Geographical Features Teaching Resources
Teach about geographical features in your HASS classes with printable worksheets, interactive activities, instructional slide decks and more Australian curriculum-aligned and teacher-created resources.
This teaching resource collection includes editable options so you can easily make the edits you need to fit your lesson planning needs. You'll also find resources that have already been differentiated for your students.
Best of all? Each printable and digital resource has been reviewed by the teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure it's classroom-ready, so you can download and begin using it in the classroom right away.
New to teaching about the planet's different geographical features, or looking for some fresh ideas to explore mountains, lakes and more? The teachers of Teach Starter have put together this handy primer.
What Is a Geographic Feature? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Are you trying to explain geographical features to your students? Here's a simple definition for kids:
A geographical feature is a natural or human-made characteristic of the Earth's surface.
What Are Examples of Geographic Features?
OK, so that's what it is. But what, exactly are we talking about? Let's look at some examples of major geographic features to make the concept of features of geography more concrete for your students!
Examples of Natural Geographic Features for Kids
The physical and environmental characteristics of the Earth's surface that are created by natural processes — such as plate tectonics, erosion, weathering, and volcanic activity — are natural geographical features.
They're important because they shape our entire environment, determining everything from the distribution of plant and animal species to influencing climate patterns, and they provide natural resources for human societies. They also tend to become landmarks and tourist attractions.
Examples of major physical features of our Earth include:
- Mountains (e.g., the Rocky Mountains, the Andes, the Himalayas)
- Rivers (e.g., the Amazon River, the Nile, the Finke River)
- Lakes (e.g., Lake Albina, Lake Victoria, Avoca Lake)
- Oceans (e.g., the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean)
- Deserts (e.g., the Sahara, the Mojave Desert, the Gobi Desert)
- Islands (e.g., Heard Island, Madagascar, the Galapagos Islands)
- Plains (e.g., Bogong High Plains,Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains)
- Valleys (e.g., Hunter Valley, Clare Valley, Jamison Valley)
- Volcanoes (e.g., Mount Fuji, Mount Vesuvius, Mount Schank)
- Caves (e.g., Jenolan Caves, Careys Cave, Wellington Caves)
Examples of Human-Made Geographical Features for Kids
The other major type of feature of geography is the human-made kind. These physical and environmental characteristics of the Earth's surface are created or modified by human activities. These features are usually built to serve a specific purpose, such as transportation or communication.
These features also have cultural and historical significance, and they can be tourist attractions.
Examples of this type of feature include:
- Cities (e.g., Brisbane, Tokyo, Mumbai)
- Roads (e.g., the Great Ocean Road, the Trans-Amazonian Highway)
- Bridges (e.g., the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Tower Bridge)
- Canals (e.g., the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, the Alexandra Canal)
- Dams (e.g., the Bendora Dam, the Three Gorges Dam, the Aswan High Dam)
- Airports (e.g., Alice Springs Airport, Heathrow Airport, Changi Airport)
- Railroads (e.g., the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Orient Express, the Eurostar)
- Harbours (e.g., Sydney Harbour, the Port of Shanghai, the Port of Singapore)
- Parks (e.g., Purnululu National Park, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Tomaree National Park)
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Year 6 Reading Fluency Passages
Assess student fluency with a printable pack of reading fluency passages for Year 6.
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Great Barrier Reef Comprehension and Note Taking Worksheet
Learn about The Great Barrier Reef with a reading comprehension and note-taking activity.
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World Map with Countries - Black and White
Teach your students about the continents and countries of the world with this black-and-white world map.
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Labelling the Continents and Oceans Worksheets
Turn Geography into a fun and educational learning experience with our cut-and-paste worksheets!
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What Makes Australia Unique Posters
A set of 6 educational posters highlighting some of the things that make Australia unique
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The World's Continents and Oceans – Teaching Presentation
Explore the seven continents and five oceans of the world with this comprehensive teaching presentation.
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World Mapping Features – Teaching Presentation
Explore the key map features of world maps with this 18-slide PowerPoint presentation.
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Ecosystem Poster Pack
Introduce your students to the different types of ecosystems with a set of printable Ecosystem posters.
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Time Zones World Map
A poster to display in the classroom to show the different time zones of the world.
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Australian Landform Map
A map of Australia showing the major landforms.
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Diagram of a Volcano - Labelling Worksheet
Label the volcano diagram with a printable worksheet.
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Natural vs. Man-Made Features - Sorting Activity
A sorting activity to help students identify the natural and human features of environments.
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The Continent of Australia PowerPoint
A 20 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when introducing students to the geographical features of Australia.
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Natural Landmarks of Australia - Poster Pack
10 beautifully designed posters about some of Australia's most famous natural landscapes.
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Natural Disasters - Illustrated Vocabulary Display
Reinforce science vocabulary in your classroom with this set of illustrated and annotated natural disaster word wall cards.
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Natural Disaster Posters
Posters with pictures for eight different types of natural disasters.
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Map of the World's Climate Zones
Display this climate zone map in your classroom while teaching about the 6 climate types.
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Natural Resources Word Search
Review the different natural resources with a word search.
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Exploring Environments and Places - Geography Word Wall Vocabulary
77 environments and places vocabulary cards.
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Geographic Landforms Features Poster and Worksheet
Add this poster of different types of geographic features of Earth to your classroom walls to provide a visual reference for students.
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The Continent of Asia - Teaching Presentation
Familiarise your students with the physical and human geography of Asia with this comprehensive teaching presentation.
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Natural, Managed or Constructed? - Worksheet
A worksheet that explores natural, managed and constructed features.
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Introduction to Environments Poster Set
A set of 5 posters displaying different environments around the world.
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Coniferous Forest PowerPoint
An 11 slide editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when learning about coniferous forests.
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Natural and Built Environments Sort Activity
A natural and built environments sort activity.
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Tropical Rainforest PowerPoint
An 11 slide editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when learning about tropical rainforests.
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Ocean Food Chain - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Create an ocean food chain to show how energy flows between organisms with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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The Continent of Europe - Mini-Book
Explore the wonders and delights of the continent of Europe with this informative printable mini-book.
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The Continent of Africa - Mini-Book
Explore the wonders and delights of the continent of Africa with this informative printable mini-book.
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Natural, Managed, and Human-Made Features Posters
Identify the natural, manmade, and managed features of environments with printable anchor charts.
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National Tree Day Activity Pack
Celebrating National Tree Day with a pack of exciting activities!
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Amazon Rainforest Facts - Reading Passage
Read and learn about conservation with a reading passage and comprehension worksheet on the Amazon Rainforest.
- Geographical Features Worksheets
- Geographical Features Posters
- Geographical Features Teaching Presentations
- Geographical Features for Foundation Year
- Geographical Features for Year 1
- Geographical Features for Year 2
- Geographical Features for Year 3
- Geographical Features for Year 4
- Geographical Features for Year 5
- Geographical Features for Year 6
- Geographical Features for Year 7