions on the next page, plot and complete the Treasure Island.
2. Figure out how to get the treasure past the pirate!
2. Figure out how to get the treasure past the pirate!
Save our school
1. Read letter from developer
2. Look at a range of persuasive written pieces (Weebly)
3. Create a letter in response to the developer to save our school
2. Look at a range of persuasive written pieces (Weebly)
3. Create a letter in response to the developer to save our school