Canberra – the capital of Australia

Lesson

Canberra – the capital of Australia                      

Aims:

• to develop thinking skills;
• to practice writing;
• to expand students’ knowledge about  the capital of Australia;
• to teach students to work in groups;
• to broaden their outlook;
• to develop speaking, reading skills.

Materials:  map of Australia, handouts, multimedia complex, CD record of a text.

PROCEDURE

1. Warm-up

Read the poem and discuss it.

 “This is a unique, vivid insight from a true child of early Canberra.” (Canberra Times)

Canberra My Home

    Utopian city, a once-upon-a-time

 raised from nothing on a nowhere plain

 by conjurer politicians and architectural magicians,

 who vanished after all their wizard games

 and left their wands still rousing on the lilting hills

 the whirls and swirls of their sleek incantations

 to weave forever-after mystifying maze

 where men might lose themselves in dense plantations.

    Utopian city, myth of a children’ fable,

 a vision city on a shining ground

 glittering in the mind, if not the sunset,

 ideal city from our dreamtime found

 as if the drafting board of dream’s town plan,

 drawn by many another blueprint hand,

 could  make our desert of disorder bloom

 with jewels of perfect laws to exalt our land.

    Utopian city, history as old as time

 resides in the grasp of all its winding ways,

 lurks in the shadows of its shady avenues

 and haunts its drowsy inward turning days

 that wayward history of one only certainty

 the turbulent untidy heart of man

 will overturn and tumble hierarchy

 that seeks to regiment with neat town plans.

2. Reading.

Read the text and do the tasks which follow.

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of 374,245, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), 280 km (170 mi) south-west of Sydney, and 660 km (410 mi) north-east of Melbourne. A resident of Canberra is known as a "Canberran".

The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely planned city outside of any state, similar to the American Federal District of Columbia. Following an international contest for the city's design, a blueprint by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was selected and construction commenced in 1913. The Griffins' plan featured geometric motifs such as circles, hexagons and triangles, and was centered on axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks in the Australian Capital Territory.

   The city's design was influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title of the "bush capital". The growth and development of Canberra were hindered by the World Wars and the Great Depression, which exacerbated a series of planning disputes and the ineffectiveness of a procession of bodies that were created in turn to oversee the development of the city. The national capital emerged as a thriving city after World War II, as Prime Minister Robert Menzies championed its development and the National Capital Development Commission was formed with executive powers. Although the Australian Capital Territory is now self-governing, the federal government retains some influence through the National Capital Authority.

   As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance, such as the Australian War Memorial, Australian National University, Australian Institute of Sport, National Gallery, National Museum and the National Library. The Australian Army's officer corps are trained at the Royal Military College, Duntroon and the Australian Defense Force Academy is also located in the capital.

   As the city has a high proportion of public servants, the federal government contributes the largest percentage of Gross State Product and is the largest single employer in Canberra. As the seat of government, the unemployment rate is lower and the average income higher than the national average, while property prices are relatively high, in part due to comparatively restricted development regulations. Tertiary education levels are higher, while the population is younger.

3. Post-Reading Activities with the focus on writing.

Finish the sentences.

1. Canberra is the … .
2. A resident of Canberra is … .
3. The city's design was influenced by … .
4. As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is … .
5. It is also the location of many … .
6. As the seat of government, the unemployment rate is … .
7. As the seat of government, the unemployment rate is … .
8. Tertiary education levels are … .

    4. Write which 4 facts from the text about Canberra impressed you most of all.

5. Listening. Work in groups.

Teacher: You are divided into three groups. One pupil is from Ukraine, another from Australia. One of you are an interviewer. Speak about the capital of Australia.

Places of interest in Canberra.

  There are plenty of things to see and do all the year round in Canberra. There's plenty of festivals, markets, big events such as Floriade (September - October), The Royal Canberra Show (February), National Folk Festival (Easter), National Multicultural Festival (February), Summer Car Festival (early January), including a large number of other events as well.

   There are the main attractions such as Parliament House, Old Parliament House, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, Australian War Memorial, Telstra Tower on Black Mountain, National Library of Australia, Gold Creek Village, the National Botanic Gardens, National Zoo and Aquarium, National Capital Exhibition Centre and quite a few other attractions as well such as the Embassies, the Japanese Garden, Lake Burley Griffin where you can hire a bikes, paddle boats, go on a lake cruise or go for a walk around the lake.

  Among the Canberra's attractions are: the Australian Parliament House — where the Prime Minister has his offices, and where the country's House of Representatives and Senate draft and pass legislation affecting not only Australia but also the world - is a popular first stop. It is an imposing white structure on Capital Hill with grass from the sides of the building sweeping up in a carpet of green over the top of the building.

There are several sights overlooking Canberra. These include Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie and Red Hill.

6. Understanding the text.

    Which of these statements are wrong? Correct them.

1. There are plenty of things to see and do all the year round in Canberra.
2. There are the main attractions such as Parliament House, Old Parliament House, National Gallery of Australia, Big Ben.
3. Among the Canberra's attractions are: the Australian Parliament House, the country's House of Representatives and Senate.
4. There are two sights overlooking Canberra.
5. These include Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie and Red Hill.

 7. Speaking

Give a short summary of the text using these words:

things to see

attractions

the Australian Parliament House

the country's House of Representatives and Senate

National Gallery of Australia

Black Mountain

Mount Ainslie

Red Hill

 8. Homework.

Write a letter to your friend and tell him/her about places of interest in Australia.