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Australian Nature Study Guide | Volume 2 | Links & Resource List

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
  • Nature Watch
    • Further Exploring
    • Related Internet Links
    • Literature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn
    • Picture Study
  • Field Mushrooms
    • Related Internet Links
    • Lierature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn:
    • Picture Study
    • Digging Deeper
      • Young Students:
      • Oldest Students:
  • Autumn Tree Study
    • Related Internet Links
    • Literature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn:
    • Picture Study
    • Digging Deeper
      • Young Students:
      • Older Students:
      • Oldest Students
  • EasternLong-necked Turtle
    • Related Internet Links
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn:
    • Picture Study
    • Digging Deeper
      • Younger Students:
      • Older Students:
      • Oldest Students:
  • Earthworms
    • Related Internet Links:
    • Literature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn:
    • Picture Study
    • Digging Deeper
      • Oldest Students:
  • Superb Lyrebird
    • Related Internet Links
    • Literature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn:
    • Picture Study
    • Digging Deeper
      • Young Students:
      • Oldest Students:
  • Moss
    • Related Internet Links
    • Literature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn
    • Picture Study
    • Digging Deeper
      • Young Students:
      • Older Students:
  • Winter Solstice
    • Related Internet Links
    • Literature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn
    • Picture Study
    • Digging Deeper
      • Young Students:
      • Older Students:
      • Oldest Students:
  • Possums
    • Related Internet Links
    • Literature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • A Hymn
    • A Song
    • Picture Study
  • Wattles
    • Related Internet Links
    • Literature Jaunt
    • Poetry Picnic
    • An Aussie Song:
    • Picture Study
    • Digging Deeper
      • Young Students:
      • Older Students:
      • Oldest Students:

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.

kinda-nbp-vol-2-Download
advanced-nbp-vol-2Download
intermediate-nbp-vol-2Download

Nature Watch

Further Exploring

The Australian Backyard Naturalist by Peter Macinnis.

Related Internet Links

Three Prompts for Deeper Nature Observation

Three prompts for deeper nature observation

A Curiosity Framework by John Muir Laws

https://johnmuirlaws.com/a-curiosity-framework/

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.

 God of Creation

Picture Study

A Girl Observing a Spider by Jessie Willcox Smith

Field Mushrooms

Types of fungi are:

  • Boletes and Polypores
  • Stinkhorms and Puffballs
  • Cup Fungi
  • Truffles
  • Coral
  • Flask Fungi

Related Internet Links

  • What are Fungi?(For young kids)
  • Life Cycle of a Mushroom
  • Fungi Time-lapse
  • Identifying a Field Mushroom
  • Death Cap Mushrooms
  • Exploring Fungi
  • Beatrix Potter – Author and Amateur Pioneer Mycologist
  • Australian Fungi
  • Fungi: Why Mushrooms are Awesome: Biology for Kids
  • You Didn’t Know You Could Do All This with Fungi! National Geographic

Lierature Jaunt

Mushroom in the Rain by Mirra Ginsburg

Poetry Picnic

The Toadstool House

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

  • Structure of a Leaf
  • Amazing Process of Photosynthesis
  • Why Leaves Change Colour

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

Autumn Song for Children

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.
  • Play Tree Leaf Bingo.

Older Students:

  • Do a Leaf Colour Chromatography Science Experiment.
  • 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
  • Housing Long-necked Turtles
  • Handling Long-necked Turtles
  • Feeding Long-necked Turtles
  • The Hidden Life of Pond Water
  • Pond Life

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:

  • The Giant Earthworm
  • Worms are Wonderful
  • This is What Happens When You Put Worms in Your Soil
  • Worms Worms Worms
  • The Wiggle Song
  • The Inch Worm by Sesame Street

Literature Jaunt

  • Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
  • 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

The Worm by Ralph Bergengren

Earthworm Unknown

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

  • Australian Animal: Lyrebird
  • Birds in Backyards: Lyrebird
  • Amazing Bird Sounds from the Lyrebird
  • Amazing Bird Mimicking Like Crazy

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)

The Lyretail by C. J. Dennis

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

  • Moss
  • Moss Magic
  • Nonvascular Plants | Biology
  • Moss Reproduction
  • Moss Lifecycle Under a Microscope
  • Collecting and Using Moss

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

  • Winter Solstice Wikipedia
  • Winter Solstice: Shortest Day of the Year
  • Mechanism of the Seasons
  • Indigenous Seasons
  • The Four Seasons Song
  • The Milky Way for Kids
  • Milky Way Time-lapse: New Zealand

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
  • Our Stars by Anne Rockwell
  • Star Gazers by Gail Gibbons

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

Create a telescope.

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
  • Mountain Pygmy Possum

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

Wattle Babbies by May Gibbs

Poetry Picnic

Cootamundra Wattle by Francis Duggan

An Aussie Song:

Cootamundra Wattle by John Williamson

Picture Study

Golden Wattle by Rosa Fiveash

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.’

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Hey Explorer

We have outdoor expeditions to undertake and adventures to embark upon. We’ll explore the outdoors together, side by side, and uncover miraculous mysteries, and secrets. We’ll wander, and wonder in amazement as we become familiar with the Australian fauna and flora.

I desire to come alongside you in the muddle, making nature study the joy it’s meant to be.  Outdoor adventures will become a regular part of your life as you make connections to the natural world with a sense of awe.

Testimonials

Jessie

I looked high and low online for an Australian nature based curriculum and when I found Australian Nature study Guide on Instagram I was so excited to have finally found something that my family can relate to. My favourite thing about this guide is that Marie is so hands on and involved with her customers. I have never felt alone in the journey, she is there to guide and encourage us every step of the way in the Facebook group. Thanks Marie for welcoming us to your nature study family 🙂
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:52:36+10:30
I looked high and low online for an Australian nature based curriculum and when I found Australian Nature study Guide on Instagram I was so excited to have finally found something that my family can relate to. My favourite thing about this guide is that Marie is so hands on and involved with her customers. I have never felt alone in the journey, she is there to guide and encourage us every step of the way in the Facebook group. Thanks Marie for welcoming us to your nature study family 🙂
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/jessie/

Sally

We have really enjoyed the program this term. We have gotten outside more often and the children are definitely taking more notice of things when we are out. Having a place to share what we have done and seen has been an encouragement to keep it up. I sometimes felt like we could spend longer on some topics as they were so interesting but that is probably just my obsessive "we must cover everything now" problem. 
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:48:30+10:30
We have really enjoyed the program this term. We have gotten outside more often and the children are definitely taking more notice of things when we are out. Having a place to share what we have done and seen has been an encouragement to keep it up. I sometimes felt like we could spend longer on some topics as they were so interesting but that is probably just my obsessive "we must cover everything now" problem. 
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/sally/

Cheryl

We didn’t find out about the program until about half way through term, so we played catch up most of the time. I love how open ended the lessons are, but with enough structure to work well for those children needing such a program. We have been able to cover much of the required curriculum whilst enjoying the activities we love. Your program has been such a blessing to us, because we needed a change to our homeschooling lessons which would still cover curriculum, but would enable us to relax and enjoy “school” together. Thank you.
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:50:47+10:30
We didn’t find out about the program until about half way through term, so we played catch up most of the time. I love how open ended the lessons are, but with enough structure to work well for those children needing such a program. We have been able to cover much of the required curriculum whilst enjoying the activities we love. Your program has been such a blessing to us, because we needed a change to our homeschooling lessons which would still cover curriculum, but would enable us to relax and enjoy “school” together. Thank you.
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/cheryl/

Rachel

We began our homeschool journey this year keen to explore all that nature study entails. I had searched the web for weeks to research what we would use as our framework. I cannot describe the elation I felt when I came across an AUSTRALIAN nature study guide! Marie has done all the hard work and put together a wonderfully elaborate resource for all ages. You can dip your toe in or dive right into all the ideas and links. There’s so much here we could spend all week doing nature study, and often we do.
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:53:11+10:30
We began our homeschool journey this year keen to explore all that nature study entails. I had searched the web for weeks to research what we would use as our framework. I cannot describe the elation I felt when I came across an AUSTRALIAN nature study guide! Marie has done all the hard work and put together a wonderfully elaborate resource for all ages. You can dip your toe in or dive right into all the ideas and links. There’s so much here we could spend all week doing nature study, and often we do.
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/rachel/

Valerie

I totally enjoy using the Nature study guide. The children enjoy learning about the different animals and plants.
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:51:39+10:30
I totally enjoy using the Nature study guide. The children enjoy learning about the different animals and plants.
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/valerie/

Sarah

Absolutely love the activity books my whole family can learn together and it’s Australia based. Highly recommend
Nature Study Australia
2018-05-25T15:52:01+10:30
Absolutely love the activity books my whole family can learn together and it’s Australia based. Highly recommend
https://naturestudyaustralia.com.au/testimonials/sarah/
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