Australia and The Great Barrier Reef
Describe an atoll reef.
An atoll reef is a circular reef with a lagoon in the center.
What is the capital of Australia?
Canberra
Who is the current head of state of the British Commonwealth of Australia?
Queen Elizabeth II
What were some hardships the Europeans faced during their stay in Australia?
Starvation and disease.
What did James Cook discover on the east coast of Australia?
All kinds of new plants and animals, including kangaroos. The Great Barrier Reef.
Why did the British colonize some parts of Australia?
The British wanted to start a convict settlement in Australia.
How did the arrival of European settlers change the lives of the Aborigines people?
The European settlers built cities and farms on the land of the Aborigines and the Aborigines were forced to move.
What is the total area of the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef covers around 80,000 square miles.
How are the Aborigines people treated today?
The government has invested in their health and educational services and greater recognition of Aboriginal land rights. Many show their appreciation of Aboriginal art, musical instruments, and artifacts.
About how long ago did the Aborigines settle in Australia?
They are believed to have come from Indonesia around 50,000 years ago.
True or False. The economy of Australia is mostly based on the exportation of agricultural goods.
True. Australia produces wheat, wool, fruit, wine, and beef.
True or False. Boomerangs can be used to make music.
True. Boomerangs can be used to make music by clapping two of them together to create a rhythm or sound effect.
True or False. Climate change will cause damage to the Great Barrier Reef?
True. Warmer and more acid water will slow the calcification of the reef and it will become brittle. The reef may also loose its color and many species living in the area will be in danger as well.
What are two types of pollution that threaten the Great Barrier Reef?
Water from the mainland is polluted with insecticides and garbage.
Who discovered Australia?
William Janszoon, a Dutch captain, discovered Australia in 1606.
What were boomerangs made of?
Wood. They were made from the roots of the mulga or wattle trees because the roots already had the shape of the boomerang.
What is "Dreamtime"?
"Dreamtime" is the time when the earth was created and the beginning of life.
What is a Coral Cay?
A Coral Cay is an island that is formed from piled up coral sand. Coral sand is formed when waves hit dead coral breaking it into tiny pieces. Coral Cays are hard to see and almost impossible to reach because sharp coral may damage boats.
Describe a barrier reef.
A barrier reef grows at some distance from the coast before coming close to the surface. It is separated from the shore by a lagoon.
Name 3 animals that live in the Great Barrier Reef.
Answers may vary: seabirds, whales, sharks, coral, mollusk, clams, crabs, lobsters
Name two of Australia's natural resources.
Australia has many natural resources such as metals and minerals and is one of the biggest gold producers in the world.
What was the first name given to Australia by the European explorers?
Australia was first named New Holland.
What conditions are needed for coral reefs to form?
Coral reefs need clean, warm water in shallow seas to form.
What is the name of the trumpet-like instrument played by the Aborigines?
Digeridoo
True or False. Aborigines people settled into one place to live.
False. Aborigines people were nomads. They traveled around to different parts of the country.
True or False. All boomerangs are returning boomerangs.
False. Not all boomerangs return.
True or False. There are only 5 tribes of Aborigines people and they all spoke the same language.
False. Originally, there were over 600 different tribes and they all spoke different languages.
True or False. The government is doing nothing to protect the Great Barrier Reef and the plant and animal species that live there.
False. The Australian Government has spent over 300 million dollars to save the reef. Laws are also in place to protect the reef.
Describe a fringing reef.
Fringing reefs are made up of coral growth that is in shallow, warm water near the coast.
What are the three kinds of coral reefs?
Fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atoll reefs.
What was the goal of James Cook's first expedition?
He wanted to observe the planet Venus and to find a southern continent.
What were boomerangs originally used for?
Hunting and killing.
Where was the oldest boomerang found?
In Poland! It is about 20,000 years old.
Where is the Great Barrier Reef located?
The Great Barrier Reef is located along the east coast of Queensland, Australia in the Coral Sea.
When was the first boomerang believed to have been invented?
The boomerang was invented between 25,000 and 50,000 years ago.