Questions for discussion

Spreading secrets1. What was the main point of the Spreading secrets story?2. What is a suppression order?3. Why do judges place suppression orders on particular stories?4. How is a person’s identity suppressed?5. How are celebrities using court orders in the UK?6. They are also used to protect the reputation of someone. What does that

mean?7. What affect has the internet had on suppression orders?8. On which websites has secret information been revealed?9. Why is it difficult to punish people who reveal secret information on the

internet?10. What do you think should be done to solve the problem?

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

Food allergies1. What has a study found about food allergies in Australian kids?2. Why can shampoo be a problem for people with a peanut allergy?3. Apart from nuts, what other food can cause allergic reactions?4. What is anaphylaxis and how is it treated?5. How does the medication work?6. Describe what happens when someone has an allergic reaction to food.7. Food intolerance mainly effects the…8. What can the symptoms be?9. Why is product labelling important to people with a food intolerance or

allergy?10. How does your school cater for students with a food intolerance or allergy?

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

TV tricks1. Before you watch the TV tricks story, record what you know about reality

television shows.2. In what ways are reality TV shows similar?3. Describe some of the elements of a reality TV show.4. What role does the editor play?5. What techniques do reality TV shows use to make them more interesting?6. Why do you think reality TV shows are so popular?

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EPISODE 12

17TH MAY 2011

7. Reality TV is sometimes criticised for its lack of reality. What aspects may be artificial or made up?

8. Do you watch reality TV shows? If so, which ones and why?9. What was surprising about this story? 10. Name three facts you learnt in the TV tricks story.

Create a journal/diary entry of a participant in a reality TV show. Document how you feel about being on the show and how your perceptions about reality TV may have changed.

Alien search1. What do you think of when you hear the word `alien’?2. Discuss the Alien search story with another student.3. There are more stars in the universe than...4. How do scientists search for extraterrestrial intelligence?5. How do they work out whether they are natural radio waves or

communication from intelligent life?6. Why is research for extraterrestrial life under threat?7. Why do some people think money shouldn’t be spent looking for evidence of

life in the universe?8. Why do other people think the research is important?9. Do you think money should be spent on searching for intelligent life in the

universe? Explain your answer.10. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story?

`Should we spend money searching for intelligent life on other planets?’ Vote in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/

Board games1. Summarise the BtN Board games story.2. Why has the popularity of board games declined over the years?3. Why are board games being used in some schools?4. What skills have the kids learnt?5. What other skills do think board games teach?6. How have the students responded to playing board games as part of their

lessons?7. How are board games different to computer games?8. Why are the students going to Portugal?9. Are boards used in your classroom? If so, what skills do they teach? If not,

hold a class discussion about whether they should be used to teach specific skills.

10. What do you understand more clearly about the topic since watching the BtN story?

Hold a class `tournament of the minds’ that includes board games that teach problem solving and strategy.

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Alien searchFocus Questions

1. What do you think of when you hear the word `alien’?2. Discuss the Alien search story with another student.3. There are more stars in the universe than...4. How do scientists search for extraterrestrial intelligence?5. How do they work out whether they are natural radio waves or

communication from intelligent life?6. Why is research for extraterrestrial life under threat?7. Why do some people think money shouldn’t be spent looking for evidence of

life in the universe?8. Why do other people think the research is important?9. Do you think money should be spent on searching for intelligent life in the

universe? Explain your answer.10. What do you understand more clearly about the topic since watching the BtN

story?

Alien searchWorking in pairs, students look at the words below and recall how they were used in the BtN story.

aliens extraterrestrial flying saucers

radio telescopes research intelligent life

Students can choose one or more of the following activities:

What do aliens look like? Draw your impression of an alien. What has shaped your idea of an alien’s appearance? Why are they often portrayed as green with bald heads, big eyes and long fingers or like an insect/reptile?

The BtN story talked about the threat to SETI’s research funding. Create an argument for or against the funding continuing.

Research one of the planets in the solar system. The following website will help with your research http://library.thinkquest.org/C002416/saturn/index.htm Identify features of the planet including the surface conditions. What characteristics would the extraterrestrial life form need to have to survive on the planet? Include both words and illustrations in your work.

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EPISODE 12

17TH MAY 2011

Learning Area

Science

Key learning

Students will investigate arguments for and against money being spent searching for extraterrestrial life-forms.

Is there life on other planets? In small groups, students discuss whether they think there might be intelligent life in space. Ask them to back up their opinions with scientific facts or logical reasoning.

Write an alien science fiction story. Think about how you will develop alien characters and create a universe for them to live in. What interesting situation, problem or conflict will occur in your story?

Design and create your own three dimensional model of an alien using modelling clay or recycled materials.

If you were an exobiologist what would you do? Investigate using print and online resources and produce a poster that explains what an exobiologist does.

8 Related Research Links

ABC News – NASA scientist `finds alien fossils on meteorite’http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/07/3156780.htm

SETI Institute – Our missionhttp://www.seti.org/page.aspx?pid=234

Discovery News – Top 10 places to find alien lifehttp://news.discovery.com/space/top-10-places-to-find-alien-life.html

Thinkquest – Introduction to exobiologyhttp://library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php?page=exobio01

© ABC 2011

TV tricksFocus Questions

11. Before you watch the TV tricks story, record what you know about reality television shows.

12. In what ways are reality TV shows similar?13. Describe some of the elements of a reality TV show.14. What role does the editor play?15. What techniques do reality TV shows use to make them more interesting?16. Why do you think reality TV shows are so popular?17. Reality TV is sometimes criticised for its lack of reality. What aspects may be

artificial or made up?18. Do you watch reality TV shows? If so, which ones and why?19. What was surprising about this story? 20. Name three facts you learnt in the TV tricks story.

TV tricks

Students will investigate the elements of reality TV shows and develop an idea for their own program. Begin by showing some examples of reality TV shows so that students become familiar with the format and techniques used. For example, how are challenges included in the shows? Do they always lead to elimination? How are drama, emotion and conflict used to keep viewers interested? What works and what doesn’t work for each show?Working in small groups, students brainstorm some potential ideas for a reality TV show. The following structure may help them with their planning:

Hook (what will get the audience to watch/tune in?)

Who (contestants, judges)

What (challenges, eliminations)

Where (studio/locations)

Why (prize)

The students then turn their show idea into a pitch. A pitch is a writer’s description of a story/program idea to a producer/TV executive. They are trying to sell the idea to the person/people they are pitching to. A pitch is usually delivered verbally.

Each group of students can pitch their show to the class or another group. Encourage students to give constructive feedback after each pitch.

Students can then storyboard a short segment of their show with dialogue and action. The following website may help students with their storyboarding

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EPISODE 12

17TH MAY 2011

Learning Area

Arts

Key learning

Students will investigate the elements of reality TV shows and develop an idea for their own program.

http://kidsvid.4teachers.org/scripting.shtml Encourage students to share their work with the rest of the class.

Further investigation

Create a journal/diary entry of a participant in a reality TV show. Document how you feel about being on the show and how your perceptions about reality TV may have changed.

8 Related Research Links

ABC 3 – Escape from Scorpion Islandhttp://www.abc.net.au/abc3/scorpionisland/

Howstuffworks – How reality TV workshttp://electronics.howstuffworks.com/reality-tv.htm

EHow – Facts on reality TVhttp://www.ehow.com/facts_4568511_reality-tv.html

© ABC 2011

BtN: Episode 12 Transcript 16/5/11

On this week's Behind the News:

We find out what life's like for kids with serious food allergies.

We reveal some of the tricks that make reality TV seem exciting.

And we look at why millions of dollars are spent every year looking for aliens.

Hi I'm Natasha Thiele, welcome to Behind the News. Also on the show today we visit a school that says playing board games is an important part of learning but before all that the government has revealed how it plans to spend its money in this year's Federal Budget. Matt takes us through it in the wire.

The Wire

The government has said how it plans to manage the country's money in the Federal Budget. This year it's all about tightening our belts to try to get the country out of debt. They're also trying to get more people into the workforce by creating half a million new jobs but not everyone's happy a poll says that less than third of Australians think the budget will be good for the economy.

The United States army has been called in to help as devastating floods race through the US state of Louisiana.

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Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as the Mississippi River rages out of control. The army is now trying to send the flood water on a different path so it won't be able to reach major cities like New Orleans.

And finally Azerbaijan has taken out the annual Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. The event is watched by tens of millions of people around the world and features a wide range of performers from the serious to the slightly odd.

SuppressionReporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: If you're told a secret, you usually can't wait to tell someone, right? Well, in reality there are some secrets that need the law to get involved to make sure they don't get out. That's when things called 'suppression orders' come in. So what are 'suppression orders' and why do we have them? Well, I checked it out.

TEACHER: Well done to almost everyone. Now, to the person who cheated I know who you are and you've been marked as a fail.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Sometimes people get into trouble for doing naughty things. And often, the only thing worse than the punishment is the thought of your friends finding out what you've done but stopping people from finding out the truth isn't always easy.

In the real world, there are special ways to make sure secrets don't get out. Courts can use things called 'suppression orders'. A suppression order stops the media from revealing anything that might reveal who they are.

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REPORTER: So if the story is being told by reporters on the news, the first thing that might go is the name. Next, might be the face. That's when you sometimes see those strange looking blurs on the TV news.

There are a few reasons why courts may decide to keep someone's identity a secret. It can be to protect the person accused of the crime, who may turn out to be innocent. It could also be to protect that person’s family, particularly the children, from embarrassment or shame. Or, courts can make a suppression order if they think it may help with a police investigation.

In the UK at the moment, even celebrities have been using the courts. It's caused a lot of controversy because the media has been told it can't report some embarrassing stories about celebrities because it goes against laws of privacy. As you can imagine, it's caused a lot of speculation about which famous people have been caught behaving badly.

And that leads us onto some of the problems when it comes to keeping these names a secret. Sometimes the scandal is too juicy and people feel they just have to tell someone. The internet has meant that this kind of gossip can get around really quickly and it can spread a long way, even to other countries. A quick search in Google and we can see what anyone and everyone has been saying on the subject.

The internet also causes problems for courts when it comes to making sure people obey their rules. If news programs or newspapers go against a suppression order they can find themselves in hot water. Journalists and their bosses can even end up in jail if they go against an order laid down by the court. But it's nearly impossible to track down and punish all the people on the internet who decide to reveal secret information on websites like Twitter and Facebook.

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You could be talking about thousands of people and it just wouldn't be practical to try to punish them all.

So, as we now change the way we communicate with each other, there are big questions about whether suppression orders need to change too. Because as internet use grows, it's only going to get worse for people who want to keep secrets.

Food AllergiesReporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: Imagine not being able to eat your favourite food. It would be pretty annoying! Well for many Aussie kids avoiding some foods is a part of life. That's because they have a food allergy. A study has found Aussie kids have the highest rate of food allergies in the world. So what is a food allergy and what can it do to our bodies? Kirsty looked into it.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: When it comes to buying food most people make their choice based on whether it's cheap and if it tastes good. But for Kate, there's something else to think about. She's one of thousands of Australians who are allergic to peanuts. But it's not as simple as keeping these things out of the trolley.

KIRSTY: So Kate so how does a shopping trip work for you?

KATE: Some things I can pick up and some things I can't because some have been prepared with nuts on them or around them.

KIRSTY: Okay so what happens with biscuits then?

KATE: These are biscuits I can eat because they haven't been prepared at all with any nuts and I have to read

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ingredients to see what I can eat and can't. These biscuits are best for me to not eat because they contain traces of nuts.

KIRSTY: So body products like shampoo's OK?

KATE: This shampoo is safe for me to use but there is some shampoo that I don't use because they have peanut oil.

A peanut allergy is one of the really serious food allergies. There are other foods that can cause similar problems like fish and eggs. The reaction to these foods can be mild like a rash or even deadly, causing something called anaphylaxis. That's when the throat swells making it difficult to breathe.

KATE: Well my lips have swelled up before and my tongue and gets all itchy and so does my throat.

If a bad reaction comes on sufferers can turn to this - an Epi Pen. It contains a medicine which opens up the airways. You inject it in to the thigh muscle. So what's going on in the body to trigger an allergic reaction?

It all starts with the immune system, which is what protects your body from germs and diseases. With a food allergy, your immune system mistakenly thinks the food you're eating is harmful. So it tries to get rid of it. In the process, it releases chemicals to fight it. And it's those chemicals that can spark a serious reaction.

It's a bit different for people who have a food intolerance rather than an allergy. An intolerance doesn't usually affect the immune system. It's more to do with the digestive system. That means the bad reaction normally happens after the food has been eaten. The symptoms are usually things like stomach pain and bloating but it's not life threatening.

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Fortunately, there have been some changes to make it easier for people with allergies to pick safe food. In the supermarket, some products have new labelling so you know upfront if they have any ingredients that could be dangerous to some people. Some supermarkets have also set aside an area where people with a food allergy or intolerance can look for suitable products. Canteens have also started to offer alternatives for sufferers. Many schools have gone even further with a no nut policy - so that means no more peanut butter sandwiches!

To people without food allergies, it might all seem like a lot of fuss but as we've just seen, an allergic reaction can be really serious. So everybody making a few small changes could end up saving someone's life.

Presenter: Ok, we were talking about nut allergies there so let's have a quiz about nuts.

Quiz 1

Which of these is not a nut?

Pecan

Acorn

Peanut

Answer: peanut

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Surprising isn't it! A peanut is actually from the same family as peas and beans. In fact lots of the things we call nuts aren't technically from the nut family like cashew nuts, walnuts and brazil nuts just to name a few.

TV TricksReporter: James Bartold

INTRO: Now, let's talk about TV. Once again reality TV shows are dominating what we watch. Just as we say goodbye to The Biggest Loser, we say hello to Masterchef, Australia's Got Talent, The Amazing Race and others. James went to investigate how reality TV works and the tricks behind the scenes that make these shows so popular.

JAMES BARTOLD, REPORTER: These are some of the most popular TV shows in Australia. There's fast-paced cooking shows, life-changing exercise programs. And show after show on becoming the next big star. There seems to be such a variety of things to watch, but actually isn't it all the same? Just one idea repeated over and over?

Let's take a look at the reality TV recipe. First take one group of contestants competing for a big prize. Then put them through a series of weekly challenges for the cameras. Mix in the perfect blend of judges, making sure that the personalities are both sweet and bitter. Finally sprinkle with a bit of drama and emotion with a weekly elimination and your reality TV dinner is served. But so far we've given you only the basic ingredients of the reality TV recipe. Next it's down to the shows editor who, like a chef, has to blend it all together to make it just right.

Welcome to my boring show. It's about two kids Tom and Allison boiling an egg. Doesn't sound like the best show in

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the world does it? But we haven't added any TV tricks yet. You guys start boiling your eggs now.

OK, still a bit boring here. Let's add some tense music. Now add a false sense of urgency. Let's make it against the clock. What this needs now is a bit more drama and emotion. Let's try cutting to some interviews.

INTERVIEWEE 1: I'm really worried. When the egg hit the pan there was a noise that sounded a bit like a crack.

REPORTER: And if the interview adds some conflict, even better.

INTERVIEWEE 2: As soon as the box was opened he was, like, straight in there, grabbing , like, the best egg and everything.

REPORTER: Let's support this new story-line with some slowed down pictures of the egg grab and we'll add a close up of Tom's face taken way earlier in the day because we think he looked a bit shifty. Perfect. As the time ticks away we build up the music and cut the shots quicker to give a dramatic end. Then it's judgment time.

REPORTER: Here it's all about the suspense. Even after the judge has tasted the dish it's good to keep viewers and contestants guessing.

Janet, I have to be honest and say I don't like it. I LOVE IT. Allison, you've won the golden egg cup.

So we've let you in on some of the secrets behind reality TV, and we've shown you just how much you can change a scenario with some simple tricks of the trade. So now you

© ABC 2011

know, the truth behind reality TV is that it's actually not that real.

Quiz 2

We're going to have a story about the universe next so to get us in the mood let's have a quiz.

The question is: which planet is closest to the sun?

Venus

Earth

Mercury

Answer: Mercury

Mercury is the closest followed by Venus then Earth.

Alien SearchReporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: Do you ever look up at the stars and wonder are we alone in this universe? It's a question that scientists have been exploring for a long time. Millions of dollars are spent every year searching for signs of life on other planets but as I found out a cut to funding means that search could be under threat.

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NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: The fascination with aliens has been around for years. Back in the 1950s movies with flying saucers were all the go and today films like Men in Black with its high-end special effects continue to feed our imagination. The idea that there are aliens is a bit of joke to some people, but is it really far-fetched? Well, let's see if we can work it out. Let's give you an idea about how big our universe is.

REPORTER: Imagine these shells are planets orbiting around the sun, which is this big rock here which is actually a star. This is our solar system. But that's not where it ends. What about the rest of universe? There are actually more stars in the universe than there are individual grains of sand on all the beaches on planet earth. So to think all life is on just one of these grains and not on all of the others? It makes you think doesn't it?

There are scientists who dedicate their time to researching this sort of stuff. And an organisation in the US called SETI, search for extraterrestrial intelligence, has been doing just that for around 50 years. They search outer space using these massive things called radio telescopes.

They don't actually see things like a normal telescope, so you won't get any photos of aliens! Instead, with a huge dish-shaped antenna, it listens for radio waves. Because radio waves occur naturally in the universe, the information goes into a computer to work out if the radio waves are the natural ones or if they're in a special pattern which could be communication from intelligent life. And just like a normal radio, they can convert the waves into sounds that we can hear.

But this sort of equipment is very expensive to run and SETI relies on government funding and donations to keep its research going. And they've recently hit a black hole with

© ABC 2011

funding! They're not getting enough money, so the search for extraterrestrial life is under threat.

Some people think that's not such a bad thing. The world is still recovering from a financial downturn and there are many more important causes to spend money on.

But others think searching the Universe is just as important as olden day explorers, who set out on ships to discover new lands. If no-one ever spent money on exploring, we wouldn't have gone anywhere and we might still believe the world is flat!

We may never know for sure if there's other intelligent life out there. But one thing we do know is that scientists will keep asking big questions. In the meantime we're left wondering, what else is out there?

Presenter: OK, well that's a good issue for our poll this week.

Online Poll

The question is:

Should we spend money searching for intelligent life on other planets? To vote just head to our website.

While we’re talking about polls we can update you on the result of last week's. We asked you if you thought the Northern Territory intervention was a good idea. Well the results are in and 86 per cent said yes. And just 14 per cent of you said no, it wasn't a good idea. Time to catch up with some sports news now. Here's matt with the score.

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The Score

In the English Premier League Manchester United will be crowned English champions for the 19th time. The Red Devils only needed a point to take the title and that's exactly what they got thanks to a Wayne Rooney equaliser. United will officially get the trophy next weekend. And it was good news all round for Manchester clubs because on the same day, Manchester City won the FA Cup final thanks to this goal from Yaya Toure. They beat Stoke City one nil and went on to lift the cup.

In Tennis, Australia's Sam Stosur has been beaten in the final of the Italian Open. The Aussie was outclassed by former world number one Maria Sharapova who cruised to 6-2, 6-4 win.

And finally Aussie Casey Stoner has taken out the French Moto GP. The Australian had to avoid the race's many spills but was too good racing away to his second chequered flag of the season. He's now in second place in the championship behind leader Jorge Lorenzo.

Board GamesReporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: They're games that have been played for decades and now they've found some new fans. Board games have been struggling in the popularity stakes with video games becoming all the rage but one school is reversing this trend by bringing board games in as part of their curriculum. And as Kirsty found out they're not only fun but they can get your brain ticking too.

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KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: Video games can be played anywhere in arcades, on the home computer or even on our phones. But back in the day, this is how kids rolled. All you needed was a dice, a board and some friends.

BOY: I rule!

KIRSTY: But as time went on, board games seemed to be left on the shelf as kids turned to technology for their fun. Not so fast it could be time to dust off the dice once again. This school is breathing life back into the board game all in the name of education. Students here actually get to play board games as part of their lessons! There are a few games to pick from like Quoridor and Abalone. And this one, where the winner is the first person to get the astronaut to the oxygen supply.

GIRL 1: I used to play on the computer but I find this much more interesting

GIRL 2: I enjoy just how you play it like it’s a really fun thing to do.

KIRSTY: So if it's all fun for these girls then why is the school giving them time to do it? Well as I found out it actually takes a lot of brain power! This game is called Gobblet and is kind of like naughts and crosses except you can gobble up the opposition!

OLIVIA: I’m thinking to trick her sort of I was thinking maybe I could go in all different directions.

KIRSTY: Sounds simple but it was my move that cost us the game!

JANANI: You have to think the stop light method. Stop think about what your choices are then go.

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KIRSTY: OK I think I was a little bit I missed the thinking. And I just put them down! Thinking before you take action is one of many skills these students have learnt. There's also problem solving, developing strategy, using your memory and being a good sport. And it's a good way to improve your social skills.

GIRL 3: I think it’s more fun because when you play computer games you have to just stare at a screen and your eyes get tired for a while and with this you can talk to other people and socialise a bit more.

KIRSTY: And being good at board games can lead onto pretty big things! Nicola, Kelly, Reshma and Sarah recently won a big comp here so they're heading over to Portugal to compete against board gamers from schools around the world!

SARAH: I'm really excited because it’s a new different culture so you get to see how Europeans live.

KIRSTY: But what they hope for the most is that their next move will bring them home another one of these!

Closer

Don't forget to log onto our website and get more info about any of our stories. You can send us your comments and vote in our poll. We'll see you next time.

© ABC 2011