Monday, 28 March, 2022
Buddy’s big weekend; why vampire bats suck blood; the salad-munching astronauts; and why everyone’s talking about Bruno.
LINKS
Buddy’s big moment: https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/america-in-awe-of-buddy-franklin-as-afl-star-goes-global/news-story/47cb3dba111bce64c78e58c4b6905af8
Buddy’s big moment in stats: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-26/is-lance-franklin-the-greatest-of-all-time-afl-vfl/100919332
Blood-sucking bats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLp-ls8AoaU
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/common-vampire-bat
Living on Mars https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-02-21/mars-a-space-travellers-guide/13160206
Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Discovery Tours:
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/fresh-food-kids/discoverytours
Squiz Kids for Schools: https://www.squizkids.com.au/squiz-kids-for-schools/
Squiz Kids Apple Subscriber Content: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/squiz-kids/id1494238283
How To Become A Squiz Kids Correspondent: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FH2HA28InnLU6UxE91wrLBAbCMT40Mua/view
Squiz Kids Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squizkids/?hl=en
Got a birthday coming up and you want a shout-out? Send us an email at [email protected]
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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There were plenty of big sporting events over the weekend. Multiple games of NRL and AFL. The Australian mens’ cricket team closing out the Test series to beat Pakistan on home soil. Nick Kyrgios battling it out in the Miami Open tennis tournament and the Super Netball kicking off in spectacular style.
But when all was said and done, there was only one sporting achievement that dominated the weekend: and that was Sydney Swans star forward Buddy Franklin kicking the 1000th goal of his career.
Think about that for a moment. That’s 1000 times in the heat of play, at the highest level of the most popular sport in Australia, that Buddy has lined up a goal and slotted it.
He’s only the sixth player in the history of the game to achieve the remarkable feat.
Which helps explain why, when his goal sailed through the goal posts on Friday night at the Sydney Cricket Ground, thousands of excited fans ran onto the field to congratulate him.
Buddy was swamped by well-wishers in what those who were there said ranked as one of the most exciting moments in sport they’d ever seen.
I’ve stuck a link to video of the moment in today’s episode notes.
And the best bit? How humble he was afterwards. Humble means to be modest about your achievements. Speaking to journalists after the game, Buddy said in his 18 years of playing professional footy, there’s no way he would have gotten half of his 1000 goals if it wasn’t for all the hard work of his team mates. And that’s the sign of a true champion.
SPIN THE GLOBE
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Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a news story from wherever it stops .. and today we’ve landed in Central and South America, where scientists have uncovered the secret of the vampire bats who vant to suck your blooood. [Said in your best Transylvanian accent.] These 8-centimetre long bats are real-life Draculas! Every night, they head out to bite farm animals with their razor sharp fangs, then lap up the blood that oozes out.
They’re the only mammals in the world to survive on a diet of pure blood… which, one bat expert says, should be a “terrible food source.” Why? Because blood has hardly any calories, no carbs, and very little fat. So how do vampire bats survive on blood alone? Well, scientists have compared the DNA of vampire bats with 26 other bat species, and found that 13 genes are missing or not working in the vampire bats… which has allowed them to adapt to their gory diet. I’ve popped a link with more information on vampire bats in your episode notes… and because I know you’ll ask, yes, they have been known to feast on human blood as well. Best to sleep inside when you’re in vampire bat country. Or take an armoured suit to sleep in instead of jarmies ..
SPACED OUT
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Hands up if you think you’d like to grow up to become an astronaut. Keep your hands up if your favourite thing to eat is salad. How many of you still have your hands up? Definitely not my two kids ..
But salad – and veggies and greens of all varieties – is exactly what the astronaut of the future is going to have to get used to eating after a series of successful experiments to grow plants up in space.
Astronauts on the International Space Station – which is the space station permanently in orbit, spinning around the Earth, 420 kilometres above our heads – have worked out how to grow lettuce, barley, radishes and even chilis.
Which – while that may not sound exciting to you – is really exciting for the future of long distance space travel.
Because if we’re serious about sending humans to Mars – at the moment the trip to get to Mars and back would take three whole years. So we need to be able to grow our own veggies during that time – because imagine eating a lettuce that had been put in the fridge three years ago. Not pleasant.
There’s a link to a cool bunch of resources about living on Mars in today’s episode notes..
POP CULTURE CORNER
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So, the song says we’re not meant to talk about Bruno, but someone clearly forgot to tell the organisers of this year’s Academy Awards .. the biggest movie awards night of the year.
All the big movie stars and all the clever creative people who make movies will put on their best suits and best dresses for the big event in Hollywood – which is in Los Angeles, in the US – and walk down the red carpet around midday our time today to sit in a big auditorium to see who is going to win a gold statue, called an Oscar.
It’s kind of like your end of year school assembly. But with maybe more make-up.
The five movies nominated for the Best Animated movie Oscar are Flee, Raya: The Last Dragon, Mitchells v Machines, Luca and Encanto.
Australia’s hopes for an Oscar lie with actress Nicole Kidman – who’s been nominated five times and won once already – and actor Kodi Smit-McPhee – who’s only 25 years old.
We also have two cinematographers in the running for a gold statue … cinematographers are the people who decide what the camera looks at, and how it looks at it.
Flying the flag for Australia in this important category will be Greig Fraser for his work on the sci-fi epic, Dune and Ari Wegner for a movie that was filmed in New Zealand called The Power Of The Dog … if Ari wins, it will be the first time a woman has won the cinematography award. Go Ari !
Beyonce and Billie Eilish will perform live during the ceremony …and there will even be a live performance of -you guessed it – We Don’t Talk About Bruno .. after it went viral on the internet earlier this year.
Which officially makes that the song that just won’t go away.
FARMER Q+A
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The Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Discovery Tour program is about teaching primary school kids… that’s you… where our fruit and veggies come from. It’s a classroom experience with fun digital activities, designed with the help of smart foodie people – educators, nutritionists and a food scientist to help kids learn about how food gets from the farm all the way to your fork.
On Wednesday we are visiting country Queensland to talk to Agronomist Brigette about the process of growing avocados. You’ll be able to hear that chat right here on the Squiz Kids podcast.
And teachers if your looking to bring the farming and sustainability world into your classroom, you can request a free classroom kit at woolworths.com.au/discoverytours
THE S’QUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- What’s the name of the AFL footy player who kicked his 1000th goal on Friday night?
- What do vampire bats have for dinner?
- What’s the name starting with the O given to the big movie awards ceremony in Hollywood?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s March 28 … birthday of Lady Gaga … plus on this day, 228 years ago, the Louvre museum opened its doors in Paris .. oh la la.
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today…
Wesley from Brisbane, Josefine and Amelia from Exeter, Macey from Petersham, Heidi from Quirindi and Connie from Abbotsford.
And belated birthdays shout outs go to… Allie and Lucy from Centennial Park, Rory from Thornbury, Gabe from Albany Hills and Penny from Erskinville.
Classroom shout outs today go to class 5R and Mrs Ryan at Engadine West Public School and class 3F with Ms Fischer and Mrs King at Valentine Public School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin
- Blood
- The Oscars