Questions for discussion
Episode 6
th
11 March 2014
Ukraine
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What are some things you learned as a result of watching this story?
The fighting in Ukraine is being describes as East versus _______
Name two countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union.
Which powerful country didn’t get along with the Soviet Union?
The decades-long war between the East and the West was known as the:
a) Warm war
b) Cold war
c) Long war
Why do you think the Soviet Union was known as the “East”?
Is Russia known as part of the ‘East’ or the ‘West’?
Crimea is part of Ukraine – True or False?
Why does Russia say it’s sent soldiers into Crimea?
What side does US president Barack Obama support?
Write a profile of Ukraine, including information about its population, languages, geography and flag.
Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the BtN Ukraine story page
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3958250.htm.
World Heritage
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In your own words, describe what World Heritage sites are.
Name three World Heritage sites.
Give some reasons why some places are put on the World Heritage list.
UNESCO is part of which organisation?
How many World Heritage sites are there in the world
a. 781
b. 881
c. 981
How many sites does Australia have?
Describe what is happening at Abbot Point in North Queensland.
Why are some people worried about the dredging?
What sorts of strict conditions will be placed on dredging?
Do you think it’s important to protect World Heritage sites? Why?
Vote in the BtN World Heritage poll. Go to http://www.abc.net.au/btn/polls.htm
Check out BtN’s World Heritage teacher resource on the BtN Teachers page
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
Do the World Heritage quiz on the BtN website http://www.abc.net.au/btn/quiz.htm
Screen Addiction
©ABC 2014
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In your own words, describe what screen addiction is.
What are some of the advantages of smart technology like phones and tablets?
What do the kids mostly use their phones and tablets for?
Why does their dad say he checks his phone so much?
What part of the body does the chemical ‘dopamine’ affect?
Dopamine makes people feel:
a) Happy
b) Sad
c) Scared
What other parts of the body can be affected by too much screen time?
Why do you think some apps are addictive?
Do you think screen addiction is a problem? Why/why not?
How much time do you spend on a tablet, smart phone or computer? Keep a diary and calculate
the number of hours per week you spend in front of a screen.
Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the BtN Screen Addiction story
page http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3958278.htm.
Soft drink ban
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10.
What are the students measuring?
How much does one teaspoon of sugar equal in grams?
How many teaspoons were there in the can of cola?
Apart from fizzy drinks, what other drinks can be high in sugar?
Which drink had the most sugar:
a) The flavoured milk?
b) The sports drink?
c) The orange juice?
What new rule does the ACT government want to bring in for schools?
Would it be the only state to ban sugary drinks in schools?
What percentage of Aussie kids has sugary drinks almost every day?
a) Nearly 25%
b) Almost 50%
c) About 70%
Do you think the government should do something to discourage people from buying sugary drinks?
What do you think the best solution would be?
Check out BtN’s Soft drink ban teacher resource on the BtN Teachers page
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
Winter Stars
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©ABC 2014
Was there anything that surprised you about the Paralympic sports in the story?
What does Vicki use to ski?
What sport does Jessica compete in at the summer Olympics?
What is Jessica’s disability?
How does she ski?
What sports did Mitchell play as a kid?
What sport is he competing in at the Winter Paralympics?
What sort of personal qualities do you think you’d need to be a Paralympian?
How does technology help Paralympic athletes to compete?
What is your favourite Paralympic sport? Why?
Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the BtN Winter Stars story
page http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3958258.htm.
Episode 6
th
11 March 2014
Activity
World Heritage
Key Learning
Students will develop a deeper understanding of what World Heritage sites are, the importance of protecting
them and threats to sites in Australia.
The Australian Curriculum
Humanities and Social Sciences/History/Historical
Knowledge and Understanding/Investigating the
ancient past
Geography / Geographical Knowledge and
Understanding/Unit 1: Water in the world
The economic, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic value of water
for people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples and peoples of the Asia region (ACHGK041) year 7
The importance of conserving the remains of the ancient
past, including the heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples (ACDSEH148)Year 7
The similarities and differences in individuals’ and groups’
feelings and perceptions about places, and how they influence
views about the protection of these places( ACHGK018)Year 3
Discussion Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
©ABC 2014
In your own words, describe what World Heritage sites are.
Name three World Heritage sites.
Give some reasons why some places are put on the World Heritage list.
UNESCO is part of which organisation?
How many World Heritage sites are there in the world
a. 781
b. 881
c. 981
How many sites does Australia have?
Describe what is happening at Abbot Point in North Queensland.
Why are some people worried about the dredging?
What sorts of strict conditions will be placed on dredging?
Do you think it’s important to protect World Heritage sites? Why?
Activities
Define these terms
Students will think about what the words ‘heritage’, ‘conservation’, ‘preserve’ and ‘protect’ mean in the
context of the BtN World Heritage story. Students will compare their definitions. Come up with a class
definition for World Heritage.
As a class, construct a mind map with World Heritage at the centre. Students think of as many World
Heritage sites as they can and record them on the mind map.
Discussion Questions
Why are World Heritage sites special?
What types of places around the world are World Heritage sites?
What are cultural, natural and mixed World Heritage sites?
How does a site make it onto the World Heritage list?
Why are sites protected?
Students can choose one or more of the following activities to complete.
World heritage sites
Look at the photos of some well known World Heritage sites from around the world then answer the following
questions:
Where is the World Heritage site located? Find it on a world map.
Is it a natural, cultural or mixed site?
Why is the site significant?
Are there any threats to the site?
How is the site being protected?
Stonehenge
©ABC 2014
Kakadu National Park
The Great Wall
Pompeii
The Grand Canyon
Machu Picchu
Research a World Heritage site
Students choose a World Heritage site from the list on the UNESCO website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list
and research the site.
Research
following to
and demonstrate
your knowledge
the site what
and its
World
Heritage
A inform
description
of the site including
where it isoflocated,
kind
of place
it is, whether it is a
cultural, natural or mixed site
Features of the site
The criteria that were listed in nominating it to be a World Heritage site
The significance of the site (include importance to Indigenous people)
What is the value of preserving this site
Photographs and a map (including latitude and longitude)
Students present their research about the site they chose. These could include an electronic
brochure or poster (glogster) or Prezi presentation Students will need to include a
bibliography.
Threats to World Heritage
©ABC 2014
Students will explore threats to Australia’s World Heritage places. Begin by defining what a threat is.
Brainstorm some potential threats to World Heritage sites (natural and human). These could include
pollution, threats associated with climate change, human activities such as mining. Students then choose a
World Heritage site in Australia to focus on.
Name, location and significance of the site
Specific threats to the site
Who is responsible for managing the site?
How are the threats being managed?
How would you manage the threats/challenges to the site? What action would you take?
 Related Research Links
Behind the News – Reef Threat
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3363010.htm
ABC News – Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority approves plan to dump Abbot Point spoil
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-31/abbot-point-spoil-dredging-approved/5227774
UNESCO – World Heritage list
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list
UNESCO World Heritage List – Interactive map
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
Schools A-Z – World Heritage sites
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/homework-and-study/other-subjects-and-projects/geography/worldheritage-sites
Australian Geographic – World Heritage sites of Australia
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/travel/destinations/2011/08/world-heritage-sites-of-australia/
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – What is dredging?
http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-us/consultation/legislative-requirements-for-permits/dredging-and-spoildisposal-in-the-marine-park
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service – Threats to Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/indeX.aspX?base=667
Department of the Environment – World Heritage Criteria
http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/heritage/about-australias-heritage/world-heritage/world-heritagecriteria
©ABC 2014
©ABC 2014
Activity
Episode 6
11 March 2014
th
Soft Drink Ban
Key Learning
Students will learn more about the sugar content of food and drink and how to use nutrition information
panels to find sugar content. They will examine the effects of sugar and investigate ways of promoting
preventative health through healthy eating.
The Australian Curriculum
Health and Physical Education/Personal, Social and
Community Health/Being Healthy, Safe and Active
Plan and practice strategies to promote health, safety and
wellbeing year 5
(ACPPS054)
Health and Physical Education/Personal, Social and
Community Health/Being Healthy, Safe and Active
Plan and practice strategies to promote health, safety and
wellbeing year 6
(ACPPS054)
Health and Physical Education/Personal, Social and
Community Health/Contributing to Healthy and Active
Communities
Health and Physical Education/Personal, Social and
Community Health/Contributing to Healthy and Active
Communities
Investigate the role of preventative health in promoting and
maintaining health, safety and wellbeing for individuals and their
Investigate the role of preventative health in promoting and
maintaining health, safety and wellbeing for individuals and their
communities year 5
(ACPPS058)
communities year 6
(ACPPS058)
Discussion Questions
11. What are the students measuring?
12. How much does one teaspoon of sugar equal in grams?
13. How many teaspoons were there in the can of cola?
14. Apart from fizzy drinks, what other drinks can be high in sugar?
15. Which drink had the most sugar:
d) The flavoured milk?
e) The sports drink?
f)
The orange juice?
16. What new rule does the ACT government want to bring in for schools?
17. Would it be the only state to ban sugary drinks in schools?
18. What percentage of kids has sugary drinks almost every day?
19. Do you think the government should do something to discourage people from buying sugary drinks?
20. What do you think the best solution would be?
©ABC 2014
Activities
The Effects of Sugar
After watching BtN Soft Drink Ban story ask students the following questions to find out what they know
about the effects of sugar. Students will compare their responses.
Questions
What foods and drinks do you consume that contain sugar?
How does sugar affect you? Think about your energy levels, health, behaviour and sleep.
What changes do you notice when you eat sugar?
What types of food contain sugar?
What types of foods don’t contain sugar?
What are some good things about sugar?
What are some problems that are caused by eating too much sugar?
Activity - Sugar Ranking
Provide, or ask students to provide, a variety of drink containers (full or empty). For example: soft drinks, fruit
drinks, juice, iced tea, sports drinks, flavoured water.
Break students into groups and, without looking at labels, ask the groups to rank the drinks according to how
much sugar they think each contains. Then ask them to look at the nutrition information panels on each
drink.
How much sugar does each drink contain per package?
Ask students to compile a new list of drinks from the most sugary to the least. How does it compare to
their first list?
Were there any big surprises?
Discussion:
Discuss the use of words/colours/pictures and
how they can convey messages about the
product.
Are drinks trying to seem healthy, tasty, cool,
etc?
Are there any drinks which seem to be healthier
than they actually are?
Class Debate - Changing Behaviour
The government adds tax to the price of alcohol and cigarettes to try and discourage people from buying
them. Overseas there have been some calls for governments to put a tax on sugary drinks too.
Organise a class debate on the subject: “Should sugary drinks be taxed?” Ask students to think about the
following:
Would you stop buying sugary drinks if they cost a bit more?
©ABC 2014
Should governments be interfering in what people eat and drink?
Ask students to suggest their own ways of changing people’s behaviour when it comes to sugary drinks.
Types of Sugar
Sugar comes in many forms. Here are some of the common words for different types of sugar that you might
find on ingredients labels. Hint: the words “syrup”, “sweetener”, and anything ending in “ose” can usually be
assumed to be “sugar”.
Barley Malt
Powdered Sugar
Raw Sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Cane Juice
Corn Sweetener
Fructose
Dextrose
Sucrose
Maltodextrin
Corn Syrup
Saccharose
Honey
Glucose
Activity - Finding Sugar
Below is the nutrition information for a packet of muesli bars. Ask students to look at the list of ingredients
and identify sugars.
INGREDIENTS: Oat bran, rice, corn syrup, sugar, fructose, whole grain rolled oats,
dextrose, oat and fruit clusters (toasted oats [rolled oats, strawberry flavoured apples,
corn syrup, brown sugar, natural and artificial flavours]), high fructose corn syrup,
vegetable oil, contains 2% or less of potassium chloride, brown sugar, sorbitol,
glycerine, malt flavouring, natural and artificial flavour, salt, soy, lecithin, niacinamide,
non-fat dry milk, whole wheat flour, BHT, vitamin A, B6, rivin, thiamine mononitrate,
folic acid, vitamin B12.
When a food label says ‘No Added Sugar’ the product may contain naturally occurring sugars e.g.
lactose (milk sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar), but no additional sugars have been added to the
product.
©ABC 2014
Activity – Choosing healthy food
The Dieticians Association of Australia recommends that adults have no more than 90g of sugar per day.
Ask students to choose breakfast, recess, lunch, dinner and drinks from the options below.* Add up the
sugar and see if it stays under the limit.
Fruity Cereal
Sugars: 12g
Egg muffin
Sugars: 3g
Muesli bar
Sugars: 20g
Chocolate bar
Sugars: 20g
Meat Pie
Sugars: 2g
Ham and Salad
Sandwich
Sugars: 2g
Spaghetti Bolognese
Sugars: 7g
Whole Milk
Sugars: 5g
Pizza (2 slices)
Sugars: 8g
Water
Sugars: 0g
Wheat Cereal
Sugars: 4g
Apple
Sugars: 12g
Hamburger
Sugars: 13g
Chicken & Veggies
Sugars: 6g
Sports Drink
(750mL)
Sugars: 45g
Porridge (plain)
Sugars: 0g
Toast and Jam
Sugars: 15g
Cheese Sticks (2)
Sugars: 2g
Snack pack
Sugars: 7g
Chicken Salad
Sugars:3g
Peanut butter
sandwich
Sugars: 6g
Pad Thai noodles
Sugars: 12g
Beef Chow Mein
Sugars: 2g
Fried Chicken and
Coleslaw
Sugars: 14g
Soft Drink (can)
Sugars: 39g
Fruit Drink
Sugars: 10g
Banana
Sugars: 12g
Yoghurt
Sugars: 27g
Sushi
sugars: 4g
Orange Juice
Sugars: 8g
*these figures are estimates only and may vary depending on brands and ingredients.
Daily Menu:
Food and Drink
Sugars
BREAKFAST
RECESS
LUNCH
DINNER
Total sugars:
©ABC 2014
he World Health Organisation has recently recommended that people reduce their sugar intake to 30g a
day. Can you design a menu that comes in under the limit?
Remember – Low in sugar doesn’t always mean healthy!
What other things should you look for when choosing healthy food?
According to the chart, a banana has more sugar than a meat pie. Does that
mean the pie is healthier? Why/why not?
Do some research and find out the fat and salt content of the foods that you
chose. Would that change your choice?
Further Investigation
Keep a food diary for a day. Use nutrition information labels and online nutrition calculators to find out how
much sugar you’re eating and drinking.
Visit your school canteen and analyse the amount of sugar found in the food. What ingredients are used to
make the foods found in your school canteen?
 Related Research Links
Behind the News – Bitter Sweet
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3825542.htm
Behind the News – Slimming Soft Drinks
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3529615.htm
ABC News - ACT Government to remove sugary drinks from sale at schools by 2017
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-21/act-government-to-remove-sugary-drinks-from-sale-at-schools-by/5274232
Victorian Government Better Health – Sugar
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sugar
Exploratorium – What is sugar?
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/sugar.html
CBBC Newsround – Should we tax sugary drinks to help kids’ health?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/21241761
Dietitians Association of Australia - Sugars
http://daa.asn.au/?page_id=868
Child and Youth Health – Sugar
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=284&id=2685
©ABC 2014
BtN: Episode 6 Transcript 11/3/14
Coming up
Parent’s versus kids: Who's more addicted to screen-time at home?
Find out how much sugar you're sipping without even knowing it.
And we meet some of Australia's gun athletes competing at the winter Paralympics.
Hey, I'm Nathan and, of course, this is BtN. That stuff will all be up a bit later on.
But first, there's some big news about a plane crash to hear about in the wire.
The Wire
A Malaysia airlines flight carrying six Australians has gone missing. The plane was carrying
239 people when it disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It lost contact
with air traffic controllers without reporting any problems. Lots of planes and ships have
been sent to the area, including two Australian Air Force planes. So far an oil slick and
what looks like debris have been spotted. Authorities are looking into what might have
happened.
*******
There's still plenty going on in Ukraine. Most of it centred around an area called Crimea.
Last week, Russia sent troops there. Now the Crimean parliament's decided it wants to
become part of Russia. But it's up to the people to vote on it this weekend. All of this is
making the new Ukrainian government angry. It says Crimea is part of Ukraine and it's not
going to give it up.
*******
And how would you like to get paid to eat your veggies? Over in the US kids are getting
around 25 cents a day to eat their greens. It's part of a trial to try to tackle childhood
obesity. It might not be much money but it's already paying off. Researchers have found it
helped double the amount of healthy stuff kids ate. The idea's been suggested to the
Australian government.
East Vs West
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
©ABC 2014
INTRO: As you saw there the situation in Ukraine is continuing to make headlines. Other
countries are now involved too: Russia on one side and the US on the other. Some are
saying the old tensions between the East and the West are back. But what do East and
West actually refer to? Matt reveals all.
NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Imagine if you put a big red line right down the middle of
Australia, where one side wanted very different things to the other.
VOICE 1: More chocolate biscuits.
VOICE 2: More chips.
No, not little things, serious issues; like the kind of government people are prepared to
follow and the countries they want to be friends with.
VOICE 1: Friends?
VOICE 2: Friends?
Well, that's not so different to what Ukraine's dealing with at the moment. One country
looks a bit more like two. One side wants things run one way, the other wants it run a very
different way. It's even being called a fight between the East and the West.
But they're not referring to the two sides of the country. No, east versus west goes back a
lot longer than that. Back to before Ukraine was even a country.
Around twenty years ago, Ukraine used to be part of the Soviet Union - a huge area ruled
by one leader - and lots of countries, like Russia, used to be a part of it. It became known as
the East. But there were many who didn't agree with them. The US, UK and some
European countries were among them. Those countries were called (you guessed it) the
West, and East and West didn't get along. They fought a decades-long war over politics and
ways of life. It was called the Cold War. Cold, not because of the temperature, but because
the two never directly fought each other. And even though the Cold War ended more than
twenty years ago in some ways it's still having an impact.
See, when the Soviet Union broke up, Ukraine became its own country. For some, that
meant it could start to follow the ways of Western countries, like the US and Europe. But
others wanted Ukraine to stick with the Eastern ideas they knew, which meant following
Russia and today, not much has changed.
That's part of what these protests were all about - the fight between Eastern and Western
ideas: Eastern and Western economies, Eastern and Western friends. But while the
©ABC 2014
violence has stopped for now, the issue is far from solved. Since then, Russia has stepped
in to support the eastern side.
It's taken over an area of Ukraine called Crimea. It says it's doing it to protect the Russian
people who live there. Many of those people support Russia coming in too. The Crimean
parliament is even letting people vote on whether to stay part of Ukraine, or join Russia.
But the temporary Ukrainian government, who supports the west, really isn't cool with any
of it. It's asked for international help to get Russia to back off and US President, Barack
Obama, is on board to support the Western side.
BARACK OBAMA: Above all, we believe the Ukrainian people should decide their future.
And that puts Ukraine in an interesting position. It's now caught in the middle of an
argument between the world's most powerful countries. And that's why some people are
calling it a fight between East and West: Two very different ideas each fighting for what
they think is right.
Quiz 1
OK, test time. The flag of the Soviet Union, or USSR, was which colour?
Blue
White
or Red?
The answer is Red.
Here's a pic of it as you can see it also had a little yellow hammer and sickle in the corner.
It stopped being used in 1991 when the Soviet Union broke up. Up next:
World Heritage
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: The Great Barrier Reef has been at the centre of a big fight recently. The
argument revolves around whether some development work there might lead to damage
of the natural World Heritage site. Tash found out what being a 'World Heritage Listed'
site means and where both sides stand.
©ABC 2014
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: These places are on a very special list; a list that
recognises them for their mystery, beauty, meaning and history. It's called the World
Heritage List.
It was set up by UNESCO, a part of the United Nations. In the 1970s, a group of countries
got together and decided they wanted to protect certain sites and places around the world.
They came up with the World Heritage Convention. A special group has the job of deciding
which sites are culturally and naturally important enough to be on the list and countries
that are signed up promise not to do anything that will damage them. At the moment,
there are 981 sites in 160 countries on the World Heritage List. 19 of them are in Australia.
The problem is some of our best-known sites are close to some of our most valuable
resources.
Here at Abbot Point in north Queensland, there are big plans to create one of the world's
biggest coal ports. It's expected to bring in a lot of business for locals, new jobs and more
money for the state. The trouble is it's right near the Great Barrier Reef, and since the reef
is on the World Heritage list, a lot of people are worried it might be affected.
Here's why: At the moment, the water is too shallow for big export boats to dock. So to
make room, three-million cubic metres of dredge material, including sand, silt and clay
from the bottom of the port, will have to be dug up and dumped over the course of a few
years. But where? Well, it's going to be put in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Although it's going to be well-away from the nearest reef, some people reckon that, if some
of it drifts it, might damage the health of things like coral and sea grasses. It could also
have an impact on tourism and fishing industries.
TERRY, FISHERMAN: We just thought if they dump this spoil on land it would have a
better economic benefit to the town, but now they've given the approval to dump at sea
well, it's, it's unknown what's going to happen.
But others say the dumping won't have an impact on the reef. The Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Authority who gave final approval says there'll be a lot of strict conditions that
have to be followed like when the dumps can happen and where. And they say they'll be
checking to make sure their instructions are followed.
RUSSELL REICHELT, GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK AUTHORITY: Dredging
activity is legitimate and there is provisions in our zoning plan for it.
The dredging might not start for another year or so and once it does, all eyes will be on the
Great Barrier Reef to make sure the reputation of this World Heritage area isn't muddied.
Quiz 2
©ABC 2014
Okay how does a quiz sound?
Which country has the most world heritage sites?
America
Australia
or Italy?
The answer: Italy.
Italy has 49 world heritage sites - 4 natural and 45 cultural. The next highest is China with
45 all up.
Screen Addicts
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: Right. It's the new way to pass time between every other task in your day, just
pick up a phone or tablet and bang, you're entertained! But what effect is all this screen
time having on us? And what effect is it having on families? Tash quizzed the parents
and kids in one family to find out who's more of an addict.
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: For ages parents have told their kids to spend less time
in front of a screen, but times have changed. Now it's a family problem! Okay, so it's not
quite that extreme in this family, but it's still an issue.
John, Rose, Leo and Jiarna love using technology.
LEO: I'm not downloading anything but I'm just watching, like, YouTube and stuff. It's
entertaining for me.
JOHN: Is that necessary every single night?
JIARNA: Sometimes we need it for homework, we need to go researching. It's not always
social network. What about when you're doing things like you're cooking dinner and you're
on your phone as well multi-tasking, texting, calling, doing emails while cooking dinner.
ROSE: That's multi-tasking!
©ABC 2014
LEO: Sometimes I see Mum and I say something and she, at least you could just come up
and say 'Oh okay, but I'm working on this so I need some time' but you don't do that, you
just ignore me, stuff like that.
JIARNA: Same with you, Dad. When you're outside working, you're on your phone every
now and again checking your messages.
JOHN: Generally it'll always be work-related.
So, is all this technology affecting our lives? Research has found that all that screen time
can change our brains. It has to do with a chemical in our brain called 'dopamine'.
Scientists reckon that when we're using smart technology that chemical is released, making
us feel happy, and it makes us want to use it more often.
Others say it can affect our health. Looking down at a screen can be bad for our posture,
the brightness of a screen might not be good for our eyes, and some people can be left
feeling anxious and distracted if stopped from using it. That's something experts like
Jocelyn say comes down to the way some apps are designed.
JOCELYN BREWER, PSYCHOLOGIST: The negatives, I guess, can sometimes be the inbuilt addictive qualities that some of the apps have, which get you just to want to be in
them all the time and make them really hard to put down.
REPORTER: Is it addictive? Like do you find that you're on it every morning, every night
when you get home from school?
JIARNA: Definitely, definitely. I'm on it as soon as I wake up in the morning, you know
going to bed at night. Just the different things you can go on it, it's just so easy to use.
LEO: Same with me, just find it fun in a way that I can just use the technology.
Technology is a big part of our lives and comes with a lot of positives, but it's certainly
worth thinking about how we use it.
Online Poll
Do you relate to that story at all? One click on our website and you can tell us. Here's what
we're wanting to know:
Do you think you spend too much time in front of a screen?
Let us know.
Last week we asked you if Australia should have food star rating labels.
And it seems heaps of you gave the plan five stars as well.
81 % went for yes.
©ABC 2014
Softdrink Ban
Reporters: Nick Maher
INTRO: The World Health Organisation has just recommended people halve the amount
of sugar in their diet. The ACT government agrees. It's announced it's going to ban soft
drink from all state primary schools there. But do soft drinks really have that much sugar
in them? Nick found out.
NIC MAHER, REPORTER:
TEACHER: OK everyone. Now, today, you know we're going to be looking at how much
sugar is in these various drinks.
Most people know there's some sugar in soft drinks - it's right there on the label! But how
much sugar does that actually mean?
REPORTER: Tell me what we're doing today.
KID 1: We're experimenting on how much sugar is in drinks
REPORTER: So how many grams go into one teaspoon?
KID 1: 1 teaspoon equals 4 grams
REPORTER: This is a can of cola. It's going to have a lot of sugar in it isn't it?
KID 1: Yeh
REPORTER: So how much has it got?
KID 1: If you look here, sugar per serving, it's 40 grams
REPORTER: 40 grams so how many teaspoons is that?
KID 1: About 10 teaspoons
REPORTER: Oh right! That's a lot of sugar in a drink isn't it?
KID 1: Yeh!
REPORTER: Would you eat 10 teaspoons of sugar just by itself?
KID 1: No
REPORTER: Yeh, it's a bit gross!
But it's not just fizzy drinks we need to look out for! Some juices, milks and sports drinks
can have just as much sugar!
KID 1: I reckon there was more sugar than expected in the fruit drinks. It was a very big
surprise
KID 2: There was a lot of sugar in the juices and milk, because milk is nutritious but then
there's a lot of sugars in there. So it was really surprising.
©ABC 2014
STUDENTS: In this sports drink there are 9 teaspoons of sugar
STUDENTS: In this flavoured milk there are almost 15 teaspoons of sugar
STUDENTS: In this fruit juice there are 28 teaspoons of sugar
That's why the ACT government wants to ban sugary drinks from public schools. Most of
the other states have already gotten rid of them. But there are still a bunch of schools
where kids can get them.
Almost half of the kids in Australia have sugary drinks every day! Health experts say too
much sugar can cause a lot of problems, like diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
REPORTER: So do you think they should be banned in schools?
KID 3: Yeh, because there's heaps of sugar and it can affect your teeth.
KID 2: They should be banned but, like, on special occasions, like end of year concert or
graduation or farewells, you might have some then.
Some of these kids even had a few suggestions on how to solve the problem.
KID 2: They should have a picture or something saying how many teaspoons of sugar are
in that beverage so they know that it's bad for you and bad for your health.
KID 3: With creaming soda, coke and Pepsi there's too much sugar in those and it's a good
idea to raise the price.
Raising the price is something the Cancer Council, Heart Foundation and other
organisations are already trying to do. They say a soft drink tax would be a good idea but
not everyone agrees.
Australia's Food and Grocery Council represent the people that make the drinks. They
reckon a tax would hurt business and that it's unfair because their drinks aren't the only
thing that contributes to obesity.
But for these kids their experiments have made them think twice about the amount of
sugar they drink.
KID 1: I'm definitely going to drink less like for special occasions and yeh from now on just
not as much as I used to.
Presenter: Right, if it's sports you want next, then it's sports you'll get. If it's not - too bad.
The Score
©ABC 2014
The Bendigo Spirit has won the WNBL championship for the second time in a row. They
lead the Townsville Fire for most of the game. Bendigo got over the line with an 11-point
win putting out Townsville's fire 94-83.
“This is a champion team”
*******
The Paralympics kicked off over the weekend. Teams from around the world took part in
the opening ceremony at Sochi. Competition's now underway.
And Aussies Toby Kane and Mitchell Gourey have taken to the slopes in the super-G event.
While both boys gave it their all they didn't finish the race. Toby says the course was quite
bumpy.
TOBY: "I think what happened was the snow just kinda gave way when I was trying to lay it
on edge. And that's a little disappointing. And it's quite bumpy in places, which is harder
on one ski."
The team includes 14-year old Ben Tudhope who’s making his Paralympic debut competing
in the Snowboard cross. He takes to the snow on Friday.
*******
Last month, we told you about three guys setting out to paddleboard across Bass Straight.
Well, they've completed their adventure! The trio set off from the southernmost tip of
mainland Australia last Tuesday and arrived on the shores of Tassie a week later.
*******
And finally, Aussie soccer star Tim Cahill has become the top goal scorer in the history of
the Socceroos. He's now scored 31 goals for the national team. He picked up two in the
friendly against Ecuador. The Aussies lost the match 4 - 3.
Paralympic Profiles
Reporter: Matt Macklin
INTRO: As you saw there, the 2014 Winter Paralympics have kicked off. And you can see
all the action here on ABC TV. So to get you warmed up for all those cold weather sports,
here's an introduction to some of our elite athletes, from Mack.
MATT MACKLIN, REPORTER: Imagine skiing down a really steep slope, sometimes going
as fast as a car on a highway.
©ABC 2014
That's how fast some of our paralympians will be going in Sochi. Except, they won't be
doing it on four wheels...some will be doing it on one leg!
This year Australia has sent a team of 11 to take on the best winter paralympians in the
world.
One of them is Victoria.
VICTORIA PENERGAST, PARALYMPIAN: My disability, sacral agenesis, is I'm basically
missing the sacral part of my spine. So everything below my spine is affected.
REPORTER: Because of her disability, Victoria skis differently to how you or I would.
VICTORIA PENERGAST: My bucket, it's called a monoski or a sit ski. It's just a bucket I
sit in which is attached to, like, a spring-like mechanism which acts like your knee would.
So, it compresses and releases when I'm going in and out of a turn and that whole
contraption goes into one ski and it just clips in.
I guess there is a level of daredevil slash recklessness in there somewhere; I mean when I
first got in the sitski I went “aw, this is crazy”.
REPORTER: Another of Australia's athletes, Jessica, competes at both summer and winter
Paralympics.
JESSICA GALLAGHER: Competing for Australia in the summer and winter Paralympics is
quite unique, but it's also very, very difficult. I was in London as a track and field athlete.
I love that I get to be challenged in both of those environments.
REPORTER: Jessica is legally blind. She only has eight per cent vision.
So you're probably wondering how she can ski at such high speeds...
Well, she doesn't ski alone.
JESSICA GALLAGHER: Christian started being my guide in September of 2013, so it's only
been five/six months that we've been working together and everyday we're getting stronger
as a partnership.
REPORTER: Jessica and Christian talk over a headset while they're skiing. Christian gives
Jessica directions. And makes sure she makes each turn.
JESSICA GALLAGHER: The trust between an athlete and a guide is incredible. It's one of
those things that need to be developed to have a successful relationship.
©ABC 2014
REPORTER: For Mitchell, downhill skiing is his life.
But he spent his childhood competing in pretty much anything he could.
MITCHELL GOURLEY: Yeah played a heap of sports as a kid. Football, basketball, cricket,
hockey, tennis, everything, rode my bike a lot, still ride my bike a lot.
REPORTER: That passion for sport saw him become one of the youngest members on the
Australian Paralympics ski team.
MITCHELL GOURLEY: I grew up around those guys, probably had as much influence
from them spending six or seven months in close contact every year as opposed to my
family and friends who I probably see half that amount of time.
REPORTER: But now the serious business of competition has begun.
And Mitchell is more than ready for it.
MITCHELL GOURLEY: I think I need to live in the moment and I guess just put it all out
there because I may not get another chance, there are no guarantees in this world.
REPORTER: But there is one guarantee for those of us watching at home.
These guys will all put on an amazing show.
Closer
Right, that's about all we can fit in today. But the fun doesn't have to end here. Head to our
website to have your say and read what other kids have to say too. Or you can shout out
anytime using the hash tag behind the news. Catch ya next time!
©ABC 2014