Questions for discussion

Leadership lowdown

1. Explain the BtN story to another student.2. What was the significant political event that happened over

summer?3. What is the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)?4. Who was the previous leader of the Liberal party?5. Who is the new leader of the Liberal party?6. How is the leadership decided?7. What does the new opposition leader think about the ETS?8. When is the Federal election likely to be held?9. What issues do you think politicians should be taking action

on? Explain your answer.10. What qualities do you think are needed for an effective

political leader?

Send a message or tell us what you think on the BtN Guestbook.

NASA funding

1. Briefly summarise the BtN NASA funding story.2. How is the space shuttle different from other space ships built

by NASA?3. Describe a design feature of the shuttle.4. Why are the shuttle missions ending?5. What is the Constellation project?6. Why might some future NASA projects not go ahead?7. What do you think the future of space exploration is?8. What do you reckon? Do you think NASA’s funding should be

cut and the money spent on other things, like schools and hospitals? Explain your answer.

9. Create a plus, minus and interesting chart about space exploration.

10. How has space exploration affected people’s lives? How has it affected your life?

Test your knowledge in the online quiz.`Should countries spend money to explore space?’ Vote in the online poll.

© ABC 2009

EPISODE 1

16TH FEBRUARY 2010

Rock Eisteddfod

1. What was the main point of the story?2. How long has the Rock Eisteddfod been running?3. Why has it been cancelled?4. What sorts of stories do the performances tell?5. Think of three adjectives to describe the Rock Eisteddfod.6. Who has been funding the Rock Eisteddfod?7. Why has funding been cut for the event?8. What benefits does it provide for students?9. What do opponents say about the Rock Eisteddfod?10. What do you think should happen next? Why?

Create a short argument for or against the Rock Eisteddfod continuing. Present your argument to the class.

Biodiversity year

1. From which two words does biodiversity come?2. In your own words, explain what biodiversity means.3. How many new species are being identified each year?4. Australia is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. What

does that mean?5. Why is biodiversity important?6. Describe the impact humans can have on biodiversity.7. Why are scientists concerned about the loss of biodiversity? 8. What do you think the International Year of Biodiversity is

trying to achieve?9. How do you think individuals can help preserve biodiversity?10. What do you understand more clearly about biodiversity since

watching the BtN story?

Find out what these key biodiversity words mean and illustrate each one:Ecosystem, habitat, food chain, food web, species.

Cane Toad snags

1. Retell the BtN story.2. Why were Cane Toads introduced to Australia?3. Why are they considered an environmental disaster?4. Where in Australia have Cane Toads spread?5. What can happen to Quolls if they eat Cane Toads?6. Why are Quolls being given Cane Toad sausages?7. Describe the effect they have on the quolls.8. What has been done to control Cane Toad numbers?9. Illustrate an aspect of the BtN story.10. How did this story make you feel?

© ABC 2009

Find out more about the impact Cane Toads have on other native species.

Biodiversity yearFocus Questions

11. From which two words does biodiversity come?12. In your own words, explain what biodiversity means.13. How many new species are being identified each year?14. Australia is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. What

does that mean?15. Why is biodiversity important?16. Describe the impact humans can have on biodiversity.17. Why are scientists concerned about the loss of biodiversity? 18. What do you think the International Year of Biodiversity is

trying to achieve?19. How do you think individuals can help preserve biodiversity?20. What do you understand more clearly about biodiversity since

watching the BtN story?

BiodiversityBefore students begin the activities, hold a class discussion to clarify their understanding of biodiversity. Record their responses on a mind map/concept map. As students work through the investigations they can continue to add to the map.Students will learn more about biodiversity through the following activities. Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete.

Remember and understand 2010 is International Year of Biodiversity. Using the official

website http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/ find out the following:Who decides what the International Year will be?What is the aim of IYB?How are people being encouraged to participate?

Make 10 question and answer quiz cards about biodiversity facts.

Find out what these key biodiversity words mean and illustrate each one:

© ABC 2009

EPISODE 13

16TH FEBRUARY 2010

Learning AreaScience, Society and Environment

Key learningStudents will develop a deeper understanding of biodiversity and ways to preserve it.

.

ecosystem habitat food chain food web species

Apply and Analyse

What is an ecosystem and how do they relate to biodiversity? Research and illustrate an example.

Explore ways your school can support and conserve biodiversity. Projects could include:

Planting a garden using native plantsBuilding a frog pondPlanting an organic kitchen garden for the school community to access.

Create an action plan to help preserve biodiversity at home or school. Use the following as a guide:What are you going to do?Where will it occur?Who is involved?Why? (What is the purpose?)When? (time frame)How (steps involved)Evaluate – What was successful and what could be improved?

Create a `Species of the day’ display about a threatened Australian animal. Students can include the following information in their display: Name of speciesClassification (vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered)HabitatWhere it livesPopulationWhat is being done to protect the species

The following website has more information about threatened Australian animals: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=faunaStudents can present their display to the class.

Evaluate and create Create an advertisement that raises awareness and

encourages people to take action in the International Year of Biodiversity. Display the advertisements around the school.

© ABC 2009

What are the benefits of biodiversity? These can include social, economic or personal. Students then choose one benefit to research further and present to the class using information communication technologies.

Create a collage or artwork that illustrates biodiversity. 8 Related Research LinksABC News – State-of-the-art showcase of SA biodiversityhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/12/2817721.htm

ABC News – Biodiversity crashing Australia-widehttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/10/2594884.htm

Centre for Biological Diversity – 2010 International Year of Biodiversityhttp://www.cbd.int/2010/resources/

South Australian Museum – Biodiversity galleryhttp://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/page/default.asp?site=1&id=1501

Department of Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts – Threatened Fauna listhttp://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna

Up2me for kids – Conserving Australia’s biological diversityhttp://www.up2meforkids.com.au/article.php?Do=ContentView&pageno=200

© ABC 2009

Analyse a BtN storyChoose a BtN story

Begin with a class discussion about what news is. In small groups, students create a list of current news stories and record why the stories are in the news. They also need to consider who would be interested in the stories (the audience).Student will then choose a BtN story from this week’s show to analyse. Support them to watch the story again (the stories are available to view online at http://www.abc.net.au/news/btn/index.html then click on the relevant story).

Begin by summarising the story. The summary should:

Clearly state the focus of the news story Include the 5 Ws of news:

Who is the story about?What happened?When did it happen?Where did it take place?Why did it happen?

Include relevant background information

When students have completed their summary, ask them to respond to the following questions:

© ABC 2009

EPISODE 1

16TH FEBRUARY 2010

Learning AreaEnglish

Key learningStudents will develop a deeper understanding of the elements of a news story

.

Who is the audience? What style is used to tell the story? Is there any assumed knowledge in the story? If so, what is it? Whose perspectives are presented in the story? Why do you think the story was chosen to be included on Behind

the News? What else might the audience want to know about the

issue/story? (Ask other students in the class). What changes would you make to the story? Why?

Students then research how the story was reported in other news stories (television, radio, print or online). What are the similarities and differences?

Negotiate with students ways to present the information. This could include:

Poster or brochure Written report Oral presentation An animation/short film

Self assessmentWhat do you understand more clearly about news stories since completing this investigation?

8 Related Research Links

ABC Behind the News – Story pageshttp://abc.net.au/news/btn/index.html

© ABC 2009

BtN: Episode 1 Transcripts 16/02/10

On this week's Behind the News:

Is it curtains for the rock eisteddfod challenge? Will NASA continue to boldly go where no-one has

gone before? And what’s the secret recipe on the menu for these

endangered quolls?

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to Behind the News and our first show for 2010.

Also later in today's show, we like a bit of diversity on BtN, so we'll find out why this is the year of Biodiversity and why it's important for planet earth.

© ABC 2009

Leadership LowdownReporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Now it might have felt way too short for you guys, but for pollies in Canberra it's been a long, hard summer with a new leader, new policies and a whole lot of arguing thrown in for good measure.

So why are they all hot and bothered? Because it's getting close to an election, of course!

So let's take a look at all the silliness that went on while you guys were away.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Like sands through the hourglass, these are the political leaders of our lives.

Well they were the leaders last time you checked in with us but one has changed since then.

So let's go back and find out what's happened over the holidays!

The soap opera all started over the emissions trading scheme we told you about last year.

It basically about charging businesses who release greenhouse gases in an effort to reduce them.

The government wanted to push the plan through. And opposition leader at the time, Malcolm Turnbull, was a fan of the idea.

© ABC 2009

MALCOLM TURNBULL, OPPOSITION LEADER: We can either be seen as a party of tomorrow, a progressive party that believes in taking action on climate change, or we can go backwards.

But as with every good (...or bad) soap opera, he had his enemies.

TONY ABBOTT, LIBERAL BACKBENCHER: I will be calling on a challenge, but ...

ALAN JONES, 2GB: And you'll stand?

TONY ABBOTT: Yeah. Yeah, I will.

Meanwhile, some just stood back and laughed as the chaos wound up...

NICK XENOPHON, INDEPENDENT: Malcolm Turnbull reminds me a bit like that Monty Python character, the black knight, who's lost both arms, both legs, blood spurting everywhere and he says, "Just a flesh wound."

In keeping with the soap opera script then there was a big confrontation.

MALCOLM TURNBULL: Just hang on, hang on, hang on. Just settle down. Calm, calm, calm. I know you're excited.

REPORTER: Unfortunately they don't settle it with a duel - political fights go to a much less-exciting vote.

COALITION MEMBER: I will be voting for Tony, definitely.

IAN MACFARLANE, SHADOW MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND RESOURCES: I will be supporting Malcolm.

© ABC 2009

COALITION MEMBER II: I'll be voting for him.

WILSON TUCKEY, COALITION BACKBENCHER: It's Tony Abbott.

The party was clearly divided, and the final result proved how divided.

Tony Abbott took it out 42 votes to 41.

The winner was a little swept up in all the drama.

TONY ABBOTT, OPPOSITION LEADER: I am feeling a bit overwhelmed.

And here we are today... with Tony Abbott as the new leader of the liberal party and opposition!

REPORTER: So who is this new guy?

Well he's not really all that new, he's been in parliament for around 15 years.

He's quite into cycling...

And likes a good dip, although he really needs to buy some boardies.

He's still anti the emissions trading scheme and now has his own plan to battle greenhouse gases.

© ABC 2009

But more importantly he is looking like he'll be the man that will take on Kevin Rudd in the federal election coming up sometime probably in the next year.

And we'll bring you more on him and the continuing soap opera that is politics throughout the year.

Presenter: We promise there won’t be any more shots of Tony Abbott swimming though.

NASA FundingReporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: When you think of astronauts you probably think of NASA and space shuttles.

You might have even seen one launched last week on TV.

The US space agency has been a world leader in space exploration ever since they won the race to get a man on the moon back in the 1960s.

But as Sarah's found out, NASA might have to start rethinking some of its biggest plans for future travel.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: This was the moment that made the US and NASA the world leaders in space exploration. After years of research and huge amounts of money Apollo 11 took off bound for the moon.

NEIL ARMSTRONG: One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

© ABC 2009

The American flag became the first to be planted in ground not belonging to the Earth.

NASA stopped sending people to the moon in 1972 but it wasn't done with space! There was research to do, satellites to launch and, eventually, a space station to build. The rockets that went to the moon were no good for that because they weren't designed to come back to earth. Only a little capsule came back with the astronauts inside. So NASA came up with the only reusable space ship ever built; the shuttle. It had wings designed for gliding back to earth, while a big, break-away fuel tank and reusable rockets gave it the boost needed to get into orbit. It couldn't go all the way to the moon but it was perfect for going into orbit to say, drop off a satellite.

REPORTER: When the shuttles first took off it was a huge deal! There were live TV broadcasts and it was considered pretty exciting viewing. Politicians were prepared to put a lot of money into getting people into orbit

As the missions have continued we've become used to seeing people in orbit. Meanwhile the shuttles have aged. There are only three left and they're getting worn, outdated and riskier to fly. And in September this year, after 134 launches, the last one will touch down forever.

REPORTER: NASA doesn't have anything else capable of carrying people into orbit. So what comes next? Is this the end of American journey into space?

NASA did have some big plans for the future. NASA has a project called Constellation to take people back to the moon then on to Mars but now Constellation might be pulled back to Earth. It would cost billions and President Obama reckons the money might be better spent here on earth on

© ABC 2009

things like schools and hospitals. But that's made some American's sad. NASA will still be funded to explore space. And whatever happens; It's not the end of humanity's journey beyond earth. Russia's Soyuz spacecraft are taking people and supplies to the space station and back. They're also working on getting people back to the moon and so are India, China and South Korea. Another hope is that space tourism will take off and private companies will get people into orbit and beyond. So we probably haven't seen the last human footprint on the moon although, chances are, next time there'll be a different flag up there.

Presenter: We might do a poll on that.

Poll

The question is - Should countries spend money to explore space?

If you want to vote just go to our website.

EisteddfodReporter: Tash Thiele

INTRO: It's been around for 30 years, but now the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge is coming to an end.

Almost 300 Aussie schools and 25-thousand students used to take part in the event - so why would they axe it?

© ABC 2009

Well as Tash discovered, it all comes down to money and sponsors.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Eisteddfods have been around for decades, like this one back in 1959.

But over the years they've become even bigger productions and the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge is the major one students rehearse for every year.

They work really hard to put together an energetic and entertaining show packed with dancing, drama and amazing costumes. The performances tell a story like this one about soldiers fighting on the Kokoda Track back in World War Two.

REPORTER: But without funding there would be no show! No lights, no music, no performers or even an audience!

Funding needs to come from big companies and the government to help cover the costs. And here's the problem.

Because the Eisteddfod doesn't have enough sponsors and isn't getting enough cash from most State and Territory Governments, they can't afford to put on a professional show. So organisers have had to bump up ticket prices making it too expensive for some families to attend!

But ticket sales alone won't cover the costs and now the event has been dropped!

KID: It's a bit of a bummer 'cause like, a lot of kids around Australia really love performing just like myself, and because it's been cancelled it doesn't really give us a chance to.

© ABC 2009

KID: I reckon it's a shame that a lot of big companies aren't sponsoring these types of events 'cos they're the people that keep it running.

KID: The Government spends a lot of money on things that aren't as important as thing, I mean, this is our education and it's a real big deal.

Art and drama teachers reckon it's important money is pumped into events like the Rock Eisteddfod, because for some students it's their passion and it's what they want to do when they're older.

KID: It's not hard to tell I love being centre of attention and getting everyone seeing what you can do. And there's so much talent out there that's hidden.

It also keeps kids active and gives them confidence.

But there are two sides to the story. Some people reckon funding should be spent on things like maths and science programs instead.

The organisers say they'll keep trying to get the show back on, so maybe the curtain hasn't come down forever.

Quiz 1

Ok while we're in performance mode, let's perform a quick quiz!

© ABC 2009

The word eisteddfod comes from which language?

Norwegian

Welsh

German

Answer: Welsh

Presenter: Tricky one there - in the Welsh language it means 'session', but as you know, for us it means a concert or contest.

Time to check out some other contests now and see what's been happening in the sports world.

The Wire

Tragedy hit the Winter Olympics on the weekend.

21 year old Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed just hours before the opening ceremony when he flew out of the luge track and hit a pole during training.

IOC PRESIDENT JACQUES ROGGE: He had a dream to participate in the Olympic Games, he trained hard, and he had this fatal accident, I have no words to say what we feel.

To Rugby League now, and an all-star exhibition match where fans chose the teams has kicked off League in 2010.

© ABC 2009

The two teams were the Indigenous All-Stars and the NRL All-Stars, but they certainly didn't take the one-off match easy.

There were cool try celebrations, but in the end the Indigenous All-Stars took a tight match 16 - 12.

And in AFL fans got their first taste of the code for the year with the kick-off of the pre-season cup.

West Coast took out Essendon and Port Adelaide smashed the Adelaide Crows.

Hawthorn produced a similar result over Richmond, while in the final game the Western Bulldogs took out the Brisbane lions in a low scoring rain-soaked match.

BiodiversityReporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: Did you know that this is the International Year of Biodiversity?

The United Nations has chosen 2010 as the year we celebrate life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives.

It's probably an idea you've heard before, but do you know what it means? And why does it deserve an entire year dedicated to it?

© ABC 2009

Well Sarah put on her favourite safari suit and found out that it's a complicated word for a pretty simple idea.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: When you think about it, Planet Earth is a pretty crowded place! At last count we human beings shared the planet with almost 2 million different types of living things and more are being found all the time!

REPORTER: If you've ever wanted to discover a new type of animal or plant it's not too late! Around the world about 18 000 new species are being identified each year!

All this diversity of biology is what you often hear described as biodiversity. And what that really means is variety; all the different plants and animals and insects and bacteria that make up the forests and the oceans and the deserts and the cities of the world!

So when they say Australia's one of the most bio-diverse places on earth that's what they mean! This country's home to more than 150 thousand different types of plants and animals that have been named by scientists and many don't exist anywhere else on earth!

REPORTER: Of course, that's all very interesting if you're into wildlife watching but does it really matter? I mean, if we've got so much wildlife does it really matter if we lose some?

Well, biologists say yes. Look at the insect I just squashed. It might help to pollinate flowers to keep plant species alive or might be eaten by a frog, which is eaten by a bigger animal. It's all like a complex and delicate machine and if you break piece you can affect the whole thing! At the Museum of South Australia's brand new biodiversity exhibit you can see how local species live together in a delicate balance; from

© ABC 2009

undersea parasites which soak up poison from sea creatures to the native birds, reptiles and mammals which rely on each-other to survive.

KID: I think it's very good for kids to learn about Biodiversity.

KID: 'Cause it’s good for the environment.

KID: Because all a part of nature.

KID: Because if we don't then it probably won't look after us and we might die.

KID: Many of them are becoming extinct

KID: I think it’s good for all the people to know what types of animals are out there for all the world.

In Australia we've seen first-hand how humans can impact biodiversity; by bringing in new species that don't belong here, hunting or taking away natural habitats. When it comes to losing mammals we've got the worst record in the world of all the mammal extinctions in the past couple of hundred years, nearly half were Australian. That's bad news for everyone and it's why the experts want everyone to learn about biodiversity and how we can look after the life that's all around us.

Presenter: The Aussie Government has a list of 427 threatened animals so we've put a link to that info on the story page of our web site so be sure to check it out.

Ok I think it's time to squeeze in another quiz.

Quiz 2

© ABC 2009

What can sausage skins, or casings, be made from?

Sheep guts

Pig intestines

Cow skin

Answer: All 3!

Presenter: Of course they're all cleaned carefully before use, and the whole cow skin isn't used - a special protein called collagen is extracted from it and turned into sausages skins.

Cane Toad SnagsReporter: Tash Thiele

INTRO: Bet you're feeling hungry now, so how's this - have you heard of cane toad sausages before?

Well, they might not sound very tempting to us, but it's hoped they'll save some of Australia's precious native animals from dying in the wild.

Tash found out how the experiment's going.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: You may know about cane toads or even have seen them in your backyard, but they're considered a pest! This is what we're talking about. They're

© ABC 2009

not a pretty looking creature and are actually one of the country's worst environmental disasters.

KID: I don't really like them. They're kind of sort of not really gross, but not really nice and they're not very pretty at all or anything.

KID: I'm still kind of scared of them, they creep me out a bit but you get used to it.

So how did cane toads end up in Oz? Scientists brought them into Queensland from South America more than 70 years ago to eat another pest, the cane beetle. But the toads liked their new home a little too much and they've gone crazy!

A toad can lay 30 thousand eggs at a time. They've spread into the Northern Territory, Western Australia and New South Wales. They eat everything from dog food to mice and because they're poisonous, when native animals eat them it spells trouble!

Quolls, which are these little guys and other native animals, need to be extra careful. If they eat the cane toads, it can make them really sick and they could die. So Aussie researchers have come up with a way to protect the quolls from being on the endangered list, by teaching them to stay away from the toads.

REPORTER: We all love an Aussie snag, chicken, pork and other gourmet types, but what about cane toad sausages?

Here's the deal, researchers are turning cane toads into sausages in the hope it might stop the quolls from trying the real thing.

© ABC 2009

STEPHANIE O'DONNELL, RESEARCHER: We try to use the least toxic part of the toad which is the hind legs. There's still a good chunk of meat on there but the sausage doesn't include the toxin glands which are on the back of the neck.

Now this sounds gross, but the dead toads' legs are cut off and jammed into a grinder. The gooey mash is then squirted into sausage skin and tied into small bits, ready to be smothered with a special chemical. That poisonous chemical gives the quolls a really bad tummy ache and makes them throw up.

What's the point of that you ask? Well, it teaches the quolls not to eat anything that smells or tastes like a cane toad. That way they won't get sick. It'll boost their chances of surviving in the wild and help protect their species from becoming endangered.

As for the cane toads, well, they're still around and are causing trouble. So these guys will continue to cook up these poisonous snags, but I'll definitely be sticking to normal ones!

Presenter: Ewwww… no lunch for me today.

Closer

And that's it for the show!

Don't forget you can check out any of today's stories on our web site at abc.net.au/btn.

© ABC 2009

And you can get across all the big stories with News on 3 at 5 to 7 weeknights on ABC3.

See you next time!

© ABC 2009