ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)



Questions for discussion

Disappearing lakes

1. Where are the lower lakes located?

2. Where does the freshwater of the Murray meet the Southern ocean?

3. Why are the lakes and Coorong important?

4. What has caused the water levels to drop in the River Murray and lakes?

5. What happens when the water dries up, exposing the soil underneath?

6. What solutions to the low water levels are being discussed?

7. What do opponents say about releasing the water upstream?

8. How many people rely on the river for water?

9. Why do you think this is an emotional issue for a lot of people?

10. Are there any other ways this problem could be tackled? Explain your answer.

Try the River Murray quiz. Go to

Turtle rescue squad

1. What is happening to the turtles in the lower lakes?

2. How are the students saving the turtles lives?

3. What is the name of the worm that is causing problems for the turtles?

4. What caused the worm invasion to start?

5. In your own words, explain what the worm does to the turtles.

6. What have the students built at their school?

7. What is a `hibernation period’?

8. How many turtles have the students saved?

9. Describe the affect this sort of community action has on the students involved?

10. How did this story make you feel?

Send a message or tell us what you think on the BtN Guestbook.

Sneaky ads

1. Why are advertisements shown on commercial TV?

2. How is the way we watch TV and movies changing?

3. How are TV stations and film makers getting around the problem?

4. What is product placement?

5. What sort of products was the Josie and the Pussycats clip advertising?

6. Have you ever noticed product placement in the television programs, movies or music videos you watch? Explain your answer.

7. What do opponents of product placement say?

8. Do you think it’s a fair way to advertise? Explain your answer.

9. What do you think is the future of advertising?

10. How has your thinking changed after watching the BtN story?

`Should product placement be banned?’ Vote in the online poll.

Paralympics

1. Retell the story in your own words.

2. What are the Paralympics?

3. Name three of the events at the Paralympics?

4. What are some of Matt Cowdrey’s past achievements?

5. When and where did the Paralympics start?

6. Who is allowed to compete at the Paralympics?

7. How do they make the competition fair?

8. Describe Matt’s attitude.

9. How is Matt’s swimming technique different to able-bodied swimmers?

10. What do you now know about the Paralympics that you didn’t know before watching the BtN story?

Test your knowledge in the online quiz.

Snake boy

1. What sort of python is Lucky?

2. Describe the relationship Sambath has with Lucky.

3. What impact has Lucky had on Sambath’s family?

4. What was surprising about this story?

5. How did this story make you feel?

Find out more about pythons by conducting an Internet search. Display your findings in an interesting way.

Disappearing lakes

Australia’s longest river system is drying up and this is having a huge impact on the people, plants and animals that rely on it.

Focus Questions

1] Where are the lower lakes located?

2] Where does the freshwater of the Murray meet the Southern ocean?

3] Why are the lakes and Coorong important?

4] What has caused the water levels to drop in the River Murray and lakes?

5] What happens when the water dries up, exposing the soil underneath?

6] What solutions to the low water levels are being discussed?

7] What do opponents say about releasing the water upstream?

8] How many people rely on the river for water?

9] Why do you think this is an emotional issue for a lot of people?

10] Are there any other ways this problem could be tackled? Explain your answer.

Your choice

Students will research issues about the Murray-Darling river system based on the activities they choose. Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete.

Remember and understand

• Create a timeline showing how people’s use of the Murray-Darling river system has changed over time.

• Indigenous Australians have lived in harmony with the River Murray for thousands of years. Research an Aboriginal Dreaming story about the River Murray or lower lakes area. What rules for living does the story talk about? Share the story with the rest of your class.

Apply and Analyse

• What is a healthy habitat and why is it important? Research what has happened to habitat in the River Murray. What plant and animal species have been affected by decreasing water flow?

• Water from the River Murray is used to irrigate crops. Suggest how the severity of the drought could be reduced if more crops were genetically modified to tolerate drought.

• Play the Catchment Detox online game . The challenge is to manage a river catchment so that after 50 years you have a healthy environment and a healthy economy.

Evaluate and create

• Brainstorm at least ten responses to the following statement: `It is not important to conserve water.’

• Paint or draw a river scene showing a healthy river environment.

• Rising salinity is a problem facing the River Murray. Research the causes of rising salinity and which animal and plant species are affected by it. Which plants and animals have adapted to the changing conditions?

Reflection

What do you understand more clearly now?

What things you would do the same and what might you do differently next time?

( Related Research Links

ABC News – Not enough water to save Murray lower lakes



ABC News – Government to speed up water buybacks for lower lakes



ABC Lateline – Government says Murray’s lower lakes can’t be saved



ABC Catalyst – Coorong at the end of the line



ABC Science – Catchment Detox online game



Murray Darling Basin website – Basin Kids eNewspaper `Pump up the volume’



SA Government website – Salinity and water quality



Sneaky ads

It’s getting easier for people to switch off the ads so advertisers have to think of new ways to sell products.

Focus Questions

1] Why are advertisements shown on commercial TV?

11] How is the way we watch TV and movies changing?

12] How are TV stations and film makers getting around the problem?

13] What is product placement?

14] What sort of products was the Josie and the Pussycats clip advertising?

15] Have you ever noticed product placement in the television programs, movies or music videos you watch? Explain your answer.

16] What do opponents of product placement say?

17] Do you think it’s a fair way to advertise? Explain your answer.

18] What do you think is the future of advertising?

19] How has your thinking changed after watching the BtN story?

Product placement

Discuss with students where they usually see advertisements. Then ask them to think about all the places where ads are hidden (television shows, movies, video games).

Students will spend about 7 days looking for product placements in a range of media programs. Ask them to record the following:

• What the product was and where did it appear?

• Who is the intended target audience?

• What techniques does the producer use to make the product attractive?

• Do you think product placement is more or less effective than a 30-second commercial advertising the same product?

Ask students to share what they have discovered with the rest of the class. This could be a wall chart, oral presentation or PowerPoint presentation. Discuss and record the similarities and differences of what students discovered.

Students will then consider the following question and develop an argument for or against.

• Should product placements be clearly identified at the end of the TV show, movie or video game?

Reflection

What do you understand more clearly since completing this investigation?

What would you do differently next time? Why?

Further investigations

Create a 1 minute video or role play based on a favourite movie or TV show. Include as many products as possible. Ask for student feedback about whether they thought it was an effective way to advertise.

Have a class debate about whether product placement should be banned.

Design an advertisement selling product placement as a valid and effective form of advertising.

( Related Research Links

ABC News – Burger chain asks rapper for McPlug



Howstuffworks – How product placement works



Young Media Australia – Product placement in food advertising



Yahoo kids – product placement



– Product placement makes a virtual leap



TRANSCRIPT 02/09/08

Episode 24

On this week's Behind the News, meet the 'turtle rescue squad'.

The Paralympian powering through the pool.

And a pet you probably couldn't take to show and tell.

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

Also on the show today, how advertisers might be selling you things without you knowing about it!

Those items later but first to our top story.

DISAPPEARING LAKES

Reporter, Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: Water has become a big worry for Australia. People are especially worried about how the country's longest river system, the Murray- Darling, is drying up. Farmers, wildlife and even small towns are struggling so Kirsty went out to investigate.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: For these guys the Murray mouth is one giant playground.

It's an area that's normally full of wildlife.

But when you look a little closer, the pictures tell a different story.

These are called the Lower Lakes and are at the bottom of the River Murray in South Australia.

They're called Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert.

Nearby is the Coorong and here's where the freshwater of the Murray meets the Southern Ocean.

The lakes and the Coorong are really important because they're breeding grounds for lots of birds and other wildlife.

They're also part of an important river system - it's called the Murray Darling Basin.

When it rains in Queensland the water flows into the Darling River in New South Wales.

The Darling then meets up with the River Murray and travels out to sea.

Along the way it supplies water to lots of farmers and towns.

But now the whole river system is running very low and parts like the lakes are drying up.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: It's pretty hard to imagine but a few years ago if I'd stood here, the water would've been up to here.

Now if i want to go for a swim I've got really long walk before I can dive in!

How has it got this bad?

Well for a start - there's the drought.

But some people also say farmers have been using too much water for their crops.

A lot of them have been stopped from irrigating until there's more rain and there's a push for some farmers to actually stop using river water altogether.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: But while that debate is going on the lakes are running out of time.

Because the water is drying up, the soils underneath are exposed to the sun which turns it acidic and makes it poisonous.

That could be bad news for all the wildlife.

To try and fix it there's a couple of ideas.

One is to fill the lakes with sea water but that would change them from freshwater which would also be bad news for some of the wildlife.

The other push is for water to be released from upstream.

But how can that happen if the system is so dry?

Well, water is stored at spots along the river in lakes and dams.

There are also barriers on the river itself - called locks and weirs.

They control how much water flows down the river.

But people who live upstream say they need all this stored water for themselves.

And some experts say that even if the water was released it would evaporate or soak into the ground before it even reached the lakes.

It's a tough problem to solve and no matter what the Government decides, the wildlife and the two million people who rely on the River for water will be faced with a lot more changes and challenges ahead.

TURTLE RESCUE SQUAD

Reporter, Catherine Ellis

INTRO: Now as Kirsty told us in her story, lots of plants and animals are under threat because of the sick Murray. In the lower lakes, we're already starting to see some of those problems. The water levels are so low, they're getting saltier - and that means bad news for turtles! But Catherine's discovered a group of primary school kids working hard to save them.

Lots of plants and animals are under threat because of the sick Murray. Among them are turtles in the lower lakes, which are being badly hurt by the salty conditions. But Catherine's discovered a group of primary school kids who are working very hard to save the distressed creatures.

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTING: Trudging through reeds, slugging through mud and all as part of school! Looks like fun, but what these kids are doing is actually really important - they're saving the lives of hundreds of turtles.

You see something terrible is happening to them in the Murray's Lower Lakes, sounds freaky, but heaps of worms are building big chunks of heavy coral on their backs so they can't swim or find food and they end up dying!

GEORGIA, RESCUER: They can't really move and it covers up where their legs come out so they stay there. Sometimes their legs get stuck out so the foxes and rats and stuff can just bite them and they just die.

CATHERINE: And have you found any that have been attacked by foxes?

GEORGIA: Yeah we saw one without a leg.

Here's how the worm invasion started; as the fresh water lakes dry up and more sea water seeps in through the barrages, an ocean loving worm, called the 'tube worm', found its way in too.

It likes to build its home on anything that doesn't move much, usually on rocks and piers, but now the turtles.

CATHERINE: So Zac tell me about these worms, these tube worms?

ZAC: Well they can grow to about 15 centimetres.

CATHERINE: Fifteen centimetres!

ZAC: Yes and their homes can grow to about 20 centimetres.

CATHERINE: So that would be pretty thick if you were carrying that around on your back wouldn't it?

ZAC: Yep it would be like a pack of bricks.

The coral can make the turtles double their own weight - imagine carrying that while you're trying to swim or run from predators!

This worm invasion has only been happening for about a year, but when these school kids found out, they began their rescue mission straight away.

With just a handful of screw drivers and about ten minutes on the operating table for each turtle - they've managed to save many lives.

Once the cute little creatures have been given a quick bath, you can see them stretch out their necks and they look pretty happy to finally be able to move properly again.

This little guy was so proud of his shiny new shell he showed it off for our camera.

So what now for these guys? Well it's too cold to release them upstream so the kids have been taking them back to their school.

They've built an enclosure filled with warm straw for their hibernation period.

There's about 90 nesting in here at the moment, but the kids have managed to save about 600 turtles in five months!

But in that time they've also pulled out hundreds of dead turtles. This collection is just from the last two weeks.

GEORGIA: It's pretty sad watching all the turtles die but it's good when you see one alive and you can help it.

CATHERINE: And has it made you more interested in marine life and stuff like that?

GEORGIA: Ah yes. Yes it's heaps of fun.

Despite the soggy socks and muddy shoes the kids plan to continue their work, they hope to build a bigger enclosure and be there for the turtles as long as they're needed.

QUIZ 1

A great bunch of kids.

Let’s do a quiz.

Which is the world's longest river?

a. Amazon

b. Nile

c. Murray

Answer: Nile

The Nile is of course in Africa.

THE WIRE

Now let’s catch up with some of the week's headlines. Here's Sarah with the Wire.

The city of New Orleans in America has been evacuated in readiness for Hurricane Gustav as the massive storm bears down on the coast.

Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes after the mayor told everyone they should get out right away.

Gustav's already hit Cuba and Jamaica with winds of 240 kilometres an hour causing massive damage and killing many people.

New Orleans was hit by a massive Hurricane called Katrina almost exactly three years ago which caused huge flooding and killed 1500 people.

*****

A new study has found one in three babies are at serious risk because the cots they sleep in have been softened with extra padding.

Experts say it's a fairly common thing for parents to do but if the baby rolls off the mattress they can become trapped at the side of the cot.

****

Australia has just taken delivery of a powerful new telescope called Skymapper that's being set up in New South Wales.

SCIENTIST: It’s really a telescope which is forty times more powerful than anything existing currently anywhere in the world and so it’s really opening up a new window on the universe unlike anything we've ever been able to do before

The scope also has the largest digital camera in the southern hemisphere and pictures from it will eventually be put on the net.

****

And some amazing statues have made their way down to Australia.

These are the Limestone Buddhas and they're over 800 years old!

They were discovered by accident in China, when some workers were digging up a sports field.

The Buddhas are believed to be made in the sixth century then buried in the twelfth when buddhism was under attack.

Some of the statues weigh more than a tonne.

Presenter:

Well worth a visit if you're in Sydney.

SNEAKY ADDS

Reporter, Sarah Larsen

INTRO: If you watch any commercial TV, ads are everywhere! But now people are saying 30 second commercials might be an endangered species. What are they going on about? Well there is a big change happening. But it certainly won't be the end of advertising. Businesses are just getting sneakier about how they sell their products.

Advertisment Voice-Over:

Hey kids do you want to be AWESOME

Then drink what AWESOME people drink

Buy SARAH's AWESOME ENERGY DRINK

Makes you STRONGER FASTER BETTER BIGGER MORE AWESOME

BUY IT NOW

ITs AWESOME

NOW WITH SPECIAL HYPER SECRET AWESOME INGREDIENTS

WHICH MAKE YOU SOOOOO AWESOME

BUY IT NOW!

REPORTER, SARAH LARSEN: Ads! They can be so annoying!

Of course, ads are how commercial TV stations make their money so they pay for your favourite shows and some are works of art which cost millions to make. Still, with so many of them, it can have you reaching for the remote.

REPORTER: But switching off the ads is getting easier and easier and now some people are saying the 30 second commercial could soon be a thing of the past.

The way we watch TV and movies is changing. More and more shows are being made for the web where it’s easier to skip the ads and new technology is changing free-to-air TV.

REPORTER: First it was the VCR which let people fast forward through the ads. Now there are hard drive recorders which click straight past them.

To make money, TV stations and film makers are having to think outside the box. Here's a clip from the film Josie and the Pussycats. Now watch carefully and see how many ads you can spot.

FILM DIALOGUE:

How many did you get? Let's watch again. If you hadn't noticed but that clip was actually advertising everything from department stores to soft drink, lollies, even dishwashing liquid. Have a look at some other movies and you'll probably see the same thing.

This sort of advertising is called product placement. We're supposed to think that Spiderman just wants a Doctor Pepper but in fact the soft drink company's paid a lot of money to have their product in the shot.

Brands also pay money to have their products shown in TV shows or even music clips and video games. It’s not a new idea. Back in 1982 a chocolate company paid to be ET's favourite snack. Sales went up by 60 per cent and other companies realised how effective product placement could be.

Now it’s a multi-billion dollar industry and getting even bigger. Some shows now depend on product placement to get made. It can help small producers to get enough money to film and it's cleared the way for small online serials like this one.

FILM MAKER: Action!

REPORTER: But some people don't like product placement. They say it's a bit dishonest because you're being sold something and you don't even know it.

In some countries product placement isn't allowed at all, or it has to be made clear that what you're seeing is an ad. In Australia there aren't as many restrictions so it’s up to you to think about what you're watching and whether or not you buy it!

ONLINE POLL

Sarah's so far the only person to actually buy any of her awesome snacks so I think she'll be sticking with her day job.

Now that'll be our online poll this week.

The question is

"Should product placement be banned?"

If you want to vote go to our website at .au/btn

PARALYMPICS

Nathan Bazley, Reporter

INTRO: Well the Olympics has been and gone for another four years and while those athletes are taking some well deserved time out some other Olympians are just getting prepared to head over! This weekend is the start of the Paralympic Games, an elite event for athletes with disabilities. And some of the Aussie team are going into the games as red hot favourites.

Matt has been training hard for his big shot in Beijing and this Aussie swimmer won't let anything slow him down.

MATT COWDREY: I wish I had something pretty exciting to say, some big disaster but I was just born without my arm just below the elbow on the left hand side.

He certainly doesn't hang around though. His times are only a few seconds less than world record holder Eamon Sullivan!

Matt Cowdrey is one of our big chances in the Paralympics. Four years ago in Athens he was only 15, but still managed to bring home seven medals, including three gold! This time around, his coach reckons he can do even better!

PETER BISHOP, MATT'S COACH: He's certainly swimming a lot faster than he was in Athens and our goal is to do better than we did in Athens.

The Paralympics started at the Rome Olympics in 1960 and has been held after every games since. Athletes with physical disabilities (like paralysis or amputations), mental disabilities and sense disabilities (like blindness), are allowed to compete.

They're all grouped together in categories with people of similar disabilities, so the competition is fair. Some also get a bit of help - blind athletes can run with a guide! They can hit it up in 20 sports and with nicknames like 'murderball' for wheelchair footy, they certainly don't take it easy!

Back in the pool though, Matt's always been determined not to let his disability stop him doing anything. Growing up he played every sport imaginable with the other kids.

MATT COWDREY: I think pretty much the only thing I've never actually been able to do were the monkey bars in year five or something like that.

His parents tried to push him towards sports like soccer or running, where missing half an arm wouldn't have been such a huge deal, but Matt didn't want to do anything but swim. And he was good!

MATT COWDREY: Swimming ended up being the sport that I was able to compete with and beat able bodied competitors the most at and that sort of competitive instinct I've always had and that sort of pushed me towards swimming more than anything else.

Since then he's dominated. On top of his Athens medals, Matt's got two gold at the Commonwealth Games, a number of world records and he was awarded an Order of Australia when he was 15.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Able bodied swimmers use their hands to do a lot of the work pulling them through the water, but Matt can't do that. Instead, he focuses on his legs. In fact, over a 25 metre course, he often beats able-bodied swimmers, because his kicks off the wall are so powerful!

Just before he left, Matt's mates from his swimming club gave him a bit of a party.

They know the competition will be tight, but they're confident he can do well.

As for Matt, he's just glad for the opportunity to represent his country.

MATT COWDREY: I guess it's been something that has defined who I am and it's made me who I am today. The confidence and also the amazing opportunities it has opened up for me.

And in a few weeks time, Paralympic gold in Beijing could be added to the list of Matt's awesome achievements.

THE SCORE

Good luck to the whole team over in Beijing.

And of course the ABC is the official broadcaster of the Paralympics so you'll be able to see all the action on both our TV channels as well as online and on the radio. But in the meantime Sarah has the details of a big week in sport.

**************

Australia has been hammered by South Africa in the Tri-Nations Rugby.

The Wallabies lost by 45 points which is their greatest losing margin.

They only managed to cross the line once whereas the springboks strolled over eight times.

**************

Gone Fishing. That was Andrew Symonds excuse for not turning up to an Australian Cricket Team meeting.

Unfortunately the meeting was compulsory so Symonds was dumped from the Aussie Squad for the one day series against Bangladesh in Darwin.

He was sent home to Brisbane.

**************

More than a thousand cross country skiers from around the globe hit the slopes of Falls Creek for the 'Kangaroo Hoppit' race.

The 42 kilometre race is part of a world series of cross country events.

Winner Ben Sim from New South Wales used it as preparation for the 2010 winter Olympics.

But it wasn't just the professionals battling it out. The Joey Hoppit race also attracted some serious contenders.

****

Fresh from Beijing, the world's best mountain bikers have pedalled into Canberra for a world cup series event.

It's the first time in 11-years Australia has staged a world cup round and rain made it a tough one.

17-year-old Caroline Buchanan took out the women's four cross. Olympic bmx finalist Jared Graves took the men’s

**************

In Sydney more than three hundred boys and girls took part in the World youth climbing championships.

The competition has been held since 1992.

******************

And we think this is sport - maybe.

In Alice Springs thousands have gathered for an amazing boat race that doesn't need any water!

In the Henley on Todd regatta competitors shovel and sledge their way through the river's dry sands.

There were bath-tub races, bring-your-own boats and the desert version of a rowing eight.

And just when you thought it couldn't get weirder there was a battle between sailors and Vikings in four-wheel-drive "battleboats" .

Presenter

The most bizarre thing is if the river fills up with water they have to call the racing off.

SNAKE BOY

Catherine Ellis, Reporter

INTRO: Lots of us have pets - cute cuddly cats, precious pooches, shiny goldfish but I doubt you have a pet that's six times the size of you, scaly and slithery! We're about to meet a kid whose pet and best friend is a gigantic killer python - and no, we're not talking about the lolly type!

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: Hmmm a gigantic killer snake, certainly not my idea of a cuddly friend!

But this Burmese Python called 'Lucky' is seven-year-old Sambath's best mate.

This type of snake can turn on their owners and crush them to death, but Sambath's not worried at all.

SAMBATH: I pat it and kiss it, like a husband and a wife.

They live in Cambodia which is a country in South East Asia. There's lots of jungle there and that's where Lucky came from.

It's quite amazing because before Sambath was born his mum dreamt that a snake would come and live with them and protect them.

Then just after Sambath was born, Lucky slithered in!

She was a lot smaller then, about the size of a thumb.

SAMBATH'S MUM: Since the snake has been here in our house we've been safe. No problems.

She loves Lucky and says it's like a daughter to her!

The family has built a shrine and give daily offerings to the spirits they believe sent her.

Lucky has also made them celebrities - hundreds of people from local communities come to see the python.

SAMBATH'S MUM: Some movie directors came wanting to take the snake for a movie, but my son wouldn't let them, he was crying and saying no this is my loved one you can't take it away.

Sambath's still young, but he doesn't ever want to leave Lucky might be a little tricky though if he wants to go to school! - I don't think lucky would be welcome in the classroom!

For now though, Sambath spends every free moment with his special mate.

Presenter:

Not my idea of a good pet to cuddle up with on the couch! Anyway let's move on from that and into a quiz.

QUIZ 2

Which is the world's longest snake?

a. Anaconda

b. Reticulated python

c. Boa constrictor

Answer: Reticulated python

CLOSER

The reticulated python is found in Asia but while it's the longest, there is an argument that it's not the biggest because the anaconda can be fatter and heavier. Now before we go - a blind singer from Arnhem Land has won a bag of awards at the Northern Territory's Indigenous Music Awards.

Geoffrey Gurrumul sings in traditional language and is gaining a following around the world.

He used to be in Yothu Yindi and recently he's supported Elton John and performed for the Pope in Sydney. But despite his success - he's man of few words.

Geoffrey Gurrumul: I FEEL GOOD.

He won act of the year and album of the year as well.

And if you want to see any of those stories again they're on our website. Plus don't forget there's an update of kids news every Monday to Friday at 5 to 6 in BTN Daily. Catch ya later!

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•

Episode 24

2ND SEPTEMBER 2008

LEARNING AREA

English

Key learning

Students will develop an understanding of what product placement is and why advertisers are using it to sell products.

.

The following website will support students to develop an argument text

Episode 24

2nd september 2008

LEARNING AREA

Society and Environment

Key learning

Students will develop a deeper understanding of the issues facing the Murray-Darling river system.

Episode 24

2ND SEPTEMBER 2008

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