Questions for discussion
Dental check up
1.
2.
Discuss the main points raised in the story with another student.
A new report has found that about a _______of people don’t go to the
dentist.
3. What reasons were given for people not going to the dentist?
4. What work has been done over the years to improve the teeth of Australians?
5. What do some people think should happen to the dental health care system?
6. Cheaper medical care is provided through a system called
a. Medivac
b. National Health
c. Medicare
7. How does the Government fund public health care?
8. About how much would the proposed dental system cost?
9. Why do you think the report recommended focussing on children’s dental
care?
10. Name three facts you learnt in the Dental check up story.
Investigate why good oral health is important to a person’s overall health and
wellbeing.
Super Tuesday
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What did the BtN story mainly explain?
When does President Barack Obama’s term in office end?
How is the leader of the Republican Party chosen?
Explain what the candidates do on the campaign trail.
Who can vote in the Republican Primaries?
Finish the following sentence `The person who wins the most votes in the
Republican Primaries…’
7. How is the Australian system different?
8. What is a disadvantage of the US system?
9. Why are people who have a lot of money at an advantage?
10. Australia and the US choose their political leaders in different ways. Which
system do you think is fairer? Why?
Post a message on the Behind the News Guestbook
http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html
Drone dilemma
1.
2.
© ABC 2012
Before you watch the BtN story, make some predictions about what you think
the story is about.
In your own words, describe what a drone is.
EPISODE 4
6TH MARCH 2012
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What sorts of events are drones filming?
How are they being used for news gathering?
Describe the different ways drones could be used.
How do the military use them?
Drones being sent to places like Afghanistan are being operated from
___________.
8. Describe the ethical debate about using drones.
9. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using drones?
10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the story?
Hold a class debate about whether drones should be used by the military.
Paralympics technology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Briefly summarise the events that led to Kelly becoming an athlete.
Which events does Kelly compete in?
When are the next Paralympics being held?
How does the artificial limb technology help Kelly?
Why are some people questioning the new technology?
What did technicians see at the prosthetic repair clinic during the Beijing
Paralympics?
7. Illustrate an aspect of this story.
8. Do you think Aussie athletes be allowed to use high-tech artificial limbs to
gain an advantage at the Paralympics? Explain your answer.
9. How did Kelly’s story make you feel?
10. Write a message of support to Kelly and post it on the BtN Guestbook
http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html
`Should Aussie athletes be allowed to use high-tech artificial limbs to gain an
advantage at the Paralympics?’ Vote in the BtN online poll
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/
Beat box
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Explain the Beat box story to another student.
In which decade did beat boxing become popular?
In your own words, describe what beat boxing is.
What does Tom Thum use loop machines for?
What instrument sounds did you hear Tom Thum make?
What did he teach the kids at the school he visited?
What advice did Tom give to people interested in becoming a beat boxer?
What skills do you think beat boxers need?
Finish the following sentence: `Tom says being a good beat boxer means…’
Teach yourself one of the sounds Tom teaches to the students. Explain how
easy or difficult it was to make the sound.
Investigate the history of beat boxing. Who were some of the pioneers of beat boxing?
© ABC 2012
Paralympics technology
Focus Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Briefly summarise the events that led to Kelly becoming an athlete.
Which events does Kelly compete in?
When are the next Paralympics being held?
How does the artificial limb technology help Kelly?
Why are some people questioning the new technology?
What did technicians see at the prosthetic repair clinic during the Beijing
Paralympics?
7. Illustrate an aspect of this story.
8. Do you think Aussie athletes be allowed to use high-tech artificial limbs to
gain an advantage at the Paralympics? Explain your answer.
9. How did Kelly’s story make you feel?
10. Write a message of support to Kelly and post it on the BtN Guestbook
http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html.
Paralympics
Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete from each
section.
EPISODE 4
6TH MARCH 2012
Learning Area
Health and Physical
Education
Key learning
Students will develop a
deeper understanding of the
Paralympics, the sports
played in the competition
and how athletes are
classified.
Remember and understand

What are the four unique sports that are played at the Paralympics?
Illustrate each one.

The mascot for the London Paralympics is Mandeville https://mascotgames.london2012.com/default.aspx Design your own mascot for the
Paralympics and write a short paragraph introducing them.

Create a facts sheet about the Paralympics that includes information
about Australia’s Paralympic record.
Apply and Analyse

How are Paralympic athletes classified? The following website has useful
information http://www.paralympiceducation.org.au/primary/whatclassification Display the information in an interesting way.

Should Aussie athletes be allowed to use high-tech artificial limbs to gain
an advantage at the Paralympics? Create an argument for or against the
case.
Modify an Olympic sport so that it could be introduced into the
Paralympics. Include illustrations to show the modifications.

© ABC 2012
Students can include
photographs, pictures or
diagrams in their report.
Evaluate and create

Design a new international Paralympics logo for the London 2012 games.
Consider the following factors when designing a logo:
What ideas and values do you want your logo to represent?
What symbols and colours will you use?

Choose a Paralympics sport (Summer or Winter) and research it. Include
information about the rules and how athletes are classified. Include
information about an athlete that competes in the sport.

What role do you think science plays in athletic performance? Present
your research using Power Point or Publishing software.
 Related Research Links
ABC Behind the News – Sprint stars
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3127867.htm
ABC Lateline – Prosthetic technology may give Paralympic advantage
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3436359.htm
Australian Paralympic Committee
http://www.paralympic.org.au/
Australian Paralympic Committee - Paralympic Education
http://www.paralympiceducation.org.au/primary/primary-student-landing-page
© ABC 2012
Beat box
Focus Questions
EPISODE 4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Explain the Beat box story to another student.
In which decade did beat boxing become popular?
In your own words, describe what beat boxing is.
What does Tom Thum use loop machines for?
What instrument sounds did you hear Tom Thum make?
What did he teach the kids at the school he visited?
What advice did Tom give to people interested in becoming a beat boxer?
What skills do you think beat boxers need?
Finish the following sentence: `Tom says being a good beat boxer means…’
Teach yourself one of the sounds Tom teaches to the students. Explain how
easy or difficult it was to make the sound.
Beat box
Students will be exploring what beat boxing is and learn to make the three basic
sounds of beat boxing. Begin with a partner brainstorm asking students to write
down what they know about beat boxing then record any questions they have or
information they would like to know more about.
6TH MARCH 2012
Learning Area
The Arts
Key learning
Students will explore what
beat boxing is and learn the
three basic sounds of beat
boxing.
Ask students to research the following:

What is human beat boxing? Write a short description.

Investigate the history of beat boxing. Who were some of the pioneers of
beat boxing?

Where did the term beat boxing come from?

Beat boxing is mainly associated with hip hop and is often referred to as
the 5th element of hip hop. What are the other elements of hip hop?
Learn the basics of beat boxing
The following three sounds form the basic technique for beginner beat boxers
The kick drum {b}
The hi hat {t}
The snare drum {pf}
Hear the sounds at the beat box alphabet website http://www.bac.org.uk/getinvolved/beatboxalphabet/
These YouTube clips also demonstrate how to make each sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwJ1UhPOAQk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSSNlso7vUg&feature=player_embedded#
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QP4vz30D1c&feature=player_embedded
© ABC 2012
Students can include
photographs, pictures or
diagrams in their report.
When students have practised making the basic sounds, they can have a go at
combining the sounds into a simple 8-beat rhythm.
{b t pf t / b t pf t} or {b t pf t / b b pf t}
Start slowly and build up speed later.
If students feel confident, they can record their beat boxing (either video or
audio).
 Related Research Links
Beatbox TV – Tutorials and music
http://beatbox.tv/bbtv/films
BAC – Beatbox alphabet
http://www.bac.org.uk/get-involved/beatboxalphabet/
You Tube – Beatbox Battle TV Tom thum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEosjqytjRM
© ABC 2012
BtN: Episode 04 Transcript
6/3/12
On this week's Behind the News.

Our dental system gets a check-up but will the results make
you smile?

Flying spy cameras why you might be seeing more of these
around.

And why rich countries could be getting an unfair advantage at
the Paralympics.
Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News.
Also on the show today we meet one of Australia's best beatboxers as
he teaches kids how to make some amazing sounds. But before we get
into all that, let's get a quick wrap up of some of the main stories that
have been hitting the news this week. Here's Alfie with the Wire.
The Wire
Major floods have hit large parts of New South Wales and parts of
Victoria and South-East Queensland.
Thousands of people have had to leave their homes. Some patients
have been evacuated from hospitals. The army has been working hard
to get people out of the flood zone.
`Hooray!’
© ABC 2012
Around seventy percent of New South Wales has been affected by
floods or is in danger of being flooded.
**************
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has made some changes to her team after
Kevin Rudd's failed attempt to take her job last week.
Kevin's old job Foreign Minister has been given to Bob Carr. It was a
bit of a surprise because he'd been out of politics for a while. He's well
known in New South Wales because he used to be Premier there.
**************
The oil company BP has agreed to pay around 7 billion dollars to
people affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.
The payout will go to people who lost money because of the disaster,
like fishermen.
Despite the agreement BP may have to pay billions more in fines from
the U.S. government.
Dental Check-up
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: There's been a big report about how we look after our teeth.
It found that too many Aussies have bad teeth especially people
living in poor areas. And about a third of US don't go to the dentist
because of the cost. So what can be done about the problem? Sarah
looks into it.
SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: How good are teeth? You show them
off when you're happy or angry, you use them to eat and sing. And we
all know that looking after teeth is really important; that's why we do
© ABC 2012
all that brushing and flossing and gargling. But sometimes you need a
professional to help take care of your chompers. Dentists know their
teeth. They train for years to do what they do but that expertise comes
at a price.
REPORTER: A trip to the dentists can cost a lot of money and that's
putting some people off from getting the care they need.
According to a report which came out last week, about a third of
Aussies don't go to the dentist either because they can't afford it or
because getting to see one is too hard and that means millions of teeth
are suffering. It's not a new problem. In the old days dental work was
often reserved for the well-off. Young people would sometimes have
teeth removed because it was cheaper than fixing problems and being
old usually meant being toothless.
Over the years there's been a lot of work done on improving Aussie
teeth, like education; teaching kids about how to care for their
mouths.
The state governments set up places like this; school dentists where
kids can get treated for free or for a small fee.
Teenagers can also get vouchers which let them go to the dentist for
free. And pensioners and people who don't earn much can go to
special public dentists for free.
But according to last week’s report these are all just fillings and
there's some decay in the dental health system.
What some are calling for is a system like what goes on here; in
hospitals and doctors surgeries.
Every Australian has access to cheaper medical care thanks to a
system called Medicare.
© ABC 2012
The idea's pretty simple, really. Everyone pays tax based on what they
earn. The government uses some of that to pay for doctors and nurses
and hospitals and high tech gadgets to treat people. So, in theory, noone misses out on getting the medical care they need.
Except Medicare doesn't cover dental and some say it should.
RICHARD DI NATALE, Victorian Senator: We need to work towards
universal dental care so going to the dentist is just like going to the
doctor.
This guy's a politician in the Greens party, and they've been asking the
government to spend more money on dental care for a while now.
And they're pretty happy because last week's report backed them up.
Except the report also said a dental system like Medicare would
probably cost more than the government could spend.
So it recommended focussing on the most important issues first.
That's you guys.
SHANE FRYER, Australian Dental Association (ADA) President: If we
can solve children's dental health that's what's going to hold us in
good stead when we become adults.
They want to spend more on school dentists and make sure every kid
can access them and they want to help people who can't afford dental
care. It's still going to cost a lot of money ; the report said about 10
billion over four years, and with the government determined to save
money this year we'll have to wait and see if anything changes. But,
hopefully, this is one issue that won't be brushed away.
© ABC 2012
Presenter: OK, how much do you know about your gnashers? Let's
have a quiz.
Quiz 1
The question is:
How many permanent adult teeth do humans have?
20
26
32
Answer: 32
]
You get 28 permanent teeth usually followed by an extra 4 wisdom
teeth.
Super Tuesday
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
INTRO: We're going to talk about a story next that you might have
seen in the news recently or even today! It's about a big vote which
could affect who becomes the next President of America. But you
won't see Barack Obama taking part so what's this vote all about?
Let's find out.
NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: America - it's the land of bright
lights and the big apple. Burger joints and big trucks. Long highways
© ABC 2012
and flags scattered everywhere. But it's also lesser known as the land
that chooses its own political leaders. Let's see how.
At the end of this year, President Barack Obama's term in office will
end and he'll have to face the people, to ask if he can stay on for a
second. But to do that, he'll have to beat the competition from the
other side of politics there. And there are quite a few of them that
want to stop him.
Welcome to the Republican Primaries, or as it should be called, the
Amazing Republican Race! The contestants on this year's show are
these gentlemen and their job is to race around the country, winning
challenges in each state. The challenges generally take the form of a
speech, then some more speeches, a few more speeches then a vote;
no doubt followed by another speech. And then, they're off to the next
state and the next challenge.
The race course is a long one. It kicks off here, before heading here,
here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here okay you
get the idea! And at each stop anyone who's a member of the
Republican Party can have their say, after a few speeches of course.
At the end of it all, the person who wins the most challenges, or votes,
across the country wins. And what do they win? The chance to do it all
over again, this time against Barack Obama for the presidency! Talk
about an exhausting year!
So that's how Americans get to have their say on exactly who they
want leading their party and their country. In contrast, our system
sounds nearly opposite.
We vote for candidates, the party with the most candidates wins the
election and the winning party can choose which leader they want to
run the country. But after the result of the recent leadership fight
where the public seemed to want one person, but the party wanted
another, you might be left thinking the US have the right idea. There
is one big downside though.
Elections are expensive, and in America they take elections to the
extreme. Because the process is so long, millions and millions of
dollars are spent in this first race just to try to be chosen by your own
© ABC 2012
party. After that, you could go on to spend close to a billion trying to
become president. So if you have heaps of money you have a pretty
big advantage, which isn't really fair!
All of that money is spent on huge rallies, where all those speeches
happen, campaign posters and leaflets and of course, big budget
attack ads.
As you can see, the American system really encourages candidates
from the same party to attack each other to get ahead.
KEVIN RUDD: Wow, and avalanche of attacks!
Oh maybe our systems aren't that different after all
Quiz 2
Well the politicians will have to tour a lot of states before being
declared winner.
That gives me an idea for a quiz.
The question is:
How many states are there in the USA?
48
50
52
© ABC 2012
Answer: 50
The next question is: can you name them all? Nah not really.
Drone Dilemma
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: A few years ago the idea of a flying drone being sent to spy
on someone from thousands of kilometres away would have been the
stuff of science fiction. Not any-more. Remote controlled aircraft are
getting better and better. They're being used by the military to fight
wars and now they're being used by journalists to get another angle
on stories. But how far should this technology be allowed to go?
Here's Sarah.
SARAH LARSEN, Reporter: Imagine you were being watched:
Stalked by machines in the sky that could follow your every move.
ISOBEL: Orley, Stop it!
A few years ago a flying camera like this would have seemed pretty
high tech. Now it's a toy!
The internet is full of videos taken from remote controlled, camera
fitted flying machines, or drones as they're sometimes called, ranging
from the amateur to the spectacular. But they're not just being used
for fun.
This is a protest in Poland. Filming something like this on the ground
could dangerous for a news crew. But the remote controlled helicopter
saw exactly what was going on. Now journalists are starting to see the
value of drones for news gathering.
© ABC 2012
This video was taken by an ABC journalist who was road-testing new
camera drones bought by the news department.
JUSTIN GONG, Jus Media : I think in the beginning it will take over
emergency news helicopters like bushfire and flood
There's also the potential to send in drones when cameras are forced
out.
That's what happened last year. Channel nine wanted to film inside an
immigration detention centre but they weren't allowed
So they sent in the drone.
REPORTER: The possibilities for this sort of technology are huge and
not just for journalists. Drones could be used by everyone from film
makers to search and rescue workers to farmers who need to survey
their land. If you can imagine it, pretty soon a drone will be able to do
it.
There's another area where drones have been used for a while. These
definitely aren't toys. They're part of the US military's multi-billion
dollar drone program.
Some are just flying cameras, seeking out suspicious activity. Others
like this are kitted out with laser guided missiles.
They can be sent to places like Afghanistan while operators stay here
in the U.S guiding drones from computers that look like video games.
DRONE PILOT: I have the opportunity to go work, fly a mission no
matter where it is, do the job, then I put on a different hat and come
home to my wife and my kids.
© ABC 2012
But on the other end of the battle drones are deadly and they have
made mistakes.
There's a big ethical debate about whether it's right to use drones.
Some say the operators and the public become detached from the
horror of war if they only see it on a computer screen
And, while it's a long way from a war zone, there are also questions
about whether journalists should be allowed to record from a tiny
machine in the sky.
Kathryn Bowd teaches journalism and she says drones could be used
to invade people's privacy.
DR KATHRYN BOWD; Uni SA Journalism Director : If you were a
celebrity having a nice beach side holiday not realising there was a
chance of the media being there a drone could come across the top of
you and you'd never even realise it was there.
REPORTER: Do you think that we'll have to have laws controlling
them if these become more popular?
DR KATHRYN BOWD: I think if they're very widely used they'd have
to be because otherwise they could be used anywhere anytime for just
about anything.
But as technology gets better and better we might have to get used to
the idea of flying cameras.
Paralympics Technology
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
INTRO: The fight against performance-enhancing drugs in sport is
never far from the headlines. The whole point behind it is to try to
© ABC 2012
remove any unfair advantage athletes on drugs might have. Well
now another fight has started over advantages in other sporting
arenas and this one is all focused on the upcoming Paralympics.
NATHAN BAZLEY: Last year, we brought you the story of Kelly. A girl
who, after having one leg amputated, turned to running to get her life
back on track.
KELLY CARTWRIGHT, ATHLETE: When I was 15 I was worried
about how I looked makeup, boyfriends, in year ten at school partying
with my friends and yeah as soon as I got told that I had cancer my
world turned upside down and my life changed I think my whole
family's life changed and then also to hear that you were going to lose
your leg as well was heartbreaking.
In the year since then, Kelly's running has hit top gear. She won sprint
gold at the World Championships and broke a world record in long
jump as well.
KELLY CARTWRIGHT, ATHLETE: Oh my god I don't have any
words to explain what I feel like right now!
And since then, she's been hard at work training for the main event,
the 2012 Paralympics!
But not all of that work happens out on the track. Here in this
workshop in Sydney is where the other part of Kelly's preparations all
takes place. None of this looks like training, but it's just as important.
Because this is where they make all the prosthetic limbs for the
nation's top paralympians.
Kelly has come in today to get some final checks done on her new
racing leg. She's one of just two athletes in the world trying a new and
very technologically advanced knee joint.
© ABC 2012
KELLY CARTWRIGHT, PARALYMPIC ATHLETE: It's an amazing
piece of technology, and I think that it's going to be really great for the
future, and it's just basically a whole different ballpark for me to run
on it.
This amazing technology helps athletes like Kelly achieve faster times.
And that's got some people questioning if technology might be leaving
the paralympic playing field a little uneven.
Blades like the ones used by this champion paralympic runner can
cost thousands and thousands of dollars.
NATHAN: But out of the 148 countries that participated in the
Paralympics last time, how many do you think could afford them for
their athletes? Some of these countries are tiny, some are war-torn
and some have trouble just feeding the people that live there.
Here at the free prosthetic repair clinic in Beijing during the last
games, technicians saw this disadvantage first hand. Some of the
people that arrived here had parts in such bad shape they were just
thrown out. This man from South Africa was even wearing a left leg
prosthetic on the right side, just to make do!
Luckily in Australia, we have the money be able to give our athletes
the best technology and therefore the best chance of success. And
there is nothing in the rules about everyone having to have the same
equipment. But for Kelly, while she wishes everyone could have the
same opportunities, she says athletic skill will still shine through at
the end.
KELLY CARTWRIGHT: I do think about that a lot. I think as well it
comes into it is... uh, money and also knowledge as well. But they are
expensive, obviously, running legs and prosthetic legs. It may not
necessarily mean just because they get a leg they can run as well.
And coming into this year's Paralympic games, running well is the
only thing she's thinking about.
© ABC 2012
Presenter: OK let's make that our poll this week.
Online Poll
The question is:
Should Aussie athletes be allowed to use high-tech artificial limbs to
gain an advantage at the Paralympics? To vote just head to our
website.
And here's what happened in last week's poll. We asked if you thought
Julia Gillard could beat Tony Abbott at the next election. 38 per cent
thought she could. 62 per cent thought she couldn't.
Thanks for voting. OK, let's get some sports news now. Here's Tash
with the Score.
The Score
In cricket, Australia has beaten Sri Lanka by 15 runs in the first of
three one-day matches. David Warner set the Aussies on their way
with an impressive 163 runs!
After losing six wickets for 144, the tourists looked unlikely to reach
their target of 322. But some big hits from Nuwan Kulasekra brought
Sri Lanka just a few runs short of victory.
**************
And the first V8 car race of the season has taken place in Adelaide.
Saturday's race was won by Jamie Whincup, who overtook Will
Davison on the last lap. Then Davison hit back with his own win on
Sunday. But not everyone was thrilled to hear the roar of the engines!
© ABC 2012
A world-famous Italian composer had been booked to perform a big
outdoor concert for the Adelaide festival at the same time. The music
was drowned out by the car noise. Both organisers apologised for the
clash of events! Maybe they won't put them on at the same time next
year.
Beat Box
Reporter: Alfie Tieu
INTRO: Oh dear well as those concert-goers would know
instruments are an important part of music. But what if you could
replace them with just one thing - your voice. Well, many people
specialise in doing just that, they're called beatboxers. Alfie caught
up with one beatboxer who's teaching his skills.
There's no backing track or DJ playing tunes, everything you're
hearing is the voice of this one guy.
He goes by the name Tom Thum, and he's toured the world
impressing audiences with his amazing beatboxing.
Beatboxing's been around for a while, but now it's about more than
just drum beats, there are also layers of other instrument sounds.
Even song lyrics can be weaved in.
At Tom's show at the Adelaide Fringe, it gets even more complex!
He uses these loop machines to record layers of his voice, and when
you mix them all together it's like listening to a full band.
Away from the concert, Tom's visiting a school to teach beatboxing
techniques to kids.
© ABC 2012
First up is trying to make the sound of a siren.
TOM THUM, BEATBOXER: So, instead of humming normally like
(demonstrates), what you wanna do is put your top lip here on your
bottom lip here. So you wanna make a really strange face as well, so
you've gotta (demonstrates).
A slight adjustment to your facial expression and you get a trumpet.
Soon the class were getting the hang of it and were ready to be his
back up beatboxers!
Once you've got the basics right you can even try making two rhythms
at the same time.
But this takes a lot of practice.
TOM THUM, BEATBOXER: There's certain things that would be
muscle memory I guess, because I've done them so many times. It's
moreso just practicing, so I'd have like a bassline and then I'd put a
(demonstrates).
So if you wanna get into beatboxing, what's Tom's advice?
TOM THUM, BEATBOXER: Go to university and get a real job. I
think stick at it. I mean there are going to be a lot of people who say,
"Wow, that sounds really bad," at the start, but that's what everyone
said to me as well and now they're going to my show and saying, "Oh
that's fantastic good on ya man good on ya."
Tom says being a good beatboxer means thinking outside the box, and
inventing your own ways to use your voice.
That way you can step up to any challenge when it comes to making
noise!
© ABC 2012
Closer
And that's it for the show. You can jump onto our website if you want
to get more info on any of the stories. You can send us your comments
and don't forget to vote in this week's poll. I'll see you next time.
© ABC 2012