©ABC 2015

Questions for discussion

Conscience Votes

1. Summarise the BtN Conscience Votes story.

2. Which country recently held a referendum allowing same sex marriage?

3. Australia is the last developed English-speaking country not to allow same sex marriage. True or false?

4. Why do politicians in the same political party vote the same on most issues?

5. What is a conscience vote?

6. When do conscience votes usually happen?

7. Give an example of an issue that might bring about a conscience vote.

8. Conscience votes happen all the time in parliament. True or false?

9. What is a referendum?

10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the Conscience Votes story?

Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.

Waste Ban

1. Discuss the Waste Ban story with another student. Record the main points of your

discussion.

2. How much food gets thrown away each year in Australia?

3. About how much is that food worth?

a. 8 Million

b. 8 Billion

c. 80 Billion

4. Why are some fruit and vegetables rejected by shops?

5. What percentage is rejected?

6. Describe what France is doing to tackle the problem of food waste.

7. What does Oz Harvest do to help reduce the amount of food being thrown away?

8. Brainstorm a list of things you could do to help reduce food waste at home and at school.

9. Should Australian supermarkets be forced to donate their waste food to charities? Why or

why not?

10. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story?

Check out the BtN Waste Ban resource on the Teachers page

Vote in the Behind the News online poll.

Leap Second

1. What was the main point of the Leap Second story?

2. Give an example of how people told the time before clocks were invented.

Episode 15

2nd June 2015

©ABC 2015

3. How does a sun dial show the time of day?

4. What is the most accurate clock that humans have ever made?

5. The spinning of the earth is gradually slowing down. True or false?

6. Why did scientists decide to introduce a leap second?

7. At the end of June 2015, clocks all around the world will have _______________ added to

them.

8. In which decade were leap seconds first introduced?

9. What impact might it have on some computer systems?

10. Name three facts you learnt watching the Leap Second story.

Do the Leap Second quiz on the BtN website

China Kids

1. Before watching the BtN China Kids story, predict what the story is about.

2. Which landmarks in China did the students visit?

3. Where in Tasmania do the students come from?

4. Which language do they learn at school?

5. How did their trip to China come about?

6. Who is Xi Jinping?

7. The students were invited as special guests of the president. True or false?

8. How did the students prepare for the trip?

9. How do the students describe the experience of travelling to China?

10. What did you learn watching this story?

Check out the BtN China Kids resource on the Teachers page.

Hope Street

1. In your own words, describe the Dear Hope Street project.

2. How do the kids find Hope Streets around the world?

3. What sorts of messages do they write on the postcards?

4. What does Alex, the creator of Dear Hope Street, want kids to learn from the project?

5. Why is the project also teaching kids about internet privacy?

6. Describe the responses from people who have received a postcard.

7. What did the kids like about Dear Hope Street?

8. What message would you include on a postcard to someone living on a Hope Street?

9. Illustrate an aspect of this story.

10. How did this story make you feel?

Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.

©ABC 2015

Teacher Resource

Waste Ban

1. Discuss the Waste Ban story with another student. Record

the main points of your discussion.

2. How much food gets thrown away each year in Australia?

3. About how much is that food worth?

a. 8 Million

b. 8 Billion

c. 80 Billion

4. Why are some fruit and vegetables rejected by shops?

5. What percentage is rejected?

6. Describe what France is doing to tackle the problem of food

waste.

7. What does Oz Harvest do to help reduce the amount of food

being thrown away?

8. Brainstorm a list of things you could do to help reduce food

waste at home and at school.

9. Should Australian supermarkets be forced to donate their

waste food to charities? Why or why not?

10. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN

story?

Class discussion

This activity provides the opportunity for students to explore/build

their knowledge on, attitudes and values towards food waste.

Students will respond to a range of questions before and after

watching the BtN story. Teachers will gain insight from students’

responses which can be used to plan follow-up lessons.

Before watching the BtN Waste Ban story ask students to discuss

what they know about food waste. Ask students if they think they

need to care about food waste and why.

After watching the BtN Waste Ban story ask students to respond to

the following questions. Record responses on the class whiteboard.

Why do you think we have so much food waste?

We buy too much food

We cook too much food

Episode 15

2nd

June 2015

Students will investigate how much food they throw out and find ways to reduce their food waste.

Science – Year 4

Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties; These properties can influence their use (ACSSU074)

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062)

Science – Year 6 Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community decisions

Science – Year 7 Science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management (ACSHE121)

Geography – Year 4

The sustainable management of waste from

production and consumption (ACHGK025)

©ABC 2015

We don’t know how to use leftovers

Food is mistakenly thrown out before the use by date

We don’t check the fridge or cupboards before buying food

We buy takeaway instead of cooking the food we have at home

How could you waste less food?

Make a meal plan

Use a shopping list when you buy food so you don’t overbuy

Don’t go shopping when you are hungry to avoid compulsive buying

Buy the quantities you actually need

Use your leftovers for lunch the next day or freeze them for another time

Compost your food scraps

Store food properly

Use up every last bit of your food

Discuss in small groups how your family plans meals at home.

Do you buy food weekly or daily?

Do you plan meals so you know exactly what you need to buy at the shops?

Do you use a shopping list?

When do you usually have food that is left over? (Christmas or parties)

What do you do with your leftovers?

Do you throw much food away?

How could your family reduce the amount of food they waste?

Why do we need to care about food waste? Think of environmental, ethical and economic reasons and

record on a mind map.

Awareness challenge – Do you know how much food you waste?

For one week students (and teacher) will keep a food diary for the food they eat at school (brain food, recess

and lunch) to monitor exactly how much food they waste on a weekly basis.

For each day of the week, record:

What you eat (include weight)

What you throw out (include weight)

Why you threw the food out (gone off, made too much)

Highlight whether the food you eat/throw out is packaged or fresh

Keep a note of all your waste, including liquids that you pour down the sink. At the end of the week add up

how much food you ate and how much you threw out. Plot your results on a bar graph. Analyse your results

and respond to the following:

What surprised you about the results?

Identify the best areas for improvement.

How could you reduce your weekly food waste?

©ABC 2015

Day Recess Lunch Snacks

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Make a meal plan

Students will design a meal plan for their school recess and lunch for a week. Menu planning is about

thinking through your meals in advance. By planning your meals, noting down what you need and then

sticking to your shopping list, you will only buy the food and quantities you need, and that means less food

waste.

Background

- You will need to buy enough food to cover your school recess and

lunch for one week.

- Think about food portions to make sure you make enough food for

your meals without wasting any food.

- Will you eat the same meals everyday or would you prefer variety?

How will you make your meals healthy? Consider including nude

food in your meal plan to reduce packaging going to landfill.

- Find out what fruit and vegetables are in season at the moment;

consider visiting your local farmers market for research.

Foodwise – What's the Deal with Seasonal Food

Make or download a guide, which lists fruit and vegetables that are

available in summer, autumn, winter or spring in your area.

Seasonal Food Guide

- Find out how you will store your food to keep it fresh and reduce

food wastage. For example, will you freeze meals, use airtight

containers and check use by dates. Write down a list of simple tips.

Foodwise - Storage

- Describe in a few paragraphs how you will approach this challenge.

Research

- Collect ideas for your meals online or use your favourite recipes

from home.

- Make sure your recipes are healthy and nutritious and include

foods from all the food groups. Australian Guide to Healthy Eating

- Look for meals that use similar ingredients to avoid waste.

- Look for recipes that contain foods that are in season.

Shopping list - Make a shopping list.

- When deciding on your shopping list, make sure you consider how

©ABC 2015

much of each ingredient you need (you will need to identify exactly

how much you will need).

- Organise your shopping list into main food groups –fruit,

vegetables, meat, bread and cereals, legumes and dairy.

Costing

- Visit an online shopping website. Make smart and sustainable

choices and remember to not go ‘food shopping’ when you are

hungry.

- Find the ingredients you will need and record how much they will

cost.

- Calculate the total cost of the food that you need to buy.

Presentation

- Present the information you have collected in a report, including

your recipes, shopping list, quantity of food and cost of food.

- Explain in a few paragraphs why you have chosen these

meals/snacks for your meal plan.

Share

- Share your ideas and what you have learnt.

- Make a poster, blog post or short video, which shares the word

about food waste and what you’re doing to reduce it.

- Give tips for meal planning.

- Include some statistics about food waste in Australia.

Foodwise – Fast facts on food waste

- Make up your own slogan about food waste or use one that already

exists. Here are some examples:

o think, eat, save

o love food, hate waste

o love leftovers

o reduce your ‘foodprint’

o make food waste history

o waste not, want not

- Alternatively, compile a class recipe book of your favourite recess

and lunch ideas to share with the school.

Reflection

- What did you find interesting?

- What was challenging?

- What did you enjoy about this activity?

- What worked well?

- What would you do differently next time? List how you could

improve your meal planning to reduce your food waste.

Behind the News – Food Waste

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3334662.htm

Behind the News – Oz Harvest

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3885269.htm

©ABC 2015

Think Eat Save – Reduce your foodprint

http://www.thinkeatsave.org/

Foodwise – Home

http://www.foodwise.com.au/

Foodwise – Foodwise tool kit

http://www.foodwise.com.au/category/food-waste-toolkit/

Oz Harvest – What we do

http://www.ozharvest.org/what-we-do/

Encourage your students to be active and informed citizens by watching

our 10 minute news program each day. Go to the BtN homepage and click on the 3News link.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for an update on upcoming BtN stories and other useful and relevant teacher information. Visit the BtN website and go to the Teachers page to join up.

©ABC 2015

Teacher Resource

China Kids

1. Before watching the BtN China Kids story, predict what the

story is about.

2. Which landmarks in China did the students visit?

3. Where in Tasmania do the students come from?

4. Which language do they learn at school?

5. How did their trip to China come about?

6. Who is Xi Jinping?

7. The students were invited as special guests of the president.

True or false?

8. How did the students prepare for the trip?

9. How do the students describe the experience of travelling to

China?

10. What did you learn watching this story?

What do you already know about China? Brainstorm what you know

about Australia’s connections with China. For example:

Chinese New Year celebrations

learning Mandarin at school

international trade

food

Chinese migrants – gold rush in the 50s

Chinese community in Australia

prominent Australians with Chinese ancestry

After watching the BtN China Kids story, respond to the following

questions:

What did you SEE in this video?

What do you THINK about what you saw in this video?

What does this video make your WONDER?

What did you LEARN from this story?

How did this story make you FEEL?

What was SURPRISING about this story?

Episode 15

2nd

June 2015

Students will develop a deeper understanding of China, and compare and contrast the geography, people and economy with that of Australia.

Geography – Year 6

The various connections Australia has with other countries and how these connections change people and places (ACHGK035)

The location of the major countries of the Asia region in relation to Australia and the geographical diversity within the region (ACHGK031)

Differences in the economic, demographic and social characteristics between countries across the world (ACHGK032)

Civics and Citizenship – Year 4

Reflect on their cultural identity and how it might be similar and different from others (ACHCS010)

©ABC 2015

Conduct in depth research, finding similarities and differences between Australia and China. Use the table

below to help your organise your information.

As part of your research you will need to:

Write down the name of the source that provides information

Look for facts and opinions that answer your research questions

Write down in your own words facts and opinions from the source

Compare and contrast Australia China

Geography – physical features of the

country, climate, environment and

population

People – culture, customs, language,

health, religion, beliefs and food

Government – political history

Economy – education and work, trade,

industries and products

Inquiry questions

o How would your life be similar and/or

different if you grew up in China?

o Why is it important to learn about other

cultures?

o How would Australia be different if we

didn’t have any connections with China?

References

Design and create a travel brochure for China. Your brochure (A4 folded) should be informative and eye-

catching to attract tourists to China. Design your brochure keeping in mind a specific audience, for example,

families, backpackers or seniors, and make sure your brochure reflects that audience.

Include the following elements in your brochure:

Geography/History – give a brief history of China and where it is located

Food – what is eaten

Major attractions – things to do and see

Cultural traditions – celebrations and traditional customs

Language – provide some useful phrases and words

Reviews – feedback from a visitor’s perspective

©ABC 2015

In small groups, plan a cultural expedition to China. You will need to identify what your team’s expedition will

involve. Your team should be looking for a blend of adventure and culture (include 4-5 highlights). Research

what the expedition highlights will be as well a list of things to know about China (see examples below). Plan

your itinerary and budget. Research the cost of airfares from Australia to China for the team. Consider any

other costs when planning for the expedition. Design and make your own passports.

Create your own multiple choice quiz about China. Find fun and fascinating facts about China which cover a

range of topics. Think about your audience and how you can make your quiz as interesting and fun as

possible. Below are some example quiz questions. Ask your classmates to complete your quiz and then give

them a score.

National Geographic Kids – 30 cool facts about China!

National Geographic – China Quiz

Quiz question 1 What is unique about the culture of the Dong People?

- they do not eat vegetables

- they have no written language

- they do not sing

The Dong People, who live in the remote mountains of Guizhou,

have no written form of their language. They keep track of traditions

and history primarily through song.

Quiz Question 2 In Ancient China, soldiers sometimes wore armour made from what

material?

- metal

- paper

- silver

During the Teng Dynasty around 600 BC, soldiers wore armour

made from paper. It was crafted from 10-15 layers of mulberry

paper and they say that it was able to stop an arrow.

Expedition highlights

- Visit The Great Wall of China

- Cultural exchange – visit the local

markets or learn about traditional

dance and music

- Learn how to cook a traditional

Chinese meal

- Visit Xian to see the Terracotta

Warriors

- Visit a school and spend time with

other students your age. What can

you teach them about Australia?

Factsheet! Find out more about China’s:

- People

- Culture

- Customs – learn about local customs

- Weather – when is the best time to

visit China?

- Language – learn some useful words

and phrases.

©ABC 2015

Behind the News – China Connection

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2905940.htm

Behind the news – Chinese Migration

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4178063.htm

Global Education – China Profile

http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/2361.html

National Geographic Kids – 30 cool facts about China

http://ngkids.com.au/places/30-cool-facts-about-china

CBBC Newsround – China

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/specials/2005/china/

BBC – China country profile

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13017877

Encourage your students to be active and informed citizens by watching our 10 minute news program each day. Go to the BtN homepage and

click on the 3News link.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for an update on upcoming BtN stories and other useful and relevant teacher information. Visit the BtN website and go to the Teachers page to join up.

©ABC 2015

BtN: Episode 15 Transcript 2/06/15

Coming up:

France moves to save good food from the bin

This month is set to get a little bit longer thanks to a leap second

And an art project sending messages of hope to strangers around the world

Hi I'm Sarah and this is BtN.

Conscience Vote

Reporter: Carl Smith

INTRO: There's been a lot of talk about Australia's marriage laws. At the moment they

say that marriage can only be between a man and a woman but some say that should

change. It's an issue that a lot of people on both sides of politics feel strongly about and

some reckon it should be decided by a conscience vote. Carl takes a look at what that

means.

COACH: Ok guys we've got a plan and we know we're going to beat them.

CARL SMITH, REPORTING: When you're working as a team there are some things you

can all agree on.

COACH: Louie you're going to take the ball down to the left side of the field, and pass it to

Jessie. YEAH!

But some things are a little trickier.

COACH: And we're going to do it in these new uniforms!

PLAYERS: Yeah, no, um. Really? No!

Similar things can happen in these teams; political parties.

Generally politicians in the same party have a lot of ideas in common. Once they're in

parliament, they're usually expected to vote with the team, or `along party lines’. There are

some good reasons for that. First, working together means they're more likely to have

enough votes to pass new laws.

©ABC 2015

It also makes it clear to voters just where that party and its representatives stand on

different issues. But there are some issues that even the strongest teams find it difficult to

agree on.

COACH: Stop it! We’re going to solve this shirt problem by putting it to a vote. Don't worry

about what I say, it’s your own decisions.

COACH: Now who votes for the new shirt? Majority rules, the new shirts it is!

PLAYERS: Yay!

In politics a conscience vote is when politicians are allowed to vote exactly as they like

without worrying about what the party's policies are, or what their leader says. They're

pretty rare and they usually happen over issues where people have strong moral or

religious beliefs. For example, issues like using human embryos and stem cells for

research.

Now, Australia's opposition leader thinks a conscience vote is the best way to decide

whether same sex marriage should be allowed in Australia. It's been a really controversial

issue for a long time.

Australian law says marriage has to be between a man and a woman. But some people

think that's not right and that anyone who wants to get married should be allowed to.

Overseas lots of countries have voted to allow gay marriage, like New Zealand, Canada,

parts of the US, the UK, and most recently Ireland.

Ireland was the first country in the world to let its people decide in a big public vote called

a referendum. Our politicians say the issue won't be decided that way here. But there are

members on both sides that say we need to have a debate and many say a conscience vote

would be the best way to decide the issue.

BILL SHORTEN: The Liberal Party has to provide a free vote to its own members, just like

the Labor party does.

Although the bill Labor introduced didn't make it through parliament, there have been

rallies in support of the idea and many people, including Tony Abbott's sister, think the

laws will be changed soon.

CHRISTINE FORSTER: I'm confident that it will happen before the end of the year.

But some people don’t want things to change. They say marriage has always been between

a man and a woman and it should stay that way. For now, the PM says his party and

parliament should be focusing on other things.

TONY ABBOTT: While this is an important issue, the government has an absolute focus

right now on getting the budget measures through the parliament.

But he says he wants to work together with the other parties to find the best way forward

for everyone over the coming months.

©ABC 2015

The Wire

Let’s have a look at some of the big stories of the week now, here’s the Wire.

There's been a massive scandal in the world of soccer! Last week nine current and former

officials of FIFA which is the sport’s international organisation were arrested. They've been

accused of corruption and taking bribes.

There's also an investigation going on into FIFA's decision to hold the next two World Cups

in Qatar and Russia. Some thought Qatar in particular was a weird decision because it's not

a big soccer country and it's really hot.

In fact FIFA's had to change the date of the World Cup so it can be played in Qatar's cooler

months. There have been lots of calls for FIFA president Sepp Blatter to step down. But he

says he's innocent. And on Friday he was re-elected for another four years.

Tasmania has decided to adopt the Tassie devil as its official animal emblem. The state’s

got a floral emblem and a mineral emblem but until now it's been the only state without an

animal to represent it as well. Tasmania’s environment minister says it's a chance to

celebrate this uniquely Tasmanian animal and it'll draw attention to some of the problems

that it's been facing like the deadly facial tumour disease.

And Queensland's official animal emblem, the koala, is in trouble. The state government's

decided to officially list it as a vulnerable species. It says koalas are facing many threats

including climate change, habitat reduction, diseases and attacks by dogs. The state

government says the new listing mean koalas will get more protection.

Waste Ban

Reporter: Eloise Fuss

INTRO: Did you know Australians throw out billions of dollars worth of food every year?

That's a huge waste of resources and a missed chance to feed hungry people! Over in

France they're trying to do something about it by banning big supermarkets from

wasting food. Here's Eloise to explain.

ELOISE FUSS, REPORTING: It can be a hard life for food. You wait expectantly in the

supermarket to be chosen, finally someone buys you, you make it into a lunchbox, and

then.

Unfortunately, this is how lots of our food ends up. In Australia we waste huge amounts of

food each year. How much exactly? Well, here goes.

©ABC 2015

We throw out 20% of the food we buy, that's 1 in 5 bags of groceries, gone. Yep, up to 40%

of what's in our household bins is food that could've been eaten. It all adds up to 400,000

tonnes of food each year, that's the weight of 66 trucks. And it's a big waste of money as

too, $8 billion worth of thrown out food, enough money to buy you and a friend about 5

trips to the moon.

But it's not just us throwing out heaps of food, supermarkets do it too. Before a piece of

fruit or veg makes it onto the shelf it has to pass a beauty test! Up to 40% is rejected,

because it might be the wrong shape, or have small bruise on it.

So things like these wonky carrots and other funny shaped fruit that’s actually fine to eat,

are instead tossed away. Along with some perfectly good food that's just been sitting on the

shelf for too long.

Each piece of food we toss away is a waste of the resources that went into making it. Like

the 16 bathtubs full of water that went into making that burger. Or, the crops that feeds the

cows to make that milk.

It's also food that could be feeding hungry people. In fact, experts reckon just a quarter of

the food wasted in wealthy countries, could feed all the people starving in the world.

REPORTER: Stop! This is a huge pile of rubbish. So, what’s being done about it?

Well over in France, they're cracking down on food waste. A law's just been passed which

bans big supermarkets from throwing away, or destroying good food. Instead, they have to

sign a deal with charities, or animal feed companies, that can put it to good use.

Here in Australia, organisations like Oz Harvest are trying to rescue food before it reaches

bins. Each day these yellow trucks pick up the fruit and vegies businesses don't want, and

take it to organisations like charities helping feed homeless people, students, or struggling

families.

It's a start, but they say businesses are still throwing out food that could go to good use.

Some people reckon we should be following France's example, and doing more to stop food

waste.

But there are some things we can all do to help. Like thinking about what we buy from the

supermarket, so we don't end up with food we don't need. If we don't eat all our dinner, we

can save it for leftovers. And some things can be fed to animals.

And at school, we could think twice before we toss away that perfectly good lunch!

Online Poll

We're going to make that the subject of this week's poll:

©ABC 2015

The question is: Should big Australian supermarkets be forced to donate unsold food to

charities?

Head to our website to place your vote.

Last week, we asked you how you felt about Johnny Depp's dogs being threatened with

death after they were smuggled into the country.

Most of you thought that was probably a bit over the top.

82 percent said authorities shouldn't have threatened to put them down.

While 18 percent thought it was fair enough.

Leap Second

Reporter: Amelia Moseley

INTRO: Now this month is going to be slightly longer than usual. That’s because at the

end of June one extra second will be added to the day. It's called a leap second and it's

designed to make sure the world's clocks are in sync with the turning of the Earth. Amelia

found out more about it and had a brief look at the history of time.

AMELIA MOSELEY, REPORTING: We spend all day watching it, losing it, spending it and

finding as much of it as we can. But how much time do you spend thinking about what time

actually is?

Well a really, really, really long time ago people realised there are patterns in our world,

like the changing of the seasons, the phases of the moon and day turning into night as the

planet spins on its axis. They became the basis of how we told time.

Eventually our ancestors split the day into 24 hours; made up of 60 minutes each. But we

still needed an accurate way to keep track of those hours and minutes.

People started with sun dials, which show the time of day by shadows - but they don't work

when the sun's not shining. So people started tinkering away with other ways of keeping

time, like candles and dripping water. Hour glasses were pretty effective time-keepers,

which were used a lot by sailors. Except, you have to keep turning them over.

SAILOR: Gosh darn it, how long have we been going north for?

Then centuries later, the mechanical clock changed the world.

Hmm not bad.

As time went on, our clocks got smaller and way better so we could tell time to the second,

even split second. We even found a way to measure time using the energy in atoms.

©ABC 2015

Atomic clocks are the most consistently accurate time-keepers humans have ever come up

with. In fact they're even more reliable than the spinning of the earth which is gradually

slowing down. That means 24 hours by an atomic clock is ever so slightly less than one

spin of the earth. They're only different by micro seconds, but that adds up. So to keep

everything in sync, scientists came up with the leap second.

At the end of this month, clocks all around the world will have one second added to them.

It's something that's been done every few years since the 1970s, but there could be some

side effects.

There are worries the extra second will confuse some computer programs and make them

crash. That's what happened to sites like Qantas and Reddit last time a leap second was

added.

Some scientists reckon the whole thing is a waste of time and we should just stick to atomic

clocks to tell the time of day.

Countries are going to vote on it at a big meeting later this year. But in the meantime, you

might want to spend that extra second sparing a thought for time.

Quiz

I think it's just about time for a quiz!

Which one of these is an actual unit of time?

A bit

A flash

A jiffy.

It's a jiffy!

In physics, a jiffy is the time it takes light to travel one centimetre which is a third of a

billionth of a second.

So if someone says they'll be back in a jiffy, you probably shouldn’t believe them!

China Kids

Reporters: Lucy and Connor

INTRO: Now, there aren't too many kids who get to go on a school excursion to China.

And there are even fewer who get to go as special guests of the Chinese government! But

©ABC 2015

that's what some kids from Tasmania have just done. Lucy and Connor just got back

from Beijing and they sent us this report.

We just got back from an amazing trip! This is us at the Great Wall of China and here we

are at Tiananmen Square and this is us hanging out at a Chinese guest house, with the

President's wife! So how did we get here? Well that's a long story

It starts here in Launceston, at our school, Scotch Oakburn College. At school we learn

Mandarin, that's China's main language. Last year in class, our teacher got us to write

some letters to the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. We told him all the reasons he should

visit Tasmania.

CONNOR: Dear President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan, we would love if you could come to

our unique and also beautiful island

We never thought he'd actually read them. But he did! Not only that, he actually came to

Tasmania!

PRESIDENT XI JINPING: Before I embarked on my visit to Australia, my wife and I

received letters from year 6 pupils of Scotch Oakburn College Junior School. Their words

have filled me with curiosity.

It was the first time a Chinese president had ever visited our state and we got to meet him.

It's something not many people in the world can say that they've done and it was amazing.

But it didn't end there.

This year we got another letter. The president Xi Jinping invited us to visit China. We were

all so shocked, we couldn’t believe it.

22 of us packed our bags for a six day trip to Beijing. While we were there, we got to do

some incredible things like seeing the Great Wall of China.

LUCY: It's really extraordinary to be in such an amazing place, there's so much history

behind it, and it's so overwhelming to be here.

CONNOR: It's amazing to see how they've done this many, many years ago and it's

outstanding.

It was interesting to learn what Beijing was really like.

KID: It's beautiful, I didn't expect so many trees. I thought it was just going to be a big city

with buildings.

We even got to meet the President's wife, Peng Liyuan in a very special ceremony. She was

really nice.

PENG LIYUAN: You’re beautiful!

©ABC 2015

And also, we got to hang out with some Chinese students, at the Jingshan School in

Beijing. The president's daughter once went here. It was amazing to see how different it

was in some ways, and how similar in others.

Lots of people in China were really interested in our story, and how we'd come to be there.

NEWS REPORTER: It's a long way from Tasmania to Tiananmen for these children, and

it's all because of an unexpected connection with one of the most powerful men in the

world.

It's been the experience of a lifetime. We've made great friends, and learnt more than we

could ever have imagined. So you never know where one little assignment will lead.

Quiz 2

Right, let's see how much you know about China.

Which of these is not a Chinese city?

Beijing

Shanghai

Phnom Penh

The answer is Phnom Penh which is in Cambodia.

The Score

Okay. It's time for sport now. Here's the Score.

Queensland has won the first game in this year's State of Origin series. The Maroons were

down 6-10 at half time but came back to beat New South Wales by just one point!

MAL MENINGA, QLD COACH: Very pleased with the effort, sensational second half.

The Blues will have a chance to even the score on June 17.

Queensland’s also been doing really well in netball. The Firebirds have continued their

streak of hot form by demolishing the Southern Steel 66 to 50. It makes 10 straight

victories for the Firebirds as they head into the Trans-Tasman finals.

©ABC 2015

The AFL's Indigenous round kicked off on the weekend with plenty of thrills and spills. The

Sydney Swans beat Carlton after forward Buddy Franklin returned to form booting seven

goals.

But all eyes were on Adam Goodes as he celebrated a goal with this Aboriginal war dance.

COMMENTATOR: So war cry from Adam here, come towards the Carlton fans, I fancy.

Goodes said he learnt the dance from an under-16s Indigenous team and he wanted to pay

tribute to the kids and his culture.

GOODES: It was all about representing our people and our passion and dance is a big way

we do that.

Hope Street

Reporter: Amelia Moseley

INTRO: Finally today more than a thousand kids around Australia have been taking part

in a special art project. It involves the internet, a postcard, some textas and a

handwritten note. Amelia found out how it's helping to spread messages of hope to

strangers all around the globe.

AMELIA MOSELEY REPORTING: Imagine getting a postcard with a drawing of your

house on it, sent by a curious stranger on the other side of the world.

BOY 1: Hi, my name is Kobe. I'm from Sydney.

GIRL 1: Hello! My name is Evelyn, I'm six and I live in Perth.

BOY 2: In Italy, what's life like?

GIRL 2: Are there any kids in your family?

It's all part of a special art project called Dear Hope Street and these kids are about to take

part. They pick a Hope Street somewhere in the world and then a house number on that

street. Then they get online and search the address on Google Maps' Street View to see

exactly what the house looks like.

REPORTER: Who do you reckon might live in this apartment building in Spain?

GIRL 1: A small family.

REPORTER: What do you reckon Ash?

GIRL 2: Maybe some grandparents or something, starting a family or something like that.

©ABC 2015

REPORTER: Yeah, it's a bit of a mystery ha?

Then they draw a picture of that house on the front of a blank postcard. On the back, they

write a nice message to the stranger who lives there.

GIRL 3: So I'm going to tell them that Italy is really interesting and that I think it's

different to the way Australia looks.

The project's about imagining how people live all around the world, and connecting with

others.

GIRL 4: Hi my name's Lily, you're house looks beautiful.

This is Alex. She started Dear Hope Street. She hopes to teach kids to be kind to others and

spread messages of hope, not hate.

ALEX: It's about empowering them to take their own actions and do their own random acts

of kindness as well.

It's also about making kids more aware of just how much people can find out about you

using the internet.

BOY 1: It's kind of creepy too on Google Street because sometimes there's people there

that know what you're doing and where you live.

GIRL 3: I think it's cool because you can see everywhere in the world and see what houses

look like in different countries and continents.

BOY 1: It's a good and a bad thing.

So far, over a thousand postcards have been sent off. But before any of them reach the post

box, they're photographed and posted up online. That way when someone receives the

mysterious message with no address, they can go to the website to write back to their new

pen pal.

There have already been hundreds of amazing responses from kids and adults in places

like Europe, the US, the UK and South America.

GIRL 5: My name is Samantha. And I am 7 years old. The day we got your postcard I was

at the zoo with my family.

WOMAN: I've always wanted to visit Sydney, hopefully one day I will.

MAN: It's now on our fridge so we can look at it every day and think of the nice message

that you sent.

These guys are hoping for a reply of their own.

GIRL 2: So what do you have, do you have a family? Please, please reply.

BOY 1: I hope they write good things about my drawing.

©ABC 2015

But for now, they'll just have to wait and see whether someone, somewhere, will open a

letterbox and find their message of hope inside.

Closer

Well that's it's from us for today! But if you're after more info about anything you've seen

you can find it on our website along with plenty of extra activities and classroom resources.

We'll see you next time!