Questions for Discussion s4

Questions for discussion

Strikes

1] What is a strike? 2] Why do workers strike? EPISODE 17 3] Why are strikes a powerful weapon for workers to get what they want? 4] What have some strikes in history achieved? 24TH JUNE 2008 5] What is a union? 6] What role does a union have in a strike? 7] What is an illegal strike? 8] Why do some people believe striking is wrong? 9] Have you ever been affected by a strike? Explain your answer. 10] Do you think that workers have the right to strike? Why or why not?

`Is it OK to strike?’ Vote in the online poll.

Tourism industry

1] Why is tourism important to the Australian economy? 2] Describe the link between tourism and jobs. 3] Whose job is it to attract tourists to Australia? 4] How are movies used to promote a country? 5] What upcoming film is Tourism Australia hoping will help the industry? 6] What is happening to the Australian tourism industry at the moment? 7] What has caused this to happen? 8] How does the Australian dollar affect people visiting Australia? 9] What have been the affects on your family and the travelling it does? 10] What do you think should happen next?

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

Outback jobs

1] What was the main point of the story? 2] Where is the world’s biggest cattle station located? 3] How many square kilometres is it? 4] How many people work on the station? 5] What is Anna Creek doing to attract new workers? 6] What sorts of jobs are available? 7] What are some advantages of working on a cattle station? 8] What do you think the disadvantages might be? 9] Why do you think people are not choosing to work on stations? 10] Predict what might happen if outback stations can’t get new workers.

Think of a creative way to encourage people to work on an outback cattle station. Present your idea in a visual form.

Hip hop stories

1 1] Retell the story in your own words. 2] Why is storytelling important for Indigenous cultures? 3] What is the Indigenous community in Yuendamu using to tell their stories? 4] What is the Wakakirri Festival? 5] Why are they trying to keep traditional Indigenous languages alive? 6] How many Indigenous languages are there? 7] Why is it important for young Indigenous people to have the opportunity to express themselves? 8] Some people believe that hip hop is American and doesn’t have much to do with Indigenous culture. Do you agree? Explain your answer. 9] Why do you think young Indigenous people identify with hip hop? 10] Predict what might happen if Indigenous storytelling doesn’t continue?

Create a rap that reflects your own identity or tells a story.

Olympic diving

1] What character traits do you think you would need to be a diver? 2] What is the aim of diving? 3] Describe Matthew Helm’s condition. 4] How did it affect his diving? 5] How did he overcome the problem? 6] What is synchronised diving? 7] What is unique about Melissa Wu? 8] How old was Melissa when she started in the Commonwealth team? 9] How did this story make you feel? 10] If you could send a message to Matthew or Melissa, what would it be?

Test your knowledge in the online quiz

2 Hip hop stories

Traditional Indigenous languages are characterised by storytelling, music and dance. At Yuendamu in the Northern Territory a group of young Indigenous people are using hip hop to tell their stories.

EPISODE 17 Focus Questions 24TH JUNE 2008 1] Retell the story in your own words. 2] Why is storytelling important for Indigenous cultures? Learning Area 3] What is the Indigenous community in Yuendamu using to tell their stories? Society and Environment 4] What is the Wakakirri Festival? 5] Why are they trying to keep traditional Indigenous languages alive? 6] How many Indigenous languages are there? 7] Why is it important for young Indigenous people to have the opportunity to express themselves? Key learning 8] Some people believe that hip hop is American and doesn’t have much to do with Indigenous culture. Do you agree? Explain your answer. Students will develop a de 9] Why do you think young Indigenous people identify with hip hop? eper understanding of Indi 10] Predict what might happen if Indigenous storytelling doesn’t continue? genous hip hop music as a way of continuing culture Modern day corroboree and language Students will be exploring what hip hop music is, how it has influenced Indigenous Australians and why it’s important for them to be able to tell their story. Begin with a partner brainstorm asking students to write down what they know about hip hop music and how Indigenous people are using it to tell stories. From the brainstorming session, ask students to record any questions they have or topics they would like to know more about. Some possible topics for inquiry include:

. Find out more about the elements of hip hop – beat boxing, MCing or rapping, and breakdancing. . Choose an Indigenous hip hop artist and create a profile of them. What elements of hip hop are they using? What stories are they telling? . Compare Australian hip hop to American hip hop. What are the similarities and differences?

Ask students to present the findings of their topic/s for inquiry with the rest of the class. Some ways to present information include:

. Develop a video or PowerPoint slide presentation . Give an oral presentation

3 . Use words and rhythm to present the topic . Conduct an interview/radio program

Reflecting on learning

What do you understand more clearly from this inquiry? What are some things you would do the same in your next inquiry, and what are some things your might do differently?

Further investigations

Create a rap that reflects your own identity or tells a story.

Design a poster advertising an Indigenous Hip Hop artist.

8 Related Research Links

ABC Stateline – Yuendumu hip hop story http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nt/content/2006/s2267799.htm

ABC Australia Wide – Wakakirri story telling festival in Yuendumu – video link http://www.abc.net.au/australiawide/stories/2008/200806/s2274215.htm

Wakakirri website http://www.wakakirri.com/

Time for kids – information about rap and hip hop http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/specials/articles/0,28285,197419,00.html

Aboriginal language hip hop http://www.localnoise.net.au/tags/language-and-hip-hop/aboriginal-language-hip-hop/

4 Tourism industry

Tourism is big business and it means lots of money for the country. The Australian tourism industry is suffering at the moment because of international competition and the high price of fuel.

EPISODE 17 Focus Questions 24H JUNE 2008 11] Why is tourism important to the Australian economy? 12] Describe the link between tourism and jobs. Learning Area 13] Whose job is it to attract tourists to Australia? 14] How are movies used to promote a country? English 15] What upcoming film is Tourism Australia hoping will help the industry? 16] What is happening to the Australian tourism industry at the moment? 17] What has caused this to happen? 18] How does the Australian dollar affect people visiting Australia? Key learning 19] What have been the effects on your family and the travelling it does? 20] What do you think should happen next? Students will identify key words used in the BtN st ory and clarify their mean What’s in a word? ing. Watch the BtN story about the tourism industry. Summarise the story in your own words. Watch the story again and listen carefully. Circle each of the following words as you hear them. Record any unfamiliar words.

tourism economy industry international job campaign tourist accommodation souvenirs transport promoting competition

Ask students to write what they think is the meaning of each word (including unfamiliar words). Swap definitions with a partner and ask them to add to or change the definition. Check these against the dictionary definition. Ask students to write their own sentences using the key words.

Further investigations

Write a paragraph predicting what might happen if tourism numbers continue to drop.

Complete an A-Z of Australian tourism destinations.

5 Create an advertising poster that promotes Australia to international and domestic visitors.

8 Related Research Links

ABC News – Whitsundays tourism after European market http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/13/2273343.htm

ABC News – Tourism industry prepares for downturn http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/10/2269643.htm

ABC News – Tourism industry braces for foreign visitor drop http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/06/2267348.htm

ABC Behind the News – story about the Australian dollar http://www.abc.net.au/tv/btn/stories/s2066191.htm

Tourism Australia – Student resources http://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0416

Australia’s official travel website http://www.australia.com/

6 TRANSCRIPT 24/06/08 Episode 17

On this week's Behind the News. Rounding up kids for careers as cowhands.

How hip hop is keeping Indigenous languages alive.

And the dizzy diver aiming for gold.

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

Also on the show today: where are the overseas tourists and why does the government want to do something about it.

Those items later but first to our top story.

STRIKES Reporter, Sarah Larsen

INTRO: This year lots of Aussie school kids have scored an extra day off. No, they're not wagging. It's because of teachers' strikes. They've gone on strike because they reckon they should get paid more for what they do. But how does not going to work help you get more pay? Sarah found out there's a bit more to strikes than a day off.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: Hey! You missed a bit! Work faster! No, rub anti- clockwise!

ROSS: How much are we being paid for this, anyway? ERIN: Two bucks! ROSS: Right, that's it. I'm on strike!

REPORTER: Um, are you sure you want to do that? If Ross here goes on strike, I can just replace him. It's not going to affect my business too much.

But if all my workers walked off the job at once, I could be in trouble.

REPORTER: Guys? Guys!

Strikes can be a powerful weapon for workers to get what they want.

NEWS READER:

They're controversial and they're usually big news. There have been some big ones in history. They've forced employers to make workplaces safer and stopped people having to work unfair hours. Strikes are usually organised by unions. They're groups set up to look after workers' rights. They negotiate with employers.

REPORTER: So if you want to be paid more, or work in better conditions you could form a union or an association to negotiate for you.

Workers don't get paid while they're on strike and you don't have to join in. Some people choose to keep working even if their colleagues are on strike. There are laws in Australia that protect your right to strike for better pay. But you have to follow rules and if unions or workers break those and have an illegal strike they can get in big trouble. Some people say striking is wrong. They reckon they're sometimes used to get pay rises that businesses and governments can't afford and a strike by one group of workers can affect lots of others down the line. A while ago a car parts supplier went on strike and a car factory in a different state had to shut down until they went back to work. Even you might have even been affected by a strike. Recently there

7 have been teachers’ strikes in five different states. For many kids that meant a day off school.

GIRLS: We're not at school because the teachers are on strike BOY: I was happy because I get a day off school

But it wasn't just kids affected. Lots of parents who couldn't get a baby sitter had to take time of work. While some people were angry about the strike, teachers say it was necessary. In some states teachers were given a pay rise. In others they're still waiting.

So that's a strike. Some people say they're used by workers to bully bosses, others say they're one of the few ways workers can get a fair deal. But they're certainly something that everyone has to think about.

ONLINE POLL

Alright we'll do our poll on that.

The question will be "Is it OK to strike?"

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

And we got a lot of votes for last week's poll.

The question was 'Should girls older than 14 be able to play footy with boys?'

There was a big 'yes' result. About 4 to 1 were in favour!

THE WIRE

OK there was some very sad news over the weekend about a very famous Australian mum. Catherine has the details in the Wire.

The wife of former Aussie cricketer Glenn McGrath has died from breast cancer.

Jane McGrath was first diagnosed with the disease eleven years ago and campaigned to make people more aware of its dangers.

With her husband she helped set up the McGrath Foundation to support other sufferers.

She leaves behind two young children, Holly and James.

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

Ministers from eighty different countries are meeting in Chile this week to discuss the future of whaling.

At the moment the number of people for and against whaling is pretty even.

Australia will be pushing for scientific whaling permits to be scrapped.

******************* Now to a sea creature that's a bit smaller.

The movie ‘Finding Nemo’ was an enormous hit around the world and kids loved it but for real life Nemos or clownfish it was bad news.

Everyone wanted one of their own so clownfish were plucked from reefs in record numbers along with the animals they live around which are called anemones.

8 So scientists had to find a way to protect them and they seem to have cracked the problem.

For the first time they've managed to breed anemones in captivity.

They now hope to breed enough of them to keep fans happy and also restock reefs which will make Nemo a lot happier.

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

And for those of you who love pet cats, what about having a SUPER CAT!

They're twice the size of normal cats and can leap two metres into the air.

They've become very popular in America but environmentalists are hoping to stop them coming here because of the damage they could do to our wildlife.

PROFESSOR RICK SHINE, HERPETOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, FOGG DAM “It frightens me to think that we might be talking about bringing in a bigger cat, with a bigger appetite that's capable of eating bigger things”

The Savannah cat was created about twenty years ago when a pet cat was bred with a wild African Serval.

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

And a seven-year-old boy has set a new world record by being the youngest person to fly in a plane with zero gravity.

Jules and his ten-year-old brother Gerard are from Ecuador in South America.

They set the record in a special air force plane which lets passengers feel what it's like to be in space.

The boys experienced 50 seconds of zero gravity according to their father who is an astronaut.

But they didn't just hop in the plane and go for it. They had to do a month of special training including the special chair simulator.

TOURISM INDUSTRY Catherine Ellis, Reporter

INTRO: Have you been on a holiday lately? They're heaps of fun. Everyone loves them. Especially the Australian economy! Why? Well tourism is big business and it means lots of money for the country! Trouble is the industry here doesn't seem to be keeping up with the rest of the world. Catherine checks out what's going on.

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: Quick sneak into my suitcase, we're off on a holiday!

Let's explore Australia!

Wow, when it comes to tourism, our country has a lot to offer!

It's a huge industry, which makes tens of billions of dollars a year!

Think about it, tourists spend money on transport, accommodation, food, entry fees to the places, souvenirs, gifts for the relies!

9 CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: And just think of all the jobs that creates, like all the people who work at this hotel, the restaurant down the road where I had my lunch, the taxi driver who brought me here from the airport - 100s of 1000s of tourism jobs!

Now because tourism is so important, the government spends a lot of money promoting Australia.

That department is called Tourism Australia - its job is attracting visitors.

It does ad campaigns overseas - you might remember this one.

LARA BINGLE, MODEL: We saved a spot on the beach for you.

This ad from 20 years ago was a huge success. This guy starred in a popular movie at the time, 'Crocodile Dundee', and it led to tonnes of tourists heading down under.

PAUL HOGAN, ACTOR: We'll throw another shrimp on the barbie for you.

Movies seem to be great promos.

Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand and when audiences from around the world saw the beautiful landscape they just had to check it out!

Australia is hoping this will happen when the movie called 'Australia' is released later this year.

It stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and shows lots of the Aussie outback.

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: Now, the industry needs a boost because the number of people visiting here hasn't really grown for more than a year and tourist numbers from some countries have actually fallen!

One reason for that is international competition.

Countries across the globe compete really hard to attract tourists and experts say our share of the market is dropping.

The high price of fuel is also a problem.

It's making airfares a lot more expensive, so some people are choosing to holiday closer to home.

Another thing putting off visitors is that the value of the Aussie dollar is really high.

That means when they get here they can't buy as much with their money.

Anyway it's hoped the movie 'Australia' together with a big ad campaign by Tourism Australia will help overcome some of these problems and give the industry its much needed boost.

QUIZ 1

What country attracts the most visitors every year? a. France b. United States c. United Kingdom

Answer: France

OUTBACK JOBS 10 Nathan Bazley, Reporter

INTRO: Now the Aussie outback is a great place for tourists to go to but there's also lots of jobs there working on stations and farms. But there is a problem. They can't get enough staff. So a campaign has started to get kids interested in work on the land and it could be your big chance to be a cowboy or a cowgirl!

It's just turned 5am, but these guys are already getting stuck into it. There is always a lot of work to be done when you manage Anna Creek. It's in northern South Australia and is the biggest cattle station in the world. How big is that? Around about 24,000 square kilometres - the size of a small country. But this country is only run by eight people and they have to do everything, from mustering to paperwork. It's a huge workload, but while they aren't complaining, they would like a little bit of a hand. The problem is they can't find anyone!

DVD: If you're up for it, we've got a job for you that's as big as Australia

It's got so bad, the company that owns Anna Creek is trying something a bit different to the normal 'ad in the paper.' They're making a DVD to encourage school kids to look at station work as a career. The farming company owns nearly 14 stations like Anna Creek and nearly all of them are short on workers. They desperately need pilots, cooks and operators for heavy machines like graders. But they're pretty keen to show anyone the ropes.

One young guy giving it a go is Blair. He used to work as a builder, but one day noticed an ad in an outback magazine. Blair had no experience on cattle stations at all, but decided it was worth a look.

BLAIR IRELAND: The thing I like about here is the varied work. You get to ride bikes or work in the cattle yards, grade roads, do some fencing. I couldn't handle being in an office, I like the outdoors. But if you think guys are the only ones moving out bush for work, think again!

This is Sarah Amy. She's a station hand who also cooks, cleans, gardens and does the book keeping. She says it's hard work, but the best bit is the lifestyle.

SARAH AMY, STATION HAND: It's just a really good environment. It's active, it's fun, you learn lots of things that you're never never going to forget so why wouldn't you want to do it really?

In fact girls make up two-thirds of all the work applications Anna Creek receives. The station manger says they do a great job and are often better than the boys.

RANDALL CROZIER, STATION MANAGER: I think the world's changing. The women are getting tougher than the blokes hey!

And Sarah Amy reckons it's a sign of things to come.

SARAH AMY: I think they realise they can do anything. There's nothing you can't do and they enjoy it so why not.

HIP-HOP STORIES Sarah Larsen, Reporter

INTRO: When you think of Hip-Hop you probably think of American rappers like Tu- Pac or Missy Elliot. Its true rap music came from the United States, but in a remote part of the Northern Territory some kids are giving it a very Aussie twist. At the same time they're helping to keep an ancient culture alive. Here's Sarah.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: It might seem a long way from this to this but, you know, its all story telling.

11 ADAM LOXLEY - WAKAKIRRI FESTIVAL: Storytelling is the oldest form of learning. Stories are how they pass down their learning. Stories are how they hold onto their culture.

These guys are from an Indigenous community in the Northern Territory called Yuendumu. And they're using hip-hop to tell their stories.

DION: When I grow up I'll be a hip-hop boy, ah, man.

Its part of the Waikikirri festival, which you might have heard of. It’s a competition held around the country where schools tell stories through song and dance. This year, Waikikirri went on the road taking workshops to outback communities like Yuendumu. There was dancing, rapping, and at the end of it all, a video which will be shown to kids around the country. But it wasn't just about having fun. There's also a serious side to the hip hop. It was an opportunity to tell their own stories in their own language.

STACEY: When shops close we go hunting for turkey, goanna and everything.

While they learn English these kids speak another language too. It’s called Warlpiri.

REPORTER: Did you know there are more than 200 different indigenous languages that have been spoken for tens of thousands of years? They're from all over the country. You can see some of them here.

There used to be even more but since European settlement a lot of traditional languages have died out. That's why many think it’s important for aboriginal kids to learn the language of their people and hip-hop may just be a way of keeping it alive. American-style rap music is really popular out here and some think it’s a great way for indigenous kids to express themselves. Some say hip-hop is American and doesn't have much to do with Aboriginal Australia but others disagree. They say some indigenous people have faced similar issues to African Americans so they identify with some of this music. So could these guys be the next Missy Elliots and 50 cents? Who knows? They've already got their own music video and they're taking their stories to kids everywhere.

THE SCORE

Nice story Sarah. Time for some sports news now. Here's Catherine.

*********** With the Socceroos already through to the next round of the World Cup, they decided to give some of their younger players a go on the weekend.

The Aussies played China at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney but they went down ONE-NIL.

It was the Aussie's first home defeat in a World Cup qualifier in 27 years.

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

And in the European Championships former Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink has guided Russia into the semi-finals.

They beat Holland 3 -1.

And Spain is also through after beating Italy 4-2 on penalties.

Spain and Russia will now go head to head in the semi's.

************** 12 And World champ Casey Stoner has won his second British Grand Prix in a row.

Starting in pole position he dominated the field to finish in just over 44 minutes.

Valentino Rossi claimed second spot after a tough battle with Dani Pedrosa.

QUIZ 2

OK let's do a quiz about Olympic diving.

Which one of these is NOT a diving term? a. pike b tuck c. knife

Answer: knife

OLYMPIC DIVERS Nathan Bazley, Reporter

INTRO: With the Olympics coming closer and closer everyday Olympic teams are now being finalised for most sports. But one sport has some very interesting competitors preparing to carry the Australian flag. They include a tiny teenager and a guy who sometimes gets dizzy and finds it hard to even stand. Meet the Australian Diving team!

Imagine having to climb up many flights of stairs to the top of a 10 metre tower. Then imagine walking towards the edge, facing backwards and inching out so only your toes were still on solid ground. Then imagine throwing yourself off!

Most of us would be terrified! Our Olympic diving team, however... Well they wouldn't have it any other way. This is diving - a tough sport more like gymnastics than swimming, despite all that water! The aim is to perform complex moves in the air whilst still entering the water with as little splash as possible. It's all about agility, grace and strength with a fair bit of courage too!

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: But when one of our best divers was diagnosed with a disorder that made everything up here, look something like this. Well, courage just doesn't cover it!

MATTHEW HELM, OLYMPIC DIVER: I just felt like I was going to fall over and then the symptoms got much worse. You know, to the point where I would actually have to squat down and just hold myself, because basically, the whole room was moving.

Matthew had developed something called vertigo - a disorder which affects balance.

MATTHEW HELM: You just sort of, really don't know how to stand up properly. That's how I understand it anyways.

And that's not a good thing when you're trying to balance on a 10 metre high diving platform. But despite the setback, Matthew decided to go for Olympic qualification with his partner Robert Newbery. They compete in a category called synchronised diving, where two divers must do exactly the same thing to score points. But when Matthew got to the top for their jump, all he saw was a terrifying shaky dive platform and shifting water all the way down.

MATTHEW HELM: I just had to trust myself that I could do it regardless of whether or not, you know, I could see what was happening.

13 In the end the boys did well enough to make it to Beijing. And Matthew's now got some medication he hopes will make him 100 percent for the main event.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: But there is another Olympic diver hoping to make a big splash come August. Well, not a big splash. More a small splash really.

Her name is Melissa Wu and at 16, she's the youngest diver to ever represent Australia. She's also the tiniest, weighing just 37 kilos.

MELISSA WU, OLYMPIC DIVER: I think it's definitely a plus. You'll probably notice that most of the divers are pretty small. I think there's a lot of qualities you need in diving, so I'm just working with what I've got and just training hard.

Melissa might be young but she is experienced. She started in the Commonwealth team when she was just 13. And in only a few months she, along with all the other members of the Aussie dive team, will be competing against the best in the world.

CLOSER

That's it. We're going on holidays for three weeks but don't forget BTN Daily will be here every Monday to Friday at 5 to six. See ya later!