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Matt,
If you use a planisphere, you can get an idea of what constellations are in what part of the sky for that particular time of night. Take it outside and locate the brighter stars. A red light torch is best. If you don't have one, you can put red cellophane over an ordinary torch. Try to form the outline of the constellation in the sky.
For example, if you locate Achernar and the three brightest stars of Hydrus you can pin down where the Small Magellanic Cloud should be and also the globular cluster 47 Tuc. They should be visible naked eye under darker skies anyway. Then you can explore them with the binoculars.
Generally, I would suggest you start out with some bright clusters and nebulae. Using a planisphere in conjunction with a more detailed map of a particular constellation, find the brightest stars and roughly locate where a cluster/nebula should be. You can do this to find something like the Great Orion Nebula. If you have have several clusters in a region, you can identify them by looking at what bright stars are nearby. The bright stars act as signposts. These are what you have to identify first.
Some people prefer to use computer software over a planisphere e.g. Stellarium is free. But you need it on a laptop outside.
Regards, Rob
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