Thursday, November 9, 2023
Your daily kids news podcast.
Internet crash cripples the country; Kangaroos on the run in Poland; Aussie cricket’s new hero; and who wants to play Fortnite for a job?
LINKS
Squiz Kids Book Club: https://www.squizkids.com.au/book_club/
Newshounds
Get started on our free media literacy resource for classrooms
https://www.squizkids.com.au/about-newshounds/
Classroom Companion:
Teachers! Want to access free, curriculum-aligned classroom resources tied to the daily podcast? Sign up to be a Squiz Kids Classroom and download the Classroom Companion each day. Made by teachers for teachers, differentiated to suit all primary school ability levels. And did we mention it’s free?
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Got a birthday coming up and you want a shout-out? Complete the form on our Squiz Kids website. Link: SHOUT OUTS or / send us an email at [email protected]
THE LOWDOWN
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Did you have trouble getting online yesterday? Was your mum and dad’s mobile phone not working when they woke up in the morning?
Because that was the dilemma facing hundreds of thousands of Aussies yesterday after telco Optus suffered something called a ‘deep network failure’.
What’s a telco? It’s an abbreviation of telecommunications company – what we call a porte-manteau – the melding of two words together.
Hospitals and public transport across the country were thrown into disarray, thousands found they couldn’t make or receive calls – and basically- we all learned how dependent we’ve become on access to a continually functioning internet and phone network.
Luckily I have kids and they showed me how to hotspot – otherwise you’d be getting today’s podcast via carrier pigeon.
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While Optus was having a rubbish day yesterday, Aussie cricketer Glenn Maxwell was on top of the world after a remarkable innings at the World Cup in India night that was yesterday being described as one of the best of all time.
The all-rounder made cricket history by becoming only the third man in the history of the one-day-international format to hit a double century – which is normal person speak, is 200 runs.
And while that’s incredible in and of itself – the real story is how he did it.
Suffering from crippling back and leg cramps and requiring regular visits from the team medic in the middle of the pitch, Maxwell turned in a batting performance that singlehandedly saved Australia from almost certain defeat at the hands of an in-form Afghanistan team.
Australia was 7/91 – meaning they had lost seven wickets for only 91 runs – when Maxwell launched his one man comeback. Smashing 201 runs off only 128 balls, he hit 21 fours and 10 sixes to ensure Australia won the game – sending them off to semi final against South Africa next week.
When asked by a journalist afterwards how he was feeling physically – he said ‘Horrific’ … But we’re going to guess from the smile on his and his team-mate’s faces, that emotionally, he was on top of the world .. Glenn Maxwell – Squiz Kids Salutes you…
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 Poland – in Eastern Europe – where a couple of kangaroos are on the loose.
Wait! What? Kangaroos in Europe? How can that even be? Everyone knows kangaroos are native to Australia … how is it that a couple of kangaroos have hopped all the way to Poland?
Residents of a Polish village are on high-alert after two roos were spotted in nearby forests and fields. It’s thought the roos may have escaped from homes where they were being kept as pets – which the Polish authorities have warned is not technically legal.
Winters get pretty cold and bleak over there in Poland – ten bucks says they’re trying to hop south for the winter.
POP CULTURE CORNER
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Parents – you might want to turn your ears off for this item. Kids – I have a feeling a lot of you are going to love it ..
According to news reports, more and more schools around the country are starting to welcome video games into their classrooms.
I know right? Doesn’t that sound like the coolest thing ever?
More than 50,000 students from some 300 schools recently took part in a virtual esports competition – and a big esports convention has just taken place on the Gold Coast – where the country’s top 60 players representing 25 schools gamed against one another.
One 16 yo Gold Coast gamer has even just been crowned the Fortnite Olympic champion following the ESports Olympics in Singapore.
So look – yeah – next time your parents chip ou for spending too much time on the PlayStation, tell them you’re doing work experience.
NEWSHOUNDS
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Every Thursday, Squiz-E the Newshound sticks his snout into Squiz Kids HQ and reports back on fishy things he’s sniffed out online – and today his snout is all twitchy after an article about wind farms in Wollongong turned out to be a fake.
An article which looked as if it had been published by a serious scientific magazine appeared on Facebook last month – claiming that whales were going to be impacted by the building of a wind farm off the coast. What’s a wind farm? It’s a whole lot of massive wind-turbines, turned by huge propellors, which catches the wind and creates electricity. And it’s’ what’s called a form of renewable energy – meaning a form of energy that won’t run out.
Some people are opposed to the building of wind farms – for various reasons. And it seems someone has created a fake scientific article, making claims about whales that are not properly researched, and made it SEEM like it’s appeared in a well-known, credible scientific publication. But Squiz-E smelt something fishy. And he checked with the editor of that magazine who had never heard of the article.
It’s another good reason to do as Squiz E always says, and that’s to STOP, THINK and CHECK before believing everything we see, hear or read online. Thanks Squiz-E – you’ve done it again!
And remember teachers: term 4 is the perfect time to jump in and start Newshounds – our free media literacy program for primary school kids … 1,800 other educators around the country have already signed up – what are you waiting for? Get involved via squizkids.com.au.
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 …
- In which country have a pair of kangaroos been on the loose?
- In which nearby Asian country were the Esports Olympics recently held?
- Which team did Australia just beat in the cricket World Cup thanks to an awe-inspiring effort from Glenn Maxwell?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s November 9 … today is Delta Goodrem’s birthday … happy birthday Delts!
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today… Majella from Montmorency, Jesse from Ladysmith, Ruby from Northmead, Hannah from Forest Lake, Korey from Casino, Jack from Kingsgrove, Hoshi from Sefton and Harvey from Frenchs Forest.
Classroom shout outs go to … class 6D and Mr Davies at Epping West Public School, class C2 and Mrs George at Boddington District High School, class 6Y and Mrs Jenkins at Carlingford Public School, class 5 Red with Mr Hart and Mr Roweth at Holy Trinity Primary School in Curtin, class 5A with Mrs Arguelles at the Richard Johnson Anglican School in Marsden Park, year 5 with Ms Bassett at All Souls St Gabriels School in Charters Towers, class 3/4M with Mrs Mearns at Port Sorell Primary School, class 3R and Ms Roberts at Melbourne Girls Grammar School – and lastly to Hudson and Flynn from Kellyville but currently homeschooling whilst travelling around Australia.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Poland
- Singapore
- Afghanistan