Thursday, July 27, 2023
An unusual Saturday drive; the Matildas get their game on; Scouts say goodbye; and a horrible hoax.
Squiz Kids is an award-winning, free daily news podcast just for kids. Give us ten minutes, and we’ll give you the world. A short podcast that gives kids the lowdown on the big news stories of the day, delivered without opinion, and with positivity and humour.
‘Kid-friendly news that keeps them up to date without all the nasties’ (A Squiz Parent)
This Australian podcast for kids easily fits into the daily routine – helping curious kids stay informed about the world around them.
Fun. Free. Fresh.
LINKS
Darwin Harbour underwater drive 1983: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJNVXLswK2s&t=4s
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/
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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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Have you ever been playing FIFA on your Xbox, imagining that you are facing down Nigeria at a World Cup? When Matilda’s defender Charlotte Grant fired up her XBox this week, she wasn’t imagining; she was preparing for what she’ll be doing in real life tonight. And FYI, she beat Nigeria in the game, so hopefully, that’s a sign of things to come.
There’s plenty of pressure having the hopes and expectations of the nation on your shoulders, so the Matilda’s managers and coaches are doing their best to help the ladies relax. They have a dedicated relaxation room with TVs, art and craft activities and a ping pong table…apparently, Mary Fowler is really good!
And spare a thought for Matilda’s team chef, Vini Capovilla. Vini is working 16-hour-days, managing a staff of 10 to 20 people to feed more than 50 Matilda’s players, coaches and staff plenty of nutritious and yummy food. He says the most popular offerings are avocados, berries and coffee, and Mexican night is a big hit! That sounds a lot like my house! Mmmm, tacos!
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 South Korea…actually, if you’re one of the 685 Scouts from all around Australia attending the 25th World Scout Jamboree, you’ll be landing there later this week. What an adventure!
For those of you not in the know, a Jamboree is a large gathering of Scouts, in this case, over 45,000 of them from 169 countries! They’ll be meeting up for 12 days to experience different cultures and make new friends.
And if you’re thinking that Scouting is just about tying knots and pitching tents, think again. While participants will have the opportunity to practice traditional Scouting skills, they’ll also be engaging in smart, scientific activities like using VR to tour the future!
And when you’re packing your bags this week, Aussie Scouts, make sure to follow the Scouting motto and “Be Prepared.”
BELIEVE IT OR NOT
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There’s a big event happening in Australia’s northernmost capital city this weekend, but you won’t be able to see it, because it’s taking place 30 metres underwater. A team of 30 divers are aiming to drive seven kilometres across Darwin Harbour, completely underwater. And the craziest thing? This isn’t the first time it’s been attempted.
Way back in 1983, a team of 70 divers attempted the same drive in a Toyota LandCruiser fitted with a 60-metre snorkel! They managed to drive just three kilometres before running into a rock ledge and floating back up to the surface. There’s an incredible video which I’ve stuck in your episode notes.
This time, engineers, electricians and tradies from across the country have volunteered their time to prepare the vehicle. This LandCruiser has an open top so the divers can jump in and out as they attempt what they think will take up to seven hours.
Darwin Harbour is well known for its sharks and saltwater crocodiles, but the biggest concern for the organisers is the tide. The drive needs to coincide with the neap tide (that’s a low tide with very little energy) so that the vehicle isn’t swept right out of the harbour and out to sea. Oh what a feeling!
NEWSHOUNDS
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Each week Squiz-E the Newshound sticks his snout into Squiz Kids HQ to report back on fishy things he’s sniffed out on the internet – and today, Squiz-E’s nose is twitching because he’s sniffed out a very disturbing story which put some residents of the US city of Indiana on the lookout for a man-eating turtle!
You see, a Facebook post announced that scientists from a well-respected Indiana university claimed there had been a gruesome attack (block your ears for a second kids if you’re a bit squeamish) in which a giant snapping turtle had torn a man’s head right off. Don’t worry; it wasn’t true! But that didn’t stop the post from being shared more than 14,000 times in two days.
When questioned, the university said that it had made no such announcement, that the scientist named does not work there, and that snapping turtles are not known to be aggressive towards humans.
The post was later updated with a line admitting that it was written as a joke.
It’s yet another example of why we should always STOP, THINK and CHECK before believing everything we see, read or hear on the internet.
Thanks Squiz-E – you’ve done it again!
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 …
- Name one of the favourite foods of The Matida’s World Cup squad.
- In which Australian capital city will a team of 30 divers be attempting the longest and deepest underwater drive this weekend?
- Which animal was falsely accused of attacking a man in Indiana last week?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s July 27 – and on this day 81 years ago in 1942 Bugs Bunny made his acting debut in the Warner Brothers animation “Fresh Hare” that’s h-a-r-e. You’re looking great for your age Bugs.
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today… Renee from Cannon Hill, Ella from Oyster Bay, Amelia from Sunnybank Hills, Isra from Flagstaff Hill, Dasha from Sydney, Helen from Windsor, Spencer from Sherwood, Ezra from Rowville, Koko from Rosanna, Lizzie from Bathurst, Archie from Karabar, Malachy from Normanhurst, Shuyi from Canning Vale, Adam and Liam from Bankstown and Ward listening over in Canada.
Belated birthday shout outs go to …. April and Nhaero from Munno Para, Sienna from Andrews Farm and Emily from Punchbowl.
Classroom shoutouts today go to … class 6G and Ms Inghram at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Primary School in Caringbah, class 3C and Miss Curtain at St Joseph’s Primary School in Chinchilla, class Holden with Miss Hart at Oran Park Public School, class 2AK with Kate and Ms Page at Rosanna Golflinks Primary School, class 3/4H and Mr Boyd at Lavington Public School and lastly class 6H and Mr Hoy at Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School in Melbourne.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Avocado, berries, or Mexican food.
- Darwin
- A snapping turtle