What do scientists do? by Tom Mumbray. Illus by Can Tugrul & Geraldine Sky

As they begin to learn more about the world around them and how it works, lots of our students say they want to be scientists when they grow up. But what do scientists do? In a nutshell...

"Scientists investigate how our world works. It's their job to ask questions and find answers - by observing how things work, gathering evidence and doing experiments."

And while they have already made so many discoveries already, there is so much more to explore and explain as new answers lead to new questions. One scientist can't do everything and so by posing some of the big questions such as how can we fight the climate crisis, what does the bottom of the ocean really look like and what are the safest ways to test new medicines, this book explores not only what scientists are currently doing but which specialists are doing it. Thus, the reader learns about the diversity of both science and being a scientist so that there is something that will fit their particular interests.

But basically, being a scientist is about being curious, observing the world around us and asking questions about how and why it works. There are pointers about how to think and act like a scientist, how to learn more by studying science at school, visiting science museums, watching documentaries and reading relevant books as well as the usual Quicklinks that open up even more opportunities. It fits perfectly with the Australian Curriculum Science strand, particularly Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Inquiry Skills providing the perfect context for meeting those outcomes, so an essential in any teacher's toolkit in my opinion.

Barbara Braxton