Christmas in Australia! Learn Australian History, Culture, & Christmas Tradition

This is a one-time class similar in structure to my Journey Around the World Social Studies Class.

Students will develop a good understanding of global geography, historic trade routes, political ties and colonization. Why is Spanish predominantly spoken in Central America? Because it was colonized by Spain. Why is Portuguese spoken in Brazil? Same answer. French in Morocco? That's an interesting one...

This is a true social studies course in how it is interdisciplinary. We cover geography, history, culture, religion, political structures, natural wonders and wildlife, foods. What would you want to do if you went to Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo or the Gobi Desert? These will be the things we talk about as we go to those places.

Over time, the kids will be exposed to lots of different cultures, religions, political structures. They'll have a sense for where these places are in the world. They'll learn tips and clues for finding different places on a map.  In this class, we will focus on on Australia, specifically a holiday trip to Australia, with some discussion of Australia's neighbors in Oceana.

We live in a big and fascinating world and one of my goals with my classes is to help kids develop an interest and appreciation for the world around them and different cultures. My classes draw from my own experiences as a world traveler. I've visited and lived abroad in seventeen countries. Much of what we do in my classes is the same type of research I would do on a destination before I would travel to that country. I'm also the former deputy director of the historic home of President Ronald Reagan and in 2010 was a candidate for United States Congress.

55 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.