Questions for discussion
1st
Episode 9
April 2014
Animal Extinction
1. What have you learned as a result of watching this story?
2. How many mammals have become extinct in Australia since the arrival of Europeans?
a) 40
b) 27
c) 50
3. How could climate change affect some animal species?
4. Why do you think it can cost a lot of money to save endangered species?
5. What are some of the reasons that animals can be important?
6. Why does Corey say we should keep the “creepy crawlies”?
7. Think of an example of an animal that’s important to other animals.
8. What do you think the scientist meant when he described some animals as “zombie species”?
9. Give some reasons for trying to preserve critically endangered species.
10. Do you think the government should put more money into saving some species than others?
Give reasons for your answer.
Check out the BtN Animal Extinction teacher resource on the Teachers page
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
Vote in the BtN Animal Extinction poll. Go to http://www.abc.net.au/btn/polls.htm
Knights and Dames
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Briefly summarise the Knights and Dames story.
In Medieval times, knights were...
A dame was usually married to a knight. True or false?
Name a famous knight and dame.
In which year did Australia stop having knights and dames
a. 1976
b. 1986
c. 1996
Which Australian Prime Minister got rid of knights and dames?
Why is Tony Abbott bringing back knights and dames?
Who will automatically qualify for a knighthood or damehood?
Why do some people think it’s not a good idea?
What do you think? Should Australia have knights and dames? Explain your answer.
Do Knights and Dames quiz on the BtN website http://www.abc.net.au/btn/quiz.htm
Young Leaders
1. What was the main point of the BtN Young Leaders story?
2. What do you think makes a good leader?
3. Name some famous leaders.
©ABC 2014
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Who do you think is a good leader? Give reasons why.
Do you think it is important for kids to learn leadership skills? Why or why not?
What opportunities do you get at school to practise leadership skills?
What sort of leader do you think would be?
What sorts of changes would you like to make as a leader?
What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?
Watch the video http://www.halogen.org.au/video/10000-ideas-highlights then, as a class, create
your own video with students’ ideas.
Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.
Allergies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
In your own words, describe what an allergy is.
What food is Lucy allergic to?
Why is she visiting the doctor?
Describe the test that Lucy is having.
What happens to the skin if there is an allergic reaction?
Name some products that contain nuts.
Finish the following sentence: Emily is severely allergic to...
How does having a food allergy impact on Emily’s life?
What does she need to carry at all times and why?
How does your school support students with a food allergy?
Check out the BtN Allergies teacher resource on the Teachers page
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
Taekwondo
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
How old was Tanay when she started Taekwondo?
She is the current Australian taekwondo champion in her division. True or false?
Who does Tanay want to be a role model for?
What obstacles did she have to overcome?
How does taekwondo help Tanay deal with problems?
There are five universal principles of taekwondo. Name three of them.
What has taekwondo taught Tanay?
How is she preparing for the World Championships?
How is Tanay’s family supporting her?
How did this story make you feel?
Send a message to Tanay and post it in the comments section on the Taekwondo story page.
©ABC 2014
Activity
1st
Episode 9
April 2014
Animal Extinction
Key Learning
Students will investigate the issue and causes of animal extinctions in the Holocene era and debate human
responses to mass extinction.
The Australian Curriculum
Geography/Geographical Knowledge and
Understanding
The influence of people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples, on the environmental characteristics of
Australian places. year 5
(ACHGK027)
Geography/Geographical Inquiry and Skills/Collecting,
recording, evaluating and representing
Reflect on their learning to propose individual and collective
action in response to a contemporary geographical challenge
and describe the expected effects of their proposal on different
groups of people. year 5
(ACHGS039)
English/Literacy/Creating Texts
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive
print and multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language
features, images and sound appropriate to purpose
and audience (ACELY1704) Year 5
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive
texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures,
language features, images and digital resources appropriate to
purpose and audience (ACELY1714) Year 6
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive
texts, selecting aspects of subject matter and particular
language, visual, and audio features to convey information and
ideas (ACELY1725) Year 7
Economics and Business/Economics and Business
Knowledge and Understanding
The difference between needs and wants and why choices
need to be made about how limited resources are used. Year 5
(ACHEK001)
Science/Science Understanding/ Biological Sciences
The growth and survival of living things are affected by the
physical conditions of their environment. Year 6 (ACSSU094)
Science/Science as Human Endeavour/Use and
influence of science
Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community
decisions. Year 6
(ACSHE220)
Discussion Questions
1. What have you learned as a result of watching this story?
2. How many mammals have become extinct in Australia since the arrival of Europeans?
d) 40
e) 27
f) 50
3. How could climate change affect some animal species?
4. Why do you think it can cost a lot of money to save endangered species?
©ABC 2014
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What are some of the reasons that animals can be important?
Why does Corey say we should keep the “creepy crawlies”?
Think of an example of an animal that’s important to other animals.
What do you think the scientist meant when he described some animals as “zombie species”?
Give some reasons for trying to preserve critically endangered species.
Do you think the government should put more money into saving some species than others?
Give reasons for your answer.
Activities
Glossary
After watching the BtN story Mass Extinction, ask students to write down what the following key words mean.
Look up the actual meanings to create an animal extinction glossary.
Species
Mammal
Extinct
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Climate
Environment
Habitat
Ecosystem
Extinction causes mind map
As a class, brainstorm a list of possible reasons for animal extinction. Consider working on a class mind map
to visually outline information – the word ‘extinction’ will be placed in the centre, to which associated ideas,
words and concepts are added. Associated ideas can be linked by branches as seen below:
©ABC 2014
Deforestation
Cats
Predators
Extinction
Foxes
Extinct Animal Profile
As a group, ask students what they know about extinction. Can they name some extinct animals?
Using the Australian government’s list of threatened fauna at http://www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna, ask students to choose an extinct Australian species
to research.
Ask them to consider the following questions in their description:
-
What was its scientific name? Was it known by any
other names?
What did it look like?
What was its habitat? Describe the environment
that it lived in.
What did it eat?
When did it become extinct (or when was it last
seen in the wild)?
What were some of the causes of its extinction?
What were the effects of its extinction? Did it have
an impact on humans, plants or other animals?
Animal campaign
Divide students into groups and assign or ask them to choose an animal from the list of endangered species
below. Ask them to imagine they are running a campaign to convince people to spend money on saving that
species. As a group, plan, draft and create a poster that shows why the animal should be protected.
©ABC 2014
Spotted Quail Thrush
Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat
Spear Toothed Shark
Blue Whale
©ABC 2014
Gilbert’s Potoroo
Leaf-scaled Sea Snake
Orange Bellied Parrot
Macquarie Perch
They may want to consider:
-
What is the value of the animal to humans? Is it unique? Beautiful? Of value to Indigenous cultures?
What is its value to the eco system (other animals, plants, soil, etc)?
What could be done to help it?
Talk to students about how media, colours, textures, lighting and composition in photographs, and language
can be used to persuade.
Class discussion
Hold a class discussion clarifying the arguments raised in the BtN Animal Extinction story. Discuss the
different points of view and issues raised, for example:
 The responsibility of governments to use money efficiently.
 The fact that resources are limited and saving species is difficult and expensive
 The responsibility of humans to look after the environment
 Should humans be able to choose which species are more important?
Students will investigate the issues in detail by either holding a mini debate.
Question to respond to:
Should the government spend money on trying to save species with little chance of survival?
Mini debate
Preparing for your mini debate

Working in pairs, students will prepare a 1-2 minute speech for a mini debate on whether the
government should spend money on trying to save species with little chance of survival. One person will
speak for the affirmative and the other will speak for the negative.

Before students begin to construct their argument, ask them to record what they already know about the
topic and what they would like to find out. Students then research the topic to gain a greater
understanding of the issue.

Ask students to list their arguments in point form on paper (without their partner seeing them). When
they have done this, ask them to choose the five best points that will form the basis for their debate.

Students will write in point form, their debate on cards that fit into the palm of their hand. Their debate
needs to have an introduction (introducing the topic), middle (three main points) and a conclusion
(restating their position). Students practise their speech and then present the mini debate to other
students.
Guide for giving feedback




©ABC 2014
Was the information clear and
accurate?
Were the arguments logical?
Were the counter arguments accurate
and relevant?
Comments about the presentation style
(tone of voice, body language,
enthusiastic, convincing).
Reflection





How difficult was it to think of points to
support one side of the argument?
Do you think you would have done a
better job supporting the other side of
the argument?
Was I able to convince others of my
opinion?
Did my opinion change?
What did you learn from this activity?
Further Investigation
The Holocene Extinction
Since about 10,000BC, a very large number of species have become extinct. It is known by scientists
as the Holocene Extinction.
-
Research the Holocene extinction, its causes, its impacts and how humans might be influencing
these extinctions.
-
There have been five other periods of mass extinction on earth. Find out more about them, their
causes and their impacts
Find out more about the effects that climate change might have on animals.
Ask students to prepare a report or poster exploring the issue.
 Related Research Links
ABC News –Scientists resign `living dead’ species to extinction, call for triage debate
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-19/australian-species-facing-extinction-living-dead-triage/5331908
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation list of threatened fauna
http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna
BTN Mammal Extinction
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2316624.htm
National Geographic – Mass Extinction
http://science.nationalgeographic.com.au/science/prehistoric-world/mass-extinction/
Kids.net.au – Extinction Event
http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/ma/Mass_extinction
Australian Museum – Extinct Animals
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Australias-extinct-animals
©ABC 2014
Activity
1st
Episode 9
April 2014
Allergies
Key Learning
Students will learn more about of what allergies are, how they are treated and foods that cause allergic
reactions.
The Australian Curriculum
Science /Science as a Human Endeavour /Use and
Influence of Science
Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used
to solve problems that directly affect peoples’ lives.
Year 5 (ACSHE083) Year 6 (ACSHE100)
Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community
decisions (ACSHE217) Year 5 (ACSHE220) Year 6
Discussion Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
In your own words, describe what an allergy is.
What food is Lucy allergic to?
Why is she visiting the doctor?
Describe the test that Lucy is having.
What happens to the skin if there is an allergic reaction?
Name some products that contain nuts.
Finish the following sentence: Emily is severely allergic to...
How does having a food allergy impact on Emily’s life?
What does she need to carry at all times and why?
How does your school support students with a food allergy?
Activities
Classroom discussion
Before watching the BtN Food Allergies story, hold a class discussion to find out what your students know
about food allergies and what questions they have about the topic.
The following questions can help to guide the discussion.
Discussion questions (before watching Food Allergies)
 What is an allergy?
 What sorts of things can people be allergic to?
 What do you know about food allergies?
Watch the BtN story Food Allergies and ask students to summarise the story in their own words. Hold a
group discussion, and reflect on food allergies and the affect they have on children’s health.
©ABC 2014
Discussion questions (after watching Food Allergies)




How did you feel after watching the BtN Food Allergies story?
What surprised you about this story?
Why do you think BtN covered this story?
How can food allergies affect our health?
Understanding allergies
Students research the following:
What is an allergy?
What is an allergen? Give examples
When do allergies occur?
What is a food allergy?
What are the symptoms of allergies? Create a list ranging from mild reactions to severe.
©ABC 2014
What is anaphylaxis and how is it treated?
Students present the information in an interesting way, for example:
 Wordle word cloud http://www.wordle.net/
 A handbook for other students to use
 A poster to go up around your school
 Display the information using Prezi
 Illustrate the terms in an interesting way.
Foods that cause allergic reactions
Students will find out more about the foods that trigger most allergic reactions and why product labelling is
important to people with a food allergy. Below is a list of the top nine foods that trigger 90% of food allergies.
Discuss with students why it is very important that people with food allergies read the ingredients of
packaged food. Explain to students that foods on products may have different names, for example, tree nuts
may be called macadamia, almond or walnut.
Students match the nine foods to the names that they may be called on food labels. Some foods may have
more than one name.
Foods that cause most food allergies
Peanut
May also be known as
Tuna
Albumin
Tree nut
Anchovy
Egg
Macadamia
Cow’s milk
Lactose
Fish
Triticale
Shellfish
Casein
Wheat
Prawns
Soy
Crab
Walnut
Hydrolysed whey
Barley
Hydrolysed vegetable protein
Almond
Tahini
Tofu
Sesame
©ABC 2014
Ground nuts
Gluten
Test your knowledge! Do the Food Allergy quiz.
1. Allergies can be cured.
a. True
b. False
6. If a person was allergic to cow’s milk,
they shouldn’t eat:
a. Casein
b. Albumin
c.
Triticale
2. An allergen is:
a. A substance that triggers
an allergic reaction
b. Medicine used to treat an
allergy
c.
A symptom of an allergic
reaction
3. Anaphylaxis is a
a. Type of eczema
b. Severe allergic reaction
c.
Treatment for a food allergy
4. An EpiPen, which is used to treat
anaphylaxis, contains:
a. Adrenaline
b. Oxygen
c.
7. If a person is allergic to albumin, they
should avoid food containing:
a. Tree nuts
b. Soy
c.
Eggs
8. Which of the following isn’t a tree nut?
a. Macadamia
b. Almond
c. Peanut
9. If someone was allergic to gluten, then
what should they avoid?
a. Hydrolysed whey
b. Nuts
c. Wheat
Nitrogen
5. Hummus contains tahini, which is:
10. What are peanuts sometimes listed as on
food labels?
a. Chickpea paste
b. Sesame paste
c.
©ABC 2014
Peanut paste
a. Ground nuts
b. Tofu
c. Walnuts
Quiz Answers:
1. B. False
2. A. A substance that triggers an allergic reaction
3. B. Severe allergic reaction
4. A. Adrenaline
5. B. Sesame paste
6. A. Casein
7. C. Eggs
8. C. Peanut
9. C.Wheat
10. A Ground nuts
©ABC 2014
Further Investigation
Is your school allergy aware? Find out what your school does to keep students with allergies safe. Are all
students made aware of food allergies? Do you think more could be done to keep students with food
allergies safe and to make the school community more aware?
 Related Research Links
Behind the News – Food Allergies
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3215292.htm
Child and Youth Health – Reactions to Foods
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=302&id=1445#2
Child and Youth Health – Food Allergies
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=302&id=2473
Healthy Kids – Food Allergies
http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/parents-carers/nutrition/allergies.aspx
©ABC 2014
BtN: Episode 9 Transcript 1/4/14
Coming up

Find out what these knights are doing in modern day Australia.

Meet the girl who risks sickness with every bite she takes.

And Tanay tells us how she uses martial arts to fight racism.
Hello, I'm Nathan and this is BtN. You've just seen some of the great stuff coming up later.
But first the news is calling. Here's what's everyone's been talking about this week.
The Wire
One of Australia's biggest private health insurers is set to be sold.
Medibank Private, which is owned by the government, is said to be worth somewhere
between 2 and 4 billion dollars.
People will be able to buy shares in the business with the money raised going to the
government. The government says it will use that money to fund new infrastructure. The
insurer has 3-point-8 million members and 4-thousand staff.
*****
Peter Cosgrove has become our new Governor-General!
©ABC 2014
The ex-Defence Force Chief takes over from Quentin Bryce. He’s also in line to get a cool
new title: Sir Peter Cosgrove. We'll tell you more about that later on!
*****
Some high-tech equipment is going to be used to try to find the black box of a Malaysia
Airlines plane in the southern Indian Ocean. The flight data recorder could tell us exactly
what happened to flight MH 3-70 that went missing last month.
Meanwhile, on the weekend, an Australian military plane found several orange-coloured
objects in the water.
It's not clear yet if they are from the plane or not. 239 people were on board the flight
including six Aussies.
*****
And imagine being forced to have the same haircut as the leader of your country!
Well, that's what's apparently happening in North Korea. Under a new law guys at
university have to get the same hairstyle as leader Kim Jong-Un.
But hair rules aren't new there. In the past men have only been able to choose from 10
styles or a slightly more flexible 18 styles for women.
Animal Extinction
Reporter: Emma Davis
INTRO: Right I'm going to kick off our first story with a question. Should we try to save
every animal facing extinction? That's the question being asked after a new UN climate
©ABC 2014
report card said Australia will continue to get hotter in the future and because of that
some native species might face extinction. The government spends a lot of money trying
to stop native animals from dying out. But some scientists say we should ONLY put that
money towards helping some of them. It's a controversial idea so here's Emma with the
debate.
Imagine that the future of life on Earth was in your hands and you had the power to save
species for future generations.
Now imagine you couldn't save them all.
That's the situation that some scientists say we could be facing in the near future.
The Earth's animals are in trouble. They're becoming extinct at rates not seen since the
death of the dinosaurs. Since Europeans came to Australia 23 birds, 4 frogs, and 27
mammal species have become extinct.
Up in the Kakadu National Park one study says 95 per cent of the mammals that used to be
there aren't there anymore. And many are worried that as the climate changes the problem
will get worse because it could affect some animal's food sources or habitat making it
harder for them to survive.
The government does have programs to try to save these endangered species. But it takes
time, hard work and most of all money and experts says there's just not enough to go
round.
So they say it's time to think about which species are the most important and just put
public money into saving them.
But it's not an easy decision because animals are important for all sorts of different
reasons. Some species are unique and they should be saved because there's nothing like
them in the world. Others are really important to their environment. If they died out it
could put a lot of other species in danger.
©ABC 2014
But before you go thinking which animals you'd save and which you wouldn't just
remember sometimes, it's not the cute and cuddly ones that are the most important.
COREY BRADSHAW, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE: We want to certainly maintain all the
creepy crawlies that pollinate all of our crops so that we can eat. The things like the koalas
and the bilbies kind of drop off the perch, really, in terms of their direct relevance to
humans.
Some environmental scientists say it may be too late to save some species anyway. They
say there are just too few of them out there and spending money on them may not help.
COREY BRADSHAW, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE: We call those living dead or zombie
species because the likelihood of them persisting for any reasonable amount of time in the
future is pretty low. So, we've already basically resigned those species to some form of
extinction within the near future.
But some disagree with that. They say we shouldn't accept the extinction of any species and
the government should spend whatever money it takes to keep them around.
DEBBIE LUSTIG, SAVE THE ORANGE-BELLIED PARROT: This is something that we
value as part of our natural heritage, something we want our children and our
grandchildren to see in the future. We can't afford not to spend money on any of them.
LARISSA WATERS, GREENS SENATOR: I can't bear the thought that we should give up
on our iconic Australian species and I can't bear the thought that we somehow throw the
towel in too soon.
Either way this extinction problem isn't going away. So whatever tactic we do decide to
take we'd better get moving.
©ABC 2014
Online Poll
Right that's sure to get you fired up. So get your voting fingers ready.
Should the government spend money trying to save species with little chance of survival?
Our website is the place to vote.
Last week we asked you if more old growth forests should be opened up for logging. And it
was a resounding no from you guys. 90 percent disagreed.
Knights and Dames
Reporter: Tash Thiele
INTRO: Prime Minister Tony Abbott has just announced he's bringing back the
traditional titles ‘knight’ and ‘dame’. So when can we expect to see people walking around
wearing armour and carrying sword? Tash found out.
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Okay, so you wouldn't expect to see knights like this
around town. But very soon Australia will be getting Knights and Dames of its own!
Lots of movies have been made about knights like this one. Back in medieval times, knights
were noble warriors who were sworn to protect the king. They would also show off their
skills in tournaments and mock battles to entertain people.
These days knights aren't as exciting. They don't do any fighting and they don't dress in
armour or carry swords around. But they do exist. Knighthood is an honour that the Queen
gives out in the UK to recognise people for doing great things. Women can get it too,
although they're called dames. It's given out in a ceremony where the Queen places a sword
on the Knight or Dame's shoulders. They're also given a 'Sir' at the start of their name if
©ABC 2014
they're a man or 'Dame' if they're a woman. It's one of the highest honours a person can
receive.
There are a few people you've probably heard of who've previously scored the title. There's
Sir Ian McKellen who plays Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings, singer Sir Paul McCartney,
actresses Dame Helen Mirren and Dame Judy Dench and billionaire Sir Richard Branson.
Australia used to have knights and dames too. But in 1986, the Prime Minister at the time
Bob Hawke decided to ditch the tradition. Now, Tony Abbott has decided to bring knights
and dames back to Australia.
TONY ABBOTT, PRIME MINISTER: I think it's important to appropriately honour people
whose service has been extraordinary and pre-eminent.
Instead of the community nominating people it will be up to the PM. Then those people get
approved by the Queen. Governors-General qualify automatically. That means Quentin
Bryce, who's just retired, will be the first new Dame. She'll be called.
TONY ABBOTT: Dame Quentin Bryce.
And Peter Cosgrove, who'll take over her job, will become a Knight and be called Sir Peter
Cosgrove. Only four knights and dames can be picked each year, so that leaves room for
two more.
Some people don't have a problem with the PM's decision. But others, like those who'd like
to see Australia become a republic one day, disagree. They say we shouldn't follow the
British tradition. And others think it's just an old-fashioned idea.
MARK DREYFUS, SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL: Rushing back to the 19th century,
this very backward-looking government has reintroduced knights and dames, it's
something to behold.
CHRIS BOWEN, SHADOW TREASURER: Are we about to see him announce vinyl records
are coming back?
©ABC 2014
Becoming a knight or dame comes with a powerful title and one we'll be hearing a lot more
about!
Quiz 1
If that's not an excuse for a medieval quiz, I don't know what is!
How long did it take for a kid to be trained as a knight?
4 years
14 years
or 24 years
The answer: 14 years.
Training started at age 7 and kids had to complete 7 years as a page then another 7 years as
squire before becoming a knight.
Young Leaders
Reporter: Matt Holbrook
INTRO: Now what do you think makes a great leader? Is it in the way they talk? The way
they walk? Or is it just about what they do? This week, Matt caught up with some young
leaders to find out what they think a successful leader looks like. Here's what they said.
©ABC 2014
KID 1: Nelson Mandela
KID 2: Barack Obama
KID 3: Mary Mackillop
KID 4: Julia Gillard
KID 5: Cathy Freeman
KID 6: Bill Gates
KID 7: Tony Abbott
Some of those names should ring a bell. While they're known for different things, they're
all famous leaders in their own way. People who have accomplished big things, influenced
others, or helped them to reach their goals.
Now some Aussie school kids are learning how they can be the great leaders of the future.
They're taking part in something called National Young Leaders Day. It's an opportunity to
hear from leaders in the community, ask questions and learn about leadership skills. So
what is it they think makes someone a good leader?
KID: A good leader is someone who can communicate well.
Something a lot of leaders seem to have in common is how they speak, and the kind of
things they say to get their message across.
MARTIN LUTHER KING: I have a dream.
©ABC 2014
JOHN F KENNEDY: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for
your country.
WINSTON CHURCHILL: We will fight them on the beaches.
They have the ability to control a crowd, or connect with a single person.
KID: A good leader is someone who leads by example.
For some, leadership is about what they do; someone who only expects from others what
they're prepared to do themselves.
KID: A good leader is someone who inspires others:
A person who can encourage someone to speak out, or make a difference in the world.
KIDS: A good leader is someone who...
There's no single thing that makes someone a good leader. Different people lead in
different ways and they're often passionate about very different things.
In this activity, each of the kids involved pick an issue that's really important to them. They
talk on camera about it, how it affects them and what ideas they have to make a difference.
Over the past few years, school kids from around Australia have had their say. And all of
the responses are put online to share with the rest of the world.
Matthew's seventeen, he's come here because he wants to stop bullying.
©ABC 2014
MATTHEW: I think bullying is a big problem in our world and we need to put a stop to it.
During high school I had a few instances with name calling and teasing, and it really upsets
your social life and sets you back a little bit.
His idea to tackle bullying is to become a police officer.
MATTHEW: I always wondered why people didn't put a stop to the bullying. Then I
realised what would people think of us? So I will join the police force and stop the bullying.
Brittany's also made a video. She wants more people to know about homelessness in
Australia.
BRITTANY: I strongly believe that homelessness is a big issue in today's society. I thought
if I put my idea forward, it would make other people more aware.
And while talking about these things is a simple step, it could be just the start of what's to
come from these leaders of the future.
Allergies
Reporters: Peter Ah Sam
INTRO: Imagine if a simple meal could kill you. That's the reality for many kids with
severe allergies. But what are the big risk foods? And how are allergies discovered? Peter
went along to one girl's annual allergy appointment to find out.
PETER AH SAM, REPORTER: Imagine if what you ate could make you sick or even put
your life at risk. That's the case for millions of people around the world who suffer from
food allergies; and Lucy is one of them. I've joined her for her annual visit to the clinic to
find out how she deals with them.
©ABC 2014
Lucy knows she can't eat nuts, but she's come to the clinic to see if her allergies are getting
worse and to see if she's developed an allergy to anything new. The doctor uses something
called a prick test to monitor the allergies.
Lucy gets a little sample of the things she might be allergic too on her arm. The doctor uses
a pin to scratch the sample into the skin. It's enough to come up all red and itchy if she's
allergic, but not enough to make her sick.
REPORTER: Does the pin prick hurt?
LUCY: It feels like a really light pin prick.
Now the test's finished, you can see where her skin's gone red. That means she has an
allergic reaction.
REPORTER: So Lucy what can't you eat?
LUCY: most nuts and some allergens like pollens and like tree nuts and the stuff like that,
and cats as you can see.
REPORTER: So Lucy, when you said you can’t eat peanuts, that includes peanut butter and
what else?
LUCY: Peanut butter, things with peanut oil in it, Nutella. Yeah - I've never had Nutella.
It's really anything to do with peanuts or other nuts.
But there are other kids that have to be even more careful than Lucy like Emily here.
EMILY: I'm severely allergic to eggs and nuts and I'm also allergic to pollens and grasses.
If Emily eats the wrong food it could be fatal, so she has to be really careful.
©ABC 2014
EMILY: This year for the Year 7 camp, I got picked up at night to go back home so I could
have dinner there and breakfast there, which means I wouldn't have to carry as much food
with me all day, so that means I'd only have to carry my lunch because it's just way too
much to carry my breakfast and my dinner with me, yeah. So I just got picked up at night
and yeah.
She also has to carry an EpiPen around with her at all times. It contains stuff that slows
down an allergic reaction which could save her life!
Back at the clinic, the doctor is back to let Lucy know how she did.
CHRISTINE ZIEGLER, DOCTOR: I just have your results here and what we can see
straight away is that you've come up positive to peanut. So what we will do over the time is,
as you get older we will get you coming back to our clinic and we will monitor what will
happen with that.
Lucy knows that she'll have allergies for the rest of her life, but thanks to this place she now
knows a lot more about them.
Quiz 2
Peanuts are a common food allergy. Let's find out more about them with a quiz.
Where do peanuts grow?
On the ground
Above the ground
©ABC 2014
Or under the ground?
Answer: Under the ground.
Unlike most other nuts peanuts don't grow on trees.
They're actually from the same family as beans and peas. OK, sport time!
Here are the results.
The Score
Australia is out of the Twenty Twenty World Cup. They were all but certain to be going
home after losing their first two matches. But a crushing defeat against India has ended all
hope. The Aussies were bowled out for just 86 a whopping 73 runs short of the total they
needed. It's their second lowest twenty-twenty score ever.
*****
To basketball and the Perth Wildcats are through to the grand final series in the NBL. They
defeated Wollongong two zip in the three game series.
Meanwhile, in the other semi final series Adelaide and Melbourne are tied up at 1-all.
*****
And finally how seriously do you take your footy? Well, the AFL's making a few changes to
its rules for junior footballers. It’s banning scoreboards, ladders and match results for
under 10s and below.
©ABC 2014
That will mean there'll be no winners or losers and no best player awards. The idea is to
make footy about the fun rather than the competition.
Taekwondo
Reporter: Bec Opie
INTRO: Okay, the girl in our next story isn't someone you would want to mess with. She's
the current Australian Taekwondo Champion for her age. But her aim in life isn't to beat
people up. She's fighting to put an end to racism and to inspire other Indigenous kids to
achieve their goals. Here's Bec.
TANAY: When you're dedicated, when you set your mind to something, you can achieve
anything.
REBECCA OPIE, REPORTER: Meet Tanay Decrea. She's 13, a first degree black belt and
the current Australian taekwondo champion in her division.
TANAY: I started karate when I was four and then I did taekwondo when I was seven.
REPORTER: By the age of 12, Tanay earned her black belt and since then she's been to
heaps of competitions right around Australia. Last year she won gold in her age and weight
category at the National Championships in Canberra. That got her a ticket to Italy to
represent Australia at the ITF World Championships in Rome. But for Tanay, it's about
more than just winning.
TANAY: I was the first Indigenous Australian girl to go to the World Championships, that's
a big deal for me because I want to be a role model to the Aboriginal people because I am
Aboriginal. So I definitely want to show those Aboriginal kids out there that you can
achieve your highest goals.
©ABC 2014
REPORTER: But it hasn't always been smooth sailing. Tanay has had to overcome some
obstacles to get to where she is today.
TANAY: I have been bullied, at my older school, eventually we moved schools and that just
kind of drives me on because I don't want that to happen ever again to anybody.
REPORTER: For Tanay, it was taekwondo that helped get her through those times.
TANAY: Taekwondo has given me the confidence if I see racism then I will tell that person
to stop because that's really mean. I will do anything to stop racism, that's very
disrespectful to me.
REPORTER: There are five universal principles of taekwondo: courtesy and respect,
knowing right from wrong, always trying your hardest and not giving up, keeping your cool
and keeping your chin up, even when it gets tough.
TANAY: Going to taekwondo, I learn a lot of discipline. Also when I get a job I think
taekwondo's taught me to work hard to achieve my goals.
REPORTER: Working hard is exactly what Tanay's been doing. In preparation for the
World Championships she's up every day at 6am, training in the backyard. After school she
trains at her club then it's back home for, you guessed it, more training!
TANAY: Dad is like my second coach. He drives me on all day about getting the training,
getting back, he trains with me outside.
REPORTER: And it's not just Tanay's dad lending a hand.
TANAY: Mum cooks me dinner before taekwondo, she makes sure I eat healthy throughout
the day. My brother is supportive, he comes along with us, doesn't complain so yeah my
family is definitely cool.
©ABC 2014
REPORTER: The World Championships are only 4 months away but Tanay's on track and
feeling focussed.
TANAY: My goal in Rome is to win gold, become the world champion and make my family
proud and show everyone what I can do!
Closer
Thanks for that Tanay.
Right, that about wraps us up. But this isn't a one way thing. Just head to our website and
you can have your say on any of our stories.
You can also let others know what you're thinking using the hashtag BehindTheNews.
Our next show will be after the Easter holidays.
See you then!
©ABC 2014
Activity
End of Term Quiz
1. Who is Australia’s new Governor-General?
a. Peter Cosgrove
b. Tony Abbott
c. Quentin Bryce
2. Which state recently introduced a shark
culling program?
a. Queensland
b. Western Australia
c. South Australia
3. Koalas are
a. Marsupials
b. Monotremes
c. Reptiles
4. In which year did the First Fleet arrive at
Botany Bay?
a. 1787
b. 1788
c. 1888
5. Where were the 2014 Winter Olympics held?
a. Moscow
b. Salzburg
c. Sochi
6. Which body part can’t be affected by cancer?
a. Teeth
b. Bones
c. Liver
7. Quidditch is a sport made famous by which book?
a. The Hunger Games
b. Alice in Wonderland
c. Harry Potter
8. Which song is known as Australia’s unofficial
nation?
a. The Man from Snowy River
b. Click Go the Shears
c. Waltzing Matilda
©ABC 2014
Episode 9
1st April 2014
9. Which Australian state was the first in the world to make seatbelts mandatory?
a. South Australia
b. Tasmania
c. Victoria
10. Which part of the body does Cystic Fibrosis affect?
a. Bones
b. Lungs
c. Brain
11. Which gases are released when rubbish decomposes?
a. Methane and Oxygen
b. Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
c. Methane and Carbon Dioxide
12. The decades-long war between the East and the West was known as the:
a. World War
b. Cold War
c. Long War
13. Sugar is a...
a. Carbohydrate
b. Protein
c. Fat
14. How many World Heritage sites are there in the world?
a. 781
b. 881
c. 981
15. What perecentage of Aussie kids have sugary drinks almost every day?
a. Nearly 25%
b. Almost 50%
c. About 70%
16. What technology do air traffic controllers use to track planes?
a. GPS
b. Radar
c. ACARS
17. A person who studies dinosaurs is called a...
a. Palaeontologist
b. Archaeologist
c. Botanist
18. In which year did Federation occur in Australia?
a. 1788
b. 1900
c. 1901
©ABC 2014
19. People with dyslexia also have trouble with
a. Vision
b. Sound
c. Memory
20. In which year did Australia stop having knights and dames?
a. 1976
b. 1986
c. 1996
©ABC 2014
Answers
1. a. Peter Cosgrove
2. b. Western Australia
3. a. Marsupials
4. b. 1788
5. c. Sochi
6. a. Teeth
7. c. Harry Potter
8. c. Waltzing Matilda
9. c. Victoria
10. b. Lungs
11. c. Methane and Carbon Dioxide
12. b. Cold War
13. a. Carbohydrate
14. c. 981
15. b. Almost 50%
16. b. Radar
17. a. Palaeontologist
18. c. 1901
19. c. Memory
20. b. 1986
©ABC 2014