Friday May 8, 2020
COVID recoveries surge; Bronze Age chieftain found under skate park; Baseball lockdown-style; and Banksy gives back.
LINKS:
SQUIZ KIDS SURVEY LINK: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SquizKids
Bronze Age chieftain:
Banksy: nurse superhero: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52556544
Banksy: rats in the bathroom:
What’s Up Fox:
Reading: The Dead of Night: http://www.johnmarsden.com.au/extracts/the_dead_of_the_night.html
Listening: Two Of Us – Birds of Tokyo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhclQab5cxg
Watching: Blinding Light TikTok Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsHzl9cK1ls
What’s Up Fox Lockdown Spotify Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Y8yJprftjmzIosbZ8pZGh?si=Lqpks0CwTkOOzarLEb3Uzg
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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You’ve probably heard a lot on the news about the number of people around the world who have fallen ill with the coronavirus. But did you know that a vast majority of the people who contract the virus recover from it?
The Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt yesterday reported that more than 6000 Australians have recovered from the coronavirus of the almost 6900 cases that have been recorded here.
The Prime Minister and state leaders will meet again tomorrow to discuss the lifting of lockdown restriction – though most social distancing measures are expected to remain in place for a while longer yet.
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 England … where archeologists have had to call a stop to the construction of a skate park after the remains of a Bronze Age chieftain were discovered during excavation work.
The Bronze Age happened about 4000 years ago – and is so called because it was around the time when humans discovered and started widely using the metal bronze. Which was, like, a really big deal in terms of human history.
The archeologists – who are people who study human history by digging up artefacts – worked out the remains belonged to an important chieftain from the time, thanks to the fact he was buried with two cowhide rugs, a copper dagger with a bone handle and a wrist guard made of a rare green stone.
Your home-school writing task for the day: write a short story about who he was and why he was buried with those cool things. I’ll put a link to the story in the episode notes if you want to take me up on my challenge.
SPORTS TIME!
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Baseball has gotten underway again in South Korea, following a five-week coronavirus-inspired shutdown … but the game that’s just been played is not as anyone has previously known it. For a start, all players wore masks, the cheer squad performed to cameras instead of crowds, and instead of being filled with fans, the stadium was instead populated by rows and rows of life-sized photos of people, all wearing face masks.
Even so, the competition on the pitch remained intense: and a good thing too. Some of the world’s biggest sports TV networks have signed deals to broadcast the South Korean league. Not because their audiences are big fans – but because there’s nothing else to fill the hours and hours of programming.
POP CULTURE CORNER
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The UK’s most famous anonymous artist, Banksy, has struck again. Renowned for his street art and graffiti – plus the fact that while everyone is familiar with his works of art, no one knows who he is – the artist has donated a work to the Southampton Hospital – called Game Changer. It shows a child playing with a superhero nurse doll, while next to him sits a waste paper bin containing a discarded Batman and Spiderman. Banksy says he created the artwork to pay tribute to the great work being done in England by nurses and doctors.
It’s the second work of art Banksy has released since the world has been in lockdown. The first was of rats running amok in his bathroom.
There’s a link in today’s episode notes to both works of art.
WHAT’S UP FOX
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Every Friday we check in with Squiz Kids ambassador, Flynn, known as The Fox to his friends, to see what he’s been listening to, reading and watching.
The book on the bedside table this week is John Marsden’s ‘The Dead Of The Night” – it’s the second book in the series that starts with ‘Tomorrow When The War Began’ – and tells the story of a bunch of Aussie teens who fight back against an invading foreign power. Gripping stuff.
As for listening: he’s loving Birds Of Tokyo’s ‘The Two Of Us’ – it’s a joyous song and video – perfect for these times.
And as far as watching goes: he’s been very amused this week watching the TikTok Blinding Lights Dance Challenge compilation on YouTube. Lots of ordinary folk having a go at a dance challenge set to the tune of The Weeknd’s hit song.
There are links to all these cool things in today’s episode notes – as well as a link to the What’s Up Fox Lockdown Spotify playlist – which he’s adding songs to by the day.
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 …
- From which historical period were the remains of the chieftain found under a UK skate park?
- In which country has a socially-distant version of baseball just kicked off?
- What’s the name of the UK street artist who just donated a work of art to a hospital?
SHOUT OUTS
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Holy moly … these Friday birthday shout-outs just get longer and longer. If you’ve got something you need to do, like, maybe, some grass that you’v got to watch grow, then now could be a good time to get to it .. otherwise …
… today’s birthday shout outs go to… Henry from Blayney, Archie from Richmond, Bree from Crookwell, Lucy from Yowie Bay, Jude from Paddington, Kane from Montrose, James, Jojo and Liam from Sydney, Lucas from Oatley, Ashton from Beaumont Hills, Shiven and Asha from Melbourne, Kyra from Abbotsford, River and Scarlett from Wagga Wagga, Colin from Albany, Susie from Riverview, Jade from Canberra, Matthew from Wahroonga, Charlotte from Korora, Deon from Sutherland, Ezra from Moonee Ponds, James from Rozelle, Charlotte from Kiama, Kyzen from Jindalee, Hannah from Albion Park, Reece from The Gap, Genevieve from Putney, Ayla from Mosman Park, Ava from Thousand Oaks, California and Jazzy and Sasha who are listening all the way over there in Canada. Helloooo Canada!
And some weekend birthday shoutouts for… Evie from Double Bay, Ethan from Balcatta, Xander from Milton, Alexandra from Harcourt, Oscar from Concord West, Zayden from Tamworth, Maggie from Paddington, Matteo from Perth, Beau from Rosebery, Will from Willoughby, Lylah from the Gold Coast, Kasey from Baldivis, Sasha from Turramurra, Brandon from Redlynch, Eva from Springwood, Anna from South Hobart, Alessandro from Hunters Hill, Mia from Mount Colah, Isaac from Carlingford, Zev and Leo from Bulleen, Brian, Christian, Gracie, Issy and Joshua from Sydney and Albert all the way from Los Angeles, California.
Happy birthday one and all.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Bronze Age
- South Korea
- Bansky