Tuesday, 8 June, 2021
A new princess is born; African cheetahs head to India; the world’s youngest golf champ; and parastronauts take to the skies.
LINKS
Cheeky cheetah video: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/cheetah-safari-video-serengeti-tanzania-wildlife-a8282676.html
QUESTIONS FOR SQUIZ KIDS in MELBOURNE – ‘My Lockdown Life’
Remember to answer in full sentences, with lots of good details!
1) What was the best part and the worst part of your lockdown day today?
2) What do you miss the most about school? Why?
3) How are your parents coping in lockdown? And what about your brothers, sisters and grandparents?
4) What’s the one thing you think we should all do to beat this coronavirus once and for all?
5) Close your eyes and imagine the one place you’d rather be right now instead of in lockdown … where is it?
What To Do:
Get a big person in your house to sit down and record the questions and your answers on a smart device (a phone or tablet, for example). Try to do it somewhere quiet! And remember to make sure when you speak, you’re nice and close to the microphone! Then email the audio file to [email protected] – and listen all this week to see if you’ve been featured!
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]
Squiz Kids is proudly supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
The world woke yesterday to the exciting news that a new royal baby had been born. There was a new princess in the world. As in, one that has an official royal blood line, as opposed to the countless thousands of princesses who listen to this podcast every day …
Her name: Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Her parents: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan – who are otherwise known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – on account of the fact Prince Harry is the grandson of The Queen.
Which Queen? Why, Queen Elizabeth II of course – the reigning monarch of Britain – who, as it happens, is also Australia’s head of state. But that discussion is for another day.
The new bub’s first name Lilibet is a nod to her great grandmother Queen Lizzie – who was always called Lillibet by her father. And the middle name Diana is in memory of Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana – who died in a car crash when Harry was only 12 years old.
Little Lilibet is now eighth in line to the British throne. What does that mean? Thanks to a whole lot of laws and rules that were created many centuries ago, when the Queen’s turn on the throne is up, the crown will go to her first born son, Charles, and then when his turn is up, it goes to Charles’ first born son, William – and so on through the grandchildren until it gets to Lilibet.
But here’s a royal tip from me to you: you can Lilibet there’s not much chance that the little princess will be becoming a Queen any time soon.
Many congrats to mum and dad Meghan and Harry – and to their son, Archie, who’s just become a big brother.
SPIN THE GLOBE
Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a news story from wherever it stops. And today we’ve landed in India, where an effort is underway to bring cheetahs back to the countryside.
One hundred years ago – cheetahs roamed the wild back country of India .. but then they were hunted to extinction or otherwise had their habitats reduced so drastically that they eventually disappeared.
Right now: the vast majority of the 7,000 cheetahs that are thought to be in the world are in Southern Africa – countries like Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
But eight cheetahs will soon make the eight thousand kilometre journey from their current home in South Africa, to a new home in a huge national park in India.
It will be the first time a big cat has been moved from one continent to another in the name of conservation.
The cheetah – you probably already know – is the fastest land animal in the world. At full tilt, it can reach speeds of over 100 kilometres per hour.
I’ve stuck a link to a video in today’s episode notes of a cheeky cheetah on safari in Africa. Just for fun.
SPORTS TIME
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The world of golf has a brand new champion, and at only 19 years of age, Yuka Saso is breaking records. The golf champ from the Philippines yesterday became the equal youngest golfer ever to win the prestigious US Women’s Open golf tournament.
There were birdies involved in – but not ones that fly – there was putting and and a whole lot of something called ‘under par’ – all of which are golfing terms. But the gist of the story is that at 19 years old, Yuka has not only become the equal youngest person to win the US Open, she’s also the first person from her home country of the Phillippines to win a golf major. Well done Yuka!
SPACED OUT
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The European Space Agency is about to make a little bit of history after announcing plans to recruit the world’s first parastronaut.
So you know what an astronaut is, right? Well a parastronaut is an astronaut who is also a person with a disability. You know how there is the Olympics – and directly following it, the Paralympics, for athletes with disabilities? It’s the same principle. But for astronauts.
The space agency says the parastronaut project “is a global first to begin removing barriers for people living with physical disabilities to carry out a professional space mission”. Which is big person speak for: proving that people with disabilities can do anything – whether it’s down here on Earth or up there in space.
And we say a big bravo to that.
My Lockdown Life
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And so – we find ourselves once again sending all our best wishes to Squiz Kids in Melbourne – who are now in the second week of their fourth lockdown.
And to help the rest of us better understand what it’s like in lockdown for the fourth time – and to let them know we’re all thinking of them – we’re producing a special episode at the end of this week called – My Lockdown Life.
We’ve asked the kids of Melbourne five questions – including what’s the worst and best thing about your lockdown day today … And we thought we’d give you a sneak peek. Here’s George, who’s five and from Kew – who’s finding online classes are both good … and bad.
TAKE AUDIO
Hang in there George. Hopefully it will all be over soon.
Don’t forget if you’re in Melbourne and you want to share your Lockdown Life – simply record yourself answering the five questions in today’s episode notes and send the audio file to [email protected]. And be listening all week to see if you’ve been featured …
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’s the name of the new royal baby?
- Which animal are conservationists hoping to successfully re-introduce to India?
- Which country does 19 year old newly crowned golf champ Yuka Saso come from?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s June 8 … National Best Friends Day … a day where we celebrate how important it is to have friends in our life. If you have a Best Friend, give them a hug. Even better: if you know someone who doesn’t have a best friend, but could do with a friend, then give them a hug too. Because that’s the way Squiz Kids roll ..
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today… Jobe from Inverloch, Hamish from Brisbane, Diva from Ivanhoe, Ava from Hunters Hill, Alicia from North Ryde, Austin from Lake Munmorah and Eloise from Melbourne.
Classroom shoutouts … class 8D at Baimbridge College in Victoria, class 5/6W and 5M at Croydon Park public school, Miss Hamilton’s 5/6L class at New Lambton South Public School, Mrs Whittaker and 5TW at West Ryde Public, and class 6 Gold at St Thomas More Catholic School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Lilibet
- Cheetah
- The Philippines