1000 words nature build nature vocabulary and literacy skills

This book is a great place to start a young child’s appreciation for the natural world and to begin to talk about living responsibly on our planet.Jules PottlePrimary science consultant,

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WORDS

NATURE

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NATURE

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The importance of knowing about nature

In this technological age, being aware of the beauty and complexity of nature is an important part of our wellbeing

If you take the time to look and listen to what is around you, you’ll discover all sorts of natural wonders Even on a city street, the world is teaming with plant and animal life, and in every habitat

on Earth, each living organism is important in its own way

Young children are natural explorers They like to touch and smell and immerse themselves in their environment This book will give them the vocabulary to talk about what they have experienced, and build their knowledge of topics relating to wildlife, the

environment, and our planet It will prompt children to ask questions and lead them to look further and to learn more.

I grew up with “elephant” and “giraffe” as familiar words in my alphabet books, but my grandchildren may never see those animals in real life We have reached an important moment in the future of our planet The choices we make now will affect the lives

of our children and our children’s children, so it is important that

we are all fully informed of our impact on the planet and what we can do to protect it This book is a great place to start a young child’s appreciation for the natural world and to begin to talk about living responsibly on our planet.

Jules Pottle Primary science consultant, teacher, trainer, and author

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Contents

Our planetOur world’s resources Humans and nature Nature activitiesWeather

ExtremesKingdoms of living thingsAll sorts of plants

A closer look at treesPlant and fungus life cyclesAnimal life cycles

Animal families Heads, bodies, and feetFeeding time

Communicating

Animal comparisonsAnimal clues

Gardens and parksFields and meadowsWoodlands

Rivers Oceans and coasts Rainforests

SavannahsDeserts MountainsArctic and AntarcticProtecting natureWorking with natureAcknowledgements

6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64

SAFETY INFORMATION

Outdoor recreational activities are by their nature potentially hazardous Parents need to assist and supervise their children for many of the nature activities shown in this book Everyone should assume responsibility for their own actions and prepare for the unexpected for a safer and more enjoyable experience.

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Contents

Our planetOur world’s resources

Humans and nature Nature activities

WeatherExtremes

Kingdoms of living thingsAll sorts of plants

A closer look at treesPlant and fungus life cycles

Animal life cyclesAnimal families

Heads, bodies, and feetFeeding time

Communicating

Animal comparisonsAnimal clues

Gardens and parksFields and meadows

WoodlandsRivers

Oceans and coasts Rainforests

SavannahsDeserts

MountainsArctic and Antarctic

Protecting natureWorking with nature

Acknowledgements

6 8 10

12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64

Earth formed a very long time ago Its landscape and wildlife have changed over time.

Is most of Earth’s surface covered with land or with water?

geyser

outer space

crater

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Sun

meteor

inner core

Which animal from long ago has

a name that means terrible lizard?

crust

stars

mammothichthyosaur

Megazostrodon

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Sun

meteor

inner core

Which animal from long ago has

a name that means terrible lizard?

crust

stars

mammothichthyosaur

Megazostrodon

8

Our world’s resources

Our world is filled with useful materials

We must try not to waste them We also need to reduce the pollution that some materials cause.

fossil fuels

coalgas

petrol car

oil

dieseltruck

oil spill

throw away

008-009_Our_World_s_Resources.indd 8 14/09/2021 11:15

pick up litter

recycle reuse

Renewable resources

insulate houses

wind turbinesolar panels

sustainable energy

recycling bin

compostable plastic

shampoo bar

What things can we recycle and what can we reuse?

water

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pick up litter

recycle reuse

Renewable resources

insulate houses

wind turbine

solar panels

sustainable energy

recycling bin

compostable plastic

shampoo bar

What things can we recycle and what can we reuse?

water

10

Humans and nature

For thousands of years, we humans have made nature work for us We should do this respectfully, taking care of our

planet and the things that live on it.

rabbit

dog

kitten

goldfishhamster

Have you ever taken care of a pet? What do pets need?

fields

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crocodiles

ostriches

snailsbeehives

police horse

Working with water

Farms around the world grow different crops Do you know what’s grown in a vineyard and used to make wine?

More types of farming

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crocodiles

ostriches

snailsbeehives

police horse

Working with water

Farms around the world grow different crops Do you know what’s grown in a vineyard

and used to make wine?

More types of farming

12

Nature activities

There are so many fun things we can

do when we go out and enjoy nature.

We could start a nature collection What things might we collect?

paddling

fishing

nature trailbuilding

nature spotting

splashing

in puddles

tree hugging

pond dippingnet

binoculars

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Let’s choose some things we’d like to do when we go out

building a sandcastle

flying a kitepaddling

camping stargazing

bird watching

listening

smelling flowers

having a picnicdigging

planting seeds

sweeping

leaves

watering plants

treehouse

picking apples

night walk

snow personmaking

a snow angel

sledging

throwing snowballs

Let’s choose some things we’d like to do when we go out

building a sandcastle

flying a kitepaddling

camping stargazing

bird watching

listening

smelling flowers

having a picnic

digging

planting seeds

sweeping

leaves

watering plants

treehouse

picking apples

night walk

snow personmaking

a snow angel

sledging

throwing snowballs

ice

puddles

Cold

What’s the weather like today?

dry season

woolly hatumbrella

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Windy

spring summer

cumulus clouds

Liquid water changes into gas

Clouds form (made

of water drops)

autumn

overcast

Water vapour forms

Rain, snow, or hail falls

wintercirrus clouds

ice

Water vapour cools

What type of weather do you like best?

Water (from rain, snow, or hail) flows into rivers and seas

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Windy

spring summer

cumulus clouds

Liquid water changes into gas

Clouds form (made

of water drops)

autumn

overcast

Water vapour forms

Rain, snow, or hail falls

wintercirrus clouds

ice

Water vapour cools

What type of weather do you

Mawsynram, Asia

Furnace Creek, North America

Angel Falls, South America

Vostok Station, Antarctica

Grand Canyon, North America

lowest land area

highest waterfall

coldest recorded temperature

deepest part of the ocean

deep sea

Which of these amazing places would you like to explore?

Incredible locations

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Mawsynram, Asia

Furnace Creek, North America

Angel Falls, South America

Vostok Station, Antarctica

Grand Canyon, North America

lowest land area

highest waterfall

coldest recorded temperature

deepest part of the ocean

Different features help scientists put all living things into groups

Here are the five major groups, called kingdoms, and some of the smaller groups that are within each kingdom.

Crustaceans

crabwoodlouse

Cephalopods

squidoctopus

Molluscs

snailoysters

mould

red algae

protozoan

bacteria

mushroomsapple tree

rosegrass

conifer

fern mosses and

liverworts

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Let’s think of some more mammals and some more reptiles.

Myriapods

centipedemillipede

Annelids

earthwormleech

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Let’s think of some more mammals

and some more reptiles.

Myriapods

centipedemillipede

Annelids

earthwormleech

20

All sorts of plants

There are many different plants, but they all do something amazing – they use water, air, and sunlight to make their own food

This process is called photosynthesis

Flowers

Water plants Weird plants

Shrubs Herbs

Herbs can be used

to flavour food What herbs have you tried?

Guess where baobab trees store water.

hydrangea

boxwood

daffodils

orchidhibiscus

air plant

Venus flytrap

has a wide trunk

catches flies! doesn’t need soilbud

stalkleaf

thornpetal

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Water plants Fruit and vegetables we eat Photosynthesis

Cacti

Trees

bunny ear

golden barrel

carbon dioxide

water roots

sunlight

oxygen

airorange

Water plants Fruit and vegetables we eat Photosynthesis

Cacti

Trees

bunny ear

golden barrel

carbon dioxide

water roots

sunlight

oxygen

airorange

twigs

roots

pine conepine needles

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evergreen

carbon dioxide

tree knot

The seed of an oak tree is inside an acorn

Where would you find the seeds of a pine tree?

pine tree

oak leaf

oak tree

branch wood

trunk

bark

stickstree rings

blossomkeeps leaves all year

loses leaves

in autumn

Tree fruits Tree flowers

acorns

deciduous

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evergreen

carbon dioxide

tree knot

The seed of an oak tree is inside an acorn

Where would you find the seeds of a pine tree?

pine tree

oak leaf

oak tree

branch wood

trunk

bark

stickstree rings

blossomkeeps leaves all year

loses leaves

in autumn

Tree fruits Tree flowers

Most plants grow from seeds, bulbs,

or tubers Fungi grow from tiny spores

Sunflower (plant)

seeds

germination

shootflower

seedlingplant

pollinator

Have you planted any seeds? How did you take care of them?

Think of some things you did to help them grow

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Bulbs and tubers

More seeds

Apple tree (plant)

seed

germination

tree with flowers

tree with fruit

potato tubertulip bulbs

pollinator

pollen

shoot

saplingseedling

fruit with seeds

seeds (peas)

seeds in woody scales

pea pods

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Bulbs and tubers

More seeds

Apple tree (plant)

seed

germination

tree with flowers

tree with fruit

potato tubertulip bulbs

pollinator

pollen

shoot

saplingseedling

fruit with seeds

seeds (peas)

seeds in woody

scales

pea pods

26

Animal life cycles

Cats have kittens, and the kittens grow into cats Then those cats have kittens

Let’s learn more about animal life cycles.

Cat Human

Bluefin

Can you spot the joey in its mother’s pouch? Do you know where frogs lay their frogspawn?

joey

adult cat

adult fish

adult human

adult kangaroo

kangaroo carrying joey

026_027_Animal_lifecycles.indd 26 14/09/2021 11:16

European common frog

King penguin

Ball python

Monarch

Do you know where frogs lay their frogspawn?

egg

egg pods

tadpolehatch

froglet

larva (caterpillar)

larva (nymph)

adult locust

eggs in frogspawn

hatchling

chick

adult penguin

hard shelled egg

adult frog

leathery shelled egg

hatchling

moult

juvenile snake

adult snake

pupa (also called chrysalis)

adult

butterfly

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European common

frog

King penguin

Ball python

Monarch

Do you know where frogs lay their frogspawn?

egg

egg pods

tadpolehatch

froglet

larva (caterpillar)

larva (nymph)

adult locust

eggs in frogspawn

hatchling

chick

adult penguin

hard shelled egg

adult frog

leathery shelled egg

hatchling

moult

juvenile snake

adult snake

pupa (also called

Can you name the female, male, and baby

in each of these animal families? Some have special names and others don’t.

female ladybird

mare

calf

lambs

puppy kitten

chicks piglet

stallion

larvae

28

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female spider

female turtle

male spider

male turtle

boarstag

duckling

028_029_Animal_families.indd 29 14/09/2021 11:16

female spider

female turtle

male spider

male turtle

boarstag

duckling

Heads, bodies, and feet

Think of an animal Imagine its head, body, and feet Are they the same as yours?

wing antenna

abdomen

Which animal has the biggest ears?

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Bodies Feet (and hands!)

exoskeleton (outside skeleton)

030-031_HEADS_BODIES_FEET.indd 31 14/09/2021 11:17

Bodies Feet (and hands!)

exoskeleton (outside skeleton)

(plant eater)

(meat eater)

(eater of leftovers)grass

graze

prey

predatorantelope

cheetah vulture

bears(plant and meat eater)

mouth

bite and chew

Trap-jaw ants eat other insects

gnaw

Beavers eat leaves, twigs, and bark

They cut wood to make dams

ready to snap lap

mandibles (mouthparts)

suck

proboscis (straw-like mouthpart)

Animals with specialised diets

Can you name another baby animal that feeds on its mother’s milk?

filter feeder (strains food)

liquefy

whale baleen (filtering mouthparts)

dung beetle

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