Questions for discussion

Code Red

Sports funding

Forgotten Australians

EPISODE 34

24TH NOVEMBER 2009

Endangered birds

Rhino rap

Imaginary friends

Focus Questions

Sports funding

EPISODE 34

24TH NOVEMBER 2009

Learning Area

Health and

Physical Education

Key learning

Students will

develop a deeper

understanding of

the sports funding

debate by

conducting a

survey or

questionnaire.

Reflection

Related Research Links

Focus Questions

Endangered Australian animals

EPISODE 34

24TH NOVEMBER 2009

Learning Area

Science, Society

and Environment

Key learning

Students will

develop a deeper

understanding of

an endangered

Australian animal

and create a

product that

raises awareness

of the issue.

Further investigations

Related Research Links

BtN: Episode 34 Transcripts 24/11/09

On this week's Behind the News:

Should the government give more money to sport?

Who are the forgotten Australians?

And the kid who’s a rhino rap star.

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to Behind the News.

In a moment we're going to look at the bushfires that have already hit

a couple of states, and a new fire warning system that could mean

some changes for schools.

But first let's check the other stories we're following.

The Wire

Tens of thousands of kids have turned out around the country for

schoolies week.

Some were arrested for bad behaviour but police say that overall

behaviour was pretty good.

****************

Conjoined sisters Krishna and Trishna are doing well after being

separated by surgeons at a Melbourne hospital.

The girls were joined at the head and it took a mammoth operation to

cut them apart.

Doctors were worried they would suffer brain damage but scans are

showing no problems.

*****************

And a 12 year old girl is being called a hero after she saved the

brother's life.

The girl found her 4 year old brother floating face down in a pool.

She dragged him to safety and put him in the recovery position and he

started breathing again.

Presenter: Great work. Now for our features.

Code Red

Reporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: It's not even summer in the southern states yet but bushfires

have already caused big headaches in New South Wales and South

Australia.

This year will be a bit different though because a new fire warning

system has been brought in around the country.

A catastrophic or code red warning will mean schools might close.

The first one was issued in South Australia, so Kirsty checked it out.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: Australia was shocked by the fires

which tore through parts of Victoria in February. The blazes

devastated towns and claimed the lives of more than 170 people. A

Royal Commission into the fires found that the old "stay or go" policy

needed to be changed. Too many people died when they stayed with

their homes so fire authorities created new warnings for the nation.

One of the biggest changes is the new Fire Danger Rating system. This

rates how dangerous a bushfire could be if it breaks out and how hard

it would be to stop it. It's divided up into low to moderate, high, very

high, severe, extreme and catastrophic or code red. Catastrophic

weather conditions mean if a fire starts it won't be able to be

controlled and people could die if they are in its path. Those

conditions are what we saw during the Victorian bushfires, which

some experts reckon rated 300 on the scale.

The ratings are worked out by the Weather Bureau. They add up a few

factors: how dry the scrub is, the temperature, the humidity, and how

strong the wind is. If all these things are bad it could mean a code red

fire danger day. On those days the fire service reckons that the best

thing to do is to leave early and whip out your bushfire action plan.

They say that people should leave the night before or first thing in the

morning before a fire starts. In some states there's also been some big

changes to how schools are run on catastrophic or code red days.

Some might shut their doors.

KIRSTY: It depends on a few things like where the school is, how

much scrub is around it and if they are prepared for a bushfire

All of this was put to the test last week when South Australia was the

first state in the country to experience a catastrophic or code red day.

Schools were shut, buses stopped and kids had to stay home for the

day. Although it was a day off, some kids didn't think staying at home

was the best way to stay safe.

KLAY HARRIS, STUDENT: You'd probably be safe at school because

you're in the middle of the town and everyone is all together and

there's not much chance of burning.

And there was some confusion about what this catastrophic or code

red day means. Parents couldn't be given much notice about the

school closures so some rocked up and didn't know what was going

on.

DAMON STRINGER, PARENT: My wife and I still work, been short

notice like it was she's had to take the day off and stay home and look

after our children.

New South Wales was also hit with a code red and fires, as a heatwave

scorched the south-east of the country. The fire authorities reckon it

could take years for people to get their head around the new warning

system, but hopefully it will save lives in the long run.

Presenter: Let’s hope so.

Quiz 1

As Kirsty said in that report hot temps play a big part in the new

warnings, so let's see how extreme they can get.

What is the highest temperature recorded in Australia?

Answer: 50.7 degrees Celsius

According to the Bureau of Meteorology it was recorded at

Oodnadatta in South Australia in 1960. Too hot for school that day!

Sports Funding

Reporter: Catherine Ellis

INTRO: In Australia, we love our sport, and when it comes to the

huge international sporting events and the Olympics, we usually do

really well.

We've become quite used to winning gold, but are things about to

change?

A big report has just been released which says the government

shouldn't spend so much on chasing international glory. Why on

earth would they say that? Catherine's been finding out.

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: When it comes to the Olympics the

whole country watches and keeps a close eye on the medal tally

hoping to finish one of the top in the world.

But all this comes at a cost. Millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money

goes into Olympic sports and preparing our athletes for victory.

In fact, of the 90 million dollars the government spends on sports, 80

per cent goes to Olympic sports.

So where does that leave sports that aren't in the Olympics? Well a

new report says; with not enough money!

CATHERINE: The super popular sport of cricket gets less money than

archery even though it has a hundred times the number of

participants.

And water polo gets as much money as golf, tennis and lawn bowls

combined!

So this new report wants big changes.

Instead of investing money so we can win gold in sports that few

people play, like archery and taekwondo - they say the money should

be go to sports that can achieve big participation!

CATHERINE: So more on popular sports like cricket, all the codes of

football, tennis and surfing.

They'd be able to improve facilities, fix up drought stricken playing

fields and make sure there's enough coaches, and umpires to go

around.

The report hopes by doing this we'd create a more active, healthy

society and boost the sports that reflect our national identity.

Sounds good, but not everyone agrees.

JOHN COATES, AOC: This is an insult to some of our great Olympic

champions.

The Australian Olympics Committee or AOC says if we don't invest in

Olympic training - come London 2012 - we'll lose our high place on

the medal tally.

And even the sports minister agrees medals are important.

KATE ELLIS, SPORTS MINISTER: It's also incredibly important

when it comes to Australia's reputation overseas, but it's also

incredibly important to our national moral and it's important for

setting up role models for our kids.

Another concern is that, if the government doesn't fund the non-

popular sports like badminton and weightlifting, nobody will.

The AOC reckons sports like footy and cricket don't need extra cash

because they can already afford to pay their own way.

Another part of the report suggests that staging big sporting events

with superstars aren't that helpful at getting more people playing

sport.

But the AOC disagrees.

JOHN COATES: How many kids are playing basketball because of

Lauren Jackson, Andrew Bogut and Andrew Gaze. How many kids are

playing soccer because of Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill.

Good news for you guys - everyone agrees more money should go to

expanding school sports programs.

The Government says it will make a decision about the report early

next year.

Presenter: And we'll make that our on-line poll this week.

Poll

The question is 'Should the Federal Government cut back on the

money it gives to some Olympic sports?'

If you want to vote go to our website.

Forgotten Australians

Reporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: Last week the Prime Minister made a special apology to a

group of Australians about how they were treated when they were

kids.

It was a huge moment and made a lot of people pretty emotional -

even though the events themselves happened more than 40 years

ago.

So Kirsty decided she'd better find out who the Forgotten Australians

are.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: It was a moment all these people

had been waiting so long for - the Prime Minister apologising to them

on behalf of Australia.

KEVIN RUDD, PRIME MINISTER: "Sorry for the physical suffering,

the emotional starvation and the cold absence of love of tenderness

and care."

What the PM is talking about happened a long time ago, back when

these guys were kids. They were part of a group of 500 thousand kids

who lived in care. Some were in orphanages like this one, often

there'd be lots of kids squished in. Other kids were given to families to

be looked after. There were lots of different reasons why they ended

up there. Sometimes they were orphans; sometimes their parents just

couldn't look after them.

KIRSTY: But it wasn't just Aussie kids who were put into care.

Between the 1920s and 1960s kids from overseas were also sent to

Australia.

It was all smiles for these British kids who were told moving to

Australia would be an adventure. Back then, people thought sending

them away would give them a better life. But some kids were lied to -

they were told their parents had died. There were even parents who

didn't know where their kids had gone. All these kids are known as

the "Lost Innocents".

Some of the kids had terrible experiences. They were bullied or

treated badly. It was also difficult growing up without a real family;

they weren't given much affection. That made it tough to look after

their own kids when they grew up.

KIRSTY: Back then there weren't as many rules to protect kids but

things have changed a lot. Because of the bad things that happened

there are now a lot more rules to make sure kids are treated fairly.

The national apology was important for the Forgotten Australians and

the Lost Innocents to recognise what they had been through.

VOX POP MAN: "I can move on but I can't... it's not closed. Nothing

is ever closed."

VOX POP WOMAN: "We'll get over it. It will be hard but we will do it.

Sorry."

The apology also brought cousins Rosemary and Josephine together.

They'd never seen each other before.

JOSEPHINE: To me this means a huge amount not to just find Rosie

but to actually get here and have people listen and believe us.

The people who were hurt want the government to give them money

because of all the suffering they went through. But the government

has already ruled that out. Instead, it has promised to set up a special

service to help them find their families.

Presenter: And we hope they can.

If you want to know more about the Forgotten Australians, there's

extra info on our website.

While you're there you'll see that some of them were from Malta

which is an island in the northern hemisphere. So we might do quiz

on that.

Quiz 2

In what sea is Malta?

1. Atlantic

2. Pacific

3. Mediterranean

Answer: Mediterranean

It’s just south of Sicily below Italy.

Endangered Birds

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: We often hear stories about a few particular bird species

having serious trouble and facing extinction, but what about most of

them?!

A new study has said two-thirds of all Aussie birds in Victoria are

not in good shape at all, and as you can imagine, that's set alarm

bells ringing.

NATHAN BAZLEY REPORTING: In the Australian bush it's one big

concert!

Native birds are as much a part of the bush landscape as trees and

leaves.

But imagine if all this went silent.

PROF. ANDREW BENNETT, DEAKIN UNVERSITY: We are in the

middle of a mass extinction crisis.

DR JIM RADFORD, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY: We will lose our natural

heritage. We will come out to these forests and they will be silent.

It's hard to imagine, but that could be the future if latest research is

correct.

Over the last 15 years, two teams of researchers tracked bird numbers

in Victoria.

When they finally got together and shared their results with each

other they freaked out!

DR JIM RADFORD: We double checked and triple checked. We made

sure that these numbers were right. We were very alarmed.

What it showed was that some areas had seen a 40 per cent drop in

bird numbers, which they worked out to be about 150,000 fewer

birds.

And we're not just talking rare ones.

PROF. ANDREW BENNETT: It was some of the more common

species like kookaburras - to have some of these common birds

declining and disappearing, dropping out of landscapes here,

dropping out of landscapes there. That's what's alarming.

So what's going on?

Well these guys say a change in weather patterns over the last ten

years has left the whole area pretty dry.

That in turn affects the amount of food around for the birds, and if

there isn't much food they find it pretty hard to breed.

That, teamed with many decades of land clearing in the past is

creating all the problems.

So how can we fix it?

Well some scientists say that a huge investment of money into bird

recovery projects is the only answer.

Others say we need reserves of better quality land, so food is more

plentiful.

But one thing all can agree on, is that the last thing we want to lose is

these sounds in our bushland.

Rhino Rap

Reporter: Catherine Ellis

INTRO: Now to another animal that's in a bit of trouble, but this one

is just a touch bigger!

Catherine has met a kid who is doing his bit to save one of the largest

land animals in the world - The Rhino!

And how's he doing it? With a rap! It's a bit of a random idea, so

check out why he did it.

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: They've existed on earth for more

than 50 million years, but according to the World Wildlife fund,

Rhinos are in a desperate situation.

Poachers in Africa are killing them for their horns, which they sell

illegally to be made into medicine in Asia.

But 12-year-old Adam wants to do something to help the situation -

he's created a Rhino rap!

RAP: Rhinos are endangered the result of superstition. Poaching

special rhino horns black market profit mission. Their horns are made

of rhino hair just like a fingernail. Next time you're feeling really sick

chew on your big toenail.

It all began at a school camp earlier this year.

He and his classmates stayed overnight at a zoo and got to check out

heaps of African animals and pick one to do a project on.

When the zoo keepers heard about Adam’s rap, they were so

impressed, they asked him back to film a video clip!

So what's all this eating your toenails business?

ADAM: The rhino horn is made out of compressed hair just like our

fingernails and toenails. So yeah, you might as well just be eating your

toenail.

Adam was able to share heaps of interesting facts about rhinos and he

was a lot more comfortable around them than me.

CATHERINE: AHHH

ADAM: They roll in the mud to keep the flies away and it's a sort of

sunscreen so they don't get burnt by the sun. They're also faster than

a zebra despite their massive size.

CATHERINE: What do they feel like?

ADAM: Feels like a stone.

CATHERINE: Yeah feels like mud or like a stone and very hard.

Adam's classmates had done projects on all sorts of animals and

learnt a lot about Rhinos thanks to Adam.

CATHERINE: What's the difference between the black and the white?

TOM: Well the black rhino’s not black it's grey and the black rhino

has an upper grasping lip and the white rhino doesn't to get higher

shrubs and things.

CATHERINE: So Brigitte, what was your role in the project?

BRIGITTE: Eating my toenails.

CATHERINE: Gross did you actually eat your toenails?

BRIGITTE: No but it looks like it on the video clip.

CATHERINE: Did you put nail polish on?

DALE: Yes.

CATHERINE: What colour?

DALE: I'd rather not say?

So how do they feel about having their video on you tube for the

whole world to see?

INDIA: Little bit embarrassing.

TOM: I think it's pretty good.

BRIGITTE: Pretty cool.

As well as a great experience all the kids are hoping the message

stretches far and wide.

TOM: I hope they go to African countries’ governments to educate

people about to not shoot and hunt endangered animals in Africa.

Presenter: It turns out the Zoo is so happy with the rap, they've

decided to run a big video clip competition where schools will get the

chance to win their own editing suite. But I'll leave that comp to you

guys - my rapping skills are really average to say the least.

For full details head to our website. But before you look at that - have

a go at this quiz.

Quiz 3

What is a group of rhinos called?

1. Flock

2. Rumble

3. Crash

Answer: Crash

Presenter: It's also sometimes called a herd of rhinos, but I think a

crash sounds a lot cooler!

Let's check sport.

The Score

Track cyclist Anna Meares has completed an amazing comeback

winning three gold medals at the World Cup on the weekend only 2

years after breaking her back in a race.

The crash came close to paralysing or even killing her, but she

managed to recover so quickly she won a silver medal at last year’s

olympics.

Since then she has trained even harder - leading to the amazing result

on the weekend.

**********

To Rugby Union, and the wallabies have crashed to a 9-8 loss against

Scotland - a team they haven't lost to since 1982.

The loss is particularly embarrassing to the troubled Wallabies, who

had a chance to wrestle the win back with a conversion in the dying

minutes, but missed.

************

And finally, it takes a lot of guts to complete the Kokoda trail, but

definitely not legs.

Champion wheelchair athlete Kurt Fearnley has completed his

greatest challenge yet, by crawling the entire 96 kilometre length of

the track.

Kurt battled mud, pain and searing heat to complete the challenge

and is now looking forward to resting up for a while before his next

feat.

Presenter: That is such a huge effort – amazing work!

Imaginary Friends

Reporter: Kate Evans

INTRO: Now for our next story I'll have to ask you a personal

question.

When you were younger, did you have an imaginary friend?

Well if you did you're not alone - research shows that lots of kids

have imaginary friends when they're growing up.

And far from being a bad thing - some of the evidence shows they

can actually help kids develop!

One of our Canberra journos - Kate has been on the trail of invisible

people.

KATE EVANS, REPORTER: It looks bizarre - high school kids talking

with imaginary friends - but that's what these kids are doing at

Hawker College in Canberra.

They're putting on a play about what happens to imaginary friends

when kids grow up.

LUKE There's a point, anyone who's had an imaginary friend kind of

knows this, like you out-grow your friend, there comes a day when

you kind of say that's a bit silly, I should grow up a little bit and forget

that friend, and that's kind of what this play's about, seeing what it's

like for the imaginary friends after they get kicked out of their maker's

heads.

Who's Oscar?

My imaginary friend!

Oscar!

Teddy? Teddy!

Oh my god, who are you!

The play was written by Farnoush who's a student. It took her just

three days to write the script. Now, she and a classmate are directing

the play.

FARNOUSH: The whole program is completely student-driven. The

directors are students, the actors are all students, the backstage crew

are students. And we were there from the word go. We set up the

auditions, we cast, we went through about two hours of casting.

One of the actors had a bit of an advantage. Kody had her own

imaginary friend when she was growing up

KODY: It looked exactly like me, it was called Silly, I was creative. I

just remember it was like another friend, and I just used to blame

everything I used to do on it. I'm an only child but my parents always

tried to, like they'd always say 'Silly's gone now,' and stuff, try and

make me forget about my imaginary friend.

But while parents like Kody's might get annoyed about their children

blaming that broken lamp on kids who aren't there, scientists are

starting to think differently.

REPORTER: Australian and British researchers found in a study this

year that kids who have imaginary friends are better communicators,

and more creative, when they grow up. And they estimate that up to

65 % of children have them.

The study showed these kids were better at getting their point across

in a conversation, because they'd had practice talking with their

imaginary friend.

In fact, the researchers said they were effectively "the writer,

producer, director and actor in their own play".

Farnoush hopes her play will help adults remember what it was like to

be a kid, and maybe help parents be a bit more understanding about

those imaginary friends.

Presenter: And there’s more from those kids on our website.

Closer

Kind of wish I had an imaginary friend now - he could help me close

the show.

Looks like it's up to me. That's it for another show. Don't forget you

can see BTN Daily every Monday to Friday at 5 to 6. Catch you later.