eXplore Chapter Books

This series was developed by Australian authors for Australian readers. The reading levels were set at reading ages of approximately 6-7 year old, or about Reading Recovery levels 20-25. The content is suitable for adolescents to adults. The sight words are introduced to be reviewed before reading. And after reading, there are extension exercises to improve reading and writing skills. You are all experiencing students with self-esteem and anxiety concerns in regard to success with reading.

The content is curriculum-based whether this be related to Australian history for example, the Gold Rushes or Leichhardt, Indigenous perspectives, Asian-based stories and Sustainability. The whole design was to provide short sentences, using informal vernacular without slang or crude-talk, to allow fluency of reading numerous pages.

The Teacher Guides are comprehensive and is in the 'before reading' exercises, addressing familiarity with the sight words and 'after reading', is extending with reading, writing, and comprehension. It is aimed at building word vocabulary, sight words, and writing practice exercises.

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Titles in the series:

  1. Mawson
  2. Nepal Trek
  3. Tassie Trek
  4. Apollo 13
  5. Gold Fever
  6. Kon Tiki
  7. Spitfire
  8. Kokoda
  9. Australia's First People
  10. Hunting and Fishing
  11. Knights
  12. Everest Climb
  13. Shark Attack
  14. Gladiators
  15. Mars Mission
  16. White Mouse
  17. The Samurai
  18. Leichhardt
  19. James Cook
  20. Coral Reef
  21. eXplore Set 1 Books 1-10 Teacher Resource
  22. eXplore Set 1 Books 11-20 Teacher Resource

Mawson - Antarctic ExplorerMawson - Antarctic Explorer

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Australia has one of the world's great explorers - Sir Douglas Mawson. He was a scientist, professor and an Antarctic explorer. Mawson overcame incredible tragedy and hardship to help the world better understand Antarctica. His scientific explorations inspired many others to follow in his footsteps.

Links:

What's Under The Ice In Antarctica?
YouTube: Ridddle

Antarctica | Exploring Oceans
YouTube: National Geographic

The Deepest Dive in Antarctica Reveals a Sea Floor Teeming With Life
YouTube: OceanX

EarthWindMap
earth.nullschool.net

Alone on the Ice: The Best Survival Story You've Never Heard | Nat Geo Live
YouTube: National Geographic

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Nepal Trek - On Top of the WorldNepal Trek - On Top of the World

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There is much more to Nepal than just Mt Everest. Most of the people who trek in the Himalayas do not go to Mt Everest. Nepal has a rich culture, very friendly people and beautiful mountain scenery. There are many trails and mountains to explore. This trek is to Mera Peak through the beautiful mountains and valleys which recounts the many challenges of altitude sickness, severe cold and exhaustion. An outline of Nepal and the Asia perspective is included in this reader.

Links:

Climbing Mera Peak, Nepal (6470m) in 6 Minutes
YouTube: stanny S

Secrets of Himalaya | Nepal in 4K
YouTube: Sergi Martínez Miró

Mera Peak: Nepal's Highest 'Walk-Up' Peak
YouTube: Bookmundi

Mera Peak 6,461m - Summit Climb
YouTube: Richard Pattison

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Tassie Trek - Schoolies in the WildTassie Trek - Schoolies in the Wild

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Come on a schoolies adventure of a lifetime by trekking The Overland Track in Tasmania! Experience this amazing World Heritage Walk through the eyes of the author as she relives her epic journey of adventure in the Tasmanian Wilderness. But be careful...once you read this, you may be hooked as well! A great story to inspire students to consider following their own dreams and ambitions - not by fashion or peer-pressure.

Links:

The Overland Track Gear List - Hiking Gear - Tasmania
YouTube: Set To Hike

Overland Track • Tasmania • Thru Hike
YouTube: Following Redbeard

The Overland Track Tasmania | Gear List, Food Prep, Snow! 6 Day Adventure.. Ashley Freeman
YouTube: Ashley Freeman

Adventure on the Overland Track in Tasmania - Nov 2018
YouTube: Muhammad Basyar Bin K H Kamuruddin

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Apollo 13 - The Moon MissionApollo 13 - The Moon Mission

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Houston, we've had a problem!' These famous words from the astronauts of the Apollo 13 Mission became the stuff of movies. This story explains NASA's Apollo Space Program to get a 'Man on the Moon' and the challenges they faced along the way, including the incredible survival of the Apollo 13 crew in the face of disaster. The Moon Mission was an amazing achievement of science and human tenacity. A great story for use in science and design studies in solving problems in physics and materials.

Links:

Apollo 13 Official Trailer #1 - Tom Hanks Movie (1995) HD
YouTube: Movieclips Classic Trailers

How Big is the Moon?
space.com

The Ultimate Saturn V Launch Video with INCREDIBLE SOUND!!!
YouTube: TheCanuckdian

Apollo 13 Flight Journal
nasa.gov

Apollo 13 Leaving Earth
YouTube: Apollo 13 - Apollo Flight Journal

A Bomb Exploded on Apollo 13, Here’s What Happened Next | Apollo
YouTube: Seeker

What did NASA Change After the Apollo 13 Disaster?
YouTube: The Vintage Space

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Gold Fever - Finding a FortuneGold Fever - Finding a Fortune

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Australia had several large gold rushes. These brought many people to Australia. Victoria had a huge influx of people seeking their fortune. NSW, Western Australia and Queensland had similar gold rushes. The search for gold continues and the precious metal has lost none of its attractiveness. This book examines the geology, the people and the history of Australia's gold rushes. A great introduction for students to learn more by studying Earth Sciences and the history of early Australia.

Links:

Coins vs Bars - Expert Tips on Gold and Silver Coins and Bars
YouTube: Strategic Wealth Preservation - SWP

HOW IT WORKS | Computer Recycling | Free Documentary
YouTube: Free Documentary

5 Surprising Uses For Gold
YouTube: Seeker

Turning old jewelry into pure gold bars
YouTube: NileRed

Gold Fever - The Incredible Journey
YouTube: The Incredible Journey

Alluvial Gold Prospecting - How to Use a Gold Pan Like an Oldtimer
YouTube: Aussie Bloke Prospector

Why Gold Is So Expensive | So Expensive
YouTube: Business Insider

Gold detecting Pilbara WA #6
YouTube: Damian lawrence

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Kon Tiki - The Pacific DrifterKon Tiki - The Pacific Drifter

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This is the amazing story of the journey of the Kon-Tiki, a balsa wood raft which sailed and drifted from South America to the Pacific over 101 days and over 7000km. Thor Heyerdahl believed that the ancient South American people had travelled this route hundreds of years ago and he set out on this daring adventure to try and prove his theory. A great introduction to our Pacific region and also to design and technologies discussions.

Links:

Kon Tiki (1950) - Thor Heyerdahl
YouTube: Andrés Muñoz

How do ocean currents work? - Jennifer Verduin
YouTube: TED-Ed

Documentary on Riley Balsawood Surfboards
YouTube: Riley Balsawood Surfboards

Whale Songs in the South Pacific
YouTube: NOVA PBS Official

Magnificent Frigatebird, Fregata magnificens
YouTube: Peter Bryant

Whale Sharks: Gentle Giants | Blue Realm | Free Documentary Nature
YouTube: Free Documentary - Nature

The Mysteries of the Moai on Easter Island | National Geographic
YouTube: National Geographic

Scientists Finally Discovered the Truth About Easter Island
YouTube: BRIGHT SIDE

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Spitfire - War Heroes of the SkySpitfire - War Heroes of the Sky

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This is the true story of Tony Stroeve, a Dutch teenager who made a daring escape from German-controlled Holland, to Britain where he became a Spitfire pilot. His story is one of incredible courage, determination, and a lot of luck as he fought against Hitler's German forces. A great and inspirational story about decisions to act for good that win out in the long run.

Links:

WW2 - The Battle of Britain [Real Footage in Colour]
YouTube: KickFlip

100% Pure Spitfire Engine Sounds At Biggin Hill 2018
YouTube: bobsurgranny

WW II : RARE COLOR FILM : BATTLE FOR BRITAIN : PART 1 OF 3
YouTube: RALPHLAURINO

Battle of Britain: Spitfire vs ME109
YouTube: SlimaksClass

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Kokoda - The Fight for AustraliaKokoda - The Fight for Australia

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Kokoda in Papua New Guinea was not famous for anything...at least, not until the Japanese decided it was a good place to start their invasion of Australia. This important story reveals the incredible bravery, hardships and mateship of our Aussie Diggers as they struggled to defend their country against a fierce Japanese army. The odds were against them and yet they fought and won. An inspirational story of Australia's great war heroes.

Links:

Oceania
japaneseinvasionmoney.com.au

War veteran recounts Kokoda experience
YouTube: ABC News (Australia)

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Australia's First People - an Ancient JourneyAustralia's First People - an Ancient Journey

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This fascinating book explores the journey of Australia's First Nations people over 60,000 years ago during the Ice Age. Land bridges made Australia accessible for many other countries and this migration of First Peoples to Australia became the start of human habitation in our country. Beautifully illustrated and outlined - this story explains some of the possible ways that the First Peoples occupied all of Australia.

Links:

How Aboriginals migrated into Australia and populated it
YouTube: Edward Basana

Climate Change Helped Kill Off Super-Sized Ice Age Animals in Australia
YouTube: Vanderbilt University

The Geography of the Ice Age
YouTube: Atlas Pro

Aboriginal DNA Shows 50,000 Year Connection To Country
YouTube: Gizmodo Australia

Aboriginal DNA provides human migration clues
YouTube: ABC News (Australia)

First Americans were Black Aborigines
YouTube: TheOriginalPeople

Photos of Tasmanian Aborigines
YouTube: Hamamoto

Community celebrates 30 years at home
YouTube: ABC News (Australia)

Indigenous Languages in Australia
YouTube: Wiltja Secondary College

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Hunting and Fishing - in Ancient AustraliaHunting and Fishing - in Ancient Australia

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Australia's First Nations people survived for many tens of thousands of years by developing successful hunting and fishing methods. This story discusses the challenges they faced, including dealing with megafauna and changing climates. It also demonstrates their food-gathering was sustainable to ensure their continued survival as well as the survival of their environment. By Caring for Country, the country cared for them.

Links:

First People: Aboriginal Australians - Documentary Films
YouTube: Arthur J. Garcia

How Aboriginal Australians Made Australia
YouTube: Cogito

Primitive People - Australian Aborigines (1950s)
YouTube: travelfilmarchive

Aboriginal Hunting | Culture - Planet Doc Full Documentaries
YouTube: Planet Doc Full Documentaries

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Knights - Through the AgesKnights - Through the Ages

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Come on a medieval journey as we explore the many and varied roles of a knight in the Middle Ages. Learn about their training, their weapons, their armour and their responsibilities as they serve their ruler and fight to protect their kingdom from invaders. Beautifully presented and outlined this will be a great introduction to students in their study of the Middle Ages and also as an introduction to technology and design as armour and ballistics changed.

Links:

The 10 Current Monarchs of Europe, Part 1 of 2
YouTube: Lindsay Holiday

Armoured Foot Combat | Combat Demonstration
YouTube: Royal Armouries

Top 10 Amazing European Castles You Can Visit
YouTube: MojoTravels

How A Man Shall Be Armed: 11th Century
YouTube: Royal Armouries

Top 10 Most Effective MEDIEVAL Weapons
YouTube: Metatron

How A Man Shall Be Armed: 13th Century
YouTube: Royal Armouries

How A Man Shall Be Armed: 14th Century
YouTube: Royal Armouries

How A Man Shall Be Armed: 15th Century
YouTube: Royal Armouries

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Everest Climb - Explore the ExtremeEverest Climb - Explore the Extreme

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A superhuman effort and some luck is always needed to achieve the impossible - Hillary and Tenzing did just that in their conquest of Everest. Follow the fascinating journey of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay as they become the first mountaineers to successfully summit the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. Learn about the challenges they faced and the importance of preparation, training and determination in their quest to succeed.

Links:

Mount Everest climbers stranded in 'death zone'
YouTube: CNN

Mount Everest from Kalapatthar
wikipedia.org

360°: Climbing Mount Everest
YouTube: Caters Clips

Sir Edmund Hillary Scales the Heights of Literary Society
wnyc.org

Our Everest Challenge With Ben Fogle & Victoria Pendleton | Altitude Sickness Hits Hard | ITV
YouTube: ITV

Everest Sherpas: 'They're not heroes. They're rockstars'
YouTube: The Feed SBS

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Shark Attack - Stories of SurvivalShark Attack - Stories of Survival

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Come on an underwater discovery tour and learn more about one of the world's oldest and most dangerous predators, the shark. Explore the differences between sharks and dolphins, discover how deadly some sharks can be to humans and learn about the important role they play in the underwater food chain. Sharks are the 'canaries' of the world's oceans and represent the relative health of the marine environments. They are the cleaners of the ocean and the removal of these animals will result in the decline in the health of the oceans.

Links:

Family of girl attacked by shark claim it was responsible for earlier attack
9news.com.au

Shark Fin Soup | National Geographic
YouTube: National Geographic

Mick Fanning opens up about shark attack | 60 Minutes Australia
YouTube: 60 Minutes Australia

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Gladiators - Extreme Sports StarsGladiators - Extreme Sports Stars

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Gladiators were like the celebrities of the Roman Empire! They trained fiercely and often fought to the death and were a vitally important tool for the Emperor to help keep the people happy. Read about the fascinating skills of Rome's gladiators, their fighting methods and their amazing and deadly weapons of choice. Further opportunities are available to discuss the issue of slavery and the impact on exotic animal populations. The story of the gladiators is set against the changing Roman Empire and the lasting impact it has on the world and especially, Europe. The European colonial expansion to the rest of the world was possibly a left-over empirical desire of the Roman period.

Links:

History’s Most Notorious Gladiators
YouTube: TopTenz

Gladiator Classes You Might Not Know Actually Existed
YouTube: Metatron

Female Gladiators And Interesting Facts On Gladiatorial Games
YouTube: Metatron

5 Toughest & Most Feared Gladiator Fighters of Ancient Rome
YouTube: Top5s

Top 5 Myths About Gladiators
YouTube: WatchMojo.com

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Mars Mission - Exploring the Red PlanetMars Mission - Exploring the Red Planet

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This beautifully presented book outlines the exploration and the exciting future plans for colonising Mars. This type of space exploration is unlike any previous space missions. Come on a journey to Mars as we discover the many challenges and problems of space travel and setting up a colony on The Red Planet.

Mars is regularly in the news and a new era of space exploration has started. The journey to, and the colonising of Mars is as important as Cook's Pacific explorations. It offers a whole new world of wonders to explore. It is now technically possible to get to Mars and back. The colonising of space has been proven with the International Space Station over many years. Now follow the challenge of setting up similar modules on Mars.

Links:

NASA's Mars Exploration Program
nasa.gov

A Flight Over the Surface of Planet Venus
YouTube: Mark A. Garlick

Your kids might live on Mars. Here's how they'll survive | Stephen Petranek
YouTube: TED

Curiosity Mars Rover Snaps 1.8 Billion-Pixel Panorama (narrated video)
YouTube: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Meet the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance launching this year
YouTube: CNET

SpaceX to Mars: Awe-Inspiring Video Shows Vision for Red Planet Exploration
YouTube: VideoFromSpace

THEMIS Vistas
themis.asu.edu

Extracting Water on Mars | MARS: How to Survive on Mars
YouTube: National Geographic

What will SpaceX do when they get to Mars?
YouTube: Primal Space

Real Time Space Radiation
colonyworlds.com

Astronaut on Mars (Illustration: Getty Images)
express.co.uk

Growing Food on Mars | MARS: How to Survive on Mars
YouTube: National Geographic

This Is the Rover of the Future
YouTube: Smithsonian Channel

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White Mouse - Nancy WakeWhite Mouse - Nancy Wake

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Follow the incredible true story of Nancy Wake, who joined the French Resistance to fight against the Germans during World War 2. Nancy regularly risked her life to smuggle food and communications through and ensure the safe escape of the Allied soliders. Despite being on the Gestapo's most wanted list, the Germans never managed to capture her and she continued her mission right up to the end of the war.

Nancy Wake's role in the French Resistance is inspiring to all Australians. She was incredibly brave, fearless and clever in avoiding capture by the Gestapo. Her contribution and bravery is a role model for young women and for all fair-minded people.

Links:

Fierce Girls: Nancy Wake, the 'white mouse'
YouTube: ABC News (Australia)

French Résistance in 1944 (in color and HD)
YouTube: CHRONOS-MEDIA History

The French Resistance (World War II)
YouTube: Simple History

Nancy Wake: Gestapo's Most Wanted (French Resistance Documentary) | Timeline
YouTube: Timeline - World History Documentaries

Nancy Wake: The White Mouse Was The Gestapo’s Most Wanted
YouTube: Biographics

Tribute to Nancy Wake
YouTube: ABC News (Australia)

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The Samurai - Servants of BushidoThe Samurai - Servants of Bushido

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Japan's history goes back many thousands of years and the Samurai were a very important part of it. Read about how the Samurai trained, their skills with traditional and very deadly Japanese weapons, and the responsibilities they held for their masters and the people they protected. The values of loyalty, devotion, trust and commitment can also be explored. Students will have the opportunity to learn about Japan's ancient history and the incredible Samurai culture that was such an important part of it. It is still very influential in Japan's modern culture.

Links:

Learn More About Samurai's Deadly Weapons
YouTube: TopTenz

Art of Kyudo HD
YouTube: kedarvideo

The Traditional Bows Of Japanese Samurai | Ancient Japan | Timeline
YouTube: Timeline - World History Documentaries

Japanese Naginata Basic Practice Cuts
YouTube: GekikenORG

The Vicious Sword Female Samurai Favored
YouTube: Smithsonian Channel

The power of Ki: Naginata demo by Kashiwaya sensei
YouTube: kimovements

Top 10 Most HORRIFYING Facts about SAMURAI WARFARE
YouTube: TopTenz

Women Were Some of the Fiercest Samurai Warriors Ever
YouTube: Smithsonian Channel

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Leichhardt - The Great ExplorerLeichhardt - The Great Explorer

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The mystery of what happened to Ludwig Leichhardt remain to this day. Ludwig Leichhardt was one of the great explorers of Australia. His most successful exploration was to Port Essington near Darwin from just outside of Brisbane, a journey of nearly 5,000km. His disappearance created interest for many years after his death and this mystery is still being talked about today. This is an ideal discussion starter for students as they consider the factors involved in his disappearance and speculate on what happened to Leichhardt and his team as they bravely set out to explore Australia's vast inland.

Links:

Dr Ludwig Leichhardt's Humboldtian science
YouTube: Geckos and Gum Leaves

Kakadu National Park - UNESCO World Heritage Site
YouTube: World Heritage Journey

Roman numerals converter
rapidtables.com

One theory on an unsolved mystery
YouTube: The Australian

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James Cook - The Pacific ExplorerJames Cook - The Pacific Explorer

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James Cook was one of the great explorers of the Pacific. Why was he so successful? And how does this relate to our lives today? Cook remains an inspirational character for students today. From very humble beginnings to having a Space Shuttle named after your ship is evidence of a very special character. This story is an introduction to a lot more reading on this great explorer. Cook currently is experiencing an image problem with some critics due to his association with the colonisation of the Pacific nations. Cook was a sailor and navigator who had one objective; to find the Great South Land. This objective was never realised and the subsequent colonising of the Pacific countries was done by many European powers not by Cook. Sentences, sight words and complex words have been repetitively presented to make it easy to practise these words with increasing fluency throughout the story.

Links:

A short history of James Cook and his voyages
YouTube: The British Library

BBC Timewatch - Captain Cook: The Man Behind the Legend
YouTube: History Files

European Exploration of the Pacific Ocean
YouTube: Costas Melas

The Amazing Life and Strange Death of Captain Cook: Crash Course World History #27
YouTube: CrashCourse

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Coral Reef - Diving into WonderlandCoral Reef - Diving into Wonderland

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Coral reefs are Nature's wonder! Beautifully illustrated and engaging information - this is a detailed introduction to the study of this unique ecosystem.

The complexity and beauty are unequalled. As privileged custodians of the largest coral reef system in the world, Australians have the chance to enjoy and learn more about the Great Barrier Reef so that we can protect it for future generations. This book serves as an introduction to the science, exploration and conservation of coral reefs. This serves as a general outline of coral reef systems. The recreational opportunities of coral reefs are considered along with the responsibilities. The threats to our reef systems are many and need to be resolved to reverse declines. This chapter book is ideally suited to a conservation-themed science lesson, or a social sciences unit on conservation requirements.

Links:

Difference between Zooplankton and Phytoplankton
YouTube: MooMooMath and Science

Great Barrier Reef | Exploring Oceans
YouTube: National Geographic

Pollution threatens Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
YouTube: Al Jazeera English

Hawaii Coral Damage caused by boat anchor
YouTube: kauaidionne

Wild Dolphin "Asks" Divers to Help Free Itself from Hook
YouTube: ViralMedia2013

Spanish Mackerel Session - SHIMANO AUSTRALIA
YouTube: Shimano Australia

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eXplore Set 1 Books 1-10 Teacher ResourceeXplore Set 1 Books 1-10 Teacher Resource

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This Teacher Resource Book 1 is for the Set 1 series of books 1 to 10. This has a total focus on building literacy skills. There is an extensive range of literacy exercises. These cover two stages; the initial pre-reading activities to be able to sight read the difficult words, and post-reading exercises which are focussed on building comprehension and writing skills. The activities range from quick reviews to challenging exercises to extend the students in a structured approach managed by the teacher.

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eXplore Set 1 Books 11-20 Teacher ResourceeXplore Set 1 Books 11-20 Teacher Resource

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This Teacher Resource Book 2 is for the Set 1 series of books 11 to 20. This has a total focus on building literacy skills. There is an extensive range of literacy exercises. These cover two stages; the initial pre-reading activities to be able to sight read the difficult words, and post-reading exercises which are focussed on building comprehension and writing skills. The activities range from quick reviews to challenging exercises to extend the students in a structured approach managed by the teacher.

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