Questions for discussion Budget surplus 1. Discuss the Budget surplus story with another student. Record the main points from your discussion. 2. Where does the money in the budget come from? 3. Who is the Federal Treasurer? 4. Why is the Treasurer saying that this year’s budget is the toughest? 5. Use words or pictures to describe what a budget surplus is. 6. What is it called when the government spends more than it earns? 7. What does the Government have to do to get the budget into surplus? 8. What sorts of services could be affected? 9. Why are some economists saying that a budget surplus might not be good for the economy? 10. How does the budget affect you and your family? Working in pairs, make a list of services you think should not be affected by budget cuts. Give reasons why you think they shouldn’t be affected. Disability scheme 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What condition was Amelia born with? What special equipment does Amelia need and who pays for it? Describe the different types of support disabled people need. At the moment, how do disabled people get money to meet their needs? What does Kelly Vincent say about the current funding for disabled people? Why does she believe that young people are missing out on opportunities because of their disability? 7. What is the new scheme recently announced by Julia Gillard? 8. The NDIS is a bit like _________________ for disability support. 9. What is it hoped the new scheme will achieve? 10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story? Post a message on the Behind the News Guestbook http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html Richest Aussies 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. © ABC 2012 Before you watch the BtN story, write down who you think is the richest Australian. Why did you choose this person? About how much does the Prime Minister of Australia earn? Which industry are many of the richest Aussies involved in? Why do you think it’s one of the most profitable industries? One of the wealthiest Australians owns Visy Industries. What do they produce? Who is number one on the richest Aussies list? About how much is she worth? EPISODE 11 8TH MAY 2012 8. How did she make her money? 9. What was surprising about the story? 10. How has your thinking changed since watching the Richest Aussies story? What is philanthropy? Research wealthy Australians who are also philanthropists. Games tricks 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Briefly summarise the Games tricks story. Make a list of reasons why people play video games. Why is it sometimes difficult to stop playing video games? What techniques do game makers use to keep people playing? Describe the social aspect to playing video games. What are some of the warning signs of too much gaming? What changes have you seen in computer games in your lifetime? Discuss with an adult the changes they have seen in computer games over the years. 9. Do you sometimes find it difficult to stop playing video games? Why or why not? 10. What do you think are the elements of a great video game? `Have you ever felt addicted to a video game?’ Vote in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/ Koalas 1. 2. 3. 4. Why is the koala considered an Aussie icon? In which states have koalas been declared vulnerable? What were koalas hunted for in the early 1900’s? What has happened to koala populations in Queensland and New South Wales? 5. Why did some people question koalas being on the threatened species list? 6. What impact were koalas having in Victoria? 7. What was done on Kangaroo Island to control koala numbers? 8. Many people agree that overall the number of koalas is a. Increasing b. Decreasing c. Staying the same 9. Why do some people think that all koalas should be declared vulnerable? 10. What are the arguments against extra protection for koalas? Investigate the history of koalas before European settlement. What impact did colonisation have on koala populations? What legislation was introduced to protect koalas? © ABC 2012 Koalas Focus Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. Why are koalas considered an Aussie icon? In which states have koalas been declared vulnerable? What were koalas hunted for in the early 1900’s? What has happened to koala populations in Queensland and New South Wales? 5. Why did some people question koalas being on the threatened species list? 6. What impact were koalas having in Victoria? 7. What was done on Kangaroo Island to control koala numbers? 8. Many people agree that overall the number of koalas is a. Increasing b. Decreasing c. Staying the same 9. Why do some people think that all koalas should be declared vulnerable? 10. What are the arguments against extra protection for koalas? Koalas Remember and understand On a map, show the distribution of koalas in Australia. What does it mean to be threatened species? What causes an animal to become threatened? The koala is an Australian icon. What do you think that means? EPISODE 11 8TH MAY 2012 Learning Area Society and Environment Key learning Students will develop a deeper understanding of the issues facing koala populations in Australia. Apply and Analyse The BtN story looked at how koalas have been declared both vulnerable and not vulnerable depending on where they live. What are some solutions to the problem, for example, relocation? When were koalas introduced to Kangaroo Island? Why were scientists concerned about the koala population on the island? What impact did they believe koalas would have? Why was sterilisation chosen over other methods? Investigate the history of koalas before European settlement. What impact did colonisation have on koala populations? What legislation was introduced to protect koalas? © ABC 2012 Students can include photographs, pictures or diagrams in their report. Evaluate and create Create a facts sheet about koalas identifying the differences between males and females, koala hierarchy, lifespan, reproduction, diet and behaviour Develop an argument for or against the following statement `All koalas should be declared vulnerable.’ What are the threats to koala in suburbia? How have they adapted to life in the suburbs? Create an artwork that shows both threats and adaptations. Related Research Links Behind the News – Endangered koalas http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2744194.htm ABC News – Koalas added to threatened species list http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-30/koala-listed-as-vulnerable/3980216 Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Koalas http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/Plants_Animals/Living_with_wildlife/Koalas National Geographic – Creature Feature: Koala http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/koala/ © ABC 2012 Games tricks Focus Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Briefly summarise the Games tricks story. Make a list of reasons why people play video games. Why is it sometimes difficult to stop playing video games? What techniques do game makers use to keep people playing? Describe the social aspect to playing video games. What are some of the warning signs of too much gaming? What changes have you seen in computer games in your lifetime? Discuss with an adult the changes they have seen in computer games over the years. 9. Do you sometimes find it difficult to stop playing video games? Why or why not? 10. What do you think are the elements of a great video game? Games tricks Students will be analysing their favourite video game and techniques used to keep people playing. Students reflect on their own video game behaviour by responding to the following questions: Why do you play video games? What are your three favourite games? What makes these games better than others? Do you play video games alone or with friends? How often do you play? (minutes/hours per week) Do you find it difficult to stop playing the game? Why? Working in small groups, students share their responses and discuss the similarities and differences with their responses. Analysing your favourite game What is your favourite video game? What type (genre) is the game? What are the rules of the game? What rewards are built into the game? How do you win the game? Describe the `look’ of the game (graphics) If you could change an element of the game, what would it be? Explain your answer. © ABC 2012 EPISODE 11 8TH MAY 2012 Learning Area Design and Technology, Society and Environment Key learning Students will be analysing their favourite video game as well as looking at their own gaming behaviour. Present the information about your favourite video game using the online poster making software Glogster http://www.glogster.com/ Further investigations Create the ultimate video game. Write a pitch to video game developers outlining your idea for a video game. Research what is meant by stimulus addiction in relation to video games? Write an opinion piece on whether you think violent video games causes a person to be violent in real life. Research the evolution of video games. How have they changed over the years? Related Research Links ABC Behind the News – Video games http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2219573.htm ABC Catalyst – Computer Game Addiction http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3488130.htm ABC – Good Game http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/ PBS – The History of Gaming http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/history/ © ABC 2012 BtN: Episode 11 Transcript 8/5/12 On this week's Behind the News. We look at an exciting new deal for people with disabilities. We find out the tricks that video game makers use to keep you hooked. And how do you get rich in Australia? We see which jobs earn the most cash. Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News, also on the show today. Sarah reports on an Aussie animal that's threatened and not threatened all at the same time. Sounds puzzling! Before all that: Budget Surplus INTRO: It's that time of year again when journalists rush to Canberra to pore over some very complicated documents. But while they don't make exciting reading they are incredibly important. It's the annual budget the document that sets out where the government intends to spend all its money. But this budget is expected to be a bit different from the last few for one main reason. NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: This is what happens when you have surplus of lollies. This is what happens when you have a surplus of © ABC 2012 dirty washing. And this is what happens when you have a surplus of homework. But what happens when you have a budget surplus? Well the government is hoping to find out! Every year, the government works out a budget, and Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan is the guy who's in charge of it all. As our stand-in is now demonstrating, it's his job to work out how much money the government should collect from things like taxes, then work out what they want to spend it on! All of the different areas the government funds have wants and needs, and it's up to the Treasurer to balance them all out. KID: It’s too hard! They all want too much money! In fact, pollies seem to say just that every year. WAYNE SWAN, TREASURER (2008): It's going to be a tough budget. JULIA GILLARD, PRIME MINISTER (2008): Going to be a tough budget. WAYNE SWAN (2011): So this will be a tough budget. JULIA GILLARD (2011): This budget will be a tough budget. But this year they really mean it. WAYNE SWAN, TREASURER: This budget is probably the most difficult of any that I've delivered. I would say in some ways it is one of the most difficult. And you might have heard me already describe in some ways this budget as being the toughest that I've faced. And the reason? This year, they want the budget in surplus. © ABC 2012 Wait, does that mean they just want more budgets? NATHAN: Nah that would be way too boring. Just like having a surplus of lollies means having more than you need, having a budget in surplus means having more cash than you need. For the last few years since the Global Financial Crisis, the Government has spent more money than it's earned. So taking last year as a rough example, the government was expecting to earn around 320 billion dollars. But they had to spend more than 355 billion dollars, leaving them around 35 billion short! That's called a deficit. The opposite of course is a surplus, where you swap those numbers around, leaving you 35 billion ahead, rather than behind! And the government has promised to do that by cutting heaps of spending this year. But just like, well, everything in politics, not everyone agrees! It's not so much the surplus in the crosshairs, but how quickly the Government is trying to get there. Some important economist-type people are saying that rushing in might cause more harm than good. To get back to surplus, the government has to cut spending. And to do that, they might have to spend less on roads, hospitals, education, defence or welfare. But that might leave people without the services they need. From there, it's possible the whole economy can slow down because less money is being spent. And some economists say that after a tough few years, that's the last thing we want. So they suggest taking a bit more time and getting back to surplus a few years later. ECONOMIST: That seems to be an argument to me not actually to push too hard for a surplus. SWAN: It's the easy choice but it's not the right choice! © ABC 2012 As the Treasurer said there, the Government disagrees, saying the quicker we get back in surplus the better for Australia. And also maybe better for them, by the time we get around to the next election. Disability Scheme Reporter: Sarah Larsen INTRO: One part of this year's Budget is a new scheme to help people with disabilities. While having a disability doesn't have to stop you living life to the fullest it can make living really expensive. The government says hundreds of thousands of Aussies with disabilities are missing out on opportunities because they can't afford proper care. Here's Sarah. SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: This is a pretty normal routine for Amelia; getting fitted for new orthotics to fit her growing legs. NOVITA WORKER: Do your friends get excited when you get new orthotics? AMELIA: Yes She was born with spina bifida, a condition that affects her spine, and without these colourful braces she'd have trouble getting around. AMELIA: They help my legs be straight. Amelia's orthotics are provided by a disability charity. Without their help her family might find it hard to pay for all the treatment she needs. Around Australia millions of people need extra help to make the most out of life with a disability. © ABC 2012 They might need equipment to help them get around or learn or communicate. They might need special transport to get to school or work. Or they might need a carer to help them do everyday sorts of things like having a shower or getting dressed. All of those things money; more than most families can afford, so they need help. What usually happens is state governments give out money to disability organisations and they use that money to help as many people as they can. But at the moment there isn't enough money. People often have to wait to get equipment they need or rely on family members for care. KELLY VINCENT, DIGNITY FOR DISABILITY POLITICIAN: Essentially at the moment the disability sector is underfunded so there isn't enough money to give people the basic things they might need because of their disability Kelly Vincent is proof that disability can't stop you getting to the top. At 23 she's the youngest member of the South Australian Parliament. But she says she's lucky; many young people are missing out on opportunities because of their disability. KELLY VINCENT: If you can imagine that you don't even have the basic support you need to get up in the morning get dressed have a shower that's obviously going to have a big effect on your life and the things you are able to achieve. What Kelly and many others want, is a national system which will give every person with a disability the right to all the help they need, and that might be happening soon. © ABC 2012 JULIA GILLARD, PRIME MINISTER: My government, your Labor government will fund our share for the launch of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. We will do our part. The government is building a new system for helping people with disabilities and it has a lot of people exited. TONY ABBOTT, OPPOSITION LEADER: I am sometimes accused of being doctor no, when it comes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, I am doctor yes. KELLY: Basically the NDIS to put it in simple term is a bit like Medicare for disability support. You've probably heard of Medicare. It's the system which pays for our treatment if we get sick. All Australians pay for it through their tax and every Australian can access it if they need it. The NDIS would be similar. If anyone became disabled or had a kid with a disability they could get help for life. The details are still being worked out, including just how it's going to be funded but many are hopeful that in the future all Aussie kids get the opportunities to be all that they want to be. The Wire Asylum seekers could soon have the chance to stay short-term with an Australian family. Under a new plan Aussie families will be paid up to three hundred dollars a week to temporarily house asylum seekers who are waiting for their visa's to be processed. The asylum seekers will spend up to six weeks in a family's house. The government hopes it'll help them to make an easier transition into community life. © ABC 2012 **** Japan is now nuclear free after its last reactor was switched off for maintenance! It's the first time in more than forty years that all 50 of the country's nuclear reactors have been offline. Japan has relied heavily on nuclear power but since the Fukushima nuclear disaster communities are worried about the safety of the reactors. It's not known when the nuclear reactors will be allowed to restart. **** And finally, if you were watching the sky on Sunday night, you might've noticed the moon looked quite different. It's called a supermoon and is something that happens every year. The moon is closer than usual to earth so appears bigger and brighter! Games Tricks Reporter: James Bartold INTRO: Now to a place where you can live out your wildest dreams. It's the world of video games and it's one that lots of kids and adults can't get enough of. But why are they so attractive and even addictive? James went looking for some of the tricks that keep gamers coming back for more. JAMES BARTOLD, REPORTER : Have you ever dreamed of kicking the winning goal for your favourite team? Or leading an army into battle? It may never happen in real life but there's one place where you can do all this and more. JAMES: It's in here in the world of video and computer games and it's a place more and more kids are spending a lot of their time! © ABC 2012 Gaming is a billion dollar industry and many kids are hooked! LACHIE: "I love playing video games because they're attractive to me and fun." Lachie plays games most days and can find it pretty hard to walk away. LACHIE "It's hard for me to stop because i think of ideas when I have to stop, then I really want to do them or I'll forget." MICHAEL, LACHIE'S DAD: "It's impossible sometimes, you just have to yell up the stairs LLachlan come for dinner? But when does a bit of gaming become too much? And fun flip into addiction? MICHAEL, LACHIE'S DAD "It's almost addictive I think, he just gets caught up in it. the adventure, there often very exciting so it’s sort of understandable." Video games are designed so once you log in or pick up your controller you can't stop, one game leads to another and hours later you're still playing. But why are they so addictive? Let's look at some of the tricks that make it difficult to put them down. NEWSREADER: Ian Thorpe has won the 100m freestyle and has been awarded a gold medal. In other news Bill scored an A+ on his exam and has been given a gold star. In everyday life when we work hard to achieve something we are often rewarded in some way and in video games it's no different! Many games are built around getting you to do tasks for a reward. © ABC 2012 It's a similar tactic to the one used in the gambling industry where the hope that the next big win may be just around the corner can keep people playing for hours, and if that doesn't hook you in the game makers have other plans to stop you logging off. Some will punish you if you quit by taking away the rewards you've earnt or deleting your hard earned scores. SUSAN MCLEAN, CYBER SAFETY ADVISOR: " I mean it plays on your mind, you think, 'Well, I've put all this energy. There's no way I'm going to log off and lose all of that." Another thing that can keep gamers hooked is the social aspect. Games can be played online with people all around the world and those relationships you build with other gamers can sometimes lead to a peer pressure to play on. These tricks can make games potentially addictive to some kids but how can you tell if you're getting hooked? DOUG GENTILLE, PROFESSOR: "Well I think some of the warning signs are grades dropping, a loss of interest in other activities that the child used to be interested in. Perhaps also giving up some friends, or replacing them only with other friends who game." So now you know the tricks used to keep you playing you can make smarter decisions about when enough is enough, and just remember after all it's only a game! Online Poll OK let's make that our poll this week. The question is: Have you ever felt addicted to a video game? © ABC 2012 To vote just head to our website. Last week we asked if you thought celebrities should be made to tell their fans when they're being paid to tweet? 56 per cent said Yes, And 44 per cent said No. Thanks for voting Richest Aussies Reporter: Nathan Bazley INTRO: It's well known that having lots of money often means having lots of power. Last week a well known Aussie billionaire announced that he plans to run for Parliament. It got us thinking how did some of these billionaires make their money in the first place? Let's take a look. NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTING: Last week we saw a man address a packed press conference to say he wanted to run for parliament. But why is it even a big deal? Don't people do that all the time? Well not people who are up there with the richest in Australia! So let's take a look at this elite list and find out how they made their dough. Bright lights, red carpets and camera flashes. Everything about the Hollywood lifestyle screams 'cash' and lots of it. It's easy to think of these people as not only being famous but also loaded beyond belief. But believe it or not, these guys are struggling compared to some of the richest people in Australia! But before we find out who they are, let's see what those people you'd expect to be rich actually have. © ABC 2012 Let's start at the top. The Queen of England, how much do you think she'd be worth? Answer is: about 600 million dollars. Not bad. She beats movie star Leonardo Di Caprio, who's worth somewhere around 200 million. But what about the leader of our country? Well she couldn't be close to either of those guys, considering she only gets paid around $470,000 a year. But there are some people in Australia getting paid a lot more than Julia, a lot more than Leo and even more than the Queen! They aren't just millionaires, they're billionaires, but you've probably never heard of them. So let's take a look at how they went about making their cash. Here is a list of the top five richest people in Australia. Now let's highlight all those involved in the mining industry. See a trend? Mining has exploded in this country and all of these people were in at the ground floor when it happened. So for them, mining was a huge, multibillion dollar cash cow. But that doesn't mean it'll still be as big in a few decades time. So finding the next boom might be pretty tricky! It's no surprise that mines can make billions of dollars, but is there money in something as simple as this: A cardboard box? Well there's not, unless you make $2.5 billion dollars worth of them a year! That's what this guy, Anthony Pratt, does through his business Visy Industries. It's one of the world's biggest packaging and paper recycling companies, which has earned him $3.4 billion. Not bad for something as unglamorous as cardboard! While many people on the list have built their fortunes up from nothing, there are some lucky ones who came into it a little easier. Take Australia's richest woman, Gina Rinehart for example. She's worth a massive, huge, ginormous 18 billion dollars! © ABC 2012 Like many in the rich list, she's got mining to thank for it. Well that, and her dad. She inherited a big mining company from her father, but she's since made it worth much more than it used to be. So there is our three step guide to becoming rich. And as you can see, being rich often doesn't mean being famous at all! There are a lot of Aussies out there who have quietly worked their way, or inherited their way, into huge fortunes. So assuming your parents don't own a mine, now might be the time to start thinking about your own billion-dollar idea for the future! Presenter: Before you start thinking about that first put your brain to work on this quiz. Quiz 1 The question is: Who is the world's richest person? Bill Gates Rupert Murdoch Carlos Slim Answer: Carlos Slim © ABC 2012 Carlos Slim has around 70 billion dollars. He's a Mexican businessman who made most of his money from a mobile phone company. Time to dial in to the sports news next here's Tash with this week's Score. The Score In soccer, Chelsea are celebrating after winning the FA Cup final. The win denied Liverpool its second piece of silverware for the season following their League Cup win in February. Chelsea took the lead early in the game. Veteran Striker Didier Drogba then put the Blues two goals up just after half time. Liverpool were able to get a goal back. In the end Chelsea held their nerve to win 2-1 and seal their fourth FA Cup win in six years. **** Some British students have got an early taste of the London Olympics. The students ran the very first races in London's Olympic stadium at its official opening! More than 40 thousand spectators piled into the stadium to get a sneak peak of what it'll be like when the games start in July. **** And finally check this out! It's called the Kamfari and is the muddiest motorbike race in Australia. Around thirty motorbike riders and thirty quad riders took part in the four-hour event just outside of Darwin. Brian Willis-Croft was the winner of the motorbike race for the seventh time and Jason Francis won the quad bike race! Presenter: Now our next story takes us to the world of koalas so let's start with a quiz. © ABC 2012 Quiz 2 The question is: Which Aussie animal is the koala's closest relative? Wombat Possum Kangaroo Answer: Wombat Koalas Reporter: Sarah Larsen INTRO: They might look quite different but koalas and wombats both have similar pouches for their babies. Koalas were in the news last week because the Government declared them a vulnerable species. But not all koalas are under threat. How can this be? Well as Sarah found out it all depends on where they live. SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: They're the celebrities of the Aussie animal world with their own range of merchandise, from handbags to chocolate bars. They're cuddled by international celebrities and star in kids' TV shows. They've even made an appearance in overseas commercials. Koalas might be loved by people around the world but living with people hasn't always been easy. Back in the early 1900s Koalas were hunted for their fur. Now they face new threats like cars and pets and spreading cities which have destroyed a lot of their habitat. © ABC 2012 REPORTER: In tourist parks like this you can get right up close to koalas but in some places they're getting harder to find in the wild. In the past 20 years Koala numbers have dropped by almost a half in Queensland and in New South Wales by around one-third. For years conservationists have been asking for action. These guys want Koalas to be added to the official list of threatened species. It's an important list. Animals named here are protected by the law that means you can't do anything that will seriously threaten a population. But there were questions about whether Koalas belonged here. Because while numbers had dropped in the east of Australia, down south it was a different story. In parts of Victoria there were so many they were literally eating themselves out of house and home and putting delicate ecosystems at risk. Here on Kangaroo Island in South Australia Koalas are an introduced species and by the late 90s there were so many they had to be sterilised so they couldn't have any more babies. REPORTER: There's debate about how many Koalas there are in Australia all up, but many agree that overall their numbers are falling. And the government said it wouldn't be right if Aussies had to go to certain states to see this iconic animal. So they came up with an unusual solution. They declared Koalas vulnerable, but only in ACT, New South Wales and Queensland. It's made many people happy, but for some it's not enough. DEBORAH TABART, Koala Foundation: I don't believe that this in itself is going to save our Koalas. Deborah Tabart is the head of the Koala Foundation and they say Koalas are in trouble in parts of South Australia and Victoria. Some reckon they should be declared vulnerable. They reckon all of them need to be protected; not just in the Eastern states. © ABC 2012 Then there's the other side of the argument. Some say Koalas don't need extra protection and it'll cost business and ordinary people a lot of money if they have to worry about Koala habitats every time they build. So popular as these guys are, not everyone sees eye to eye when it comes to protecting them. But people around the world will be watching and hoping there's a happy ending for this Aussie icon. Closer They look so cuddly. 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