Questions for discussion

China connection1. Discuss the China connection story with another student.2. What did China build many years ago to protect its borders?3. Which country has the fastest growing economy in the world?4. What sorts of products are made in China?5. What raw materials does China buy from Australia?6. Is it important for Australia to have a good trading relationship

with China? Why?7. Why are products made in China cheap?8. If the amount Chinese workers are paid increases, so

will____________. 9. Why are some people concerned about the `health’ of China’s

economy?10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN

story?

On a world map, locate and highlight the top five countries that Australia exports goods to. Support students to access the internet to help with their research.

Maralinga victims1. What does the BtN story mainly explain?2. Describe what happened at Maralinga in the early 1950s.3. Which country was involved in the tests?4. Why is radioactive fallout dangerous?5. Give some examples of objects that emit small amounts of

radiation.6. How were some people affected by radiation after working at

Maralinga?7. What did an investigation in the 1980s find?8. What was in the recent Federal Budget for Maralinga

survivors?9. Why are many people still not happy with the compensation?10. What do you think should happen next?

Send us a message on the BtN guestbook http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html

Food labelling 1. What does the BtN story mainly explain?

a) What a food label isb) The government review of food labellingc) How to read a food label

© ABC 2010

EPISODE 13

25TH MAY 2010

2. Brainstorm the sort of information found on food packaging and labels.

3. Why are some people not happy with the current food labelling laws?

4. Explain the idea that aims to make is clear whether food is healthy or not.

5. What words or phrases are used on food packaging to suggest that the food is healthy?

6. What does it mean when products are labelled `made in Australia’?

7. Some people think labelling laws should cover environmental and ethical information. What does that mean?

8. Why do labelling laws also affect trade? 9. Conduct a `What do you reckon?’ with students in your class

about whether food labelling laws should be stricter. 10. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story?

`Do you think food labelling laws should be stricter?’ Vote in the BtN online poll.

Yo-yo champ1. Briefly summarise the BtN story.2. When did yo-yos first become popular?3. How did Vu become interested in yo-yos?4. Name the three yo-yo styles Vu specialises in.5. What materials can yo-yos be made from?6. What sort of yo-yos does Vu prefer to use?7. Why is the colour of the yo-yo string important in the

competition?8. What skills does Vu believe are important to playing the yo-

yo?9. What was surprising about this story?10. The BtN Yo-yo champ story is an example of a

a) Narrativeb) Procedurec) Argumentd) Report

Learn more about the history of yo-yo’s at the following website http://www.yoyomuseum.com/index.php

Pet Tiger1. Name three facts about the Bengal Tiger.2. Describe Kinwah’s life with Sally and Clive.3. What is a chuffle?4. Describe Clive and Kinwah’s routine every morning.5. What is Kinwah’s favourite food?6. Do you think it’s safe to raise a tiger as a pet? Explain your

answer.7. What is happening to Kinwah at the end of the year?8. Create a plus, minus and interesting chart about keeping a

tiger as a pet.9. How did this story make you feel?10. What is the main purpose of the BtN story?

© ABC 2010

a) To argueb) To criticisec) To inform

Test your knowledge in the online quiz.

China connectionFocus Questions

1. Discuss the China connection story with another student.2. What did China build many years ago to protect its boarders?3. Which country has the fastest growing economy in the world?4. What sorts of products are made in China?5. What raw materials does China buy from Australia?6. Is it important for Australia to have a good trading relationship

with China? Why?7. Why are products made in China cheap?8. If the amount Chinese workers are paid increases, so

will____________. 9. Why are some people concerned about the `health’ of China’s

economy?10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN

story?

China connection

Watch the China connection story again and discuss the key points with students. Clarify their understanding of the importance of Australia’s trading relationship with China.

Complete the following close exercise

China has become the _______ biggest __________ in the world. The

more products China produces the more raw _________ they need to

Make them. A huge amount of those raw materials comes straight from

__________. China buys more of our __________than any other country.

Last year they bought more than ___________ dollars worth of materials,

© ABC 2010

EPISODE 13

25TH MAY 2010

Learning AreaSociety and Environment

Key learningStudents will develop a deeper understanding of Australia’s trading relationship with China and other countries.

including ________, coal and gas. That’s ________ of all the money

Australia earns, so they’re incredibly __________ to us.

iron ore third economy 20 percent materials Australia important products 42 billion

Students can choose one or more of the following activities:

Students define the terms; trade, imports, exports, economy.

Explore the home and school environment to find products made overseas. Sort the products into categories – electrical, sporting, clothing, footwear and record their country of origin. Where were most goods manufactured?

On a world map, locate and highlight the top five countries that Australia exports goods to. There are some web links at the end of this activity to support students.

What is the `Free Trade Agreement’ between Australia and China? Create a poster that explains to other students the agreement.

Research Australia’s import and export relationship with other countries since the 1950’s. What have been the trading patterns or trends over time? Make some predictions about future trading patterns.

8 Related Research Links

ABC Foreign Correspondent – The biggest dominohttp://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2010/s2903061.htm

ABC News - Miners warned Chinese growth can’t last foreverhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/18/2902297.htm

© ABC 2010

BBC Country Profile – Chinahttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1287798.stm

National Geographic Kids – Chinahttp://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/china/

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – China trading fact sheethttp://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/chin.pdf

Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research - Australia’s exports fact sheethttp://www.innovation.gov.au/section/aboutdiisr/factsheets/pages/australia'sexportsfactsheet.aspx

Food labellingFocus Questions

1. What does the BtN story mainly explain?a) What a food label isb) The government review of food labellingc) How to read a food label

2. Brainstorm the sort of information found on food packaging and labels.

3. Why are some people not happy with the current food labelling laws?

4. Explain the idea that aims to make it clear whether food is healthy or not.

5. What words or phrases are used on food packaging to suggest that the food is healthy?

6. What does it mean when products are labelled `made in Australia’?

7. Some people think labelling laws should cover environmental and ethical information. What does that mean?

8. Why do labelling laws also affect trade? 9. Conduct a `What do you reckon?’ with students in your class

about whether food labelling laws should be stricter. 10. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story?

Food labellingStudents will be analysing food packaging/labels and will need access to a range of food packaging for the following activity.Ask students to record what they think the following words mean then research the definitions. Students then compare their definitions with the researched one. Discuss the differences.

Fat free

© ABC 2010

EPISODE 13

25TH MAY 2010

Learning AreaSociety and Environment, Health and Physical Education

Key learningStudents will critically analyse food labels to determine whether the labelling is clear for consumers.

Low fat Reduced fat Light Low sodium Sugar free Baked not fried

Working in pairs, students will analyse a range of food packaging to find out what words/phrases or pictures are used that suggest a product is healthy or other strategies food companies use to promote/sell their products. Students record the information on the following chart.

ProductWords/phrases on

packaging used to sell the product (fat free,

light)

What is missing? (Information you think

should be included)

Discuss what each group discovered about the labels on the products they analysed. Focus the discussion on:

What words/phrases were commonly used to promote food as healthy?

Were there any additional words or graphics used to promote the product?

© ABC 2010

Is the labelling clear for consumers? Could it be improved? How? Make a list of recommendations.

8 Related Research Links

ABC Behind the News – Australian made?http://abc.net.au/btn/story/s2667464.htm

ABC News – Opposition wants GM food labelledhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/15/2846506.htm

Better Health Channel – Food labels explainedhttp://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/food_labels_explained?open

Child and Youth Health – Food labels – what do they mean?http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=284&id=2494

BtN: Episode 13 Transcripts 25/05/10

On this week's Behind the News

Why Australia wants China to stay busy.

The ongoing fallout from nuclear testing.

And the Aussie champ who's got the world on a string.

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

Also on the show today we meet a family with a rather unusual pet cat.

Those stories later but first let's catch up with the latest news on the wire.

© ABC 2010

The Wire

A few weeks ago we reported on Thailand and the conflict there between the red shirt protestors and the Thai Government.

Well last week everything came to a head. The protestors were given a deadline to end their blockade in the capital Bangkok and then the army moved in.

More than 30 people were killed in the fighting and the protest leaders were arrested.

Now there's a big cleanup underway as life slowly gets back to normal.

A 13-year old American boy has become the youngest person to climb Mount Everest.

Jordan Romero from California scaled the world's highest mountain with some help from his Dad.

And when the teenager reached the summit naturally he rang his mum.

"HE CALLED AND SAID MOM, I'M CALLING YOU FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLD. IT WAS AMAZING. WORDS AREN'T EVEN ENOUGH."

Critics reckon 13-year-old Jordan is too young to make such a dangerous climb.

© ABC 2010

China ConnectionReporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: It used to be said that if America sneezed, Australia would catch a cold.

That might sound weird but it’s actually referring to finance, not germs.

What it means is Australia's economy relies on America so if they have problems we can expect to have worse ones.

But these days it isn't America that's our main worry, it's China.

Let's find out how things have changed.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: This is the Great Wall of China, a 6000km barrier built thousands of years ago to protect China's northern borders.

It's an example of the lengths the Chinese would go to keep the outside world out, and they still thought that way up until about 40 years ago.

But then a change in China's leadership brought about a change in thinking.

The western world and its economy were welcomed in China for the first time.

© ABC 2010

And the money started rolling in.

Fast forward to today and China's economy is growing faster than any other country in the world.

Things are booming, mainly on the back of a huge industry in making cheap clothes and electronic goods, which the rest of the world wants.

This demand has seen them become the third biggest economy in the world.

This is where Australia comes into the picture.

The more products China produces, the more raw materials they need to make them.

And a huge amount of those raw materials comes straight from Australia.

In fact, China buys more of our products than any other country.

Last year they bought more than 42 billion dollars worth of our stuff, including iron ore, coal, gas and more.

So they're incredibly important to us.

If China does well, Australia will continue to do well.

But if something goes wrong, we might start to feel a dirty, great, big cold coming on.

Back in China, things are still moving at an insane pace.

© ABC 2010

But while the economy keeps growing, many of the workers at the bottom don't get to see much benefit.

Things made in China are cheap because the workers who make them don't get paid much money.

The average farmer here earns around $600 a year and the average steel worker earns about $800 a year.

The average Australian worker earns more than that in just one week!

That's led some to say workers in China get a rough deal, all to help Chinese industries make more money.

Here's an example.

This huge new Chinese city is missing one thing.

It's people.

The whole place is nearly empty, despite row after row of apartment blocks being built.

The Chinese government encourages this kind of development, but very few people, except for company bosses and others at the top of the food chain, can afford to buy.

It's a tricky problem for the mammoth country. China now relies heavily on the outside world buying its products, which works fine when everyone is buying up big.

But what happens if the world stops demanding China's stuff?

© ABC 2010

The Chinese might feel like an economic flu is settling in.

Presenter: Let's stay in the world of international trade for a quiz.

Quiz 1

What is Australia's main export to the rest of the world?

1. Wheat

2. Metals

3. Vegemite

Answer: Metals

And the metals we dig up account for nearly 40 percent of Australia's total exports.

Maralinga VictimsReporter: Sarah Larsen

Intro: Now to a story that's been in the news on and off for years and it's to do with nuclear weapons.

And when you think of them you probably connect them with wars in far-away places.

© ABC 2010

But nuclear weapons have been used here on Australian soil not by enemies but by our friends.

Back in the 1950's atomic bombs were tested in South Australia and the people involved say their lives are still being affected.

Here's Sarah.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: It might look like a scene from a movie but this is real and it’s part of Australia's history. This is Maralinga; a remote area in South Australia. Its name means ‘field of thunder’ in the language of the Maralinga Tjarutja people who have lived here for thousands of years.

OLD NEWSREEL: Just recently the eyes of the world were on this tiny settlement for here was the site of an experiment with man's most revolutionary discovery, the atom bomb.

Britain had already tested a bomb off the coast of Western Australia when it asked for a more permanent site in the South Australian desert. The Australian government agreed and hundreds of scientists, technicians, builders, plumbers and soldiers moved in.

OLD NEWSREEL: From these tanks and 25 pounder guns an assessment of damage will be made following exposition.

They worked on the bomb sites with very little protective gear. Pilots flew into atomic clouds to collect dust. Back in the 50s many people didn't realise that the explosion wasn't the only dangerous part. There's also fallout, made of tiny radioactive particles that can spread for kilometres. It can get into soil and water where it stays radioactive for years.

REPORTER: Radiation in small doses is safe. We're exposed to it every-day from TV and computer screens and even

© ABC 2010

natural minerals from the earth. It can even help people if it’s used in the right way; in X-Rays or to treat people with cancer.

But the sort of radiation that comes from nuclear fall-out can be really dangerous if someone's exposed to too much.

MARALINGA VETERAN: I'd only been back a few weeks when I had a severe attack of vomiting and diarrhoea.

After the tests some Maralinga workers got cancer. There were also reports of blood diseases, eye problems and skin conditions, all symptoms of radiation poisoning. Indigenous people were getting sick too.

In the 80s there was a big investigation with some pretty nasty findings. It turned out soldiers had been deliberately exposed to fall-out just to see what would happen. A bomb had been let off in the wrong weather and a cloud of black radioactive mist had reached stations and Aboriginal settlements.

YAMI LESTER, INSTITUTE OF ABORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT: We all got sick. Diarrhoea, vomiting, skin rash and sore eyes, I couldn't open my eyes it was that sore.

In 1994 the Maralinga Tjarutja people were given compensation. And the British and Australian governments have paid millions of dollars to clean up Maralinga.

But what about the soldiers?

At first they were only given money if they could prove the bombs made them sick. Plenty of others had illnesses but there was no way of knowing if it came from the radiation. Most have died but the Maralinga survivors have been fighting for compensation. This month, after more than 50 years, there was some good news. In this federal budget the government has put 24 million dollars towards paying for

© ABC 2010

pensions and medical expenses. For many it’s not enough. They worry health problems caused by the bombs could be passed to their kids and their grand-kids and even their great grand-kids. And they say it's too high a price for serving their country.

Yo-Yo ChampReporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: There probably aren't many kids who haven't played with a yo-yo before or at least tried to.

Well one Aussie student has become pretty good at it.

In fact, he's been judged our Yo-Yo Champion.

Tash went to meet him to find out his secret.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: The ups and downs of yo-yos have been fascinating Aussie kids for generations.

Our first yo-yo craze was in the 1950s and they keep going in and out of fashion.

But we can only dream about reaching the heights of 15-year old Adelaide student Vu Ho.

Vu only took up the yo-yo less than two years ago and now he's got a huge collection.

VU HO: I was on the Internet, then I just saw a few people with yo-yos and it looked cool, so I went to buy one and I started from there. At first when I started it was walk the

© ABC 2010

dog and around the world and the simple cradle stuff, but then now it's a bit harder, you make up your own tricks.

Last month, he took on some stiff competition in the National Championships.

And he was pretty nervous.

VU HO: It was the first time I've been on stage, so I was really terrified.

He was the last to perform and the judges decided he was the best.

Vu scored one and a half thousand dollars worth of prizes.

VU HO: Some of my friends thought I was kinda like a loser, they didn't really care about my yo-yo, my friends cut my strings when I was playing at school but now some of them are pretty proud!

And now he's getting ready for the World Championships in August.

And as well as all his homework he finds about an hour each day to practice.

He specialises in three types of yo-yo styles.

There's the normal style, freehand, where there's a counterweight on one end.

And off string, so the yo-yo isn't attached to the actual string!

But things don't always run smoothly.

© ABC 2010

VU HO: A few months ago I was yo-yoing, the yo-yo flew back and hit my lip and I split the inside of it.

And the yo-yos of today can really hurt.

VU HO: Generally, the ones we use now they're mostly metal and they come in all different shapes and sizes, like this one is just all round. Some have flats and stainless steel rims, some people still use plastic. I prefer metal because I just like the feeling better.

And they're not cheap! VU HO: They can range from ten dollars to a hundred or two hundred dollars easily.

And who would've thought the colour of the string used, would be so important in a yo-yo competition!

VU HO: The brighter it is, the more visible it is. So, I'm wearing black shirt so the brighter it is, you can see it.

And if judges can't see your string, they'll tell you to change it!

But it's not yo-yoing that Vu wants to do after school.

VU HO: I wanna be a chef. Right now I'm doing a V.E.T course on Kitchen Operations Associate Certificate One, so that's pretty fun!

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: So does that mean you'll be throwing utensils around like a yo-yo?

VU HO: Probably not, probably get kicked out!

© ABC 2010

He reckons the secret to playing the yoyo is good hand and eye co-ordination and everyone should give it a go!

VU HO: Anyone can yo-yo, just get a cheap yo-yo and just start from there. Go on YouTube and the Internet and search up yo-yos.

I couldn't wait to give it a go, but I've got a feeling Vu didn't give me the yo-yo that brings the best luck!

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: I give up!

Presenter: Amazing stuff, we'll keep you up to date on Vu's progress.

Food LabellingReporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: Now to something that's always in the news: food!

They say you are what you eat so it’s no wonder that people want to know exactly what's in their food.

Right now a big review's going on into Australia's food labelling laws

It’s got a lot of people talking about exactly what information should be on packages at the supermarket.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: So you're planning a party hey? Cool. Let’s go shopping. Now you've just got to find food that everyone will like. Who's coming?

© ABC 2010

Shelly, great! Except, she's a vegan isn't she? So no animal products. Tony, nice, except he's really into fitness. He won't want anything with too much fat. Marie, cool but isn't she allergic to nuts? And Brian. His parents are farmers so he'd probably like you to buy Australian.

REPORTER: Thank goodness for labels. In Australia most packaged food has to have a label showing the ingredients; including anything people might be allergic to, the nutrition information,; like how much sugar and fat and salt is in something, and the manufacturer details; so you can tell if it’s Australian made.

But not everyone is happy with Australia's food labelling laws and right now the federal government’s looking into whether or not they should be changed.

KID: What's wrong with them?

That depends who you ask. Let’s take Tony for example.

AD: Try our new power lite healthy vegie chips. They're baked, not fried so they're 80 percent fat free!

REPORTER: The way these chips are labelled suggest they're not bad for you. We know vegies are good for you, right? There's the word "lite", they're not fried and 80 percent fat free sounds pretty good.

Except that 80 percent fat free means 20 percent fat. That's heaps! And just because something's baked, doesn't mean it’s good for you. And lite might just refer to the texture or the taste.

Of course, the fat, salt and sugar content is here on the side of the packet but some people reckon it should be easier to see if the food's healthy. One idea is to label food with a

© ABC 2010

traffic light; green for healthy stuff you can eat all the time, yellow for stuff that's OK, but you shouldn't eat too much and red for stuff that should only be for an occasional treat. That's what they do in the UK and some Aussie schools are trying it out. But others say that's going too far.

Another big issue is where the foods made. Brian wants to buy wheat from Aussie farmers; like his parents so he'll go for something with "Australian made" on the label. But all that means is half the cost of making this cereal was spent here. The wheat could have come from overseas and been made into cereal here.

Some people would like to see a new label reserved for things made in Australia from Australian ingredients. But food manufacturers say that'd be too hard and expensive for most companies and almost nothing would get the tick.

There are also arguments about whether labelling laws should cover environmental and ethical information, like how the animals that created products were treated, or whether the ingredients were genetically modified - that is, bred by scientists to be bigger, fast growing or longer lasting.

There's a lot to consider. And labelling laws don't just affect customers, they affect trade.

Australia wants to buy and sell all over the world and if we make labelling laws too strict we might not be able to buy products from overseas unless they label to our standards. So get ready for a lot of debate about what we're told when choosing what we eat! As if planning dinner wasn't complicated enough!

Presenter: Let's make that our poll question for this week.

© ABC 2010

Online Poll

Do you think food labelling laws should be stricter?

To vote, just head to our website.

The Score

Formula One champ Lewis Hamilton is still in trouble with the law.

Last March when he was in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix he was nabbed by police who accused him of doing burn-outs on a street in St Kilda.

His car was impounded for 48 hours and now months later police have charged him with intentionally losing control of a motor vehicle.

If he pleads guilty then he won't have to appear in a Victorian court in August and that's when he's supposed to be competing in the Belgian Grand Prix.

Moving to the Moto Grand Prix series and Australia's Casey Stoner is still having a miserable start to the season.

He crashed his Ducati early in the French Grand Prix, won by Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo and sits 59 points behind the Spaniard in the standings.

And Mt Everest's also in the sporting news.

© ABC 2010

A British environmental campaigner called LEWIS GORDON PUGH has become the first person to swim the mountain's frozen glacial lake.

Wearing just bathers, goggles and a cap he swam one kilometre across the lake in 22 minutes.

He had to put up with altitude sickness as well as water temperatures of just two degrees Celsius!

Pet TigerReporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: Today you're going to meet a family with a pet cat.

That might not sound too exciting but wait until you see the cat.

It’s not your usual moggie. In fact it's a Bengal tiger and it belongs to the owners of a private zoo in NSW.

Tash reports on their unusual home-life.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: The Bengal Tiger is a sub-species of tiger usually found in India, but also Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. They're the world's most common tiger, but they're also endangered. There are less than two and a half thousand of them in the wild.

This is Kinwah's home at Mogo Zoo on the south coast of New South Wales.

© ABC 2010

He was born here and for the time being he's part of the family.

He's greeted every morning like this.

CLIVE BROOKBANKS: How's my boy? Hey?

Clive looks after Kinwah twenty four seven.

And you're not seeing things. Kinwah's friend is actually a dog!

They love playing with each other and Kinwah never seems to hurt him.

SALLY PADEY: It sort of melts your heart a bit, especially in the morning when he first comes out and we do the big head rub and we chuffle to one another. Chuffling. I'm not real good at it but it's a (sound effect) they go.

A chuffle is like a low purring sound, often used when greeting another cat.

Every morning Clive puts a leash on Kinwah and walks him to an enclosure, where he gets to run around for a couple of hours.

But what if he wants to stop for a bit?

CLIVE BROOKBANKS: Just stop with him. Just encourage him to move on a little bit. But no, he's too big to push around.

Kinwah is spoilt when it comes to his favourite food.

© ABC 2010

CLIVE BROOKBANKS: This is cow. His favourite though is rabbit. And I'm fortunate enough to be able to go and get some rabbit from local farms so he gets fresh rabbit and he absolutely loves it.

SALLY PEDEY: Want your brekkie? Good boy.

SALLY PADEY: Well, he had tuna the other night, fresh-caught tuna. And he loves smoked salmon. We don't give him huge amounts, but if we're having something he likes to try it. He loves to have a lick of the cream spoon. He definitely knows he's a tiger. He's a very different character to lions. A tiger is very different. But he's got a wonderful nature, but then again you can never ever underestimate them.

A year ago, a lion which Sally raised escaped from its enclosure.

There were fears the lion might attack a group of visitors, so a decision was made to shoot it.

So how safe is it to raise a tiger as a pet?

SALLY PADEY: It's very safe, you know. But like I said, you are working with a tiger and anything can happen.

This year will be a big one for Kinwah, like all kids when they grow up, he'll be leaving home.

His permanent enclosure will be in another area of the zoo.

Sally says Kinwah will need a lot more space to run around, but that doesn't mean she won't really miss him!

Presenter: And staying in tiger territory, let's have a quiz.

© ABC 2010

Quiz 2

Which is the fastest of the big cats?

1. Tiger

2. Cheetah

3. Puma

Answer: Cheetah

The cheetah can hit a top speed of more than 100 kilometres an hour.

Closer

That's it for today's show!

We'll see you next time.

© ABC 2010