Questions for discussion
Passing a bill
1. Discuss the Passing a bill story with another student.
2. Complete the following sentence: `If a bill is passed in parliament, it becomes…’
3. Describe what happens when a bill is introduced in the House of Representatives.
4. If the bill is passed in the House of Reps, where does it go next?
5. Which political party has greater representation in the Senate than the House of Representatives?
6. What part does the Governor-General play?
7. Draw a diagram that shows the journey of a bill through parliament.
8. Name three facts learnt in the BtN story.
9. The government is trying to push a huge number of bills through parliament right now. Name two bills.
10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the story?
Post a message about this story on the BtN guestbook http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html
Vampire power
1. Before you watch the BtN story, make some predictions about what you think the story is about.
2. What is `vampire power’?
3. Experts say that the average home has around _____appliances plugged in using electricity all day every day.
4. What is meant by the term `standby’?
5. Give examples of appliances in the home that use power all the time.
6. About how much a year does it cost to run entertainment equipment on standby?
7. Why is it a concern for the average household?
8. Apart from saving money, what might be some other reasons to turn appliances off?
9. What changes could you make in your home to reduce energy consumption?
10. What was surprising about this story?
`Should kids have TV’s in the bedroom?’ Vote in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/.
Radiation fears
1. Retell the Radiation fears story.
2. What caused the radiation leak at a nuclear power plant in Japan?
3. How has the radiation leak affected playtime at a school near the power plant?
4. How have the teachers tried to make it safer for children?
5. What percentage of children tested have been exposed to radiation?
6. All radiation is deadly. True or false?
7. Give examples of things that contain radiation?
8. What affect can radiation in large doses have on the human body?
9. What impact has the radiation leaks had on food in Japan?
10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?
Which forms of radiation are not harmful to life? Which are?
Taxidermy
1. Who was well known for preserving bodies believing it would lead to eternal life?
2. In your own words, describe what taxidermy is.
3. Describe the steps involved in the taxidermy process.
4. Why is it important to choose the eyes for the animals carefully?
5. From start to finish, it can take more than a __________to make a lion.
6. Where are the dead animals kept before the taxidermy process?
7. In the past, the museum used a drawer full of bugs to eat away animal flesh to clean the bones. True or false?
8. How are the bones cleaned of flesh now?
9. What skills are needed to be a taxidermist?
10. Do you think it’s important to preserve animals? Why or why not?
Interview a taxidermist. Write four or five interesting questions to ask a taxidermist working in a museum.
X Games
1. Briefly summarise the X Games story.
2. Where are the X Games held?
3. In your own words, describe what extreme sports are.
4. Which sports are included in the Winter X Games?
5. Choose an extreme sport from the Summer X Games and describe it.
6. What are the risks involved in extreme sports?
7. Retell Cam Sinclair’s story.
8. How successful have the Aussie competitors been in the X Games?
9. In which country might the X Games be held one day?
10. Send a message of support on the BtN Guestbook http://www.abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html
Test your knowledge in the online X Games quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the links.
Vampire power
Focus Questions
1. Before you watch the BtN story, make some predictions about what you think the story is about.
2. What is `vampire power’?
3. Experts say that the average home has around _____appliances plugged in using electricity all day every day.
4. What is meant by the term `standby’?
5. Give examples of appliances in the home that use power all the time.
6. About how much a year does it cost to run entertainment equipment on standby?
7. Why is it a concern for the average household?
8. Apart from saving money, what might be some other reasons to turn appliances off?
9. What changes could you make in your home to reduce energy consumption?
10. What was surprising about this story?
Energy saving
Negotiate with student s how many activities they will need to complete.
Remember and understand
· Write a statement about why you believe it is important to reduce household energy consumption.
· Name 10 appliances in the home that use energy.
· Illustrate what you think was the main idea of the BtN story.
Apply and Analyse
· Conduct a household appliance survey. List the appliances in the bedrooms, kitchen, laundry, lounge/family room, study and outside the home (carport/shed). Which appliances operate on `standby mode’?
· What does your school do to conserve energy? Use a mindmap to record energy saving devices, appliances or practices in your school. Suggest some ways your school could further reduce energy consumption.
· What are the energy/water ratings on appliances? Do you have appliances at home that show the ratings? Do you have any energy/water saving devices installed in your home? These could include energy saving lights, timers, water saving shower heads. What additional energy saving appliances or devices could be installed?
Evaluate and create
· How can buildings be designed to minimise energy consumption? Take on the role of architect and design an energy efficient house. List the main energy efficiencies and sustainable features you would like to include in your design. Students can create a hand-drawn or digital model (using Google Sketchup) of their house.
· How can I make a difference? Create an artwork that illustrates how people can make a difference to the environment right now and in the future. Consider factors such as making their home more energy efficient, using alternative forms of transport (consider cycling or walking whenever possible) and reducing waste.
· Whose responsibility is it to protect and conserve the energy resources? Present your thoughts and opinions to the class or small group of students.
8 Related Research Links
NSW Department of Education and Training – Amy’s Energy Saving Website
http://www.amysenergysave.com.au/index.html
Energy Quest – Energy vampires
http://energyquest.ca.gov/vampires/dswmedia/index.html
Energy Quest – Energy vampires: What can you do?
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/vampires/dswmedia/elimination.html
PBS Kids – Energy vampires
http://meetthegreens.pbskids.org/episode5/energy-vampires.html
Taxidermy
Focus Questions
1. Who was well known for preserving bodies, believing it would lead to eternal life?
2. In your own words, describe what taxidermy is.
3. Describe the steps involved in the taxidermy process.
4. Why is it important to choose the eyes for the animals carefully?
5. From start to finish, it can take more than a __________to make a lion.
6. Where are the dead animals kept before the taxidermy process?
7. In the past, the museum used a drawer full of bugs to eat away animal flesh to clean the bones. True or false?
8. How are the bones cleaned of flesh now?
9. What skills are needed to be a taxidermist?
10. Do you think it’s important to preserve animals? Why or why not?
Taxidermy
Students will write an information report about taxidermy. The following may help guide students’ research:
· What is taxidermy?
· History of taxidermy
· Process of preserving animals (how has it changed over time?)
· How are specimens used for museum research?
· Why preserve animals?
Structure and features of an information report
Discuss with students what they already know about the purpose, structure and features of an information report. Use the following as a guide to use with students.
Purpose
An information report provides information to the reader by stating facts.
Structure
Introduction - the opening statement explains the subject of the report, and includes a definition or short description.
Description – the body of the report is a series of paragraphs giving information.
Conclusion – a summary of what has been said.
Language features
Present tense
Technical or scientific words
Written in the third person
Discuss with students ways they can present their information reports to other students.
About your research
Students will be reflecting on the research process by responding to the following questions:
Briefly explain how you planned your research for this investigation.
How did you record your notes from each resource?
How could you improve or develop your information?
Further investigations
Interview a taxidermist. Write four or five interesting questions to ask a taxidermist working in a museum.
Design an advertisement to promote the animal exhibit at a museum. Include information about the animals that have been preserved and what can be learnt from studying them.
Make a model of an animal you might find in a museum exhibit.
8 Related Research Links
Queensland museum – Taxidermy
http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Find+out+about/Behind+the+Scenes/Taxidermy
Taxidermy.net – What is taxidermy?
http://www.taxidermy.net/information/whatis.html
BtN: Episode 23 Transcript 23/08/11
On this week's Behind the News.
· A day in the life of the Japanese kids living near a leaky nuclear power plant.
· We look at how you can save energy at home cutting out something called vampire power.
· And the amazing work that goes into making these life-like museum animals.
Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News. Also on the show today we head to the X-Games in California and find that Aussies are leading the way when it comes to extreme sports. But first:
General Bill
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
INTRO: Over the last few months we've brought you all the big political stories like the carbon tax and the mining tax announcements. We brought you all the arguments for and against each and you got to have your say on each of them. But that was pretty much the end of it, so where are those big announcements at now? Well now is go time.
MILITARY RADIO: We're nearing the drop zone. Mission 'pass legislation' is a go. Jump, jump, jump!
NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: The mission to bring in a new law is a deadly and dangerous one. Some bills don't make it along the way. But for those that do make it through, they will go down in history as an Australian law. Let's take a closer look at what it takes.
First off, let's meet General Bill. Bill is a proposal for a new law, in this case, the Carbon tax. And his mission, should he choose to accept it, is to fight his way through both houses of parliament and onto his final goal - becoming Australian Law.
Mission 1 - Conquering the House of Representatives
The first mission objective is to parachute into this place, the House of Representatives. And like any battleground, this place has allies, fighting on the left side of the room.
JULIA GILLARD, PRIME MINISTER: We will present legislation to put a price on carbon.
And enemies, fighting on the right hand side.
TONY ABBOTT: We will fight this every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month.
There are also a few rogue agents, independent soldiers that could fight for any side. And a Green soldier who in the case of General Carbon Bill, will fight probably for him. During the battle, General Bill is read out and debated. Bits of Bill might take a hit and have to be changed. Then finally a vote is taken and if General Bill wins, he parachutes out onto his next battleground.
Mission 2 - Conquering the Senate
Here General Bill fights the same fight again, except the soldiers have changed. Once again there are the soldiers fighting with him and against him. But here, there are a lot more Green soldiers fighting and luckily for Bill, once again they will fight on his side. Which will make victory pretty likely here for Bill.
But the war still isn't over! From there, General Bill still has to parachute back into the House of Representatives to seal the battle. This takes the form of one final vote and if passed, Bill is on his way to victory! Now that the battle is over, Bill gets the rewards. He travels over to the Governor-General's place, where his hard work in battle is recognised. And she decorates him as an Australian Law!
So that's how a bill fights its way into law. And right now, parliament is set to become a war-zone of epic proportions. The government is trying to push a huge number of bills through parliament right now, including a clean energy bill, a mining tax bill, a cigarette plain packaging bill, an illegal timber bill; a health insurance rebate cut bill and the carbon tax bill. Phew! Sounds like it could be a long fight. And we'll find out which bills make it through safely over the next few weeks.
Presenter: Let's see what else is making the news. Here's Matt with the Wire.
The Wire
A while back we told you about the fighting going on in Libya, a country in North Africa. Rebels have been trying to overthrow the country's ruler Colonel Gaddafi who had been using violence against his own people. After months of fighting the rebels have now taken over the country's capital Tripoli. It's seen as an important win for them because some people reckon it could mean the end of Gaddafi's reign so a new government can come in! But all of this hasn't come without sacrifice. Thousands of people have been killed in the fighting.
******
The extraordinary acts from these ordinary Aussies have been honoured at this year's bravery awards. One at the front of the story, Thomas Libreri is one of 33 people who have been recognised for their help during the Victorian bushfires. Thomas rescued an elderly man whose clothes were on fire by throwing him in the family pool. I've been brought up with the belief to look after your neighbours and they'll look after you. So that was a priority for my family. Other heroic acts include helping a police officer who'd been shot and getting out the Beaconsfield miners.
******
And finally to Poland where a special dog is on the mend after being hit by a train! The train driver rescued the four month old puppy from the tracks and took her to the vet. She was partially paralysed, so couldn't use her back legs anymore. So to help her, a special wheelchair was made, which allows her to move around freely with the other animals. The next step is to find a family for this little dog and her new set of wheels.
Quiz 1
We're going to be heading to Japan next but first how much do you know about Japan? Let's have a quiz.