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)
- Plus Plan
Australian Bush Background
A background for an Australian bush scene.
- Plus Plan
Australian Bush Page Border
A page border with an Australian bush theme.
- Plus Plan
Mountain Page Border
A page border with a mountain theme.
- Plus Plan
Mountain Background
A background for a mountain scene.
- Plus Plan
City Background
A background for a city scene.
- Plus Plan
City Page Border
A page border with a city theme.
- Plus Plan
Beach Background
A background for a beach scene.
- Plus Plan
Desert Background
A background for a desert scene.
- Plus Plan
Desert Page Border
A page border with a desert theme.
- Plus Plan
Landform Word Wall Vocabulary
Show your students examples of different landforms with a set of printable Landform word and picture cards.
- Plus Plan
Water in the World - Geography Word Wall Vocabulary
Seventy-four water in the world vocabulary cards.
- Plus Plan
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.
- Free Plan
Natural and Built Environments - Information Sheets
A set of information sheets for selected natural and built environments.
- Plus Plan
Natural and Built Environments - Special Place Worksheet
A worksheet that requires your students to draw and explain their special place.
- Plus Plan
Natural and Built Environments - Brainstorming Pages
A sheet that provides your students with a space to write or draw their ideas.
- Plus Plan
Built Environments Concept Map
A concept map to use when learning about built environments.
- Plus Plan
Seven US Landmarks Posters
A set of 7 posters highlighting some of the United States most famous Landmarks.
- Plus Plan
Natural and Built Environments Teaching Resource Pack
A pack of posters and worksheets to be used when teaching a unit of work on natural and built environments.
- Plus Plan
Our Place - Australia Unit Plan
This Humanities and Social Sciences unit addresses a range of concepts relating to the natural and human features of Australia.
- Plus Plan
Rivers of Australia
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify, describe and locate rivers in Australia.
- Plus Plan
The Natural Environment of Africa
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the natural environment of the continent of Africa.
- Plus Plan
The Natural Environment of South America - Inquiry Task
A 60 minute lesson in which students will demonstrate their understanding of the natural environment of South America through an open-ended inquiry.
- Plus Plan
The Natural Environment of Africa - Inquiry Task
A 60-minute lesson in which students will demonstrate their understanding of the natural environment of Africa through an open-ended inquiry.
- Plus Plan
Great Southern Land
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the natural and human features of Australia.
- Plus Plan
Reflection of Learning
A 60 minute lesson in which students will reflect on what they have learned about the continents of Africa and South America.
- Plus Plan
The Natural Environment of South America
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the natural environment of the continent of South America.
- Plus Plan
Welcome to South America!
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify some of the countries and major cities on the continent of South America.
- Plus Plan
Where in the World?
A 60 minute lesson in which students will revise world geography.
- Plus Plan
The Topography of South America
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the topographical features of the continent of South America.
- Plus Plan
A Natural Wonder - Our Great Barrier Reef
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the unique natural environment of the Great Barrier Reef.
- Plus Plan
The Andes Mountains
A 60-minute lesson in which students learn how people lived in and adapted to the alpine environment in the Andes Mountains.
- Plus Plan
Australian Capital Cities and Regional Centres
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate the geographical location of capital cities and regional centres around Australia.
- 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