questions for discussion · 2012. 9. 10. · questions for discussion school standards 1. discuss...

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Questions for discussion School standards 1. Discuss the issues raised in the School Standards story with another student and record the main points of your discussion. 2. Why are people concerned with Australia’s performance in subjects like science, reading and maths? 3. Who put out a report into Australia’s education system? 4. How does Gonski want to make education fairer in Australia? 5. Julia Gillard wants Australian schools to be back in the top ____ by the year _______. 6. The Prime Minister wants to make it easier to get into teaching at university. True or false? 7. About how much will the changes cost? 8. How have most people responded to the plan? 9. What aspects of the plan have been criticised? 10. What do you think about the government’s planned changes to education? Post a message on the Behind the News Guestbook http://www.abc.net.au/btn/ Citizen Surveillance 1. Briefly summarise the BtN story. 2. What is an ISP? 3. How can online activity be monitored? 4. In what circumstances could the information collected be useful? 5. If the Government’s plan goes ahead, ISP’s and phone companies would keep information for ______years. 6. What are some concerns people have about the suggested changes? 7. What is hacking? 8. Complete the following sentence: Storing large amounts of information is expensive so internet prices will… 9. What do you think about the suggested changes? 10. Think about how your own internet use is monitored. Who currently monitors what you see/do online? `Should the government be allowed to store the internet data of all Australians?Vote in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/ Test your knowledge in the Citizen Surveillance quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the links. Anti-venom 1. What is venom? 2. Why are some animals venomous? 3. When was anti-venom first introduced in Australia? EPISODE 26 11 TH SEPTEMBER 2012

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Page 1: Questions for discussion · 2012. 9. 10. · Questions for discussion School standards 1. Discuss the issues raised in the School Standards story with another student and record the

Questions for discussion

School standards 1. Discuss the issues raised in the School Standards story with another student

and record the main points of your discussion. 2. Why are people concerned with Australia’s performance in subjects like

science, reading and maths? 3. Who put out a report into Australia’s education system? 4. How does Gonski want to make education fairer in Australia? 5. Julia Gillard wants Australian schools to be back in the top ____ by the year

_______. 6. The Prime Minister wants to make it easier to get into teaching at university.

True or false? 7. About how much will the changes cost? 8. How have most people responded to the plan? 9. What aspects of the plan have been criticised? 10. What do you think about the government’s planned changes to education?

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

Citizen Surveillance

1. Briefly summarise the BtN story. 2. What is an ISP? 3. How can online activity be monitored? 4. In what circumstances could the information collected be useful? 5. If the Government’s plan goes ahead, ISP’s and phone companies would keep

information for ______years. 6. What are some concerns people have about the suggested changes? 7. What is hacking? 8. Complete the following sentence: Storing large amounts of information is

expensive so internet prices will… 9. What do you think about the suggested changes? 10. Think about how your own internet use is monitored. Who currently monitors

what you see/do online?

`Should the government be allowed to store the internet data of all Australians?’ Vote

in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/

Test your knowledge in the Citizen Surveillance quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow

the links.

Anti-venom

1. What is venom? 2. Why are some animals venomous? 3. When was anti-venom first introduced in Australia?

EPISODE 26

11TH

SEPTEMBER 2012

Page 2: Questions for discussion · 2012. 9. 10. · Questions for discussion School standards 1. Discuss the issues raised in the School Standards story with another student and record the

4. Anti-venom works a bit like a _________soaking up poisonous stuff in a person’s body.

5. How is the venom from funnel-web spiders collected? 6. Complete the following sentence: To make anti-venom, small amounts of

venom are injected in animals like… 7. What does the immune system produce to help make the anti-venom? 8. What unusual request did a wildlife park make recently? 9. What should children remember when it comes to venomous animals? 10. What was surprising about this story?

Write a short explanation about why some animals produce and use venom. What are the different body parts used to deliver venom?

Agriculture school

1. What was the main point of the Agriculture School story? 2. What is stopping young people from choosing a career in agriculture? 3. How might some people view a career in farming? 4. Using the images in the story, describe the sorts of things students are learning at

Ag school. 5. Agriculture graduates start on very good salaries. True or false? 6. Why was agriculture tough in the 1990’s? 7. Why is the future of farming brighter these days? 8. Why is it important for people to study Agriculture? 9. How do you think people could be encouraged to study Agriculture? 10. What do you now know about studying agriculture that you didn’t know before?

Compare the reporting of the Agriculture School story with another story on BtN this week. Share your comparisons with other students.

Bushcare kids

1. What is the aim of `Bushcare Major Day Out’? 2. How do `forget-me-nots’ spread through the wildlife park? 3. What is an introduced species? 4. Why is it important to remove introduced species’? 5. The native animals like eating the weeds. True or false? 6. Name three of the worst weeds in Australia. 7. What does koala poo smell like? 8. Why is it important to get rid of the seeds as well as the plants? 9. Illustrate an aspect of the BtN story. 10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the Bushcare Kids

story?

Choose an introduced (invasive) plant species and find out the impact it has on the environment.

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Anti-venom

Focus Questions 1. What is venom? 2. Why are some animals venomous? 3. When was anti-venom first introduced in Australia? 4. Anti-venom works a bit like a _________soaking up poisonous stuff in a

person’s body. 5. How is the venom from funnel-web spiders collected? 6. Complete the following sentence: To make anti-venom, small amounts of

venom are injected in animals like… 7. What does the immune system produce to help make the anti-venom? 8. What unusual request did a wildlife park make recently? 9. What should children remember when it comes to venomous animals? 10. What was surprising about this story?

Anti venom Watch the BtN Anti- venom story again and ask students to circle the key words as they hear them. Students then clarify their understanding of the key words by writing down what they think the word means. Swap definitions with a partner and ask them to add to or change the definition. Check them using a dictionary or other source.

Key word My definition Dictionary definition

Venom

Venomous

Toxins

Poisonous

chemicals

Anti-venom

Milking

Antibodies

Immune

system

Students can choose one or more of the following activities:

Write a short explanation about why some animals produce and use venom. What are the different body parts used to deliver venom?

EPISODE 26

11TH

SEPTEMBER 2012

Learning Area

Science

Key learning

Students will investigate why some animal produce venom, how venom affects our bodies and first aid treatment for venomous bites and stings.

Page 4: Questions for discussion · 2012. 9. 10. · Questions for discussion School standards 1. Discuss the issues raised in the School Standards story with another student and record the

Create a profile of a venomous animal. Include information about: Name of animal Type of animal (eg reptile) Physical description Habitat How venomous is the animal? How does it deliver the venom?

How does venom affect our bodies? Different parts of the body react to different types of venom. For example, the venom from a funnel-web spider affects the nervous system. Find out how venom affects different body systems: Nervous, muscular, circulatory, respiratory and the skin.

How do you treat venomous bites and stings? Choose an animal and find out what the symptoms are if a person is bitten or stung, what first aid and medical treatment is needed. Students can demonstrate the information by creating a graphic, role play or power point presentation.

Related Research Links

ABC News – Venom shortage sparks call to hunt funnel-webs http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-02/anti-venom-shortage-sparks-call-to-catch-deadly-spider/4239024 The Venom Patrol - Interactive http://venompatrol.info/index.html Australian Venom Research Unit – About venom http://www.avru.org/general/general_main.html Australian Reptile Park – Venom production http://www.reptilepark.com.au/about-us/research-venom/venom-production/ Australian Museum – Funnel-web Spiders http://australianmuseum.net.au/Funnel-web-Spiders-group/ Australian Museum – Spider bites and venom http://australianmuseum.net.au/Spider-bites-and-venoms/

Page 5: Questions for discussion · 2012. 9. 10. · Questions for discussion School standards 1. Discuss the issues raised in the School Standards story with another student and record the

Agriculture School Focus Questions

1. What was the main point of the Agriculture School story? 2. What is stopping young people from choosing a career in agriculture? 3. How might some people view a career in farming? 4. Using the images in the story, describe the sorts of things students are

learning at Ag school. 5. Agriculture graduates start of very good salaries. True or false? 6. Why was agriculture tough in the 1990’s? 7. Why is the future of farming brighter these days? 8. Why is it important for people to study Agriculture? 9. How do you think people could be encouraged to study Agriculture? 10. What do you now know about studying Agriculture that you didn’t know

before?

Agriculture School

Negotiate with students how many activities they need to complete.

Summarise the story Have students pair-up and write three or four summary statements about what

they have learned watching the Agriculture School story. Then partner up two

groups and share what has been written.

True or False After watching the Agriculture School story, ask students to write three true and

three false things from the story. Pass them around so others can read them and

explain why they are false.

Brainstorming In small groups, ask students to brainstorm and record three important things they

have learned watching the Agriculture School story on a sheet of paper. Students

can share their ideas with other class members.

Quick Quiz Working in pairs, students write a multiple choice quiz with ten questions about

the Agriculture School story or agriculture in Australia. Students can then take

turns quizzing each other. Multiple choice quizzes can be submitted to Behind the

News Quiz Page – Quizzes by Whizzes http://www.abc.net.au/btn/quiz.htm

Matching facts Ask students to find a partner and collect two sheets of paper. One person in each

pair writes a question about a fact from the Agriculture School story. The other

person writes the answer. Place the questions in an empty hat and the answers in

another one. Ask each student to pick a question or answer and then move around

the room to match the questions to the corresponding answers. Once they have

found the student with the corresponding answer they sit down and think of

another question, which could have the same answer.

EPISODE 26

11TH

SEPTEMBER 2012

Learning Area

Society and Environment

Key learning

Students will develop a deeper understanding of the issues raised in the Agriculture School story.

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Respond to the story Why do you think the story was chosen to be on BtN? What do you think the producers/journalists want kids to know about the topic/issue? Describe the main issue/message in the story. What changes would you make to the story? Consider the words, pictures, music and graphics. Explain why you would make the changes. Rewrite Working in pairs or small groups, provide students with a transcript for the

Agriculture School story and ask them to rewrite it for another television program

or a different audience. Give them a choice about how they present their new

transcript. It might be a reading or they may choose to act it out.

Compare Ask students to compare the reporting of the Agriculture School story with another

story on BtN this week. After they have made their comparisons, students can

share their results.

Related Research Links

Behind the News – Farm Uni http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2219583.htm ABC 730 SA – Students aiming for careers in agriculture http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-03/students-aiming-for-careers-in-agriculture/4240550

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BtN: Episode 26 Transcript

11/9/12

On this week's Behind the News

A new plan to keep track of your internet use but is it an

invasion of privacy?

We see how anti venom is made as some warn that these life-

saving stocks are running low.

And we're off to agriculture school to meet the future of the

industry.

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

today, I head into the bush to learn about how we can take better care

of these areas. But first today:

School Standards

Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: We're very lucky in Australia to have access to education

and our schools are really good. But over the past decade Aussie

schools have fallen behind some other countries. The PM has come

up with a plan, which she hopes will make our school system

amongst the best in the world. So what is it? Here's Sarah.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: We're a pretty competitive lot,

Australians. No matter what the event, we like to be first or as close to

first as we can get. But there's one area where Australia's falling

behind the competition and it could affect the whole country. It's

education.

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While there are plenty of smart Aussie kids, when tests from around

the world are compared Australia doesn't score as high as some other

places. In reading and in science, Australia is sitting at seventh place.

In maths there are twelve places where kids perform better. While

that might not sound too bad the big worry is that Australia seems to

be slipping behind.

KID: Considering that we were high, high up and we've got lower as

the years have gone by it's kind of bad for Australia.

KID: It's sort of appalling because we're a really rich country and we

should learn to do better.

KID: Because there's a lot of things a country needs maths for and to

be able to trade with other countries and things you need skills in

maths.

KID: I guess we can't be the best at everything but countries that are

ranked high up they might not have enough jobs in their country and

they might come here and they might have first choice because

they've done a bit better.

While these guys reckon they've got it pretty good there are lots of

schools that are struggling and most people agree that something

needs to be done.

Earlier this year we told you about a report put out by this guy; David

Gonski. He said education in Australia isn't as good as it should be.

One big problem kids who go to schools in wealthy areas tend to do

better than kids at disadvantaged schools. Gonski wanted to make

this fairer by giving more money to the schools that need it the most.

Well, now the Prime Minister has responded to the report. While

she's not doing everything Gonski suggested, she's announced some

big changes to the way schools are funded. And she says there'll be

more money for kids that need extra help.

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JULIA GILLARD: By 2025 I want Australian schools to be back in the

top five nations in the world that give us 13 years the time it usually

takes a child to complete their primary school education.

The PM says she'll also make it harder to get into teaching at uni so

only the best end up in the classroom.

JULIA GILLARD: I want all of you to join me in a crusade to change

the future of our children.

It won't come cheap. The PM's changes will cost about six and a half

billion dollars and she's not saying exactly where that money's going

to come from. And some say 13 years is too long to wait for a better

education system. Still, many say it’s a huge step in the right

direction.

KID: I think it's a little bit disappointing that we haven't got that

chance and the government hasn't stepped up to that sooner but it's

good to think that the future will be good as well.

KID: In the long term our country is going to go very high because of

this improvement but as long as the money is spent on proper

education.

KID: Everyone should have a good education.

Many people are hoping that by the time you guys graduate, you'll be

leaving an education system that's ahead of the race.

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

the Wire.

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The Wire

The Prime Minister got some sad news on the weekend. Her father

John died while she was away in Russia for the APEC forum. World

leaders gave their sympathy as she flew home to be with her family.

John Gillard moved to Australia with his family when Julia was 4

years old. She says her dad was a big inspiration to her. Mr Gillard

was 83 years old.

*****

There's been debate going on about the future of Australia's biggest

irrigated farm. Cubbie Station covers 96,000 hectares in Southern

Queensland and grows a lot of cotton using a lot of water. But it got

into financial trouble three years ago.

Now a Chinese and Japanese company wants to buy the station, and

the governments said it's OK. It would be part owned and managed by

an Aussie company and Australians would work on the farm. And the

government says foreign investment is good for the country. But some

reckon it shouldn't be letting such a big chunk of land and water be

sold overseas.

Internet Privacy

Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: The stuff you look at on the internet could be monitored and

stored for up to 2 years. It's an idea that's been put forward by some

politicians but it's been criticised by some who say this kind of

surveillance would invade on people's privacy. Others say the

change would help to fight crime. So what do you think? Sarah takes

a look at the debate.

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Imagine if there were a record of all the things you did online. All the

websites you visited; the people you contacted. Not just for a day or a

week but for the past two years. That's what some are saying should

happen in order to root out criminals on the web.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: Most of us tend to think of the things

we do online as private; so no-one but me will know what I'm looking

at what emails I'm getting but in fact it's already possible for

authorities to find out what I've been up to.

Every time you access the net you go through an internet service

provider or ISP.

Because they connect you they know what you're doing online

whether it's looking at Facebook or downloading a movie. If

someone's suspected of a crime police can get a warrant and make the

ISP give up that information. They can also make phone companies

say who the suspect's have been calling and when.

Some big crimes have been solved that way from murders to overseas

terrorist plots. But sometimes the records get deleted and that's

something police want to change.

NICOLA ROXON, Attorney General: Many criminal investigations

require law enforcement to build a picture of criminal activity over a

period of time and without data retention that ability will be lost.

That's the Attorney General - the government's top lawyer and she's

talking about a law that would make all ISPs and phone companies

keep records of what their customers are doing for two years.

At the moment it's just a suggestion but it's already stirred up a lot of

debate.

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SCOTT LUDLAM, Greens Senator: This is an extraordinary expansion

of surveillance powers. We need to be very careful before we go down

this path.

The idea of keeping two year records for every single person has some

worried. They say it'd give authorities too much power and invade

people's privacy.

ANTHONY BENDALL, Acting Victorian Privacy Commissioner:

Having a zone of privacy a zone where you have control of what

people know about you, doesn't mean you have anything to hide.

Then there's the worry that the wrong people could get their hands on

all that information.

Anonymous Video: G'day citizens of the world and Australia, we are

Anonymous.

This video was made by the online activist group Anonymous. Earlier

this year it hacked an Aussie ISP and released a bunch of personal

information about ordinary people. It said it was a warning that no

online information is safe and if it's stored, it can be hacked.

Then there's the cost. Storing large amounts of information takes a

lot of expensive hardware and ISPs say if more data has to be stored

internet prices will go up. The government says it'll listen to

everyone's opinion before drawing up new laws so, what do you

think?

KID: I think it's good so then you can find out what people are looking

up and see if they're looking up good things and bad things.

KID: I think it might invade people's privacy and it wouldn't really

stop crime because then they'll use letters or another form of

communication.

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KID: Someone might just be messing around and have just like a

private joke with their friends and they're joking about it and it might

be a bomb or something.

KID: I think it's good so then they can catch the people who are doing

the wrong things.

Presenter: OK, that's our poll this week.

Online Poll

The question is:

Should the government be allowed to store the internet data of all

Australians?

To vote just head to our website.

Last week we asked should smoking be banned. 89% said yes. And

11% said no. Thanks for voting.

Anti Venom

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: If you get bitten by a deadly spider or snake you might need

a shot of anti-venom to save your life.

Well, anti venom isn't that easy to make and for one spider bite in

particular the stocks of anti venom are running low. So what's

involved in making anti venom? Tash looks into it.

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NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: You never know when or where

they'll turn up and to some they can be pretty scary creatures. Being

bitten by a venomous spider can make you really ill and can even kill

you! Some of those deadly spiders like funnel webs produce

something called venom. Venom is made up of toxins, which are

poisonous chemicals. They can inject the stuff into other animals by

biting or stinging them. It's a way of protecting themselves in the

wild.

People can also be bitten or stung by poisonous creatures. If that

happens they might need to be treated with anti-venom. Anti-venom

was introduced in Australia around the 1980s. It works a bit like a

sponge to soak up the yucky poisonous stuff inside a person's body. So

let's take a look at how this life-saving treatment is made using

spiders!

TIM FAULKNER, AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK: These are all big

beautiful funnel- webs. Now each and every one of them will be

milked for their venom to make life-saving anti-venom. Now they're

kept in these small containers, which is a perfect habit for them.

Tim is a spider expert. He's going to show us the first step in making

anti-venom, which involves getting the venom from the spider

through a process called milking.

TIM: Now I'll grab two and go through the milking process. Since the

production of anti-venom, no one has ever died from a funnel web

bite. Now the process is to put a spider onto the bench, they're very

aggressive so they rear up and here we have a pipette and it's like a

miniature vacuum cleaner. Now what happens is, as that spider rears

up I can already see two droplets of venom on his fangs and we touch

that on the fang and we've now captured the venom.

The raw venom is then sent off to a lab, where it's treated. From here

the venom, whether it's from spiders or snakes, is given to animals

like horses, sheep or rabbits. Take these guys for example, they're

helping make rattlesnake anti-venom for the US. They're injected

with a small diluted amount of venom over time, which doesn't hurt

them. What happens is their immune system kicks in to fight it. It

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does that by producing stuff called antibodies in the blood. Then the

anti-bodies are taken from the sheep's blood and that's what's turned

into anti-venom.

More than 100 Australians are bitten by creatures like spiders each

year, so a lot of anti venom is needed to save lives. But now there's a

bit of a shortage, particularly for the anti venom needed to treat bites

by funnel web spiders. That's led the Australian reptile park in New

South Wales to put out an unusual request. They want adults living

nearby to hand in any funnel-webs they find in their gardens, but as

they're deadly that could be really dangerous and they say under no

circumstances should kids go anywhere near them.

So now you know how much time and effort goes into making the

anti-venom that saves lives, it's important to remember to keep away

from deadly creatures and stay safe so you'll never need to use it.

Quiz 1

OK, on the subject of poisonous animals let's have a quiz.

The question is:

Which of these animals is venomous?

Porcupine

Platypus

Dung Beetle

Answer: Platypus

Page 16: Questions for discussion · 2012. 9. 10. · Questions for discussion School standards 1. Discuss the issues raised in the School Standards story with another student and record the

The male duck-billed platypus has a spur on the back of each foot

which secretes a painful venom.

Agricultural School

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Last week we brought you a story about the mining boom

and the kids hoping to cash in on it. Lots of adults are following

similar career paths but that's left other industries struggling to find

workers. One of them is the agricultural industry. Let's take a look.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: It's a pretty different way of getting

to school. But then again, when your assignment moos or baaas at

you, you know you're in a very different type of classroom.

ROYCE, STUDENT: In sheep club, we get assigned a sheep each, and

every lunchtime we come down and we feed them and then we like

clean out their pens and we pretty much lead them around and train

them ready for the show.

Yep, livestock can also be an assignment! But that's just one day in the

life of an ag student.

ROYCE: After school I'm pretty keen to go, or work my way up and

kind of eventually buy a farm and run sheep and grow crops.

Royce is one young guy who really sees a future for himself in

agriculture. But the problem is, across the country, fewer kids are

following his lead.

Farming usually means wide open spaces and more fresh air than you

can poke a stick at. Most office workers would kill for that! So what's

stopping them from taking up a career on the land? Maybe there

aren't enough jobs?

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PHIL, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: We have five jobs for

every graduate. We can't get enough.

Okay, that's not it. So why are fewer kids aiming for the ag industry?

Maybe the job has a bit of an image problem.

When you think of a job in mining, what comes to mind? Usually it's

big money and big trucks. But what comes to mind when you think of

farming? Unfortunately, many people's first thoughts are of long

hours, dirty manual labour and low pay. That, and dealing with

animal poo.

PHIL: We have to change those perceptions and stop stereotyping

farming as a low tech, low paid, you know sort of peasant agriculture

job. It isn't. Our graduates start on very good salaries, better than

veterinary science for instance.

And there is more variety in the industry than you might think.

ROYCE: In agriculture there's so many different paths and ways you

can take and I think everyone's got their own little interest in it so

agriculture, yeah it really covers a whole wide range of things.

But that's not the only image problem that has stopped kids hitting up

agriculture in the past...

PETER, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, URRBRAE HIGH SCHOOL: Back

in the 90’s when agriculture was very tough, a lot of families advised

their young members of the family, their children, to look at other

careers.

Want proof of that one? Well here is a picture of me growing up on

our family farm in the 90's.

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We certainly had bad fashion sense, but we also had a lot of drought.

It certainly made you think twice about taking on the family business

when other jobs seemed a lot more secure!

However these days, with more rain around, the future of farming is

much brighter. So the students at this Ag school hope that'll mean

more kids will want to join them.

ROYCE: If you don't have people working in agriculture then like

who's going to feed everyone pretty much like you can't have one

person running the whole thing, you've got to have lots of people

helping and yeah, there's lots of people. The world's growing and you

need to be able to feed everyone otherwise you've got big problems.

Big problems only kids in agriculture can fix.

Quiz 2

OK, time for another quiz.

The question is:

Which is Australia's biggest agricultural export?

Beef

Wheat

Wool

Answer: Wheat

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Wheat makes up nearly 18 per cent of Australia's agriculture exports.

OK, let's move onto some sports news now. Here's Matt with the

Score.

The Score

The Paralympics have drawn to a close for another 4 years with a

spectacular closing ceremony. During the games more than four

thousand competitors took part. And 251 world records were broken.

In the end, Australia finished at fifth place on the medal tally.

China finished on top with a massive 95 gold, 71 silver and 65 bronze.

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

Earlier the Australian men's wheelchair rugby team finished their

campaign on the ultimate high downing Canada 66 - 51 to secure the

gold. Aussie captain Ryley Batt proved once again why he's called the

best player in the world scoring 37 goals in a dominant display. Chris

Bond supported Ryley well with 15 goals of his own while Canadian

star Zak Madell was the strongest resistance from opposition.

Bushcare Kids

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Everyone has heard of cleanup Australia day where people

comb their local area looking for rubbish of every kind. But did you

know that last weekend a different team was combing the bush

looking for something completely different. It's all about the search

for weeds. I went along to find out more.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Sometimes you have to sacrifice to

help the environment.

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NATHAN: Ahh! I got one too! Wait let me squeeze blood out of it.

Ahh the sacrifices! Nooo!

But what are a few little cuts, compared to helping out some native

plants and animals in need.

This group of kids and I are taking part in the 'Bushcare Major Day

Out', a day that hopes to give our favourite bush areas a bit of TLC.

And ours was the Warrawong Wildlife Park.

But before we started pulling plants, we got a briefing on what to hunt

for.

TANIA, ZOOS SA: Now the weed that we will be working on is forget

me nots. Forget me nots transfer through the park via our animals.

They attach to our kangaroo, our potoroo, and all of our animals fur,

and transfer through. Okay guys let's go and get our hands dirty, and

let's go and get some forget me nots out of the sanctuary!

First things first, you have to be prepared! Then we're off!

STUDENT: Oh there is one there!

NATHAN: He's got the first one! Well done!

TANIA: Let's throw it straight in this bag so it can go in the bin!

TANIA: So guys, by clearing out these forget me nots, what we're

actually doing is making way for native species of plants to come here

and for animals to habitat the area.

NATHAN: Do animals like eating these?

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TANIA: No, none of our native species of animal will actually eat

forget me nots, so they are a weed!

So as you can see, forget me nots are the big problem in this area. But

what should you be looking out for near you?

Well here is a hit list of 5 of the worst weeds across Australia!

Lantana

Gorse

Blackberries

Alligator Weed

Mesquite

Meanwhile back at the wildlife park, the forget-me-nots just keep

coming!

Although that's not all we found.

TANIA: Okay so that is kangaroo.

NATHAN: That's kangaroo poo! Fantastic, I've got it half over my

hands!

TANIA: Do you know how you can tell if it's koala poo? It smells like

eucalypts.

NATHAN: Why do you think it's important to get rid of these weeds?

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STUDENT: Well they're going to keep growing and spreading

everywhere.

NATHAN: Yep and stop the native ones from growing, we have a few

of them here like this native grass and things like that. So if we can get

rid of these the native plants will have a much better chance.

But getting all the weeds out wasn't the only concern.

NATHAN: Okay so what have we got here?

STUDENT: Lot's of seeds from the forget me nots.

NATHAN: Lots of seeds. So that's how sticky they are, they stick to

your clothing and that's how they travel, isn't it!

But pretty soon, the job was done!

TANIA: Okay guys, well I think we've got the creek looking pretty

good, don't you?

NATHAN: Let's have a look, how many bags have we done?! That's

crazy, good work guys!

All in all, it's a pretty easy way to help the environment out. Except for

the cuts of course.

Closer

You might remember last week, we brought you a story about the

dangers of smoking. Well, some kids at Warooka Primary School in

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South Australia sent us a brilliant anti-smoking video they'd made.

We'll end with some of that video. And we'll see you next time.