Thursday, 11 November, 2021
Remembrance Day remembered; the world’s longest bird flight; soccer star needs a haircut; and tomato sauce in space.
LINKS
Epic godwit migration from Alaska to New Zealand: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/09/new-zealand-finally-welcomes-godwit-two-months-after-it-was-blown-2000km-back-to-alaska
Ketchup in Space: https://video.link/w/8oHJc
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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Today is what’s called Remembrance Day — and the way you’ll know it’s a special day, is that at 11 o’clock this morning, wherever you might be, whatever you might happen to be doing – there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to stop and observe a minute’s silence.
So what is Remembrance Day? And why is it important?
At 11am on the 11th of November way back in the year 1918, the guns fell silent on the Western Front – a famous World War One battleground of that stretched through the European countries of France and Belgium. Up until that moment, there had been almost continuous fighting for four whole years. A staggering 20 million soldiers and civilians were killed during World War One .. which is partly the reason it was called, at the time, “the war to end all wars”. Sadly, though, it wasn’t the last time the world went to war.
Because of the scale of the sacrifice by so many men and women: because so many went to war then and afterwards to fight for many of the freedoms that you and I take for granted today: we stop every year at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month to pause, reflect and commemorate those who died. Lest we forget.
SPIN THE GLOBE
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Each day we give the world globe a spin, and find a story wherever it lands. And today we’ve landed in Alaska — which is where what must surely be one of the longest migratory flights ever attempted by a bird began in September.
The male godwit – which is what the species of bird is called – set off from Alaska and prepared to fly to New Zealand, as it does every year as part of its epic migration south. But the poor little fella got caught in huge winds and was blown off course. So he did a u-turn, 33 hours into his non-stop flight, and returned to Alaska. He waited 11 days – presumably to catch his breath – then tried again. This time flying to New Caledonia – a set of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Where he chilled for five weeks – presumably resting his tired wings – before completing the journey and arriving in New Zealand this week. Two whole months after he’d first taken off from Alaska!
About 80,000 godwits make the journey from Alaska to New Zealand every year. One female godwit made the 12,000 km trip this year in a record time of just over 8 days – flying non-stop. Wow…
See: girls are faster than boys …
I’ve stuck a link in the episode notes to photos of godwits and a map of the migratory path.
SPACED OUT
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In the last few weeks, we’ve talked about billionaires in space, Russian actors making a movie high above the Earth, and chilli peppers grown on the International Space Station. Now, we bring to you: Marz Ketchup. Ketchup is what Americans call tomato sauce. For the past two years, researchers have been growing tomatoes in soil, temperature, and water conditions similar to Mars—and today, after taking a bottle on a test flight into our atmosphere, they’ll finally be tasting the results. I’ve popped a link to the video of ketchup in space in your episode notes.
Marz Ketchup won’t be available for public purchase, but Heinz – the company making the ketchup – is thrilled for two reasons. First, they’ve shown that when humans get to Mars, they should be able to grow tomatoes. Second, if they can grow tomatoes on Mars, they can grow them in many more places on Earth.
Speaking of Mars, teachers: if you’ve signed up to Squiz Kids for Schools, you’ll get access to next week’s shortcut on Mars: why people want to go there so badly, and what an Israeli desert has to do with the red planet. As always, you’ll also get differentiated comprehension questions, plus two amazing activities: one where you make a scale model of our solar system using fractions, playdough, and a tape measure; and the other where you work with a group to brainstorm how to solve social and emotional problems that might come up on a Mars Mission.
Not a Squiz Kids for Schools member? Head over to squizkids.com.au and jump into your free trial! But hurry .. access to the free trial ends soon.
SPORTS TIME
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Perth Glory’s new recruit, Daniel Sturridge is making headlines in Western Australia … and when I say headlines, that’s with a clear emphasis on the ‘head’ part of that word …
Daniel, who has played for his home country England no fewer than 26 times, was signed to the Perth Glory soccer team back in October – and is about to finish two weeks of hotel quarantine. So he’s sent a message out on his social media, requesting a barber to sort out his quarantine hair.
He had heaps of local barbers respond: keen to cut the footy star’s hair – but in follow up posts, the former Liverpool striker said he had no interest in anyone coming near his head that didn’t have experience cutting his kind of hair – saying “I don’t intend to be the first Afro hairline you butcher’. The man’s particular about his hair – I can relate to that.
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 is the name of the bird species that flies from Alaska to New Zealand every year?
- Which Aussie team has English soccer star Daniel Sturridge signed to play with – assuming he can get his hair cut?
- Remembrance Day commemorates the end of which war?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s November 11 … as well as being Remembrance Day, it’s actor Leo di Caprio’s birthday, the opening day for the new Bond film here in Australia, and tonight Australia plays Saudi Arabia in a World Cup qualifier. Phew. Busy day.
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today…
Aarush from South Wentworthville, Brax from Cairns, Harry from Capalaba, Kayden from Woodhill, Lennox from Oran Park, Zamuel from Eveleigh, Jayden from Brisbane, Jonathan from Darlington, Rosie from Welland, Lucas from Katherine (in NT) and Henry from Singapore. Special birthday shout out to my buddy JD from the Narbethong Special School in Brisbane.
A belated shout out goes to Hamish from Exeter.
Classroom shout outs today go to… class 5/6N and Miss North at Dobroyd Point Public School, Grades 5 & 6 at Waitara Public School with Mrs Naylor, Miss Braybon and Mrs McDonald. Class shout out to 3K at Glendore Public School and a welcome back to the classroom shout out to all the kids in Stage 3 at Denistone East Public School. Years 5 & 6 at Cronulla Public School send a belated thank you shout out to Miss Barter, Mr Kenny, Mr Dearsly, Mr Mealing and Miss Richards for all their support in lockdown…. And one last shout out to Maleke, a teacher aid at Ashmont Public School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Godwit
- Perth Glory
- World War One or the First World War.