How NOVA Learn is made

1. A real question

Each explainer starts with a question a child might genuinely ask: Why is Mars red? Where does rain come from? How did the pyramids get built? We favour topics that connect to what Australian students learn at school, and Australian examples wherever they fit: the Parkes radio telescope, the Sydney Opera House roof, the Emu in the Sky, kangaroos and platypuses.

2. Trusted sources, at least two of them

Every fact is checked against at least two reputable sources before it is used: science agencies such as CSIRO, NASA and the Bureau of Meteorology, museums and galleries, universities, government sites and well-known reference works. The sources are listed at the bottom of every explainer with links, so readers can check them and read further. If two good sources disagree, we say so, or we leave the claim out.

3. Checked line by line

Before an explainer is published it is read line by line against those sources: every number and date, every quiz answer and its reason, every word in the glossary and every photo caption. Anything that cannot be confirmed is rewritten or removed. Quiz questions are also checked so that the wrong answers are clearly wrong, not arguably right.

4. Written for the reader

Each page says which school years it suits. Explainers for Years 3 to 6 use short sentences at around a Year 4 reading level; those for Years 5 to 8 use richer vocabulary. Every page has a "Words to know" box with plain definitions, a "Did you know?" box, a hands-on "Try this" activity that is safe to do at home or school, and a short quiz that explains every answer. We use Australian spelling throughout.

5. Real photos, properly credited

Photos come from Wikimedia Commons, the free media library. Each one is chosen because it really shows the topic, carries a caption saying what it shows, and is credited to the person who took it with its licence and a link to the original.

6. Corrections

If you think something on NOVA Learn is wrong, out of date or unclear, please tell us through our contact page and include the page and the sentence. We check the report against the sources, fix genuine mistakes promptly, and update the page.

7. What we never do

• No sponsored explainers and no paid product mentions. Ads are shown separately from the writing, are non-personalised, and never appear inside a quiz.
• No personal information is asked of readers. Reading NOVA Learn needs no account; see Privacy & safety.
• Nothing scary or upsetting for its own sake, and no medical or financial advice for individuals: health and money topics stay general and point to official sources.

Want to see the results? Browse the NOVA Learn library, or read our page for parents and teachers.