School life
In a Australia classroom
Many Australian schools include outdoor learning and beach safety programmes.
Typical school day: Often 09:00–15:00 with two breaks.
School year: Late January to mid-December.
All country briefings
Oceania · Country briefing
Australia
A child-friendly mission briefing for 20 November — capital, climate, school day, languages, fun facts, native animals, and five questions to ask the class on the other side of the world.
- CapitalCanberra
- Population~26 million
- Time zoneAustralia/Sydney (UTC +11)
- CurrencyAustralian dollar (AUD)
Australia, with Canberra marked
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Climate in November: Late spring; warm to hot across many regions.
The capital
Canberra
Photo · Wikimedia Commons
Fun facts
What makes Australia a bit special.
Sunrise first
One of the first countries to see the new day
Open lesson
Great Barrier Reef
Visible from space
Open lesson
Marsupials
Home to 250+ species
Open lesson
Outback
Vast red desert covers most of the country
Open lesson
Didgeridoo
An instrument over 1,500 years old
Open lesson
Surf
Bondi Beach is one of the world's most famous
Open lesson
Tap any card to open a class-ready mini-lesson — for the teacher to walk through, or an older child to read aloud.
Native animals
Wildlife your partner class might know best.
- 🦘
Kangaroo
Can hop at 70 km/h
Open lesson
- 🐨
Koala
Sleeps up to 20 hours a day
Open lesson
- 🐹
Wombat
Has cube-shaped poo (true!)
Open lesson
- 🦫
Platypus
A mammal that lays eggs and has a duck bill
Open lesson
- 🦤
Emu
The world's second-tallest bird
Open lesson
Tap any animal to open a class-ready lesson about it.
Greetings to learn
Say hello like a local
- G'day!Australian English
- Hello!English
Five questions to ask
Conversation starters
- 01What's the weather like today?
- 02What's your favourite sport?
- 03What animals live near your school?
- 04What's lunch at your school?
- 05What's a great Australian word you love?
What not to assume
Friendly cautions
- ℹAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have rich, distinct cultures — central to Australia, not a footnote.
- ℹMost Australians live in cities along the coast.
Culture
Food, music, sport, festivals.
Food
Music
Sport
Festivals
Tap any chip to open a class-ready lesson — what it is, why it matters, fun facts.
Reflection prompts
- “What does it mean that Christmas can be in summer?”
- “What would you teach a class on the other side of the world?”
Could your class meet Australia?
Choose Australiawhen you register — we’ll show you the time-zone feasibility.