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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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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States and Territories of Australia Posters
8 beautifully illustrated posters outlining key information about Australia's states and territories.
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The Continent of Africa PowerPoint
A 20 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when introducing students to the geographical features of Africa.
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Desert PowerPoint
An 11 slide editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when learning about deserts.
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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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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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Natural and Built Environments - Special Place Worksheet
A worksheet that requires your students to draw and explain their special place.
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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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Diagram of a Volcano - Labelling Worksheet
Label the volcano diagram with a printable worksheet.
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Continents and Oceans - Interactive Peg Cards
Turn world geography into a digital learning experience with this interactive activity.
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Continents and Oceans Worksheet
A worksheet to practise identifying the 7 continents and 5 oceans.
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The Natural Environment of Africa - Inquiry Task
An inquiry task focusing on the natural environment of the grasslands of Africa.
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Spaces and Places – Word Wall Vocabulary
30 spaces and places word wall vocabulary cards.
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The Continent of Asia - Mini-Book
Explore the wonders and delights of the continent of Asia with this informative printable mini-book.
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Changes to the Environment – Worksheet
Learn about environmental changes and how they affect living things with this worksheet.
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Our Natural and Built Environments - Poster Pack
Poster with definitions and examples of natural and built environments.
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Five Australian Landmarks Posters
A set of 5 posters highlighting some of Australia's most famous Landmarks.
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Natural and Built Environments - Information Sheets
A set of information sheets for selected natural and built environments.
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The New Seven Wonders of the World — Mini-Book
Teach about the new Seven Wonders of the World with this informative mini-book for year 5 and year 6 students.
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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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Geography Flip Book
A flip book to use when learning about geography.
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10 Fascinating Facts About Beaches – Comprehension Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a magazine article about beaches.
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Uluru Size Comparison Poster
A poster showing the size of Uluru.
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What is a Desert? Poster
A poster with information about the plant life, climate and annual rainfall that characterise a desert environment.
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The Continent of South America PowerPoint
A 20 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when introducing students to the geographical features of South America.
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6 Australian National Parks Posters
A set of six posters with information about Australian National Parks, including how to care for them.
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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 North America - Mini-Book
Explore the wonders and delights of the continent of North America with this informative printable mini-book.
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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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The World's Oceans - Compare and Contrast Activity
Compare and contrast the world’s five oceans with this set of information cards and Venn diagram template.
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The World's Oceans - Comprehension Worksheet
Explore the world’s five oceans with this detailed comprehension passage and related questions.
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Continents and Oceans Board Game
Explore the continents and oceans of the world with this hands-on Geography board game.