HASS · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Local Landmarks and Their Stories

Active, hands-on learning makes abstract concepts real for Year 1 students. When children walk, talk, draw, and sort, they connect classroom ideas to their own lived experiences. This builds lasting memory and respect for local heritage as they become active storytellers of their community.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS1K04

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 45 min · Whole Class

Community Walk: Landmark Mapping

Lead a short walk around the school neighbourhood to spot 3-5 landmarks. Students sketch or photograph each one and note one fact or story from a teacher prompt. Back in class, combine sketches into a class map.

What are some important places in our local area? Why are they special to the people who live here?

Facilitation Tip

During the Community Walk, carry a walking stick with a small basket to hold found objects like leaves or pebbles; these become sensory anchors for later drawing and discussion.

What to look for

Provide students with pictures of various local places. Ask them to sort the pictures into two groups: 'Natural Landmarks' and 'Built Landmarks'. Then, ask them to point to one picture and say one reason why it might be special to their community.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

Pair Interviews: Family Place Stories

Pairs prepare 2-3 questions about a family member's special local place. Students interview at home or via phone, then share one story with the class using props like drawings. Record stories on chart paper.

What stories do people tell about an important place in our local area?

Facilitation Tip

When conducting Pair Interviews, provide sentence stems on cards and model how to ask a follow-up question like ‘Why do you think that place is special?’

What to look for

Ask students to think about a special place in their neighborhood. Prompt them with: 'Imagine you are talking to someone who has never visited our town. What is one important thing you would tell them about this place? What story could you share about it?' Record their responses.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Group Timelines: Landmark Histories

In groups, research one landmark using books, photos, or guest input. Create a simple timeline with drawings showing past, present, and future ideas. Groups present to rotate and learn from others.

How might different people feel differently about the same special place?

Facilitation Tip

In Small Group Timelines, give each group a strip of paper that wraps around the room; this physical loop helps students see history as continuous rather than separate events.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one local landmark and write one word or short phrase describing why it is important. Collect these as they leave the classroom.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 25 min · Individual

Feelings Sort: Perspectives on Places

Provide images of local landmarks. Individually sort sticky notes with feelings (happy, sad, proud) onto images. Discuss in whole class why views differ, using student examples.

What are some important places in our local area? Why are they special to the people who live here?

Facilitation Tip

For Feelings Sort, provide picture cues of faces showing different emotions and allow students to place them near photos of landmarks to make abstract feelings concrete.

What to look for

Provide students with pictures of various local places. Ask them to sort the pictures into two groups: 'Natural Landmarks' and 'Built Landmarks'. Then, ask them to point to one picture and say one reason why it might be special to their community.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers begin with the child’s world and move outward. Use young learners’ natural curiosity about their immediate environment to build geographical and historical thinking. Avoid overwhelming detail; instead, focus on one or two clear stories per landmark. Research shows that when students physically visit and record places, their sense of belonging and curiosity deepens significantly.

Students will confidently point to landmarks on a map, share at least one story about a place, and show awareness that different people may feel differently about the same spot. Their work will include labeled maps, interview notes, timelines, and feeling sorts that reflect both facts and feelings.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Community Walk: Landmark Mapping, watch for students who only point to large buildings and say, ‘That’s the only landmark.’

  Prompt them to consider smaller spots like the big tree near the fence or the painted rocks on the footpath. Ask, ‘Who might treasure this place?’ to shift attention to community significance.

• During Feelings Sort: Perspectives on Places, watch for students who place all faces on one side of the landmark photo.

  Model contrasting feelings by holding up two face cards and saying, ‘Some kids feel happy here because they play here every day. Others might feel quiet because this is where their grandpa rests.’ Guide students to add multiple perspectives.

• During Small Group Timelines: Landmark Histories, watch for students who draw events in separate boxes without showing change over time.

  Provide a long strip of paper and demonstrate how to overlap events. Ask, ‘What happened first? What came after that?’ to reinforce sequencing and continuity.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Inside-Outside Circle