Questions for discussion

Super Trawler1. Discuss the issues raised in the Super Trawler story with another student and

record the main points of your discussion. 2. What is the new fishing super trawler called?3. The new fishing super trawler is the second biggest in the world. True or

false?4. What does ‘trawling’ mean?5. How many fish can the super trawler catch in one day?

a. 2 tonnesb. 25 tonnesc. 250 tonnes

6. Name a type of fish that the super trawler specifically catches?7. How is the super trawler different to other fishing boats?8. Why are some people concerned about the super trawler? 9. What are the pros and cons of the super trawler? Do you think the trawler is

destructive or sustainable?10. Do you think the super trawler should be allowed to fish in Australian waters?

Explain your answer.

Test your knowledge in the Super Trawler quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the links.

Cotton Wool Kids 1. What is meant by the phrase `bubble wrap kids’?2. What do studies show about the amount of time kids are spending outside?3. In the past 20 years, childhood injuries have reduced by ____________.4. Why are some people concerned about kids not taking risks when they play?5. How could it affect a person’s decision making later in life?6. Why do some parents not want their children to take risks?7. Why are the legal risks a concern for some schools, councils and clubs?8. Describe the playground at Redcliffe Primary School in Perth.9. How has it helped kids in the classroom?10. How has your thinking changed since watching the Cotton Wool Kids story?

‘Are we becoming too safety conscious?’ Vote in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/

Plastic Oceans1. Briefly summarise the BtN story.2. How many pieces of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every day?

a. 350b. 3,500c. 3.5 million

3. Where is Lord Howe Island?4. Why do thousands of birds and marine life off Lord Howe Island die each

year?

© ABC 2012

EPISODE 27

18TH SEPTEMBER 2012

5. How is all the plastic getting into the ocean?6. What incentives has South Australia put in place to help reduce the amount

of plastic going into our oceans? 7. Why are plastic bags and bottles harmful to the environment?8. What are some kids doing around the coastline of Australia to help with this

issue? 9. What are the advantages of recycling and reusing plastic bottles and

containers?10. Make a list of environmental benefits of recycling or reusing plastic.

Post a message on the Behind the News Guestbook http://www.abc.net.au/btn/

Wombat Weeds1. What type of animal is a wombat?

a. Marsupialb. Reptilec. Monotreme

2. What type of wombat is Dale?3. Southern hairy-nosed wombats are known as “bulldozers of the bush”. True or

false?4. What toxic plants are these wombats eating that is making them so sick?5. Name a side effect that this toxic plant is having on these wombats?6. Why is it so difficult for the southern hairy-nosed wombat to find its native food?7. What does Brigitte feed to Dale to try and restore his health?8. What type of environment do wombats like?9. Name three facts you learnt watching this story.10. How did this story make you feel?

Create a diagram or artwork that shows the threats to the Southern hairy-nosed wombat.

Show Business1. What was the main point of the Show Business story?2. What is the show ride called that is owned by the Pavier family?3. How many months of the year does the Pavier family spend travelling to

shows around Australia?a. 1 monthb. 9 monthsc. 12 months

4. What does the Pavier family live in when they are working at the show?5. What do you think are the pros and cons for families that work at the show? 6. List the any similarities and differences between the travelling show school

and your school? 7. Complete the following sentence. ‘Last week the families found out that their

school is losing its___________ and might be shut down’.8. Do you think the government should spend money on travelling schools?

Explain your answer. 9. Illustrate an aspect of this story.10. Send a message to the show kids on the Behind the News Guestbook.

Create a short argument for or against the travelling show school continuing. Present your argument to the class.

© ABC 2012

Cotton Wool KidsFocus Questions

1. What is meant by the phrase `bubble wrap kids’?2. What do studies show about the amount of time kids are spending outside?3. In the past 20 years, childhood injuries have reduced by ____________.4. Why are some people concerned about kids not taking risks when they play?5. How could it affect a person’s decision making later in life?6. Why do some parents not want their children to take risks?7. Why are the legal risks a concern for some schools, councils and clubs?8. Describe the playground at Redcliffe Primary School in Perth.9. How has it helped kids in the classroom?10. How has your thinking changed since watching the Cotton Wool Kids story?

Taking Risks

Discuss the issues raised in the Cotton Wool Kids story. Were any questions raised watching the story? Add the questions to the list below to discuss with the class. Brainstorm responses to the following questions:

What is a safe and unsafe risk? Give some examples of each.

What are the consequences of risk taking behaviour?

Why do people take risks?

Working in small groups, students discuss the following questions:

Why do some people say risk taking is important to a child’s learning? Do you agree? Explain your answer.

How does taking risks help you? What do you learn?

Each group reports back to class with their responses. What were the similarities and differences?

Choose one of the following activities:

What sorts of `risky’ games do you like playing at school or home? Interview 2 or 3 adults about the games they played when they were children. How are they different to the games you play?

© ABC 2012

EPISODE 27

18TH SEPTEMBER 2012

Learning Area

Health and Physical Education

Key learning

Students will develop a deeper understanding of safe and unsafe risks, factors affecting risk taking and possible consequences.

A school recently has banned cartwheels and handstands. Read the following news article http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/08/28/3577470.htm?site=sydney Do you think the ban is a good idea? Why or why not?

Design a playground or a treehouse that encourages children to take safe risks. What design features make your playground or treehouse special? Create a labelled diagram and display in your school.

Do you think we are becoming too safety conscious? Write a short persuasive argument and present it to the class.

Reflection

Students finish the following statements:

I was surprised to hear…

This made me think differently about…

Related Research Links

ABC 7.30 – Teaching kids to always be safe carries its own dangershttp://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-08/teaching-kids-to-always-be-safe-carries-its-own/4250304

Behind the News – Risk Takershttp://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2910965.htm

ABC – Banned: The humble handstandhttp://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/08/28/3577470.htm?site=sydney

© ABC 2012

Plastic OceansFocus Questions

1. Briefly summarise the BtN story.2. How many pieces of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every day?

a. 350b. 3,500c. 3.5 million

3. Where is Lord Howe Island?4. Why do thousands of birds and marine life off Lord Howe Island die each

year?5. How is all the plastic getting into the ocean?6. What incentives has South Australia put in place to help reduce the amount

of plastic going into our oceans? 7. Why are plastic bags and bottles harmful to the environment?8. What are some kids doing around the coastline of Australia to help with this

issue? 9. What are the advantages of recycling and reusing plastic bottles and

containers at home or at school?10. Make a list of environmental benefits of recycling or reusing plastic.

Plastic Oceans

Remember and understand

The following words come from BtN Plastic Oceans story. What does each word/term mean?

landfill

debris

pollution

marine

recycle

What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? On a world map identify the main oceans and then highlight where the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can be found.

How are sea birds and other marine animals affected by plastic debris in the ocean?

Apply and analyse

What is an oceanographer? Research the work that they do and present it as a poster.

Do you think people would reduce their use of plastic and increase the amount that is recycled if they knew the impact plastics have on marine life? Why or why not? What could you do to raise awareness of how plastics can harm marine life?

© ABC 2012

EPISODE 27

18TH SEPTEMBER 2012

Learning Area

Society and Environment

Key learning

Students will develop a deeper understanding of the impact that pollution has on marine life.

How can consumers be persuaded to make better buying and recycling decisions? Come up with a list of incentives and penalties that you think would make a difference.

Evaluate and create

Begin with a class brainstorm about how plastic is an everyday part of our lives. Ask students to brainstorm ways in which they can reduce, reuse and recycle plastic.

o Ask students to design a poster that promotes the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) which can be taken home or put up at school, or

o Ask students to collect recycled materials and then design and construct an object. Provide an opportunity for students to display their objects as part of an exhibition promoting recycling.

What are some ways rubbish ends up in the ocean? Create a diagram or an artwork to show how it gets there.

Ask students to generate questions about what happens to waste at their school. Then ask students to survey school staff members – Principal, Deputy Principal, teachers, cleaners etc to find out what happens to the waste at their school. Students can then determine what they think needs to be done to reduce waste and develop and proposal to put to the school council or SRC.

8 Related Research Links

ABC News – Plastic Oceans http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3583576.htm

Behinds the News – Recyclinghttp://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3507210.htm

Behind the news – Plastic Fantastichttp://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2835244.htm

ABC Science - Rising plastic menace choking sealifehttp://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/09/3540635.htm

National Geographic – Great Pacific Garbage Patchhttp://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1&ar_r=3

Planet Ark – recycling informationhttp://recyclingweek.planetark.org/recycling-info/

© ABC 2012

End of term quiz, Term 3 2012

1. Australia has some of the strictest gun laws in the world. a. True b. False

2. Another word for cash is?a. Credit cardb. Calculatorc. Money

3. Which Australian building is on the $5 note?a. Opera Houseb. Parliament Housec. Centrepoint Tower

4. Which planet in our solar system is most like Earth?a. Marsb. Jupiterc. Venus

5. How long did it take for NASA to get robot Curiosity from Earth to Mars?

a. 8 daysb. 8 monthsc. 8 years

6. Which word means stylish and fashionable?a. Vintageb. Voguec. Voulez

7. The design on paper for an item of clothing is known as a...a. Patternb. Rhythmc. Sequence

8. In dogs, which vein is blood taken from?a. Femoralb. Jugularc. Pulmonary

© ABC 2012

9. How often can dogs donate blood?a. Once a yearb. Every 3 monthsc. Every week

10. Julian Assange is the founder of which website?a. WebLeaksb. WikiLeaksc. SpyLeaks

11. Gorillas are...a. Primatesb. Monotremesc. Marsupials

12. A male gorilla is known as a...a. Silverbackb. Goldbackc. Razorback

13. The number of men and women who smoke has increased over the years.

a. True b. False

14. Murderball is the name given to which Paralympic sport?a. Wheelchair basketballb. Wheelchair rugbyc. Football

15. 3D printing is a type of manufacturing.a. True b. False

16. What type of industry is mining?a. Retailb. Primaryc. Manufacturing

17. If a country’s making a lot of money from mining it’s a mining...a. Gloomb. Doomc. Boom

18. If you’re on the internet you are...a. Onlineb. Offlinec. Onside

© ABC 2012

19. How many fish can the super trawler catch in one day?a. 2 tonnesb. 25 tonnesc. 250 tonnes

20. How many pieces of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every day?a. 350b. 3,500c. 3.5 million

Answers on the following page

© ABC 2012

Answers

1. a. True

2. c. Money

3. b. Parliament House

4. a. Mars

5. b. 8 months

6. b. Vogue

7. a. Pattern

8. b. Jugular

9. b. Every 3 months

10. b. WikiLeaks

11. a. Primates

12. a. Silverback

13. b. False

14. b. Wheelchair rugby

15. a. True

16. b. Primary

17. c. Boom

18. a. Online

19. c. 250 tonnes

20. c. 3.5 million

© ABC 2012

BtN: Episode 27 Transcript 18/9/12

On this week's Behind the News

There's a warning that over-protecting children could actually be bad for their health.

Plastic in the Ocean; it's killing wildlife so researchers are trying to track where it came from.

And we check out a program to save these wombats from some nasty weeds.

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

Also on the show today where do you go to school when you spend your life travelling with the show?

Before all that:

Super Trawler

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: The second biggest fishing trawler in the world arrived in Australia last week. But with it came a sea of controversy. The Government has tried to stop the super trawler from dropping its huge nets in Australian waters. But the company behind it says it's doing nothing wrong and has followed all the rules. So why has it become such a controversial issue? Let's take a look.

© ABC 2012

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Fans of fishing often say too much is never enough.

They're talking about the age old pastime of chucking a line in though. They're not talking about this - a super trawler. Because of its size, this super trawler, now named the Abel Tasman, has sailed into a storm of controversy since it arrived in Australia.

It's been caught hook, line and sinker in a net of protest. But enough with the sailing puns, let's take a look at what this ship actually does. The Abel Tasman has the ability to catch more than 250 tonnes of fish a day. And once on board, the ship can store about 6,200 tonnes before needing to head back to port.

The two types of fish it goes after are jack mackerel and red bait. Once caught, they are moved to an on-board fish factory, where they are sorted, frozen and packed. The factory takes up about 2/3rds of the ships length; the rest is used for actual fishing.

Well it was planned to be used for actual fishing. But despite being okayed for use, when word spread that the huge trawler was on its way, the protests started.

They all want it banned, but why?

Well, here are some of the arguments for and against this super trawler.

AGAINST: The ship will catch too many fish. It's not sustainable.

© ABC 2012

FOR: It can't catch more than the limit set by the government, no matter how big it is.

AGAINST: Well if there's a limit, why bother with such a big ship then?

FOR: Well, it's faster and more efficient.

AGAINST: The trawler’s net is so big it could hold 13 jumbo jets.

FOR: Yeah, but it's actually smaller than some of the other nets that are being used in Australia.

AGAINST: It has too much storage, it can just keep fishing in one place which is bad for local fish stocks.

FOR: The big storage means the ship can go further from port and fish in areas other trawlers can't usually reach.

AGAINST: It'll catch other marine animals in its huge nets.

FOR: If seals or dolphins are caught in the nets, there is a special device which helps them escape.

So that's the for and against, but which side is right here?

Well the government has decided AGAINST the super trawler, and against its own department that had earlier given the ship permission to fish.

So for now, the super trawler is banned. Although the government says it will look again at the issue in a year,

© ABC 2012

after more research has been done. And that brings us to the end of the super trawler story. The story of a boat lured down under, before being reeled into the net of a government ban.

Oh right! Sorry, no more sailing puns!

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

The Wire

A protest by Muslims in Sydney turned violent over the weekend. They're angry about a low budget US film that mocks the Prophet Mohammed. The protest was sparked by a mass text message which called for people to defend the honour of the Prophet. Several men were charged over the violence but police say more arrests could follow.

*****

The latest opinion polls have been released and Julia Gillard is now the preferred PM. Her popularity increased by 5 points. But the news wasn't so good for Opposition leader Tony Abbott his popularity dropped 6 points. The government's also now on level terms with the opposition as preferred party.

*****

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton are visiting the Solomon Islands as a part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour. But back in London the Royal family has started a legal fight to stop newspapers and magazines publishing unauthorised photos of the Duchess. A French magazine has already published the photos which the Royals say is a breach of their privacy.

© ABC 2012

Cotton Wool Kids

Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: No one wants to get hurt but some reckon the cuts and bruises that kids get from playing outside are actually a really important part of growing up. Right now there are big studies going on to see whether kids' health is suffering because their parents aren't letting them do dangerous stuff. Sarah explains

MAN'S VOICE: Parents, do you worry about your kids getting injured?

Well, there's no need to worry if you've got bubble wrap kids!

Bubble wrap kids can't get hurt because you don't let them do anything!

Playing on equipment? Ha ha, don't think so!

Riding a bike alone? Not bubble wrap kids!

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: There are people who think Australia is becoming a nation of bubble wrap kids.

That doesn't mean kids actually look like this. What they mean is that kids aren't being allowed to take enough risks. Kids do seem to play differently than they did in the old days. Studies show that on average they spend less time outside and less time getting hurt.

© ABC 2012

In the past 20 years childhood injuries have reduced by half. Many see that as a good thing but some worry that kids are missing out on important skills because life is too safe.

ANDREW WHITEHOUSE, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research: I think there's certainly a worry that we might have gone too far at this moment there is no doubt that that there are enormous amounts of benefit by giving children independence and letting them make their own mistakes.

REPORTER: Experts reckon that getting hurt is actually a big part of learning. For example, it's how we know how high is too high to jump, if we get hurt we learn not to do something again.

And if we don't learn to judge risks when we're little we might take bigger risks when we're older and doing things like driving a car.

There's also the worry that kids aren't getting enough exercise because parents aren't letting them walk to school or ride their bikes alone.

So why would parents want to bubble wrap their kids?

REPORTER: Well some reckon it's because of the media, while the world isn't actually more dangerous than it used to be it's much easier to see horrible stories about kids getting injured and that can make parents worried.

Then there's the legal risks. In the past few years we've heard stories about schools, councils and clubs getting sued because someone got injured some have responded by banning stuff that might be risky, from building tree houses to doing cartwheels and even playing chasey.

© ABC 2012

But not this school. When it comes to play, Redcliffe Primary in Perth has gone old school. Here you can climb and swing and hang around as much as you dare and if you fall off well that's part of learning.

The principal reckons giving kids more freedom to play is helping them in class.

CHAD SEXTON-FINK, Principal: When they go back to classroom they're much more relaxed and the teachers report that it's much better for them.

There are other schools around the country encouraging free range play. But while taking risks can help you learn, too much risk can be dangerous. Across the country about 60,000 kids a year end up in emergency rooms because of injury. And as the head of Kids Safe Australia points out, it's still the main cause of death for kids under 14.

SCOTT PHILLIPS, KIDSAFE AUSTRALIA CEO: And across this state 30 children died, so that's a classroom full of children, from unintended injury.

He says it's important to keep a balance between keeping kids safe and letting kids be kids and most parents are getting that just about right.

Presenter: OK let's make that our poll this week.

Online Poll

The question is:

© ABC 2012

Are we becoming too safety conscious?

To vote just head to our website.

Last week we asked you if the government should be allowed to store the internet data of all Australians.

16% of you said yes.

And 84% said no.

Thanks for voting.

Plastic Oceans

Reporter: James Bartold

INTRO: Each day millions of pieces of new plastic get into our oceans. But how does this plastic get there and what damage is it doing to the creatures that live there? James checks out a big scientific study where researchers with the help of some school kids are tracking the movement of plastic in the ocean.

JAMES BARTOLD, REPORTER: We've all seen it clinging to trees and drifting along footpaths. After all we drive in it, we talk on it, we sit on it and we even package our food in it.

Plastic is an everyday part of our lives. Almost half of this plastic we use though is only used once and then it's chucked out. So the majority of our unwanted plastic heads here to landfill. Some other plastic is recycled but they're not the only places it's ending up.

© ABC 2012

The ocean has become a home for our plastic. It's estimated three point five million pieces of new plastic enter the world's oceans every day and that's not good for the creatures that live there.

Thousands of birds and marine animals die each year because they swallow plastic or get caught up in it but how is all this plastic is getting into the ocean? Well that's what this group of researchers is trying to find out.

This is Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia. It's a place that's unspoilt, and beautiful, but it's also a place where wild life is dying.

Plastic can be found within seconds on this deserted island beach and it's by studying this rubbish that the researchers hope they'll find out how it's got all the way over here.

DR BRITTA DENISE HARDESTY: "So as we go out on these beaches and we pick up rubbish on our shores, we say OK, 'This is the debris that's come here. We can then use oceanographic models that tell us, you know, what are the winds, what are the currents? These bits of garbage that ended up here where did they most likely come from?"

REPORTER: Once plastic gets into the water currents send it sailing around the world. So to keep track of all this plastic, where it came from and where it's going the researchers have teamed up with school kids all over Australia to try to build a complete picture.

With the extra hands the research project has already made it more than three quarters of the way around the continent.

Around the country there are other things people are doing to try to stop plastic making its way into the ocean. Devices

© ABC 2012

like these on mouths of rivers or waterways trap things like plastic bottles.

REPORTER: These reeds have been especially planted here by the council. They're here to stop rubbish that comes down the waterways making its way out into the sea.

Some places have gone even further than that.

In 2009 South Australia banned places like supermarkets from giving away light-weight plastic bags. And South Australia also encourages people to recycle plastic bottles by giving ten cents back on every drink bottle you take to a recycling centre.

DR BRITTA DENISE HARDESTY: "Observationally we do not find full plastic bottles or cans or glass bottles in, in South Australia and I would likely attribute that to the, to the container deposit scheme that they have there."

REPORTER: So what can you do to help? Well if you go shopping use green bags or recyclable instead of plastic, and buy containers that can be used more than once. Because if each of us can use less plastic in our lives it means one less piece that can end up here!

Presenter: OK, time for our first quiz of the show.

Quiz 1

The question is:

What percentage of plastic bags are currently recycled in Australia?

© ABC 2012

3%

13%

30%

Answer: 3%

The rest end up in landfill or as litter.

Wombats

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Last week we brought you the story of some kids who helped me comb the bush trying to get rid of weeds. The reason is because they can cause big problems for native animals. And this next story is the proof how It's about one of Australia's most iconic marsupials the wombat. Let's take a look at the problem.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: This is Dale.

Dale has done something special.

Dale dug a hole.

Yes, Dale did.

In fact, Dale digs lots of holes. That's why he, and other southern hairy-nosed wombats are known as the bulldozers of the bush.

© ABC 2012

But all of that digging takes a lot of energy, so wombats need to have a bit of tucker around to stay fit and strong.

Luckily in this area, there's green stuff everywhere.

But despite that, something very sad is happening to the hairy-nosed wombats here. They're starving.

BRIGITTE: This wombat here we noticed about five months ago that she was looking very poor so she was actually one of the first wombats that we started to do support feeding for and she took to it straight away.

This is Brigitte and she's started doing food runs for the wombats in this area. Think of her like 'meals on wheels' for marsupials.

BRIGITTE: Twice a week we drop down some oats and hay for them and the reason that we do that is because they simply had nothing to eat.

Wait up, there is lush green food everywhere! Or is there?

All of this stuff is an introduced plant called onion weed and wombats don't like to eat it.

Here's some more and some more.

These tiny little stands underneath are native wombat food!

As you can see, there is hardly any.

© ABC 2012

The onion weed is choking it out, leaving the poor wombats starving in a sea of green they don't actually eat.

Now I know what you're thinking. Why don't the wombats just stop being so fussy and eat the weeds!

Well they are so desperate, they are starting to and that's what causes them to look like this.

You see, onion weeds are actually toxic to wombats.

They cause hair loss, which leaves them exposed to severe sunburn and liver failure inside.

BRIGITTE: This little girl came in extremely emaciated and as you can see she has put on weight but her hair hasn’t started coming back through yet.

When she's not out feeding them, Brigitte looks after the wombats that have fallen sick.

Most of the 29 animals she's caring for are getting back to health through a diet of pureed sweet potato.

BRIGITTE: She drinks two or three four of these per day.

Unfortunately, this is about all that can be easily done for the poor wombats.

Because the only other solution is to take the fight up to introduced weeds like these.

© ABC 2012

They have taken over huge areas and would take ages to remove.

But Brigitte says it would be worth it.

BRIGITTE: A wombats burrow actually provide an environment for so many species that rely in that area on the wombats for survival so if we see the wombats dying out we will see a whole lot of other species going down with them.

So hopefully soon, these wombats can get back to doing what Dale loves doing best. Digging holes.

Presenter: OK, how much do you know about wombats let's have a quiz.

Quiz 2

The question is:

What's different about a wombat's pouch?

Faces backwards

Males have them

Store food

Answer: They face backwards

© ABC 2012

They open backwards so the baby wombat isn't pelted with dirt when the mum is digging.

OK, time for some sports news now here’s Tash with the Score.

The Score

The top four teams are locked in for the AFL finals. Collingwood beat West Coast to set up a preliminary final clash with Sydney. And Adelaide will play flag favourites Hawthorn in the other preliminary final after beating Fremantle. Rugby League's top four has also been decided. Manly beat North Queensland in a controversial game and will play Melbourne next week. While South Sydney will face the Canterbury Bulldogs after thrashing Canberra.

******

Australian tennis has had a big setback with the Aussies losing to Germany in their Davis Cup playoff tie. It means Australia won't return to the world group which is the top 16 countries. The Aussies only needed to win one of its return singles matches. But both Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic lost in straight sets.

******

The news wasn't great for our Aussie netballers either. The Diamonds were beaten by New Zealand by 2 points in the first match of their three test series. Australia made a strong run home but couldn't claw back the win. The next match is in Auckland on Thursday.

Show Business

Reporter: Sarah Larsen

© ABC 2012

INTRO: Kids all around the country spend the year looking forward to the visit of the annual show. Thousands go to see the sites and ride the rides. But there are some that don't come for the showbags or the fairy floss. They come here to work and for hundreds of families royal shows are a way of life. Here's Sarah.

The royal show is something kids all around the country look forward to and last week it was Adelaide's turn. Thousands of kids and adults too turned out see the sites and ride the rides. But to some kids the show isn't just about showbags and fairy floss. It's a way of life. Sarah met some of the hard working people responsible for bringing the show to you.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: When you're at the show there just never seems to be enough time to do everything: So many things to see, so many games to play, then the are the rides.

REPORTER: Wouldn't it be great if you could go to the show all year!

Well, some people do.

Behind the rides and the games and food joints are families like the Paviers who help to make the show what it is.

SUSAN PAVIER: Who's involved? Sons, daughters and daughter in-laws, son in-laws and the children, the grandchildren.

They own a company which runs food vans and games and some of the most impressive rides around like the XXXL.

© ABC 2012

REPORTER: That was really fun.

While owning show rides might sound like the best job ever, behind the scenes there's a lot of hard work.

BRODERICK PAVIER: The weather can be the most tormenting part of the whole darn thing you know, we've had days when it's 100 kilometre hour winds and it's pelting with rain and you're in the mud and the slush and you think "I don't want to do this any more" you know.

There's also a lot of travelling. The Paviers spend nine months of the year travelling to shows around the country and just three months at home in Wyee on the New South Wales coast.

But life on the road doesn't have to be uncomfortable.

SUSAN PAVIER: Our mobile homes, well they're on wheels, and so they're a little unit on wheels. All we are is a travelling town, it's very normal as any other normal town would be I imagine.

Just like any town this one has its own school.

It might be on wheels but inside the Queensland School for Travelling Show children is like any classroom, teaching all the same stuff.

Ah Science, English and Maths.

There are two teachers here who drive the school around from show to show teaching kids like Tasman and Taylum.

© ABC 2012

TASMAN AND TAYLUM: My parents own the crazy coaster and the extreme. And my parents own the Sky Flier, the Holly Wood Horrors, the Euro-Slide, the Ferris Wheel, and the race game and lots of games.

While they don't always travel together the show families have a pretty tight-knit community.

TASMAN AND TAYLUM: We're all like cousins we all know each other. You go to one show and you're like damn, they're not here and you go to another show and you're like Hey! Callum!

In the old days show kids would have to either leave their families to go to school... or learn from their parents as they travelled and go to different schools in each town.

But having their own school on wheels means they get the same opportunities as any kid... while living the lifestyle that they love.

TASMAN AND TAYLUM: I've been coming here since I was five. It just makes it a bit more like, instead of going around like having to go to home school which is even more hard.

Except it might be at risk. Last week the families found out that the school is losing its funding and might be shut down. It's a massive blow for the show community and they're hoping something can be done.

They say the show is in their blood and in their hearts and they want to keep coming back year after year putting smiles on faces right around the country.

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Closer

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