Friday, 17 September, 2021
Submarines and staying safe; why Iceland wants your footprint; the teenage footy grand final star; and the Masked Singer’s Dannii Minogue.
LINKS
Squiz Kids Q+A with Dannii Minogue: https://www.squizkids.com.au/podcast/squiz-kids-qa-with-dannii-minogue/
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]
Squiz Kids is proudly supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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Submarines … they’re a crazy piece of technology when you think about it. A great big steel can, that can dive deep below the surface of the ocean, carrying about 100 people, all eating, breathing, sleeping and working underwater for weeks at a time.
They’re quite remarkable when you think about it. And ‘thinking about subs’ is what Australia is going to be doing quite a bit of in the coming years following news yesterday that our country had signed a deal with the United States and the United Kingdom to develop a fleet of what’s called ‘nuclear submarines’.
Nuclear technology is both a very clever, and a very controversial science. In a nutshell, it’s a way of generating vast amounts of power – which you need to make a submarine work – from a relatively small piece of machinery called a reactor.
The submarine deal Australia has just signed is all part of a new pact – or agreement – announced yesterday between Australia, America and Great Britain – where each country has agreed to help out the other one.
It’s a bit like when you’re at school or down at the oval and you’re picking kids to be on your footy or netball team.
Now why – I hear you ask – is Australia picking countries to be on its team that are on the other side of the Earth? It’s all about strategy, you see.
Down here in our part of the world, China is getting bigger and stronger with every year that passes. And that’s good and exciting for lots of different reasons.
But it could also pose a threat going forward. And by building submarines with some of our big friends in other parts of the world, Australia is making sure that it’s got some powerful friends on its side – ready to tackle anything.
And there’s your geopolitics lesson for the week.
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 Iceland, where a massive increase in tourism was causing problems until locals had a bright idea: when visitors arrive, ask them to promise to behave. Iceland’s Tourist Pledge asks tourists to commit to being respectful travelers … and since it was introduced five years ago, stories about tourists camping illegally, damaging the environment, and even using cemeteries as a toilet – YUCK – have dropped off significantly.
If it happened five years ago, why are we telling you now? Well, when tourism first shut down at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, people in other travel destinations noticed that there were a few things they LIKED about not having visitors. And now that tourism is starting up again around the world, Hawaii, Canada, Finland, and more are introducing similar pledges to Iceland’s. Each one is different, but the general idea is the same … take only photos, leave only footprints.
SPORT TIME
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The Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs will both enjoy a weekend off this weekend – in preparation for next Saturday’s AFL Grand Final in Perth.
And one player who’ll be working hard to keep the nerves under control more than most is 19 year old Demons half-forward Jake Bowey. As well as being a teenager about to play in the biggest game of the year, when he runs onto the pitch at Optus Stadium next Saturday, it will only be his seventh ever game in the professional league. No pressure then …
For those of you who love your footy to be of the rugby league kind, there’s no rest for you this weekend – with plenty to distract and entertain. The Sea Eagles and the Roosters will battle it out tonight, while the Eels will take on the Panthers tomorrow night – with all four teams fighting it out make it to next weekend’s preliminary finals – ahead of the NRL grand final on October 3.
And for those who prefer rugby union .. don’t worry – you’re catered for too .. the Wallabies will take on world champs South Africa on Saturday in Brisbane, hoping to back up last weekend’s stunning victory for the green and gold.
Phew .. I’m exhausted just thinking about it all …
SPACED OUT
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And we have lift-off! Better than that, we have four ordinary people currently in orbit above our heads following the successful launch into space yesterday of the SpaceX rocket ship.
It’s the first time people who aren’t professional astronauts have been in orbit above Earth – and marks the start of what’s called ‘space tourism’ – which is to say that one day you and I could go into space.
Speaking of astronauts – Australia’s flag could soon be flying on the moon – after comments yesterday from a high-ranking member of NASA – the American space agency – who said she fully expected Australia to be involved in the next human mission to the moon, and then, after that, the mission to Mars. Instead of astronauts, we’re talking Aussienauts … how cool is that?
Q+A TIME
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Yes indeed it is Q+A time folks … Masked Singer judge and all-round awesome human Dannii Minogue has kindly taken time out from guessing the identity of singing pavlova to answer your excellent questions .. how did she turn music into a career?; tips for following a creative career path, and why being famous is not all its cracked up to be. It’s all there in a very special Squiz Kids Q+A which is out now … if you’re listening via a podcasting app, it should play automatically after this episode of Squiz Kids – otherwise search for it in your app or via the Squiz Kids website – squizkids.com.au.
ATTENTION TEACHERS …
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Attention all teachers … school holidays are upon us!! [cheer] Now, we know you work over the holidays, which is why we want to assure you that we’ll be busy too … Very busy in fact. So busy, that when we all come back for Term 4 – we’ll be doing so with a brand new Squiz Kids offering – made just for you.
I’m not going to say more than that just now – but rest assured it’s been trialled and tested and held up to the light and examined and refined — all with the goal in mind of making your life easier, and your kids smarter.
In the meantime, check out our website – squizkids.com.au – for clues – and to register your interest.
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 …
- Which country has been asking visitors to sign a tourist pledge to protect the environment?
- Name one of the two teams playing the AFL Grand Final next weekend?
- Which Aussie entertainer and Masked Singer judge is the subject of the latest Squiz Kids Q+A?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s September 17 .. today is Australian Citizenship Day .. when thousands of people all over the country will become Aussies – and those of who already are are encouraged to stop and think about what an awesome country we live in ..
It’s also a Friday – and you know what that means … time for the old birthday reggae tune … hit it …
And it’s a very happy birthday Cobe from Invermay, Skarlett from Sandy Bay, Harrison from Goulburn, Siobhan from Dee Why, Lizzie from Pennant Hills, Zara from the Gold Coast, Monica from North Ryde, Jessica from Guildford, Ailani from Mortlake, April from Granton, Alexia, Gabi and Riley from Abbotsford and AJ – who’s tuning in all the way from Los Angeles.
A belated birthday shout out goes to ….Owen from Yarraville
And not forgetting of course those Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday over the weekend… first up, to my excellent nephew Archie, Thomas and Oliver from Hawthorn, Felicity from Coogee, Dhirann from Hurstville, Atticus from Bentleigh, Rowan from Exeter, Isabella and Noelle from Fairfield Heights, Will from Cherrybrook and an extra special shout out to Jack from Paddington – and to my good friend, Ethan from Melbourne. Hope that Minecraft challenge went well …
Kids celebrating a birthday over the school holidays … panic not .. you won’t be forgotten … we’ll give you all a shout when we’re back in Term 4 ..
And finally … because our friends in Melbourne, Canberra and most of NSW are in lockdown – we’re sending out the last Home Learning Herograms for the term … for which we’re changing tunes and punching out the Home Learning dance track … get your groove things on …
And it’s a Home Learning Herogram to 4S at East Ryde Public School, class 5D at Narrabri Public School, class 3W at Ulladulla Public School and class 4C at Alamanda College in Melbourne.
Herograms also go to class 6Y at Catherine McAuley Primary School in Orange, class 4H and 3E at Cronulla Public School and 5/6H at Abbotsford Public School.
Year 3 at Lilli Pilli Public School would like to send a thank you shout out to Mrs Smith and Mrs Fogarty. Neve sends a shout out to her class 5AJ and Mrs Jeeves and Miss Payne sends a home learning shout out to her year 2 students at Narromine Christian School.
Class 3R at Ryde East would like to thank their teacher Mr Rothery for doing a super job teaching online and all the students at Wauchope Public School sent a big shout out to all their teachers. Lastly a herogram for class 4B and 4W at St John the Apostle Catholic School in Narraweena and happy birthday to classmate Livia for the weekend.
Phew …
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Iceland
- Melbourne Demons or Western Bulldogs
- Dannii Minogue