Questions for discussion

Census1. Briefly summarise the Census story.2. Census comes from the Latin word meaning _____________.3. Give an historical fact about the Census.4. How often is the Census held?5. Describe the sort of information collected in the Census.6. How is the information used?7. The Census can be filled out online. True or false?8. How does the information collected stay private?9. If you don’t mind your details being shared, you can choose to allow them

to be accessed by _________ ____________ ____ years later?10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?

Post a message about this story on the BtN guestbook http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html

News rules1. Discuss the main issues raised in the News rules story with another student.2. Describe a big news event that’s happened this year.3. Most newsrooms are ______________and they need audiences to make

_______________.4. Who makes the decision about what events will be reported on?5. The BtN story explained the factors that make up the `news equation’. What

other things might be considered when deciding whether to cover a news story?

6. Why are there times when the news can leave out important stories?7. Do you think news stories should be events we want to know or need to

know? Why?8. What sorts of events do you think should be covered in the news? Why?9. What topics/issues would you like to see reported on BtN? 10. What do you understand more clearly since watch the BtN story?

`Which story would you rather see on the news, Bieber’s leg or Iraq bomb?’ Vote in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/

Ramadan1. Ramadan is one of the biggest events for the _____________ religion.2. Ramadan is the name of a month in the Islamic calendar. True or false?

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EPISODE 21

9TH AUGUST 2011

3. Why is it special to Muslims?4. What important activities are performed during Ramadan?5. At what times are Muslims allowed to eat during Ramadan?6. Who doesn’t have to fast?7. About how many times a day do Muslims pray? How does this change during

Ramadan?8. What do Muslims remember and celebrate during Ramadan?9. How do Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan?10. Do you think it is important to understand religious beliefs? Explain your answer.

The end of Ramadan is marked by a big celebration called 'Eid-ul-Fitr', the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. Research the special events that occur during this celebration. How do celebrations differ around the world? Create a poster that shows your learning.

Sumatran tiger1. Where is Sumatra?2. The Sumatran tiger is

a. Threatenedb. Endangeredc. Extinct

3. How do researchers detect the tigers’ movements?4. What is happening to the numbers of Sumatran tigers?5. What is impacting on the tiger population?6. Complete the following sentence: `The trees are turned into millions of tons

of…’7. What is plantation timber?8. Why could the labelling of paper products be seen as misleading?9. Illustrate an aspect of this story.10. What do you think should happen next?

Test your knowledge in the online Tiger quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the links.

Opera1. What did the BtN story mainly explain?2. How do the singers warm up their voices?3. What sorts of stories are told through opera?4. What is the name of the opera singer with the deepest voice?5. What is the highest voice called?6. Why don’t young people sing opera?7. Usually, they sing in _____________ until their voice matures.8. Why is it important for opera singers to project their voices to the back of the

theatre?9. Why do opera singers also need to be good actors?10. What was surprising about this story?

Create a multiple choice opera quiz using facts from the BtN story.

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News rulesFocus Questions

1. Discuss the main issues raised in the News rules story with another student.2. Describe a big news event that’s happened this year.3. Most newsrooms are ______________and they need audiences to make

_______________.4. Who makes the decision about what events will be reported on?5. What three factors make the `news equation’?6. Why are there times when the news can leave out important stories?7. Do you think news stories should be events we want to know or need to

know? Why?8. What sorts of events do you think should be covered in the news? Why?9. What topics/issues would you like to see reported on BtN? 10. What do you understand more clearly since watch the BtN story?

News rules

Students will need access to current newspapers or online news sites to complete the first part of this activity. Ask them to choose 5 stories that are in the news.

News story Why is it news? What makes it newsworthy?

Students then choose a big news story from this year. The Behind the News archives http://www.abc.net.au/btn/archives.html may help them make a choice. Respond to the following questions:

Why did you choose the story? Describe the main issue/message in the story.

Why is it news? What makes the story newsworthy? (Think about the news equation in the BtN story)

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EPISODE 21

9TH AUGUST 2011

Learning Area

English

Key learning

Students will investigate the factors that make a story newsworthy.

Write a follow up news report/update that gives new information. The story needs to explain how the issue has been resolved or has changed. The inverted pyramid at the following website may help students to plan their news report. http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson249/pyramid.pdf

Students present their news report to the class including information about why they chose the story.

Reflect on your learning

What were the most important things I learnt from this activity? Write a response under each of the following headings:

Knowledge Skills Understandings

Further investigation

If you were producing the news, which stories would you include? Why? Create your own rundown for a news service for kids or adults.

8 Related Research Links

ABC Behind the News - Archiveshttp://www.abc.net.au/btn/archives.html

The News Manual – Writing the news story in simple stepshttp://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%201/volume1_06.htm

Read Write Think – The inverted pyramid http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson249/pyramid.pdf

© ABC 2011

RamadanFocus Questions

1. Ramadan is one of the biggest events for the _____________ religion.2. Ramadan is the name of a month in the Islamic calendar. True or false?3. Why is it special to Muslims?4. What important activities are performed during Ramadan?5. At what times are Muslims allowed to eat during Ramadan?6. Who doesn’t have to fast?7. About how many times a day do Muslims pray? How does this change during

Ramadan?8. What do Muslims remember and celebrate during Ramadan?9. How do Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan?10. Do you think it is important to understand religious beliefs? Explain your answer.

RamadanNegotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete from each section.

Remember and understand

Choose five key words from the Ramadan story and explain what each means.

Recall as many facts as you can in the BtN Ramadan story and write a true or false quiz.

Record five facts that you know about Ramadan and Islam. Swap or compare your facts with another student’s. Add news facts in the exchange. Keep swapping your list of facts until you have built up a detailed fact file about Ramadan and Islam.

Apply and Analyse

What values does Ramadan encourage/teach? For example, compassion and respect. Create images that symbolise the values that are an important part of Ramadan.

Research other groups, individuals or times that involve fasting or avoiding certain things. Why do people observe religious fasts? Give three reasons.

The end of Ramadan is marked by a big celebration called Eid-ul-Fitr, the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. Research the special events that occur during this celebration. How do the celebrations differ around the world? Create a poster to show your learning.

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EPISODE 21

9TH AUGUST 2011

Learning Area

Society and Environment

Key learning

Students will develop a deeper understanding of the traditions of Ramadan.

How does learning about Ramadan help us understand difference and tolerance? Write a short explanation and present it to the class.

Evaluate and create

Create a picture book that teaches young children about Ramadan. Include information about what Muslims remember and celebrate at Ramadan and the important activities performed.

Create an artwork that shows the specific rituals that take place during Ramadan.

Make a card for Ramadan or Eid-ul-Fitr using geometric patterns, buildings or images of the crescent moon and star. The following website has some examples of Islamic art http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/art/art_1.shtml . Be mindful that Islamic religious art does not include images of people or animals. To many Muslims it is not acceptable to draw life-like images of people or animals.

8 Related Research Links

ABC Behind the News – Ramadanhttp://www.abc.net.au/btn/v3/stories/s1743243.htm

ABC – FEAST: Fasting for Ramadanhttp://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/08/03/3284206.htm

Children’s BBC – Guide to Islamhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4180000/newsid_4188200/4188287.stm

Dubai City – Ramadanhttp://www.dubaicity.com/events/history-ramadan.htm

Ramadan Awareness Campaign – FAQ’shttp://www.ramadan.com.au/faq

BBC Schools – Ramadanhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/religion/islam/ramadan.shtml

© ABC 2011

BtN: Episode 21 Transcript 9/08/11

On this week's Behind the News.

Get ready to be scanned and counted we look at Australia's big Census.

We explain what happens in the Islamic festival of Ramadan.

And why our need for paper is bad news for these endangered tigers.

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

Also ahead on the show we meet some kids with big voices hoping to make it in the opera. But first today:

CensusReporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: Australians across the country are answering heaps of questions in a massive survey. That's because it's Census time. The last one happened five years ago and now it's time for another. But what exactly is a census and why does the government need all this information? Tash finds out.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Whether you like it or not, we're all numbers. Counted and scanned, like a barcode. And that's what's happening now around Australia, as the

© ABC 2011

government scans us for information to go in a national Census. So, let's start by finding out what a census is.

Census comes from the Latin word meaning "estimate" and it can be traced back thousands of years to the ancient Romans. They wanted to keep track of all adult men, who were fit to go to war. It might surprise you that it's even talked about in one of the most well-known stories of the Bible. Jesus' parents had to travel to the town of Bethlehem to fill out a census and that's why Jesus was born there.

Luckily we don't have to travel that far to fill out the Census now. The government does the leg work, sending 43,000 Census workers across the country delivering and collecting our forms. And as if that wasn't easy enough, if you want to you can even do it all online!

The Census is a bit like a giant stock take at a shop. When products are scanned, it gives businesses an idea of what's been popular and what hasn't and from there they can make improvements. And just like a business the government wants to know a lot about us. Things like where we work, how we get around and how many people we live with.

We collect all that data in a national Census every 5 years. That information will show how Australia has changed over time and which areas have grown in population. That can help the government to make decisions about where to spend money. If there are lots of young families in an area, then there could be more money to build new schools. Or if there are lots of older people in one town, then more money might be spent on things like hospitals and aged care.

It's all interesting stuff, but with all that personal information being shared, some people are worried that it could be risky if their details fall into the wrong hands. That's where this machine comes in. After the forms have

© ABC 2011

been collected, they're pushed through these giant shredders to be destroyed.

And if you don't mind your details being shared, you can choose to allow them to be accessed by future generations 99 years later. So when barcode boy becomes barcode great, great grandpa. Generations of little barcodes will be able to look him up and see what he did and where he lived.

So it's likely the only people snooping around the Census then, will be your many great, great grandchildren, trying to learn more about you!

Presenter: Let's see what else is making the news. Here's Matt with the Wire.

The Wire

Financial markets around the world are looking a little shaky at the moment. That's because the US has had its credit rating downgraded. The country had what's called a triple-a rating, which is the highest you can get but that's changed because of its debt problems! Now, there's lot of uncertainty and stock markets in Australia and Asia are down to their lowest levels in almost two years.

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There's been a lot of violence going on in the UK over the past few days. Hundreds of people have been rioting in Tottenham in north London angry at police because they shot a suspect. Rioters attacked police set fire to buildings and cars and have even been stealing from empty shops. More than twenty police officers have been hurt and around

© ABC 2011

fifty people have been arrested. Police are now going through security video to try to spot some of the trouble makers.

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Good news for a baby humpback whale off the Gold Coast. The calf has now been returned to sea after it was beached for almost twelve hours at Surfers Paradise. Lifeguards and workers from Sea World searched the water for baby whale's mum but couldn't find it.

TREVOR LONG, VET: an animal that size is really velcroed to mum and they feed continually; they need to get a lot of nourishment first up when they're this age.

Vets hope the four-week old calf will eventually find its mum.

News equationReporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: What do you reckon is going to be on the news tonight? There are some very important things happening all around the world but not everything will make it into the bulletin. So what about all those stories we don't hear about? Let's take a look at how the people in charge decide what you get to see.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: It wasn't that long ago that we were watching historic protests in Egypt as people risked their lives for change. And then there was the Libyan war, where we saw thousands going into battle in an attempt to defeat their own ruler but have you ever wondered where those people are now?

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NATHAN: You won't find their stories on the front pages of the paper anymore and you won't find them making the news headlines at night. In fact, you'd be lucky to see anything on those places at all, even though they were huge news earlier in the year but why have they been forgotten?

It's easy to think about the news as a community service. Journalists go out, find the big stories and report them to us, so we can know what's going on around the world. But most news rooms are businesses and they need audiences to make money. So whatever the audience wants, the audience gets. And if the audience doesn't want it, it can get left out. It's down to the journalist in charge to weigh up each news story using something like a maths equation.

So what equals big news? Well, each journo has their own idea about this news equation. But there are some common things that go into news formula. Is it new? Is it happening to someone lots of people know? And will it have a big impact on us or people we know? Those three things usually equal news.

Let's test it with an audience meter. Say Justin Bieber was just admitted to hospital because he broke his leg, forcing him to cancel his upcoming sold-out Australian tour. It's new, because the injury just happened. It's happening to someone lots of people know, Bieber, and it will have a big impact on a lot of people that bought tickets. The story ticks lots of boxes so it's news, even if it isn't exactly a matter of life and death.

But there are times when the news equation can leave important stories out, because it's assumed audiences won't be interested. Take this bombing in Iraq for example. Many people were injured but it didn't run high in the news bulletins and some didn't mention it at all. The sad truth is

© ABC 2011

because it happens quite a lot there; it becomes less interesting as a news story.

And then there are the stories we told you about at the start, like Libya. When fighting broke, the world's media rushed into the area to tell the story of the violence and destruction. And help from other countries followed those reports. But soon, audiences start to get tired of the same story night after night. And eventually the news crews disappeared.

So you can see that journalists have the job of guessing when we want more on a story and when we just don't care. But they don't always get it right.

So what type of stories would you choose? The bombing in Iraq or the Bieber ticket fiasco?

Online Poll

Well there's only one way to find out, let's put it to the vote.

The question is:

Which story would you rather see on the news?

Bieber's leg story

Iraq bombing story

To vote just head to our website.

© ABC 2011

RamadanReporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: What's your big event for the year is it your birthday or Christmas or even New Year's Eve? Well for more than a billion people around the world there's one event where they all get involved for a whole month! It's Ramadan and it started last week. It's part of the Islamic religion and as Kirsty found out it can mean giving up something that we all love.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: When the lunch siren sounds, you won't find these students lining up at the canteen. Instead, they spend their time behind this door. These students are praying as part of an annual religious event called Ramadan, which started last week. It means for the next month, millions of people will spend a lot of time worshipping. But before we get into what else they do, let's look at what this event is all about.

Ramadan is one of the biggest events for the Islamic religion. People who follow Islam are called Muslims and Ramadan is simply the name of a month in the Islamic calendar. It's special to Muslims because it's believed to be the month when a Prophet received the final parts of their holy book from God called the Koran. So in this month they try to get closer to God, by concentrating more on prayer.

One way they do that is by giving up food and drink through the daytime. That's called a fast. It sounds really tough and it is, because it lasts for a month. But because Muslims are allowed to eat during Ramadan when it's dark, it means they just time things a bit differently. You see before fasting starts, families get up really early to cook up a big meal and when the sun goes down, it's feast time again!

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IBSA MOHAMED: We usually eat eggs, fruit, rice, meat some stuff like this.

AYAT HAMMOD: Many kinds of food not one kind because we are hungry.

KIRSTY: Not everyone has to fast over Ramadan. Often kids don't have to do it before they hit their teens. That also goes for the elderly, the sick and pregnant women. Muslims normally pray five times a day but during Ramadan they pray even more. And it can be a time to reflect on your own behaviour and approach to life, a bit like making New Year's resolutions.

MOHAMED ALI: It's a part of our religion so it's very important for us because it's the time of moth of our inner reflection.

MOHAMMED DOLLEY: When we start Ramadan many people send money to Africa to help poor people.

AYAT HAMMOD: We should help other people even if it's not Ramadan but Ramadan we should more, we should do that more.

KIRSTY: So for Muslims doing Ramadan, it's not all about sacrifice, they get a lot out of it too. And it won't be long until they'll celebrate the end of the event, with a big feast and a huge party with friends and family.

Sumatran TigerReporter: Nathan Bazley

© ABC 2011

INTRO : When you fill up your printer with paper how often do you consider where it's come from? Well, you might be surprised to hear that your choice could affect the future of an endangered species. Let's take a look at a brand of paper being sold throughout Australia and the effect that it's having on the Sumatran Tiger.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: These beautiful misty mountains look like an untouched paradise. Many of the animals that call this forest home are some of the rarest in the world but none more so, than the endangered Sumatran Tiger.

Here, not far from Australia, in the Riau Province in Indonesia, a team from the World Wildlife Fund get on with their daily task. Searching for tiger paw prints on the forest floor. To help them, they've started setting up cameras in parts of the forest, programmed to automatically film passing tigers. And the results are pretty special.

Sumatran tigers have lived and thrived here for at least 6000 years. But now their home is shrinking and along with it their numbers. 60% of the forest here has already been cleared for industry and tigers are just some of the animals losing their homes. This video from the tiger team shows the effects first hand. One day, a male tiger sniffs the camera. A week later, bulldozers move in. The next day another tiger wanders through the flattened forest.

KARMILA PARAKKASI, WWF: I feel really sorry for the tigers because definitely it's a really bad sign for their future. There will be more forests destroyed.

So why are bulldozers knocking down tiger habitat? The answer is to feed this, the biggest paper mill on the planet. Inside, trees are turned into millions of tons of pulp and paper each year. It whips along these machines at a

© ABC 2011

hundred of kays an hour, until its cut and packaged. And it's this package that you might actually recognise.

This brand is sold in office supply stores across Australia. You might even be using it at home. And you'll notice that it's got a little label, telling you that it's made from plantation wood, so it's good for the environment right? Well, maybe not. When you see the label 'plantation paper’ you'd probably picture this. Companies planting trees in big open fields, and waiting for them to grow before harvesting them.

But in this area, things work a little differently. Here, permits are given to cut down huge areas of natural forest to make way for plantations. Then the paper mill can use the natural trees they cut down, as well as the plantation trees once they've grown. The company says that's better than illegal logging, because they replant the areas cut down, reusing the land over and over

DAVID KERR, COMPANY DIRECTOR: If we don't do it the way that we're doing it, it can be even worse.

For the tigers at least it's a problem they can't fight, as more land is cleared and replanted each day.

KARMILA: Before the plantation exists it was a forest and if I were a tiger of course, I would feel sad, angry, confused. And I don't know who to talk to get back my home.

A home which, instead of nurturing the next generation of tigers, could be heading through printers across Australia.

OK, if you liked that story, then you might like our next quiz. It's about tigers.

© ABC 2011

Quiz 1

The question is:

Why does the Sumatran tiger have interesting feet?

6 front toes

Webbed feet

No claws

Answer: Webbed feet

Webbing between their toes, when spread, makes the Sumatran tiger a very fast swimmer. OK, let's get a round-up of some of the best sporting action now. Here's Tash with the Score.

The Score

Aussie golfer Adam Scott has scored his 8th PGA tour title. He took out the WGC-Bridgestone invitational in the US by four shots.

ADAM SCOTT, AUSSIE GOLFER: To win here at this place and a world golf championship, it's huge. I've been enjoying coming here for a few years, but to finally win it around the track.

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Another Aussie Jason Day was tied for fourth. But it was a tough tournament for Tiger Woods who came seventh.

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The Wallabies have lost their Bledisloe cup match against the all blacks. They went down to the New Zealand side 30 to 14. The all blacks were more threatening with the ball in hand and the contest was over at half time. The wallabies will now play the springboks in South Africa in a tri-nations match this weekend.

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And in soccer Manchester united has made an impressive come-back against Manchester city to win this year's community shield at Wembley. City took an early lead scoring the first two goals. But United fought back after half-time eventually pulling ahead in stoppage time to win the match. The charity match is traditionally held between last season's premier league winners and the FA cup holders.

Quiz 2

We're going to have a story about the opera next. But first, to get you in the mood, let's have a quiz.

The question is:

The world's longest opera is how long?

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6 hours

11 hours

15 hours

Answer: 15 hours

OperaReporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: It's Wagner's Ring Cycle and the 15 hours is split into four parts and is usually performed over several days. Well that's pretty full-on and might not sound like your kind of thing but it is worth giving opera a chance. Kirsty has been to meet two budding opera singers and she found out that there's a lot more to opera than meets the eye.

SINGER 1: My mummy makes me mash my mini m and m's on a Monday morning.

SINGER 2: The tip of the tongue and the teeth and the lips.

SINGER 3: Zinger mama zinger mama zing zing zing

KIRSTY BENNET, RPORTER: It's a warm up that doesn't sound too friendly. But what they're doing here helps them do this.

Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying that opera makes itself heard. It all started in Italy more than four

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hundred years ago. Operas are like a musical where the singers act out a drama through song. They act out these stories dressed in extravagant costumes and on massive sets!

But we all know it’s the voices that make an opera. Altogether they sound amazing, and when you pull the singers apart you'll notice that it's like each voice is kind of like a separate instrument with their own sound. There's the baritone who has a really deep voice. A little bit higher than that, you have the tenor. Then there's the mezzo, and the highest voice in opera is the soprano.

Luciano Pavarotti was a famous tenor and he became one of opera's biggest superstars. But as you've probably noticed, there aren't any opera singers around your age. To find out why let's meet some up and comers - Mark and Jess.

Although they sound great, they're still not ready to jump into an opera. Because that type of voice takes a long time to develop.

MARK OAKLEY, SINGER: I've been told by my singing teacher that I’m probably still about ten years off my voice fully maturing.

KIRSTY: So for now, they're building up their voices in musicals. So what's so special about an opera voice? Opera singers don't use any microphones so they need to be able to project their voice right to the back of the theatre.

MARK: That's where the technique comes into it, if you shout an opera you will probably ruin your voice by the time you're 25.

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KIRSTY: Opera, like musicals, is about storytelling, so singers also need to be good actors.

MARK: The whole point of opera you've got to tell them a story so if you're standing on stage and you're singing fantastically but you're not connecting with the audience you're not convincing them that what you're saying is true then what's the point?

KIRSTY: And finally, it can be helpful if opera singers understand other languages.

JESS MILLS, SINGER: Most operas are not in English so you have to know how to pronounce Italian, German and French.

KIRSTY: Do you know what they're saying half the time?

JESS: Sometimes! But I learn German at school and I used to learn Italian so I've got a general idea but online translation's good!

KIRSTY: So while the opera stage is a long way off for now it sounds like Mark and Jess are hitting all the right notes.

Closer

Sounding great! Well, 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. And I'll see you next time.

© ABC 2011