Questions for discussion

Adani Coal Mine1. As a class, discuss the Adani Coal Mine story. Record the main points of your discussion.2. In which state is the coal mine going to be built?3. Australia is already the number ______exporter of coal in the world.4. What do supporters say are the benefits of the mine?5. Why is the Federal Government considering loaning Adani a billion dollars?6. Why are people worried about the impact the mine will have on the Great Barrier Reef?7. Some farmers who live around the Galilee Basin aren’t happy because…8. Why are some people saying that the mine won’t help Australia’s economy?9. What do you think? Should the coal mine go ahead? Give reasons for your answer.10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BTN story?

Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.

Uluru Climbing Ban1. Briefly summarise the Uluru Climbing Ban story.2. What did European settlers call Uluru?3. Which Aboriginal Group are the traditional owners of Uluru?

a. Anangub. Noongarc. Yolngu

4. Why is Uluru a sacred place for them?5. What significant event happened in 1985?6. Climbing Uluru was a really popular tourist activity. True or false?7. How have the traditional owners felt about tourists climbing Uluru?8. When does the ban to climb Uluru begin?9. Do you agree with the ban to climb Uluru? Give reasons for your answer. 10. How did this story make you feel?

Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.

Flu Vaccine1. What was the main point of the Flu Vaccine story?2. What are the symptoms of the flu?3. What is a virus?4. How does the flu virus spread?5. The flu can be really dangerous for some groups of people. Which groups are at risk?6. The flu vaccine contains a little bit of the ______________.7. How does the vaccine work to protect us from the flu virus?

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Episode 317th November 2017

8. Why do some people still get the flu even though they’ve been vaccinated?9. The flu season just gone was one of the worst in Australia’s history. True or false?10. What do some people think should happen in the future to better protect people from the

flu?

Check out the Flu Vaccine resource on the Teachers page

Recycling Week 20171. Working in pairs, discuss the BTN Recycling Week story. Record the main points of the

discussion.2. Who does Jo work for?3. Briefly explain the history of recycling in Australia.4. Australians now recycle around _________of all waste.

a. 18%b. 38%c. 58%

5. What sorts of things can be recycled? Give at least three examples.6. What should you do with the lids of tin cans?7. What should you do with cans and containers before you recycle them?8. How does recycling help the environment?9. What can be done to encourage people to recycle?10. What was surprising about the Recycling Week story?

Do the quiz on the BTN websiteCheck out the Recycling Week resource on the Teachers page

BTN Investigates – History of Electricity1. What did the BTN History of Electricity story explain?2. What did the Ancient Greeks discover around 600 BC?3. Give an example of static electricity.4. What did English physicist, William Gilbert discover?5. What was Benjamin Franklin’s theory about electricity?6. Describe the experiment that he conducted to test his theory.7. In 1800 Italian physicist, Allessandro Volta created the first electrochemical ____________.8. What electrical discovery did Tesla and Edison make?9. What happened in Surrey Town in 1881?10. What did you learn watching the BTN story?

Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.

©ABC 2017

Teacher Resource

Flu Vaccine

1. What was the main point of the Flu Vaccine story?2. What are the symptoms of the flu?3. What is a virus?4. How does the flu virus spread?5. The flu be really dangerous for some groups of people. Which groups

are at risk?6. The flu vaccine contains a little bit of the ______________.7. How does the vaccine work to protect us from the flu virus?8. Why do some people still get the flu even though they’ve been

vaccinated?9. The flu season just gone was one of the worst in Australia’s history.

True or false?10. What do some people think should happen in the future to better

protect people from the flu?

Positive, negative or interesting?Students will practice their note-taking skills while watching the BTN Flu Vaccine story. After watching the story, ask students to reflect and organise the information into three categories.

What information in this story was...? Positive Negative or Interesting

Students may want to watch the story again or download a copy of the Flu Vaccine transcript to assist them with this activity.

Class DiscussionHold a class discussion about the information raised in the BTN story. What questions do students have (what are the gaps in their knowledge)? The following questions may help guide the discussion:

What is the flu? How does the flu spread? What are the symptoms? Should the flu vaccine be compulsory to people at risk of getting the flu?

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Episode 317th November 2017

Students will investigate how viruses spread and the impact vaccines have had controlling disease.

Science – Years 5 & 6Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community

decisions

Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts

Science – Year 7Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations

Use the following KWLH organiser as a framework to consider what they would like to know and learn.

What do I know? What do I want to know?

What have I learnt? How will I find out?

Key WordsStudents will develop a glossary of words and terms that relate to the kingdom of fungi and scientific classification. Below are some words to get them started. Add words and meanings to your glossary as you come across unfamiliar words throughout your research. Consider using pictures and diagrams to illustrate meanings.

Influenza Vaccine Immunity Virus

Disease Bacteria Symptom Immune system

Students watch the ABC Splash video How does a virus work? Using the information in the video and further research, students answer the following questions:

What is a virus? How do viruses spread? Why do they make us sick? What are some examples of viruses?

History of VaccinesStudents match the scientist to the disease they helped prevent by playing the Pioneer Breakthroughs matching game The History of Vaccines website also has an interactive timeline which highlights significant events in the history of diseases and vaccines.

©ABC 2017

Understanding VaccinesStudents will investigate what a vaccine is and the impact they have had on controlling disease. They will then research the impact a particular vaccine has had.

What is a vaccine? What vaccines do you know about? What vaccines have you received? How do vaccines work? What impact have vaccines had on controlling disease? Why are most vaccinations given in the early years of a person’s life? Why is it important to vaccinate against rare disease?

What is the future of vaccinations? Predict what vaccines may be available during your lifetime

Students will investigate the impact a particular vaccine has had on controlling disease. Choose from one of the following:

Polio, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hepatitis B or Chicken Pox.

Describe the disease. What are the symptoms? Is the disease caused by a virus or bacteria? Who is most at risk of getting the disease? What impact did the disease have? How does the vaccine work? How often should a person be vaccinated? What impact has the vaccine had on controlling the disease worldwide? What are some interesting facts about the vaccine?

ABC News – Flu epidemic: Experts explain the reasons behind Australia’s bad seasonhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-09-28/flu-epidemic-your-questions-answered/8992884

BTN – Vaccinationshttp://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3512683.htm

©ABC 2017

Teacher Resource

Recycling

1. Working in pairs, discuss the BTN Recycling Week story. Record the main points of the discussion.

2. Who does Jo work for?3. Briefly explain the history of recycling in Australia.4. Australians now recycle around _________of all waste.

a. 18%b. 38%c. 58%

5. What sorts of things can be recycled? Give at least three examples.6. What should you do with the lids of tin cans?7. What should you do with cans and containers before you recycle

them?8. How does recycling help the environment?9. What can be done to encourage people to recycle?10. What was surprising about the Recycling Week story?

Class discussionDiscuss the BTN Recycling story as a class. Record students’ responses on a mind map with ‘recycling’ in the centre. Add new words and concepts to the mind map as students’ progress through the activities in this resource.

Use these questions to help guide discussion: What do you THINK about what you saw in this video? What does this video make you WONDER? Think of three questions you would like to ask the recycling expert in

the BTN Recycling story. What does recycling mean to you? Leave your comment on the BTN

Recycling story page. How does the recycling help people and the environment?

Personal responseWrite a personal response to the Recycling story. Leave a comment on the BTN Recycling story page. Ask students to finish one or more of the following incomplete sentences:

Recycling is...

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Episode 317th November 2017

Students will investigate their recycling habits and conduct an audit on their schools’ recycling program.

Science – Year 4Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions 

Science – Year 5 & 6Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions

HASS – Year 4Reflect on learning to propose actions in response to an issue or challenge and consider possible effects of proposed actions

Geography – Year 4The use and management of natural resources and waste, and the different views on how to do this sustainably 

I can reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill by... Sending less rubbish to landfill is important because... It’s surprising that...

Recycling testAs a class, brainstorm all the different types of waste created at your school, for example:

Paper Plastic – lunch wrappers, drink containers etc Food scraps Plant clippings Electronic items – mobile phones, computer screens etc Batteries Printer cartridges Newspapers

Do your students know which of these items can be recycled? Test your students by asking which items can be recycled and which recycling bin it should be placed. Students can test their recycling skills by playing this Zero Waste game.

In this activity students will discuss, audit and reflect on their schools current recycling program.

DiscussionHave a class discussion about what your school already does to recycle. Use one or more of the following questions to guide your discussion:

Do you recycle at your school? What do you know about it? What items are collected as part of the recycling program in your council area? Do you know where the recycled materials end up and what they are used for?

AuditAs a class, audit the contents of one of your schools recycling bins. Record your results. Students will analyse their results and respond to the following:

What do your findings tell you about your schools’ recycling habits? What surprised you about the results?

ReflectionStudents will reflect on the activity and respond to the following:

How can you reduce the amount of waste produced at your school? Should there be incentives for people who reduce, reuse and recycle? What did this challenge help you understand? Parts of this activity I liked and disliked were… Do you think you will change your recycling habits? If so, how?

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Making a difference with recyclingFor inspiration watch these BTN stories to learn how kids around Australia are making a difference with recycling. After watching each story students will respond to the associated focus questions.

BTN War on Waste SchoolAfter watching the ABC's War on Waste series last month, students from North Adelaide Primary were so inspired they started making some big changes to their school and community. After watching the story students will respond to the following questions.

1. What was the main point of the BTN story?2. What was the mission that the kids in the BTN story set themselves?3. What inspired them to go on this mission?4. Australia is one of the biggest producers of trash in the world. True or false?5. What reusable items did the students buy?6. What is nude food? 7. What are the benefits of having nude food at

school? Try having your own nude food day. 8. What does your school already do to reuse

and recycle?9. How well do you know the 5 Rs? Discuss as a

class.10. How has your thinking changed since

watching the BTN story?

BTN Gorilla Girls Recycling Zoe is launching a special recycling program to help save gorillas, and she wants kids from all over Australia to help. After watching the story students will respond to the following questions.

1. Explain the Gorilla Girls Recycling story to another student.2. What inspired Zoe to start Gorilla Girls?3. Which species’ of gorillas are Zoe and her friends raising money for?4. How are they raising money?5. What is e-waste?6. Many electronic devices contain a metal

called _______________.7. Explain how recycling electronic items helps

the gorillas.8. How have Gorilla Girls been promoting the

cause?9. How much money have they raised so far?10. What did you learn watching the BTN story?

BTN – Wipe Out Waste

©ABC 2017

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4667338.htm

KESAB – Wipe Out Wastehttp://www.kesab.asn.au/programs/wow/

BTN – War on Waste Schoolhttp://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4689455.htm

BTN: Episode 31 Transcript 7/11/17

©ABC 2017

Hey, Amelia here. Welcome to BTN!

Coming up today:

We'll travel to Uluru to hear more about the decision to ban climbers.

Find out how to recycle right for National Recycling Week.

And we'll answer the question - who discovered electricity?

Adani Coal MineReporter: Ruby Cornish

INTRO: But first today. We're going to take a look at a controversial issue that's making headlines in Queensland in the lead up to their state election later this month. It all centres on a big project that's been proposed for Queensland's Galilee Basin. A company called Adani wants to create one of the biggest coal mines in the world there, but there are a lot of people against it. Here's the background.

Queensland’s got a lot of big stuff. The Big Pineapple, big dinosaurs, big jellyfish and big waves. And soon, it could be getting one of the world's biggest coal mines. Here in the Sunshine State's Galilee Basin, an Indian company called Adani is planning to build the Carmichael Mine and extract 6 million tonnes of coal every year. That's a lot of coal.

The project has a lot of people excited. Australia's already the number one exporter of coal in the world and some say this project will give our economy a boost. Plus, it'll provide jobs, and it’s got the support of both of our national Liberal Government and Queensland's Labor Government.

ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, QUEENSLAND PREMIER: We are a resource rich state, we are an agriculture rich state and we are a tourism rich state and we need jobs.

The Federal Government's considering loaning Adani a billion dollars to build a railway line from the Carmichael Mine to the coast to help get the coal to ships, although Queensland’s premier doesn’t support that. But there are lots of people who reckon this mine is a really bad idea. Adani's got into trouble in India for not following environmental laws, and some people who live near Adani operations say the coal has made them sick. So, in Australia there are worries they'll break the rules here too.

MADDY, PROTESTER: They have one of the worst environmental records that a company can have.

There are also worries about the effect the mine could have on wetlands and the Great Barrier Reef. That's because some sea bed will have to be dug up near the reef to make room for ships carrying coal. Some farmers who live around the Galilee Basin aren't happy either, because Adani's been given permission to use an unlimited amount of water from under the ground. Water the farmers say they need.

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ROBERT HOLLINGSWORTH: The amount of water that we can pump out of the bores will be less and they’re not really certain what the effect on the water quality will be.

But it's not just the effect the mine could have on Queensland's environment that has people worried. There are also questions about how much it will actually help Australia's economy or whether it will bring enough jobs to be worthwhile. Coal's becoming less and less popular around the world because of the pollution it creates and it's not worth as much as it used to be.

So, some people say it's a bad time for Australia to invest in more coal mines. There are passionate opinions on both sides of the Carmichael Mine debate, and with Queenslanders getting ready to head to the polls for a state election, you can bet there'll be some more big speeches and big arguments about this big coal mine.

Uluru Climbing BanReporter: Jack Evans

INTRO: Next up today. Uluru is one of Australia's biggest tourist attractions but it's been decided that from 2019 onwards, visitors will no longer be able to climb the famous rock.It's something traditional owners have been fighting for, for many years. So, here's a look at the debate that led to this historic decision.

PAUL HOGAN: You look like you need a holiday, a fair dinkum holiday. In a land of wonder, the land down under.

For a long time, this big red rock has been right at the heart of Aussie tourism. But the way we've seen Uluru has changed a lot over the years. Up until the mid-80s it was actually known as Ayres rock to most people. It was named after the Premier of South Australia by explorers who came across it in the 1800's. But of course, the rock is a lot older than that.

For thousands and thousands of years it's been a sacred site to the Anangu people. Who believe the rock, which they call Uluru, was created by their ancestors. Eventually the Australian government recognised the Anangu people’s ownership of Uluru and, in 1985 it was handed back to them along with the surrounding areas. The name was also officially changed from Ayres Rock to Uluru. Since then Anangu people have worked with the government to run tourism at the rock. But there's one tourist activity that's always caused a lot of debate and that's climbing Uluru.

Back in the 90's it was really popular, in fact about 70% of visitors made the steep and difficult climb.

MAN: I've always wanted to come out there and do the climb.

But to Anangu people that was really disrespectful and over the years they've tried to teach visitors about their beliefs. Now there are signs around Uluru asking you not to climb. But it’s never been actually banned. The Government thought that if people weren't allowed to climb they might not come to visit. But they did make an agreement with the traditional owners that climbing would be banned when fewer than 20% of visitors choose to do it. Last year of the 300,000 visitors to Uluru only 16% decided to climb and now the board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has voted to bring in the ban in October 2019.

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DALE MCIVER, TOURISM AUSTRALIA: It's a decision that tourism central Australia has supported for quite some time and it's good to see they've given a good lead time of two years so that the industry has plenty of time to let people know.

Not everyone's happy with the decision. Some people think because Uluru's a natural feature it shouldn't be controlled by any group of people. But others say it’s been a long time coming and will help to protect this amazing place while showing respect to the culture of its traditional owners.

This Week in News

You might remember a big conference that happened at Uluru earlier this year.

Indigenous leaders from right around the country were there to talk about changes that many would like to see made to Australia's constitution - our most important law book.

They wanted to add a section which would permanently set up an indigenous group in parliament. It would advise the government on laws and policies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Making that change wouldn't be easy - we'd have to have a referendum which is a big national vote and now the Prime Minister says that won't be happening. He says he doesn't support the idea of a parliamentary body that only Indigenous people can join.

New info's shown that thousands of Aussie kids are being fined by police!

If you're over ten in New South Wales you can be fined for things like jaywalking, swearing in public and littering and last year more than 14 thousand people under 18 copped a fine.

Some say that's not right, because parents end up paying those fines and they reckon for minor offences, police should just give warnings.

But the New South Wales government says most kids do the right thing anyway.

Archaeologists have discovered a mysterious empty space in one of Egypt's most famous pyramids!

For the past few years they've been using infrared and 3D scans to map the monuments as part of the Scan Pyramids project.

Now they say they've found a 30-metre area called the "big void" in the Pyramid of Giza.

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They're not yet sure what's in it or what it was used for. But it's the biggest discovery in the pyramid for about 100 years!

And, imagine waking up in your Lego bed, next to your Lego alarm clock with your Lego cat.

That's exactly what happens in this wacky house in Denmark!

Lego is running a competition asking kids around the world to tell them what they'd create with an infinite amount of Lego

And the winner gets to spend a night in this amazing Lego world!

Flu VaccineReporter: Ruby Cornish

INTRO: Now if you spent some time away from school with the flu this year, you're not alone! This season has been the worst Australia's had for years. It's got some calling for a stronger flu vaccine and others saying everyone should be given the flu jab for free. Here's more.

ALEXANDER: I feel terrible.

RUBY: How terrible exactly?

ALEXANDER: Like, really terrible.

RUBY: How's your throat?

ALEXANDER: Won’t stop coughing!

RUBY: Nose?

ALEXANDER: Won't stop running!

RUBY: Head?

ALEXANDER: Won't stop throbbing!

RUBY: Temperature?

ALEXANDER: Burning up!

RUBY: Energy level?

ALEXANDER: Not enough to feel sorry for myself.

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RUBY: Yep, looks like you have the flu.

ALEX: The flu?

RUBY: The influenza virus.

A virus is a teeny tiny little organism that invades your body and multiplies in your cells. It can infect other people through tiny droplets of spit or mucus, which are blasted into in the air when you cough or sneeze.

RUBY: Gross, right?

For most of us, when the flu strikes, it means a week or so off school or work to recover. But for very young people and older people, or people whose immune systems don't work properly, the flu can be really dangerous and even fatal! Luckily there's a vaccination for the influenza virus. It's been around for 25 years and you might've had one before. Like all vaccines, it contains a little bit of the virus but it's been deactivated so it can't make us sick. It teaches the body to recognise the flu virus so it knows how to fight it off when it comes along for real!

The tricky thing about the flu is that it comes in a bunch of different strains, and those strains are adapting and changing all the time. So each year, scientists from around the globe get together to look at which strains are active in different parts of the world. They use that information to design vaccines that will protect against the three or four strains they think will be the most common for that flu season.

But they don't always get it right. The flu season just gone was one of the worst in Australia's history. There were more than 220 thousand cases, and many of those people had been vaccinated!

JILL HENNESSY, VICTORIAN HEALTH MINISTER: It's really clear that the vaccine that was used this year was not effective in protecting people against some of the strains of flu that we saw.

But that doesn't mean we should give up on flu vaccines! Most years, they're really effective. In fact, they're so important that some are calling for them to be made free and compulsory for people who are most at risk. The government is also considering making the vaccine more powerful in the future.

ALEXANDER: Well I'm definitely getting the flu vaccine next year.

RUBY: Good idea!

ALEXANDER: But what can I do until then? I hate being sick!

RUBY: Well, make sure you wash your hands properly, you can avoid contact with people who are sick, and when you are sick, get plenty of rest! And speaking of rest. Naptime!

Ask a Reporter

©ABC 2017

Have you got a question about how the flu works? Ask me live on Friday during Ask A Reporter!

Head to our website for all the details.

Kokoda VR

Have you checked out Kokoda VR yet?

It's the amazing, free Virtual Reality app that lets you visit the track right from your classroom.

For all the details on how you can download it just head to abc.net.au/KokodaVR

Recycling Week 2017

Reporter: Sean Bahr-Kelly

INTRO: Now. How good do you think you are at recycling? Overall Aussies recycle more than half of household rubbish but some reckon we could do better. Seeing as National Recycling Week is coming up, we thought we'd find out how to reduce our rubbish even more.

Ruby: Hey Sean, it's your turn to put the rubbish out! And don't forget the recycling!

Ruby: Uh-uh, that's Polyethylene and you can't recycle it.

Sean: What are you, the bin police?

Jo: Did someone call the bin police?

Sean: Uh, not exactly, but ok!

Reporter: Jo's not actually rubbish law enforcement but she is a bit of a rubbish expert! She's an education officer for KESAB which is a not-for-profit organisation. It works to reduce waste and teaches people how to recycle.

So why is recycling so important?

Jo: Because all of the things you've got in your recycling container are made from resources which are really valuable

Jo says Aussies have been recycling for longer than you might think. Way back in the early 1800s there were Aussie mills that turned recycled rags into paper. And by the 20s there were waste paper collection services from homes and businesses. We were also recycling all sorts of stuff like metal, glass and fabric. Over the years packaging increased and people started generating more and more waste. To put that in perspective, from 1996 to 2015 Australia's population rose by 28%, while the amount of waste we generated

©ABC 2017

increased by 170%! On the positive side, Australians now recycled around 58% of all our waste - more than ever before! But it's also more complicated.

Jo: Probably because we've got so many more different materials. When plastic came to be that really changed everything, and there's a lot of different materials used in the packaging we have, so we just have to work out ways that we can capture all those resources.

Sean: Jo spends a lot of time going through bins! Ok, that sounds weird, but there is a good reason. She says a bin audit is a great way to show people whether they're recycling right.

So just to give me kind of a tip, what are some of the things that I can and can't recycle in here?

Jo: All right, well, let's see, umm most things so this one umm is quite a good one, so I can hear something rattling around inside this steel can and if this went into the recycling truck like this it would get tipped in and this would come out and the steel would get caught in a lot of paper and cardboard and stuff that's inside that truck and that might cause some problems for recycling. So, if you have steel cans it's a really good idea to put the lids or several lids and squeeze the top over so that it'll stay inside that can when it's in the truck.

Sean: So, with cans and containers, do we have to clean them out cause they do get pretty dirty.

Jo: We say 'empty and dry'. So, basically, if you were to put things in without the lid on, if you shake it out and there's no liquid or no chunks of food coming out it's probably clean enough.

Reporter: Jo told me other interesting facts like it's against the law to put electronics in the bin and you can’t put plastic bags in there either. And, cardboard can either go in the green waste bin or recycling!

So, there you go! Turns out this task is really important and pretty interesting.

Sean: Thanks so much that was a big help, I'll definitely make sure these end up in the right spot.

Ruby: forgot one!

Reporter: Uh ah, you forgot to squeeze it.

Quiz

Okay time for a quiz now.

How many times can glass be recycled?

Is it once?

Four times?

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Or an infinite number of times?

The answer is an infinite number of times. It never wears out!

Teacher Awards

Have you got a teacher you want to thank for being amazing? Well nominate them for BTN's teacher awards!

All it takes is a short video telling us and showing us why you think they are the best teacher around.

Nominations close on the 24th of November. For more, just head to our website.

Sport

Today is the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops the nation and thousands have flocked to Flemington Racecourse to catch a glimpse of the action.

The race has been going on for 156 years and today it's watched by millions of people around the world.

This year all eyes will be on defending champion Almandin who is a favourite to win.

Yesterday there was a big parade to celebrate the racing carnival. Jockeys and trainers took part in the processions. which included past winners of the race.

The Houston Astros have won the world series for the first time ever!

It’s some great news for the Texas city which was devastated by hurricane Harvey back in August.

The Astros were considered the underdogs for the series. They don't have as much financial backing as some of the big wealthy clubs and there were up against the Los Angeles Dodgers which is the second richest team in America's baseball league.

They were also playing their final game away from home but they defied the odds and defeated LA five-one.

I'm so happy for our fans that have endured a lot we're coming home champions.

After the game things got even more exciting for shortstop Carlos Correa who took the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend.

Daniella Rodriguez you make me the happiest man in the world - would you marry me?

And the medals for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games have been released.

©ABC 2017

The wavy pattern on the medals was designed by a local indigenous artist who was inspired by QLD's famous Coast line.

Around 1500 will be made by the Royal Australian Mint to be ready for the Games which kick off in April next year.

BTN Investigates – History of Electricity

Reporter: Jack Evans

INTRO: Hello BTN, my name’s Ethan and my question is when was electricity first discovered? Is it that ancient or was it something discovered in recent years. Thanks!

JACK: Samson, I need you to fetch some things from market.

SAMSON: Of course, sir.

JACK: 2 ripe apples 1 red 1 greenish, truffles, corn starch, a live duck, a dead duck, half a bucket of oats and a pack of AA batteries.

SAMSON: What are AA batteries sir?

JACK: Well they're used to power things.

SAMSON: What sir?

JACK: You know, electricity!

SAMSON: Never heard of it sir?

JACK: Good gravy! How do you think this works? Or this? Or this?

SAMSON: Magic?

JACK: Electricity.

SAMSON: Electricity! Right sir and who invented that?

JACK: Oh Samson you sweet naive fool, you can't invent electricity. But you can discover it.

SAMSON: Oh who discovered it then?

JACK: Well.

To find out we have to go back more than 2000 years. It was roughly 600 BC when the Ancient Greeks discovered that rubbing fur and amber together causes something we know today as static electricity. You know, that funny thing that happens when you rub a balloon on your head. It wasn't until many years later that an English physicist, William

©ABC 2017

Gilbert, used the Latin word "Electricus" to describe this strange phenomenon. Which was actually negative particles called electrons building up and jumping from one place to another.

JACK: Fast forward to 1752 and - Samson? Samson? What is this? What are you doing?

SAMSON: Well sir, I thought that maybe there might be a connection between lightning and electricity. So, I got me kite and this key to test it out.

JACK: Touché Samson.

In 1752 a Man named Benjamin Franklin conducted an experiment using a kite, a key and a storm. His theory was that lightning and electric sparks were the same thing and he was right. The key attracted electricity from storm clouds which travelled down the kite string and gave him an electric shock.

JACK: Which is a very dangerous experiment and you should not try it at home.

SAMSON: Sorry sir.

In 1800 Italian physicist Alessandro Volta created the first electrochemical battery, the Voltaic Pile. It used special chemicals that break apart and release electrons. Volta's battery wasn't very practical, although it is where we get the term Voltage from. In 1832 English scientist Michael Faraday made a better battery and later scientists like Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison made some big electrical discoveries including the light bulb. Finally, in 1881 a town in Surrey in the UK became the first in the world to be lit with electrical light.

JACK: Of course, today there are a whole bunch of different ways we can generate electricity. Like this, this and this. Which allows us to do things like this, hit is Samson!

Closer

And that's it for today but there's always more to see and do on our website including our BTN Teacher Awards nomination page and details on how you can download Kokoda VR!Thanks for joining us and we'll see you next week for more BTN!

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