Find out where rain comes from and what geysers look like! Read about soil becoming too salty and why greenhouse gases are increasing. Did you know that fog is a cloud sitting on the ground and that ice can tell you about the environment of millions of years ago? And what is lightning anyway? Australian Backyard Earth Scientist is full of fantastic photos and fascinating information that help explain different aspects of earth science - a science that discovered how old the Earth is, what fossils tell us, how mountains were created, what causes earthquakes, what the difference between weather and climate is, and why glaciers are melting. From the beginnings of the planet through to climate change, 'Australian Backyard Earth Scientist' includes interesting and fun facts and projects help develop an understanding and appreciation - like making your own fossils, collecting cloud types, and using tree rings to find out about past weather. Young readers can discover the influences that have fashioned our earth - and are still acting to change it.

The notion of a vade mecum (it literally means "go with me") has largely disappeared from use, but this ebook is a guide for strangers and locals to carry on phone or tablet when they visit one of Australia's biological wonders, a place where 500 species of plant live on 250 hectares (a square mile in old currency) of desperately poor sandy soil, along with an amazing range of animal and other life forms. The vade mecum is back! People entering Sydney Harbour or taking a ferry to Manly see North Head to starboard, and admire the 80-metre cliffs, but they don't realise that they are looking at a sand-tied island, a piece of rock which is over 200 million years old, and even the locals don't know that we have so many plant species growing there, not to mention ants, pythons, butterflies, weevils, water dragons, ticks, birds, possums, dragonflies, bandicoots, echidnas, tree snakes, lichens, stick insects, snails, spiders, lichens, fungi, colourful bacteria, bird of paradise flies, ant lions, frogs and much more on the 10,000-year-old sandhills that formed in the last Ice Age. Peter Macinnis is biology-trained and cares about rocks, but prefers to call himself a naturalist, and he has played on, and walked over, the headland for more than 70 years (how much more, he won't say, admitting only to being of advanced middle age). This is a revised version (August 2024) of a print book, optimised for reading on your mobile phone or tablet. He has worked as a volunteer on land care projects on North Head since 2013, and his photos of his finds fill this book. He knows where the bodies are buried — and they aren't all in the Third Quarantine Cemetery! Peter wins awards when he writes for children, and while this book is written for teens and up, the clarity is there to allow eight-year-olds who resemble him at that age to learn a great deal about the rocks, plants, animals and lesser life forms, all of which may be found in this naturalists' wonderland.

Children′s literature is a powerful resource that can inspire a young reader’s lifetime love of reading, but how can you ensure that your literacy teaching uses this rich creative world to its fullest? This book gives pre-service primary teachers an in-depth guide to each major type of children′s book, examining the form, structure and approach of each. From fairy tales and non-fiction to picture books and digital texts, learn what qualities underpin outstanding children′s literature and how you can use this to inspire rewarding learning experiences in your classroom. Key features: Each chapter is full of key book recommendations to help you select excellent age-appropriate texts for your learners An international focus across English-language publishing, covering key books from Australian, US and UK authors A special focus on Australian indigenous children′s literature Busting popular myths about children′s literature to give you a deeper understanding of the form Evaluation criteria for every genre, helping you to recognise the qualities of high quality books This is essential reading for anyone training to teach in primary schools and qualified teachers looking to improve their professional knowledge. Matthew Zbaracki is State Head of Victoria in the National School of Education at ACU, Melbourne.

This book is written by Peter Macinnis, the recipient of the Eve Pownall award in the 2010 Children's Book Council of Australia Awards for the sister publication, Australian Backyard Explorer. In Australian Backyard Naturalist, Peter enthusiastically explores the animals that inhabit the places in which we live, from the furry to the slimy, the large to the tiny. He keeps readers entertained with stories about his own adventures with Australias creepy crawlies and other creatures, as well as collectors and naturalists stories from the times of first European settlement to recent times.

Recommended for ages 10-14 and packed with celestial maps and historical material, this title explains the southern night skies in a fun and interactive way.

Australian Backyard Explorer has been recognised on the 2011 White Ravens list for international children's and youth literature. Produced each year by the International Youth Library in Germany, the White Ravens recognise 'books of international interest that deserve a wider reception on account of their universal theme' or 'their exceptional and often innovative artistic and literary style and design'. Australian Backyard Explorer tells the stories of many intrepid individuals who explored the Australian continent in the first 120 years of European settlement. It includes little known explorers as well as the old favourites, such as James Cook, Edward John Eyre, Robert Oe(tm)Hara Burke and William John Wills. There are tales not only of tragedy, conflict and death, but also of loyalty, amazing perseverance and wonder over the new animals and landscapes they encountered.

Contains a history of earth sciences, providing definitions and explanations of related topics, plus brief biographies of scientists of the twentieth century.