Australian Education Resources

Royal Netherlands Embassy

Lesson and Activity Ideas

Investigate the history of the Dutch royal family. Present your findings in a poster or PowerPoint presentation.
Students to complete the 'Time Line' activity sheet.
On a map of Australia, find the sites of Dutch shipwrecks. Examine the geography and sea conditions of these areas and try to determine why the wrecks occurred.
Students to complete the 'Famous for What?' activity sheet.
Create a list of facts about the Netherlands. Take a class vote to select the 'Top Ten Fantastic Facts About the Netherlands'.
Investigate the flood of Zeeland in 1953. Present your report in the form of a newspaper article.
Students to complete the 'True/False Culture Crack the Code' activity sheet.
Explore the 'Our Cultures' information in the 'Student Background Information' section and then answer the following questions:
1. What does the word 'Netherlands' mean?
2. Why is this an appropriate name for the country?
3. Why is the Netherlands such a great place for cycling?
4. Is Australia hotter or colder than the Netherlands in summer?
5. In which country are you more likely to eat a sandwich for breakfast?
6. What are poffertjes and what are they made of?
7. What sports do both the Netherlands and Australia enjoy?
8. What is a constitutional monarchy?
9. What do the Australian and Netherlands flags have in common?
10. If you lived in the Netherlands which two languages would you choose to study and why?

Imagine what it would have been like to sail on a Dutch merchant ship to foreign lands in the 1600s. Write a diary about your experiences.
Students to complete the 'Netherlands Mini Author Quiz' activity sheet.
Interview any Dutch people you know (or their parents) and ask about their experiences when they immigrated to Australia.
Students to complete the 'Imagine If...' activity sheet.
Imagine that you have a friend who is coming from the Netherlands to live in Australia. Write a letter telling him or her what to expect. Include a few suggestions about things you think it might be useful to bring.
Students to complete the 'Dutch Find-a-Word' activity sheet.
Students to use the 'Acrostic Poem' activity sheet to write a poem illustrating the friendship between Australia and the Netherlands.

Make a list of the highest points in six countries, including the Netherlands and Australia. Make a scale drawing of these 'mountains' in ascending order.
The currency of the Netherlands is the euro. Find out more about this currency system.
Find out the current exchange rate between the Australian and Dutch currencies.
Which 12 European countries have the euro as their official currency? Which other countries also use the euro? Find and mark all these countries on a map of the world. List five advantages and five disadvantages of sharing a currency with other countries.

Look at some pictures of paintings by van Gogh. Mix some thick paint by adding flour to tempera paint and try to paint your own picture in this style. Be sure to use bright colours.
Design and make a poster to advertise the Netherlands. Use orange as a feature colour.
Students to complete the 'Create Your Own Picture' activity sheet.
Make a sketch of the Duyfken. Paint your paper with weak tea to make it look aged.
Research the background to the designs of the notes and coins of the Netherlands.
Using the 'Celebrate the Friendship Poster' activity sheet, design an 'Australia and the Netherlands - 400 years of Friendship' poster.

Make your own windmill using scrap materials. Can you work out a way to connect the sails to a lever that could pump up and down?
Investigate and report on how the microscope and the pendulum clock were invented.
Investigate and research the design of the ships used by early explorers. Create your own design for the ultimate exploration ship of today.
Research 'Madurodam', a miniature model of the whole of the Netherlands. Create your own miniature model of your school, street, suburb, town, or even city!

Find out about the sport of ice-skating. Why not go on a class excursion to an ice-skating rink?
Have a cycle day to celebrate our 400-year friendship with the Netherlands.
As a class activity find a recipe for poffertjes, and enjoy preparing some Netherlands cuisine.
In the Netherlands there are more bicycles than people and the bicycle is the most popular form of transport. This is great for people's fitness and also for the environment. Contact your local council to find out about bicycle tracks in your area. Could you safely ride a bicycle to school? List some ways of promoting and encouraging bike riding as a form of transport in Australia.

Afrikaans is a language that developed from the Dutch language when the East India Company (VOC) chose the Cape of Good Hope as a resting place en route to the East Indies. List some Afrikaans words and their meanings.
Traditional windmills were used to send messages across the Netherlands. Find out more about this communication system.
Listen to the 'Speak Dutch' section of the website. Students to complete the 'Learn the Dutch Language' activity sheet. How quickly can you speak Dutch?