The resources and links listed on this page will enhance your nature study lessons for the Australian Nature Study Guide | Volume Two.
Book resources and links have been updated since this volume was published in 2018. Should you encounter an expired link, please let us know, and we’ll fix it.
Should you find a resource that will complement any lesson within the guide, be sure to contact us so that we can add it to the list.
We also welcome photographs of your nature study encounters and activities while using this resource. If you would like to share, please send photographs with a note about your experience or activity and I will add them here to inspire other families on the same unit.
Table of Contents
NOTEBOOK PAGES FOR VOLUME TWO ~ AUTUMN/WINTER
Use the notebooking pages below to capture your nature adventures. Keep them in a file or paste them into a nature notebook or journal. There are three levels: Preschool, Lower Primary, and Upper Primary.
Nature Watch
Further Exploring
The Australian Backyard Naturalist by Peter Macinnis.
Related Internet Links
Three Prompts for Deeper Nature Observation
A Curiosity Framework by John Muir Laws
Literature Jaunt
Fiction
With Nan by Tania Cox and Karen Blair
Out of School and into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story by Suzanne Slade
Girls Who Looked Under Rocks by Jeannine Atkins
Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter
Poetry Picnic
Leisure by William Henry Davies
A Hymn
I Come to the Garden Alone by C. Austin Miles Lyrics and music.
Picture Study
A Girl Observing a Spider by Jessie Willcox Smith
Field Mushrooms
Types of fungi are:
Related Internet Links
- What are Fungi?(For young kids)
- Identifying a Field Mushroom
- Death Cap Mushrooms
- Exploring Fungi
- Beatrix Potter – Author and Amateur Pioneer Mycologist
Lierature Jaunt
Mushroom in the Rain by Mirra Ginsburg
Poetry Picnic
A Hymn:
For the Fruits of His Creation by Fred Pratt Green lyrics and music.
Picture Study
Hygrocybe punicea by Beatrix Potter
Digging Deeper
Young Students:
Create a Montessori Fungus Felt Puzzle.
Oldest Students:
Draw the life cycle of a mushroom. Use this Mushroom Life Cycle diagram illustrated by Tessa Koumoundouros from Gould League as a guide line.
Autumn Tree Study
Related Internet Links
Literature Jaunt
The Anzac Tree by Christina Booth
The Last Tree in the City by Peter Carnavas
Goodbye Summer Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
Poetry Picnic
Come Little Leaves by George Cooper
A Hymn:
Seasons Change by United Pursuit
Picture Study
Golden Leaves by Graham Gercken
Digging Deeper
Young Students:
- Make a leaf rubbing print by using crayons.
- Make leaf prints using paint.
- Make a talking leaf.
- Make leaf people.
- Make a collage of an autumn tree by tearing up paper of different autumn colours and gluing them in the shape of a tree.
- Do this experiment to see leaves breathing.
Older Students:
- Preserve leaves by waxing them like this. Decorate your windows with them.
- Go on a Botany Scavenger Hunt.
- Colour this cross section of a leaf.
- Learn how to draw basic tree shapes.
Oldest Students
- Sketch and paint autumn leaves in your nature journal. Label the anatomy and classify the leaf:
- Is the leaf simple or compound?
- What is the leaf arrangement? Is it opposite, alternate or whorled?
- What is the leaf venation? Is it parallel, pinnate or palmate?
- What is the leaf’s margin? Entire, serrate, dentate, crenate or undulate?
- What is the leaf shape?
- Do a stomata peel. Observe the leaf impression under the microscope.
- Write a report describing the process of photosynthesis.
- Play the Photosynthesis Formula Game.
- Make a skeleton leaf. Alternatively, search for skeleton leaves made by the Gum Leaf Skeletoniser Caterpillar.
- Create leaf art by designing patterns on the leaf with white ink.
EasternLong-necked Turtle
Related Internet Links
- Eastern Long-necked Turtle by Australian Museum
- Eastern Long-necked Turtle by Backyard Buddies
- Long-necked Turtle Up Close
Literature Jaunt
The Impatient Turtle by Janette Oke
Yurtle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
Poetry Picnic
The Little Turtle by Vachel Lindsay
A Hymn:
God, Who Made the Earth by Sarah Betts Rhodes lyrics and music.
Picture Study
Soft Turtles. Animate Creation. 1898
Digging Deeper
Younger Students:
Make an edible pond. Wildlife Watch shows you how.
Older Students:
- Wildlife Watch will show you how to make a pond dipping net and go pond dipping.
- Build a mini wildlife pond.
- Sketch a turtle in your nature journal and label it’s anatomy. Note all your observations and make a list of the creatures available for the turtle’s menu.
- Make a pop-up pond diorama.
Oldest Students:
- Place a few drops of pond water underneath a microscope. What do you see? Sketch and write up a report of what you found.
- Interested in pond life? Investigate it further with a unit study using these ideas. Enjoy!
Earthworms
Related Internet Links:
Literature Jaunt
- Blades of Green: Adventures in Backyard Habitats by Anna Prokos
- Yucky Worms by Vivian French
- Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
- Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser
- Earl the Earthworm Digs for His Life by Tim Magner
- Wiggling Worms at Work by Windy Pfeffer
Poetry Picnic
A Hymn:
Oh God, Creator of All Things by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette lyrics and music.
Picture Study
Common Earthworm by Lizzie Harper
Digging Deeper
Oldest Students:
Do this experiment to observe how sensitive earthworms are to their surroundings.
Superb Lyrebird
Related Internet Links
You can use the Bird Song ID Australia – Automatic Recognition App to identify Australian birds and their songs and play the Bird Song Quiz.
Literature Jaunt
Leonard the Lyrebird by Jodie McLeod
Poetry Picnic
The Lyrebird by Pixie O’Harris (Found in the Pixie O’Harris Treasury of Animal Verse Book)
A Hymn:
Sing to God New Songs of Worship by Michael Baughen lyrics and music.
Picture Study
Lyrebird (Unknown)
Digging Deeper
Young Students:
Listen to the Lyrebird mimic sounds.
Oldest Students:
A Lyrebird specimen was taken to a British Museum. A taxidermist prepared a lyrebird for display. He had never seen a live lyrebird. He presumed its long back feathers would be carried like a peacock. John Gould, later painted the lyrebird specimen as it was displayed. Compare John Gould’s painting with Thomas Davies’s lyrebird artwork. Which one displays the correct position of the body and tail? Discuss the differences you notice. Thomas Davies was the first naturalist and artist to paint and describe the lyrebird.
Moss
Related Internet Links
Literature Jaunt
The Mole Sisters and the Piece of Moss by Roslyn Schwartz
Poetry Picnic
Bell Birds by Henry Kendal: first verse.
A Hymn
Do You Not Know? By Randall Goodgame lyrics and music.
Picture Study
Moss on a Wintery Fence photograph by Lexa Harpell.
Digging Deeper
Young Students:
- Make a Moss Milkshake to paint on pots and rocks.
- Make Moss Ball.
Older Students:
Make a Moss Terrarium in a jar.
Winter Solstice
Related Internet Links
Literature Jaunt
- Walking with the Seasons in Kakadu by Diane Lucas and Ken Searle
- Through the Milky Way on a PB & J by Jackie Kerin
Poetry Picnic
Night in the Bush by E. J. Brady
A Hymn
Sun, Moon and Stars, by Day and Night by James Montgomery lyrics.
Picture Study
Night Sky a photograph by Catalin Anastase
Digging Deeper
Young Students:
Make a Starry Night
Older Students:
Create a Milky Way Galaxy with black card and pastels similar to this piece of artwork.
Oldest Students:
- Use a phenology wheel to record and display the seasonal calendar in your area.
Possums
Related Internet Links
- Possum Poster by Gould League
- Brushtail Possum
- Common Brushtail Possum
- Possums of Australia
- Ring-tailed Possum
- Mountain Pygmy Possums
Literature Jaunt
- Rainforest Lullaby by Sally Odgers and Lisa Stewart
- Possum in the House by Kiersten Jensen
- Possum Goes to School by Melanie Carter
- Possum Games by Michelle Worthington
- Goodnight Possum by Coral Vass
- Blossom Possum by Gina Newton
- Penelope: The Mountain Pygmy Possum by Gordan Winch
Poetry Picnic
Possum’s Song by Pixie O’Harris
The Pixie O’Harris Treasury of Animal Verse
A Hymn
His Got the Whole World in His Hands by Glen Campbell
A Song
Picture Study
Possum up a Gum Tree by Marianne North.
Wattles
Related Internet Links
- Acacias
- Traditional Uses of Wattle
- Aboriginal Use of Wattles
- Burke’s Backyard: WattlesGolden Wreath Wattle
Winter Wattles, for ABC Science,
Literature Jaunt
Poetry Picnic
Cootamundra Wattle by Francis Duggan
An Aussie Song:
Cootamundra Wattle by John Williamson
Picture Study
Digging Deeper
Young Students:
Create a wattle sprig by painting or drawing brown twigs on paper. Then tear and crumple up yellow tissue or crepe paper and paste them onto the sprig to create the wattle blossoms. Here’s how.
Older Students:
Use this method and yellow yarn to make golden wattle pompoms.
Oldest Students:
Read Bajo Paterson’s poem ‘We’re all Australians Now.’