Questions for discussion
Episode 21
6th August 2013
Egypt Trouble
1. What do you know about ancient Egypt?
2. What is ancient Egypt famous for?
3. Where in the world is Egypt? Find using Google Maps.
a. Asia
b. Middle East
c. Europe
4. As a class discuss the current political problems happening in Egypt?
5. How would you describe the current situation in Egypt?
6. Why are the young people in Egypt protesting?
7. What is a dictator?
8. Egypt’s army is the biggest in the Middle East and the oldest in the world. True or false?
9. Imagine what life is like for kids growing up in Egypt. How is it similar or different to growing up in
Australia?
10. The Egypt Trouble story was an example of a...
a. Procedure
b. Argument
c. Report
Check out BtN’s Egypt Trouble teacher resource. Students will develop their historical knowledge and
understanding of ancient Egypt. http://www.abc.net.au/btn/resources/teacher/episode/20130806egypttrouble.pdf
Smacking Ban
1. What happens to you if you do the wrong thing at home?
2. What is smacking technically called?
3. It’s been said that in the 1950s around 99% of families used some form of corporal punishment in the
home. True or false?
4. What percentage of Australian families say occasional smacking is ok?
a. 6.9%
b. 69%
c. 96%
5. Why do you think the rate of smacking has dropped over time?
6. Name one country where smacking is illegal.
7. Who has come out saying that they want smacking banned?
8. Why do they want to ban smacking?
9. Why is smacking a controversial topic?
10. What do you think? Head to the BtN website and have your say in the online poll.
Should smacking children be banned? Have your say in the BtN online poll. To vote head to the BtN
website http://abc.net.au/btn/polls.htm
War Games
1. What are war games?
©ABC 2013
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What was the name of the mission featured in the BtN story?
Who is the Australian Defence Force partnering with in the war games?
How often are the war games held?
Describe what happens during war games.
Troops can stay in trenches for up to 72 hours. True or false?
One of the Australian ships involved in the exercise is called...
a. HMAS Choules
b. HMAS Sapphire
c. HMAS Albatross
8. Why are some people against war games?
9. How did the recent war games impact on the environment?
10. List some advantages and disadvantages of war games.
Test your knowledge in the War Games quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the links.
Citizen Science
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Describe the scientific study featured in the BtN Citizen Science story?
Before European settlers arrived in Australia koalas only lived in Darwin. True or false?
What do koalas eat?
Why is it important to find out more about South Australia’s koalas?
What has happened to koala populations in the eastern states of Australia?
Describe how school kids helped with the koala count project.
How was the data recorded?
What is citizen science?
What other sorts of citizen science research can people get involved in?
Would you like to participate in citizen science research? Why or why not?
Check out BtN’s Citizen Science teacher resource. Students will find out about the advantages and how
they can become involved in citizen science research.
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/resources/teacher/episode/20130806-citizenscience.pdf
Snooker Kid
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What do you know about snooker?
In what age groups did Arthur recently win a snooker title?
How old was Arthur when he first starting playing snooker?
Arthur has a snooker scholarship. True or false?
In what country was snooker created?
a. England
b. India
c. Russia
Describe the rules of snooker.
What colours do snooker balls come in?
Where did Arthur travel to, to compete in the Under 21 World Snooker Championships?
What skills do you need to be a successful snooker player?
What is Arthur’s ambition?
Send a message to Arthur in the Snooker Kid story. Visit the Snooker Kid story page and leave your
comment. http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3814898.htm
©ABC 2013
Activity
Episode 21
6th August 2013
Egypt Trouble
Key Learning
Students will develop their historical knowledge and understanding of ancient Egypt. Students will identify a
range of questions about the past to inform historical inquiry on ancient Egypt.
The Australian Curriculum
History / Historical Knowledge and Understanding /
Depth Studies / The Mediterranean world / Egypt
History / Historical Knowledge and Understanding /
Depth Studies / The Mediterranean world / Egypt
The physical features of ancient Egypt (such as the River Nile)
and how they influenced the civilisation that developed
there (ACDSEH002)
Contacts and conflicts within and/or with other societies,
resulting in developments such as the conquest of other lands,
the expansion of trade, and peace treaties (ACDSEH034)
Roles of key groups in ancient Egyptian society (such as the
nobility, bureaucracy, women, slaves), including the influence of
law and religion(ACDSEH032)
The role of a significant individual in ancient Egyptian history
such as Hatshepsut or Rameses II(ACDSEH129)
The significant beliefs, values and practices of the
ancient Egyptians, with a particular emphasis on ONE of the
following areas: everyday life, warfare, or death and funerary
customs (ACDSEH033)
History / Historical Skills / Historical questions and
research
Identify a range of questions about the past to inform a historical
inquiry (ACHHS207)
Discussion Questions
1. What do you know about ancient Egypt?
2. What is ancient Egypt famous for?
3. Where in the world is Egypt? Find using Google Maps.
a. Asia
b. Middle East
c. Europe
4. As a class discuss the current political problems happening in Egypt?
5. How would you describe the current situation in Egypt?
6. Why are the young people in Egypt protesting?
7. What is a dictator?
8. Egypt’s army is the biggest in the Middle East and the oldest in the world. True or false?
9. Imagine what life is like for kids growing up in Egypt. How is it similar or different to growing up in
Australia?
10. The Egypt Trouble story was an example of a...
a. Procedure
b. Argument
c. Report
©ABC 2013
Activities
The ancient past
Develop inquiry questions into the ancient past of Egypt
 Ask students to look at the newspaper headline about the discovery of the oldest pharaoh rock art in
Egypt. http://bit.ly/12TfNp1
 Provide students with some time to think about and discuss the topic with a partner or in small groups.
 Ask what they think the topic might be about and what they would like to find out.
 Students can work in groups or pairs to brainstorm and write down key ideas, then regroup to
summarise ideas as a whole class.
 Help students develop their own inquiry questions to structure their investigation. Refer to the AC
History Units Inquiry Process for step-by-step assistance.
http://achistoryunits.edu.au/verve/_resources/htaa_year_7_ancient_past_the_inquiry_process.pdf
Inquiry questions (examples)





How do we know about the ancient past?
What do archaeological sources tell us about what happened to the pharaohs of Egypt?
Describe some characteristics of Egypt’s ancient societies?
Why is it important to conserve the remains of the ancient past in Egypt?
Go back to these inquiry questions at the end of the learning sequence to determine what students have
learned from their investigation.
The mystery of the pyramids: Research project

Students will pose a key question, like how were the pyramids at Giza built? Students will investigate
the inquiry question and understand that there may not be a definitive answer. Students will identify
related questions to inform the inquiry including: What evidence is there? What theories have been
developed?
Inquiry questions (examples)
 Why were the pyramids in Giza built so close to the river Nile?
 What were the roles of key people in ancient Egyptian society (such as the nobility, bureaucracy,
women and slaves) in the building and use of the pyramids?
 Why were the pyramids built? Consider the significant beliefs, values and practices of the ancient
Egyptians.
 How do pyramids help us to know so much about life in ancient Egypt?
©ABC 2013
Explore an ancient Egyptian pyramid using a robot.
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/interactive/maps-tools-explorepyramid/?ar_a=1
Build your own pyramids by taking the Pyramid Challenge! Then build a 3D model of the pyramids of Giza
(include other geographical features such as the river Nile).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/games/pyramid_challenge/index_embed.shtml
Watch a reconstructed life story of Nakht, one of the workers who was part of building king Kufu’s great
pyramid of Giza.
http://www.discoveringegypt.com/egyptian_videos/Building-Pyramid1.html
©ABC 2013
Further Investigation
Want to see your name or compose a message in hieroglyphs? Write it out in Middle Egyptian (beginning
around 2100 B.C.) phonetic symbols using the keyboard.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/egypt/translator.html
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an amazing and comprehensive timeline of Egypt’s ancient history.
Identify the approximate beginning and end date of this ancient society and compare to other ancient
societies around the world. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/index-africa.html
Visit Here is Today - a simple interactive page that explains the relative time differences between Day,
Month, Year, Century, Millennium, Epoch, Period, Era, Eon and beyond! http://hereistoday.com/
 Related Research Links
CBBC Newsround – Thousands of people gather to protest in Egypt
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/23117559
CBBC Newsround – Egypt Mohammed Morsi supporters won’t end protest
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/23481133
BBC News Africa – Egypt profile
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13313370
Fascinating Egyptian Mummies – Unwrapping history with science
http://www.mcq.org/momies/
BBC – Egyptians
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/
National Geographic – Explore a Pyramid
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/interactive/maps-tools-explorepyramid/?ar_a=1weblink
National Geographic- Brainteaser: Egypt
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/puzzlesquizzes/brainteaseregypt/
Liverpool Museums – The Nile File
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/kids/games-quizzes/nile-file/index.aspx
Portal to the Past – Egypt
http://www.portaltothepast.com/
Behind the News – Egypt
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3127801.htm
©ABC 2013
Episode 21
6th August 2013
Activity
Citizen Science
Key Learning
Students will find out about the advantages and how they can become involved in citizen science research.
Students will build on their data collecting and recording skills by participating in a classroom survey.
The Australian Curriculum
Science / Science Inquiry Skills / Processing and
analysing data and information
Use a range of methods including tables and simple
column graphs to represent data and to
identify patterns and trends (ACSIS068)
Construct and use a range of representations,
including tables and graphs, to represent and describe
observations, patterns or relationships in data using digital
technologies as appropriate(ACSIS090) (ACSIS107)
Science / Science Inquiry Skills / Evaluating
Suggest improvements to the methods used to investigate a
question or solve a problem(ACSIS108)
Reflect on the method used to investigate a question or solve a
problem, including evaluating the quality of the data collected,
and identify improvements to the method (ACSIS131)
Mathematics / Data representation and interpretation
Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs,
keys and models to represent and analyse patterns or
relationships, including using digital technologies as appropriate
(ACSIS129)
Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in
developing explanations (ACSIS221)
Summarise data, from students’ own investigations
and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to
identify relationships and draw conclusions (ACSIS130)
Pose questions and collect categorical or numerical data by
observation or survey (ACMSP118)
Construct displays, including column graphs, dot plots and
tables, appropriate for data type, with and without the use of
digital technologies (ACMSP119)
Describe and interpret different data sets in context
(ACMSP120)
Discussion Questions
1. Describe the scientific study featured in the BtN Citizen Science story?
2. Before European settlers arrived in Australia koalas only lived in Darwin. True or false?
3. What do koalas eat?
4. Why is it important to find out more about South Australia’s koalas?
5. What has happened to koala populations in the eastern states of Australia?
6. Describe how school kids helped with the koala count project.
7. How was the data recorded?
8. What is citizen science?
9. What other sorts of citizen science research can people get involved in?
10. Would you like to participate in citizen science research? Why or why not?
©ABC 2013
Activities
What is citizen science?
From tracking the movement of plastic in the ocean to monitoring koala populations, the public are helping
scientists to build a comprehensive picture of changes in the environment. Citizen science is
putting schools on the frontline of research, turning classrooms into labs and pupils into pioneers. It’s a
hands on approach which engages students to gather data, ask questions and seek evidence for scientific
decisions.

After watching the BtN Citizen Science story hold a class discussion.
Discussion questions

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




What is citizen science? Find a definition.
Why is citizen science important?
How has it helped science?
Can you think of any examples of citizen science?
What is a bioblitz? Find out more.
Who can be a citizen scientist and what sort of skills do they need?
Would you like to be a citizen scientist? Why or why not?
Investigating and collecting data: classroom survey
As a class discuss how we are exposed to graphical representation of data in everyday life through the
media, financial reports advertising and so forth. To best understand this, we need to know how the
graphical representations were determined in the first place.

Provide students with the opportunity to build on their data collecting and recording skills by
investigating the following research questions and then taking part in a classroom survey.
Research questions

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
What types of graphs are you familiar with?
Where have you come across these graphs?
Have you done surveys before? Describe the process.
What is the difference between data and evidence?
What is sample size? Why is it important?
Data can be classified into two different types – categorical and numerical.
 What is the difference between categorical and numerical data? Give examples. Here is an
explanation provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://bit.ly/140PI5g
Students will hold a classroom survey, making sure that they ask two categorical and two numerical based
questions. Here are some topics to consider:



eye colour, colour of dog, favourite food, favourite music, favourite subject, birth month (categorical)
height, arm span, foot length, length of index finger, reaction time (numerical, continuous)
number of brothers or sisters, number of pets (numerical, discrete)
©ABC 2013




What is your sample size? Does it represent your school community?
Prepare questions for the survey (making sure that you ask two categorical and two numerical based
questions).
Make some predictions or hypotheses for each of the questions.
What sort of results do you think you will get?

Collect and record the data accurately from each student in your class.

Present the data you have collected (using Excel either in a bar or column graph or frequency table).




What did you discover from your survey?
Refer to the evidence when explaining the results from your survey.
Identify any patterns or trends in your results.
Prepare a written conclusion based on the data you have collected.
Make a class glossary, using the following words, making sure that the definition relates to data collection
and analysis (consider putting together a glossary before holding the classroom survey).
Hypothesis
Sample size
Data
Horizontal axis
Vertical axis
Survey
Categorical
Numerical
Compare
Pictograph
Frequency table
Line graph
Get involved! Turn your students into citizen scientists
Turn your students into citizen scientists! Get your class involved with a citizen science project. Here are
some projects which are ideal for school science. When taking part in a citizen science project ensure that
your class is familiar with the health and safety guidelines associated with the project.
©ABC 2013
Volunteer as a citizen scientist on two important marine research projects. You don’t need to go anywhere –
simply look at seafloor photos online and tag what you see. We’ll help with tutorials and information. You’ll
be assisting in important scientific research, and you could also win an underwater camera.
http://exploretheseafloor.net.au/
Help with kelp
Spot sea urchins
Why do they need
help?
How are the
images collected?
An event for grey nomads – introducing MicroBlitz, a UWA citizen science
project, mapping microbial life in WA soils. Come and learn about the DNA
technologies being used in this project, with a session in the lab to extract
DNA, talk with the researcher and learn how to take a soil sample.
http://bit.ly/1ecjtBK
Celebrate National Science Week with an explosion of science right by the
sea. Come down to the Marine Discovery Centre in Eden to explore the rock
pools, undertake Nobel winning science activities, find out about science in
your local community and much more!
http://www.sapphirecoastdiscovery.com.au/visit/events/science-by-the-seascmdc-open-day/
Join us for Canberra’s first ever BioBlitz, a collaboration of scientists, naturalists,
citizen scientists and members of the public working together on Black Mountain
to discover, identify and record a snapshot of the region’s biodiversity.
Headquartered at the CSIRO Discovery Centre.
http://www.csiro.au/Portals/Education/Programs/Discovery-Centre/Whatson/ACT-Centenary-Bioblitz.aspx
Other citizen science projects happening around Australia...
ClimateWatch is the best way to record the seasonal behaviour you see in plants and animals, and help
scientists understand how Australia’s environment is responding to climate change.
http://www.climatewatch.org.au/mobile
http://www.birdata.com.au/homecontent.do
Participate in the largest continent-wide survey of birds in the world.
©ABC 2013
http://fungimap.org.au/
Contribute to the National Australian Fungimap Database - an important and unique collection of information
about Australia's fungi - and facilitating research by professionals and citizen scientists alike.
http://www.csiro.au/Organisation-Structure/Flagships/Wealth-from-Oceans-Flagship/marine-debris.aspx
Teachers and school students are working with scientists in a three-year study of marine debris around
Australia.
http://www.ala.org.au/species-by-location/
Explore Australian species and natural history collections.
http://www.ala.org.au/get-involved/
Get involved – submit a species record, join a citizen science project or digitise specimen records from your
computer.
For more information on citizen science projects happening in your area contact your local CSIRO Education
Officer, RiAus or your local museum.
 Related Research Links
National Science Week – Science Week 10 - 18 August 2013
http://www.scienceweek.net.au/
The Great Koala Count – About
http://koalacount.ala.org.au/bdrs-core/koalacount/home.htm
University of South Australia – What is citizen science?
http://unisa.edu.au/Research/Barbara-Hardy-Institute/Research-1/Citizen-Science/
CSIRO – ACT Centenary Bioblitz
http://www.csiro.au/Portals/Education/Programs/Discovery-Centre/Whats-on/ACT-Centenary-Bioblitz.aspx
ABC Science – Explore the Sea Floor
http://exploretheseafloor.net.au/
Atlas of Living Australia – Three ways to get involved in citizen science
http://www.ala.org.au/get-involved/
National Geographic – The Genographic Project
https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/
National Geographic – Citizen Science
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/citizen-science/?ar_a=1
Behind the News – Plastic Oceans
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3591476.htm
©ABC 2013
BtN: Episode 21 Transcript 6/8/13
On this week's Behind the News:

Should smacking kids be against the law? We take a look at this stinging debate.

Real life war games without a video game controller in sight.

And join us on a koala hunt all in the name of citizen science.
Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News.
Also on the show today we meet a young champ making his mark in a sport normally
played by adults. But first the Federal Election has been called! Let's catch up with more on
that and the other main news stories of the week in the Wire.
The Wire
It's go time. It's on. The button has been pushed. Whichever way you want to say it the
election campaign has now officially started. Voters will go to the polls in five weeks time
on Saturday, September the 7th. PM Kevin Rudd made the announcement after visiting the
Governor General, Quentin Bryce. And then the campaigning was on for young and old.
KEVIN RUDD, PRIME MINISTER: You, the Australian people over the years have seen
me at my highest highs, and some of my lowest lows. I think as a result, you the Australian
people know me pretty well, warts and all.
TONY ABBOTT, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: I am happy to place myself in the
judgement of the Australian people. I am ready, my team is ready. Kevin has claimed the
underdog status. But if things happen to come out as a draw again. Tony wants no part in
it.
TONY ABBOTT, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: If there is a hung parliament, there will
not be a coalition government led by Tony Abbott.
Expect both leaders to continue speaking about themselves in the third person over the
next five weeks.
******
A new report shows Australians are loving solar panels. Around 10 per cent of Australians
now use them to help power their homes. That's around 1 million systems up from just
8,000 five years ago.
******
©ABC 2013
And finally the next Dr Who has been announced and it's, ahh, this guy! His name is Peter
Capaldi and his first ep will be shown in the UK on Chrissie Day.
Egypt Troubles
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: When you think of Egypt you probably think of pyramids, pharaohs and the
Sphinx. They're some of the most recognisable parts of a country that has a long and
fascinating history. But lately ancient wonders have taken a back seat to modern
political problems. Sarah has more.
Egypt has a really long and really interesting history. For 2,000 years it was home to one of
the ancient world's most successful civilisations, famous for its hieroglyphs, its
mathematics, its farming techniques, its architecture and of course its mummies and
pyramids.
Eventually other civilisations took over but as history marched on Egypt remained one of
the most important places in the Middle East. But right now Egypt's ancient wonders are
taking a back seat to modern political problems. In the past few weeks there have been
fights and violent protests. Hundreds have died. So what's going on in Egypt? To find out
you have to understand a bit about some people from the country's more recent history.
One of them is Hosni Mubarak.
For 30 years he was the president of Egypt; not because he was always ultra popular, but
because he wouldn't let anyone else beat him in elections. Basically Mubarak was a
dictator; a leader who has total power over a country and who won't give that power up.
By 2011 a lot of Egyptians were sick of him; especially young people. They wanted a
government which would give them more freedom, more rights, a better economy, and
real, democratic elections. Using the internet they organised big protests. And eventually
the Egyptian army decided it was on their side.
That's another character you should know about. Egypt's army is the biggest in the Middle
East and the oldest in the world - but it's very different to most armies. It owns land and
businesses and factories. It's really powerful and it doesn't necessarily work for the
government.
The Egyptian army says its duty is to the people of Egypt. And in 2011 it helped the people
force out their old leader. Later that year, Egypt held a peaceful election and chose a new
president, Mohammad Morsi.
He was a member of a group called the Muslim Brotherhood. It's been around since the
20s and has lots of members in different countries. Its goals are to promote the ideals of
the religion Islam. But many of the Egyptians who protested for change wanted religion to
be kept out of politics.
Some felt that the elections weren't really fair because they were held too soon and new
political parties didn't really have a chance to organise themselves and compete with
powerful groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. Then Morsi started making laws which gave
him more power and some worried the country would end up with another dictator.
©ABC 2013
There were more protests. Then, last month, the military stepped in again. They removed
Morsi and replaced him with a temporary government. You can probably see why that
caused problems. Morsi was a democratically elected president and the people who voted
for him are furious. International leaders are asking both sides to stop the violence.
It's a tense time for Egypt and for the rest of the world which is watching closely and
hoping for a peaceful end to this latest chapter of Egypt's long and complicated history.
Smacking Ban
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
INTRO: How kids are disciplined at home is always a controversial topic. Last week it hit
the headlines again after a group of doctors called for smacking kids to be made illegal.
But not everyone is in favour of a ban. Let's take a look at the debate.
What happens to you if you do the wrong thing at home?
STUDENT: If I'm really naughty I get sent to my room.
STUDENT: I usually get things taken away from me, maybe video game time.
STUDENT: Well I get yelled at most of the time.
STUDENT: I usually get my phone confiscated, and I get yelled at a lot, and when I was
little I used to get soap in my mouth and I didn't really like that!
Part of being a kid is doing some not so good things. That's how you learn right from
wrong. But how your parents teach you that lesson can be a controversial subject.
Here's a list of some common home punishments. Some of them might look all too familiar
to you! But there is one punishment on the list, that while fairly common in Australia, is
actually illegal in many countries overseas.
Smacking, or as it's technically called, corporal punishment. In the 50's, when these kids
were getting up to no good, smacking was an incredibly popular form of punishment. It's
said around 99% of families back then used some form of corporal punishment in the
home. These days, the statistics are lower. Around 69% of Australian families say
occasional smacking is ok. And it's dropping each year.
But as we said earlier, smacking is illegal in some countries. Here are the 23 countries that
have banned smacking, and the year they decided to make it law. The closest of those
countries to us is New Zealand. They banned smacking in 2007. But interestingly, two
years later, 90% of adults said they wished smacking was still allowed.
Back in Australia, only NSW has rules about what corporal punishment is fine and what
goes too far. Hits shouldn't be to the head or neck and can't cause pain for very long. The
rest of the country doesn't really have any guidelines, other than it has to be 'reasonable.'
©ABC 2013
That's one of the reasons that a big group of Australian doctors says they've come out in
support of laws banning smacking. They say smacking can lead to mental health problems,
including depression and antisocial behaviour.
DOCTOR: It also teaches children, and this is the most important, that problems can be
resolved through hitting other people.
But some parents in the community disagree. They say sometimes, a smack on the bottom
is the only way to make sure a child remembers a lesson, or snap them out of some bad
behaviour. And they say that if smacking is taken away from them, then kids may have
more discipline problems in the future. But you're the ones in the firing line on this one, so
to speak, so what do you think?
STUDENT: I think it should be banned, like smacking a child, but it depends where you're
going to smack it. If it's on the hand that's alright but if it gets to the head and the bum,
then yeah it's a bit rough.
STUDENT: I think smacking can be a good idea because it normally leaves a red mark on
your arm, but it also leaves a mark inside you memory, reminding you to not do that or
that's the consequence.
STUDENT: You can teach people like kids to do the wrong thing if they're smacked, they
think violence is okay.
STUDENT: I think it should be banned, because if you get smacked on the head you could
get some kind of damage, especially if you're only a little kid.
Online Poll
OK we heard there what some kids think about smacking but what about you?
The question is:
Should smacking children be banned?
To vote just head to our website.
Last week we asked if you thought voting should be compulsory.
43% said yes it should
57% said no it shouldn't
Thanks for voting.
©ABC 2013
War Games
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: Recently news broke that some bombs were dropped on the Great Barrier Reef.
But don't worry we're not under attack. They were dropped during a military war game
between the United States and Australia. But what are war games? Well as Tash found
out they might be called games but they're taken pretty seriously.
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: This intense 21-day exercise involves around 28thousand men and women from the Australian Defence Force and the US Military. It's held
every couple of years to practice fighting a pretend war. That way Australia is prepared in
case an emergency situation pops up. It also gives the two countries a chance to share
knowledge and build a stronger relationship with one another. But how is this war game
actually played?
This time Australia and the US are working together to restore peace and security in a
made-up island nation called Kamaria. Different scenarios are set up on land, in the air
and at sea. Here they're practising a beach landing involving tanks and troops. They need
to work under tough battle conditions spending up to 72 hours keeping guard in a trench.
GAVIN COLE, AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER: The exercise has been going pretty well. We got
some good battle prep conducted on the ship in preparation for this morning's landing.
A pretend war wouldn't feel real without gun fire, not that fire real bullets. Troops need to
move through the bush and up hills towards the enemy, whilst under attack.
2nd LT ANDREW DIXON, US MARINES: We've located a squad size element that's
resting and refitting along the road here and so we're taking the fight to the enemy and
pushing an attack on them.
In the sea, big warships like this are used to block off areas of the ocean. One of the
Australian ships involved is HMAS Choules. It's like a one-stop-shop for supplies and
technology. Vehicles and equipment can be stored on the bottom deck. There's also plenty
of room in the sleeping quarters.
EDY JABRE, AUSTRALIAN SEAMAN: At the moment you're inside my cabin which is a
Leading Seaman's cabin, it's also the same sort of cabin a Petty Officer would get on board
HMAS Choules. As you can see it's quite big and we get all the luxuries that you can ask for.
And to keep everyone energised, there's a kitchen full of food to literally feed an army.
Meantime up in the air, super fast jets play a part in the games too.
These kinds of war games can cause controversy though. Over the years, people have
protested against them. In 2007, there were concerns there'd be environmental damage to
Shoalwater Bay in Queensland. And this year, two US jets dropped four bombs near the
Great Barrier Reef, after a live fire mission was cancelled. Some were concerned they might
explode and destroy Australia's precious marine environment. But the US says they aren't
a risk because they're not armed and that they're working on getting them out.
©ABC 2013
War games are really a test of strength and ability. And while it might look like a tough
exercise to pull together, it's helping keep Australia prepared for anything.
Quiz 1
Some great action shots there. Before we leave the military, let’s have a quiz.
The question is: Which Australian city was bombed during World War II?
Melbourne
Darwin
Brisbane
Answer: Darwin
That happened on the 19th of February 1942 and around 250 people were killed.
Citizen Science
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: Next week is Science Week when we think about the many ways that scientists
help us to understand the world around us. But you don't have to be a professional
scientist to be involved in some serious research. Sarah found out about something called
citizen science and met some kids who're giving it a go.
Amongst the gumtrees of the Adelaide hills some primary school kids are going on a bear
hunt.
KIDS: They're not bears.
Yeah, I know, but "marsupial hunt" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Call it what you will, this is a serious search for some elusive native critters.
KID: Oh look, there's a koala.
These guys were amongst the hundreds of South Australians who took part in the Great
Koala Count, a project aimed at helping scientists understand more about the local koala
population.
Koalas have a really interesting history in South Australia. When European settlers arrived
they only lived in the state's south-east and by the end of the century they'd been hunted so
much there were hardly any left.
In the rest of the country koalas were disappearing fast so in the 1920s there was a plan to
send them south to keep the species safe. Populations in the eastern states are still in
trouble so understanding more about South Australia's Koalas is really important.
©ABC 2013
DR PHILIP ROETMAN, BARBARA HARDY INSTITUTE: What we wanted to do was find
out where koalas were and with a small team of scientists that's really hard so we asked
people, the general community and school kids to get outside on a particular day and then
report where they were using a smart phone app.
KID: This is the app here you take a photo of it.
The koala sightings were recorded online and by analysing all the data scientists can get a
pretty good picture of the entire koala population. What these guys are doing is an example
of something called citizen science. That's when ordinary people help to do real life
experiments which can help scientists draw important conclusions about the world around
us.
DR PHILIP ROETMAN: Citizen science is really growing around the world there are
thousands of projects and millions of citizen scientists involved in those projects around
the world.
Doctor Philip Roetman works for the Barbara Hardy Institute, a university research centre
which has used citizen science to study all sorts of creatures, from magpies to spiders.
But he says it's not just the animal world that can benefit from amateur researchers.
DR PHILIP ROETMAN: Also astronomy projects they're very popular, air pollution light
pollution, all sorts of projects, waste, lots of environmental projects and also health
projects.
He says some really important discoveries are being made with the help of ordinary people,
using new technology like smart-phones to provide important information to scientists.
DR PHILIP ROETMAN: Also it allows us to get out into the community which is fun
working with the community and we find kids especially in school kids love to be involved
in these projects because they're contributing to research but they're also learning
themselves, about what we're researching.
These guys have learned all sorts of things about koalas, like how to tell when they've been
around.
KID: Hey, here's some poo
REPORTER: So that's koala poo?
KID: yeah if you break it open it smells like eucalyptus
KID: Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to most animals. They're nearly the only animals in
the world that eat eucalyptus.
REPORTER: So, are you guys going to be helping the future of koalas by doing this?
KIDS: Hopefully.
©ABC 2013
Quiz 2
We heard all about koalas in that story so let's have a quiz about them.
The question is: The name koala is an Aboriginal word meaning what?
Marsupial
Eat leaves
No drink
Answer: No drink
The koala eats eucalyptus leaves which are high in water so they don't need to drink much.
Sport time now. Here's the Score
The Score
To swimming first and the Australian swim team has finished the World Championships
fourth on the medal tally with 3 gold and 10 silver. The golden performances were from
Cate Campbell and James Magnussen in the 100m freestyle and Christian Sprenger in the
100m breaststroke.
The Aussie girls also nabbed most of the silvers. The team's performance was a big
improvement on the London Olympics where Australia placed seventh.
*****
In Union the Waikato Chiefs have won the Super Rugby final beating the ACT Brumbies 27
- 22. The New Zealand side had trailed by 15 points with 17 minutes to go but kept the
pressure on in the dying minutes to steal the win.
*****
And finally, it's a ridiculously long event through some of the most rugged terrain in
Australia.
"Three, two one, go."
It's called the Katherine Ultra Challenge and it features 6 different sports over a 100km
circuit. But the first swimming leg is the hardest for a pretty scary reason.
ROBBIE WEATHERALL, SWIMMER: Ahhh, is there a crocodile? They guarantee us there
is none.
First over the line was a 14 year old kid named Matt who clocked in at a gruelling 6 hours!
©ABC 2013
MATT ELLISON, RACE WINNER: A big relief. That last five kay or so you are waiting and
waiting for that finish line to come up.
Snooker
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: We're about to meet a 14 year old who's doing well in a sport kids don't get the
chance to play too much. Arthur Lin is taking the snooker world by storm having recently
won the national under 15 and under 18 titles. Tash caught up with him to find out what
it takes to be a snooker champ.
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: It's a sport you wouldn't expect to see young people
playing, but Arthur Lin is breaking all those rules. He's making a name for himself in the
sport of Snooker.
ARTHUR LIN, SNOOKER PLAYER: I started playing eight ball with my dad when I was
eight years old and then he saw that I had talent in this sport and so when I was 9 we just
kept to going to various snooker halls around Melbourne to like find a coach, find a coach
so I could improve.
He now has a snooker scholarship, which gives him all the coaching and support he needs.
Snooker was created by British army officers in India more than a hundred years ago. Over
the decades it's become pretty popular, especially when coloured TV came along. Shows
like this helped transform the sport into a huge event and it's now a big hit in countries like
the UK and China. And players can earn big bucks!
There are lots of rules in snooker. But basically, two people play against each other taking
turns in potting red and other coloured balls in the table pockets. The person with the most
points wins!
Arthur knows what it's like to win. He recently took out the Under 15 and Under 18
Snooker Championships in Adelaide. And last month he travelled to China to compete
against the world's best young players in the Under 21 World Snooker Championships.
And he came third in his group. Arthur hopes to one day become the best player on the
planet!
ARTHUR: My ambition is to become professional and then break into the top, become
number one in the world. I just gotta keep practising and work really hard for it and just
play in as many tournaments as I can to get more experience.
But to be the best involves a lot of training and hard work. He says there are certain
techniques to learn and it can be a real mind game.
ARTHUR: There's a mixture of technique and mental side, while the technique you
practise it like you've gotta like have the right stance to cue straight, get it into the centre of
the cue ball and control the cue ball, so you can make big breaks and win frames in one
visit. Yeah it's a lot to remember, but with all the practice it becomes second nature.
You also need to be calm and focused especially as it's just you and other competitor.
©ABC 2013
ARTHUR: You gotta think about potting the ball, not missing it because if you think about
missing it, you'll miss it and like when you're behind you've gotta think that you can get
back into the game and fight, fight your way through it and when you're ahead you just
gotta secure the match.
While Arthur continues to build up his skills and profile in the sport of snooker, it might
not be too long before we see this talented player really hit the big time!
Closer
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 2013