Questions for discussion
Hospital Check-up
1. Explain the BtN story to another student.
2. What is the difference between public and private hospitals?
3. What is Medicare?
4. Who is covered by it?
5. How is Medicare funded?
6. Why do some people have private health insurance?
7. What is the missing word? `Some people reckon there’s______in our public hospitals.’
8. What changes does Tony Abbott want to make to the hospital system?
9. How have some politicians responded to this?
10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?
Send a message or tell us what you think on the BtN Guestbook.
Food Bowl
1. Briefly summarise the key points from the BtN story.
2. Why is the Murray-Darling Basin called the `food bowl’?
3. What percentage of food production in Australia comes from the Murray-Darling Basin?
4. What is happening to the Basin and what effect is it having on food production?
5. Where in Australia did they think might be a future food bowl?
6. What is a key factor when considering places to grow food?
7. What did a panel of experts decide?
8. Why is Tasmania now being considered as Australia’s future food bowl?
9. On a scale of 1-10, how important do you think this issue is? Explain your answer.
10. What are some other solutions to the problem of growing food in Australia?
Research the major challenges facing the Murray-Darling Basin and what action is being taken to address the challenges.
Gold Rush
1. When was gold first found in Australia?
2. Describe what happened after the first discovery.
3. Why do gold mines close?
4. Describe the different ways gold was mined.
5. `If the costs outweighed the benefits the mine would close.’ What are the costs and benefits of mining gold?
6. Why are they now opening some gold mines again?
7. What has happened to the price of gold recently?
8. Why are some people against mines being re-opened?
9. Illustrate an aspect of the Gold rush story.
10. Name three facts you learnt in the Gold rush story.
`Do you think old mines should be re-opened or left as museums? Vote in the online poll.
Wild Dogs
1. Discuss the issues raised in the BtN story with another student.
2. In your own words, describe what a wild dog is.
3. What impact are they having on farming?
4. Why was the `dog fence’ originally built?
5. How long is the fence?
6. Describe the damage wild dogs can cause?
7. How are scientists trying to manage wild dog numbers?
8. What are they hoping the experiment will achieve?
9. What are farmers worried about?
10. What could be the long term effects on farming if wild dog numbers aren’t reduced?
Create a facts sheet about dingoes and publish it in an interesting way.
Unicycling
1. Retell the BtN story.
2. How was unicycling thought to have started?
3. What skills do you think are needed to ride a unicycle?
4. In your own words, explain extreme unicycling.
5. Describe Brandon’s successes in the extreme unicycling championships.
6. What character traits do you think an extreme unicyclist needs?
7. Describe the risks of extreme unicycling.
8. How has unicycling changed over the years?
9. What do you now know about unicycling that you didn’t know before watching the BtN story?
10. Unicycle team sports have become more popular recently. Research what the different sports are with a brief explanation of each.
Test your knowledge in the online quiz.
©ABC 2010
Activity
Food Bowl
Key Learning
Students will develop a deeper understanding of the `food bowl’ in the Murray-Darling Basin and the areas being considered as future food bowls.
The Australian Curriculum
Geography / Geographical Knowledge and UnderstandingThe influence of people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, on the environmental characteristics of Australian places(ACHGK027)
· investigating the influence of landforms, for example, river valleyssuch asthe Murray-Darling, Yellow (Huang He), Yangtze, Amazon, Mekong or Ganges, on thedevelopment of settlements that are involved in food and fibre production
/ Geography / Geographical Knowledge and Understanding
The natural resources provided by theenvironment, and different views on how they could be used sustainably(ACHGK024)
· identifying some of the resources produced by theenvironmentand where they come from, for example, water, food, and raw materials, fibres, timber and metals that make the things they use
Discussion Questions
1. Briefly summarise the key points from the BtN story.
2. Why is the Murray-Darling Basin called the `food bowl’?
3. What percentage of food production in Australia comes from the Murray-Darling Basin?
4. What is happening to the Basin and what effect is it having on food production?
5. Where in Australia did they think might be a future food bowl?
6. What is a key factor when considering places to grow food?
7. What did a panel of experts decide?
8. Why is Tasmania now being considered as Australia’s future food bowl?
9. On a scale of 1-10, how important do you think this issue is? Explain your answer.
10. What are some other solutions to the problem of growing food in Australia?
Activities
Food BowlAfter watching the BtN Food Bowl story, divide students into groups of 3-4. Provide each group with a printed transcript of the story. These are in the Teachers section on the BtN website http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
Each group member takes it in turns to read a sentence aloud while the others in that group listen. When the transcript has been read completely, ask the students to answer Who, What, Where and Why questions about that topic. Students record their responses on a large sheet of paper. Regroup as a class and discuss the answers given. Each group can present any points they would like clarified or that they would like to discuss or research further. They can also highlight any words or phrases they are unsure about and research the meaning.
Students then need to write a paragraph explaining what the food bowl is. Include the following:
· A brief description of the food bowl in the Murray-Darling Basin
· Why the search is on for another food bowl
· Places in Australia being considered as future food bowls and pros and cons of each
Students can use maps, illustrations or photographs to support their explanations.
Organise with another class to share students’ explanations. This can be done as an oral presentation, poster or a multimedia format.
Further Investigation
Research the major challenges facing the Murray-Darling Basin and what action is being taken to address the challenges.
8 Related Research Links
ABC News – Report kills northern food bowl dream
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/08/2812753.htm
ABC News – Indigenous `fear’ northern food bowl
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/08/2813594.htm
ABC 730 Report – Northern Food Bowl dream crushed
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2822834.htm
ABC Science – Food bowl to dustbowl?
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/08/14/2335296.htm
ABC Science – Food crisis looms warn scientists
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/02/12/2816954.htm?topic=enviro&WT.mc_id=news_climatechange
Murray-Darling Basin Authority – Official website
http://www.mdba.gov.au/
Murray-Darling Basin Authority – Basin Kids
http://kids.mdbc.gov.au/
©ABC 2010
Activity
Gold Rush
Key Learning
Students will develop a deeper understanding of gold as a resource and the history of gold mining in Australia.
The Australian Curriculum
History / Historical Knowledge and Understanding / The Australian ColoniesThe impact of a significant development or event on a colony; for example, frontier conflict, the gold rushes, the Eureka Stockade, internal exploration, the advent of rail, the expansion of farming, drought.(ACHHK095)
The reasons people migrated to Australia from Europe andAsia, and the experiences and contributions of a particular migrant group within a colony.(ACHHK096)
The nature of convict or colonial presence, including the factors that influenced patterns of development, aspects of the daily life of the inhabitants (including Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples) and how the environment changed.(ACHHK094)
/ History / Historical Skills / Chronology, terms and concepts
Sequence historical people and events(ACHHS098)
Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
· Achievements and contributions of the peoples of Asia
· Asia-Australia engagement
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities/Asia-and-Australias-engagement-with-Asia
Discussion Questions
1. When was gold first found in Australia?
2. Describe what happened after the first discovery.
3. Why do gold mines close?
4. Describe the different ways gold was mined.
5. `If the costs outweighed the benefits the mine would close’. What are the costs and benefits of mining gold?
6. Why are they now opening some gold mines again?
7. What has happened to the price of gold recently?
8. Why are some people against mines being re-opened?
9. Illustrate an aspect of the Gold rush story.
10. Name three facts you learnt in the Gold rush story.
Activities
Students will learn more about gold and the history of gold mining in Australia through the following activities. Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete.
· List and illustrate some uses for gold.
· Research and create a map of gold fields and mines (both past and present) in Australia.
· Create a glossary of key gold fossicking and mining words.
· Which of the bushrangers operated on the gold fields? Make a list, and select one to research in depth.
· Find out what the value of gold is at the moment. Calculate the value of an ounce of gold in Australian dollars.
· Research what the role and responsibilities of women were during the gold rush. Using a Venn diagram (two overlapping circles) compare the life of women during the gold rush to that of women today.
· The gold fields were Australia’s first experience of a truly multicultural population. Investigate the cultural differences and racism in the gold fields. Present your findings in a 1-2 minute talk to the class.
· What was the Eureka Stockade? Create a brochure, booklet or poster that addresses: Who, what when, where and why. To extend the activity, investigate why it was a key event in the development of democracy in Australia.
· Investigate the effect that the gold rush had on the Aboriginal population. Create a list of advantages and disadvantages for Indigenous people.
· Working with 2-3 other students, invent a new use for gold. Create an advertisement that persuades people to buy it.
· Imagine you a person living and working in the gold fields. Either write a journal entry describing a day in the gold fields or write a simple song about your experiences on the gold fields, using a tune you already know.
· Create an artwork that represents an aspect of life in the gold fields.
· Research and create a `how to’ book on the methods used to find gold. Each method will need to be written as a procedure. The following website has information about how to write a procedure. http://www.writingfun.com/
8 Related Research Links
ABC Stateline – Gold rush
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/02/12/2818529.htm
Australian Government – The Australian gold rush
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-gold-rush
Kidcyber – Gold
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/gold.htm
SBS – Gold
http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/
National Museum of Australia – Gold and Civilisation: Student Activities
http://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/18966/gold_civilisation_student_colour.pdf
National Museum of Australia – Gold rush interactive for kids
http://www.nma.gov.au/kidz/learn_and_play/gold_rush/
BtN: Episode 2 Transcript 23/02/10
On this week's Behind the News:
· Gold fever breathing life back into ghost towns.
· Fresh ideas to keep the Aussie food bowl full.
· And some extreme one-wheel action!
Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to Behind the News.
Also on the show today, we’ll have a look at why dogs go wild and cause all sorts of problems for farmers.
Hospital Check-up
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: But first up, if you get sick and end up in hospital, the last thing you're thinking about is how much you'll have to pay for treatment.
But depending on which hospital you go to you could either pay nothing, or heaps!
So what's the difference?
Tash went out to compare public and private hospitals, and found out why some pollies are thinking about changing how they're set up.
TASH THIELE, REPORTER: We hear about pollies talking about health all the time. It can be a way of winning votes with the Aussie public. But do you know the difference between public and private hospitals?
KID: Public you've got like twice as many people in there and private's for all the rich people
KID: Private is like you can get people in without others knowing and you can get more treatment there and public it's like out in the open.
KID: Public hospitals are where there's more than one people in a room and visitors are allowed and private hospitals are where there's like one person in a room and visitors are still allowed to visit them.
Let me explain. There's something called Medicare, a system that's run by the Federal Government. It helps pay for medical treatment and all people living permanently in Australia are covered by it.
Medicare is funded by taxpayers and the big guns in Canberra spend billions of dollars each year on what's called the 'public health system' and 'public hospitals'. So if you get sick and need to go to hospital for treatment, Medicare will pay the costs!
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Hospitals like this aren't cheap to run. It's a huge operation! Medical specialists, equipment, feeding patients, even the gardens all cost money!
Okay, so we've got public hospitals but what about private? Private hospitals are private businesses, so they're not actually run by the government.
To go to one you need to pay for it yourself. But it's not cheap! To have a baby at a private hospital and stay a few nights, it'll cost around 5-thousand dollars.
So some people choose to have 'private health insurance', where they pay a certain amount each year to help cover the costs of private health care. They prefer it because they think it gives them more choices of hospitals, doctors and faster service for some types of operations.