Tuesday, 15 March, 2022
Petrol pump pain; a tea party on Mt Everest; Encanto wins again; and a drone that collects whale snot.
LINKS
Mt Everest tea party: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/mount-everest-tea-party-trnd/index.html
Snotbot on the job: https://whale.org/snotbot/
Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Discovery Tours:
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/fresh-food-kids/discoverytours
Squiz Kids for Schools: https://www.squizkids.com.au/squiz-kids-for-schools/
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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Have you noticed the adults in your life grumbling as they pull into the petrol station?
Does their mood take a turn for the darker … a scowl form on their brow, a distinct narrowing of the eyes?
I mean, like, more than usual, that is …
Well that’s probably because the price of petrol is at record highs .. meaning it costs a lot more to fill a tank today than it did even a month ago.
Part of the problem is the Russia and Ukraine war that is being fought in Europe – which is having an impact on the price of oil – which is the fossil fuel used to make petrol products.
Another part of the problem is something called a fuel excise: which is a tax that the Australian government collects .. for every litre of fuel Australians buy at the moment, they pay the governmentt 44 cents in this special fuel tax. – which they say they use to help build and maintain roads and highways and transport systems. There’s a federal election coming up: and we can expect petrol prices – and something related called the ‘cost of living’ – to be a big issue.
Interestingly – South Korean car maker Hyundai’s electric car, the Ioniq, is the firm favourite to take out the 2022 World Car of the Year award next month. If it happens, it will be the first time the award has been won by an electric vehicle …
And electric vehicles – as their name suggests – don’t need petrol to run..
If you’re thinking about a job for the future – electric car designer or engineer or mechanic might be worth looking into ..
Just sayin’ …
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 on the tippy top of Mt Everest – the tallest mountain in the world … where a Guinness World Record has been set for the highest tea party ever.
Last May – a bunch of mountain climbers from the United States climbed to near the top of Mt Everest, set up a table and as the snow flurried around them, proceeded to have a tea party.
Why? Because, according to the expedition’s organiser, the pandemic realised as much as he missed traveling and conquering summits all over the world – he missed the friendship and camaraderie and sense of community that came with it even more.
So a tea party on the side of the world’s tallest mountin seemed like a good way to celebrate friendship. Personally, I would have preferred one in his lounge room – but that’s just me.
I suppose if nothing else it brings new meaning to the term ‘high tea’ (ALARM) … yep, I knew that was going to trigger the ol’ Dad Joke Alarm.
There’s a link to photos of the tea party in your episode notes .
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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Have you ever gotten up close to a whale’s stinky breath… Well, spare a thought for SNOTBOT.
Snotwhat???
Snotbot is a new kind of drone, specially designed to fly above whales without them knowing, and take photos, and video, and… this is where the name comes from… catch the mucus that’s fired out of their blowholes, which are the nostrils on top of their heads. Scientists then study the fishy smelling slime to learn more about the whales, including their DNA—DNA is the material that carries all the information about how a living thing will look and work.
Researchers all over the world are using drones to study endangered species, and also to keep them safe, keeping an eye in the sky out for poachers – people who illegally hunt animals. I’ve popped a link to photos of Snotbot in your episode notes…(FANFARE)
Oh! that’s the Classroom Companion Clarion .. indicating that today’s Squiz Kids for Schools worksheets are tied to this news item .. educators: today’s Classroom Companion gets kids working on listening and speaking, having guided partner conversations about whales and drones, then exploring expert words. What’s the Classroom Companion? It’s what members of Squiz Kids for Schools get every day: differentiated literacy activities aligned to this very podcast. There’s a link in your episode notes to a free 30 day trial.
POP CULTURE CORNER
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We may not talk about Bruno – you know, for obvious reasons. Not the least of which being he lives behind the walls of the enchanted house – but it seems we can’t stop talking about Encanto – the animated film about the Madrigal family that has swept the world.
And yesterday, the movie won best animated film at the BAFTAs – which is the big British film awards ceremony – which took place in London.
Encanto beat the movies Flee, Luca and The Mitchells vs The Machines to win.
Speaking of animated films: thanks to all the Squiz Kids who sent in questions for Bad Guys author Aaron Blabey … they were EXCELLENT … Amanda is trotting off to put your questions to him later this week – and the special Aaron Blabey Q+A will drop later next week … when the winners of our ten family passes to the movie will also be announced ..
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 sort of marine mammal’s snot is the snotbot busy collecting?
- Name the movie that won the BAFTA for best animated film?
- What did a bunch of mountaineers do on Mt Everest for a Guinness World Record?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s March 15 .. birthday for Black Eyed Pea will.i.am .. while over in New Zealand today the Aussie women’s cricket team will hope to continue their undefeated run when they take on the West Indies.
It’s a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today…
Faith and Andrew from Ashmont, Steph and Caitlin from Forest Lake, Claudia from Brisbane, Georgiana from Melbourne and Emily from Wollongong.
Classroom shout outs go to… all of the students at Yarrabilba State School, class 5A and 5B at Yarrawonga P-12 College and to class 3T at St Joseph’s Primary School in Kempsey.
And it’s a very big welcome to Meagan Kruger, another home educator who has just signed up to a Squiz Kids for Schools Membership. We are delighted to have you aboard Meagan!
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Whale
- Encanto
- Tea party