Squiz Kids Shortcuts
Each week we take a deep dive into a high-interest news or current affairs topic, answering kids' burning questions about everything from the Olympics to Islam. A new episode is released every Monday morning.
Looking for curriculum-aligned comprehension activities for each shortcut? We've got you covered. And check the episode notes for more resources to dig deeper.
LATEST SHORTCUT
Your Shortcut to… YouTube
Your Shortcut to… YouTube We’ll take you through HOW YouTube came into being; WHO are some of the most famous YouTubers… and WHY you need to stop, think, and check when watching YouTube. For the full episode transcript, click here. LINKS: Newshounds, Squiz Kids’ free media literacy curriculum: https://www.squizkids.com.au/about-newshounds/ The first YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw The…
Squiz Kids Shortcuts dive into the who, what, when, where, why and how of the big news stories.
PREVIOUS SHORTCUTS
Women’s Football (Soccer)
They’ve been playing since at least the 1500s…one match in 1920 drew a crowd of 53,000 spectators ……and we’re about to see the world’s best players take to the pitch for a prize pool of 165 million dollars… This is your Squiz Kids Shortcut to Women’s Football (which in Australia we know as soccer).
Listen nowThe Ashes
It got started with a death notice … women have had their own version since 1934 … and COVID is making this year’s series complicated. we’ll take you through why the Ashes are one of the most important fixtures on Australia’s sporting schedule; what to watch for this summer; who some of the heroes of Ashes past have been; and how the women’s series is different from the men’s.
Listen nowRefugees
In the last few weeks, more than 2,000 have arrived in Australia from Ukraine … there are millions all over the world… and some are pretty famous. We’ll take you through WHAT a refugee is; WHERE refugees in Australia have come from; and WHO are some refugees that have made a big contribution to life in Australia.
Listen nowBlood
Some people faint at the sight of it, but we couldn’t live without it! With World Blood Donor Day coming up on June 14, we thought it was a good time to take you through WHAT exactly blood is; WHY doctors test your blood when you’re sick; and HOW you can have fun learning more about blood.
Listen nowAustralian Megafauna
Massive marsupials taller than your teacher… lizards longer than your car… birds with the thighs of a rugby player. We take you through WHAT megafauna are; HOW mega we’re talking, exactly… and WHY they went extinct.
Listen nowThe Marvel Cinematic Universe
Iron Man. Spiderman. Black Widow. Black Panther. These Marvel characters are on your lunchboxes and pyjamas, as well as our TV and movie screens. We’ll take you through what exactly the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, who was behind the thousands of characters in it, how the movies are made, and why they’re so popular.
Listen nowAncient Egypt
It was a place where men wore makeup, and women could be kings… where the rich were mummified in tombs, and the poor in the desert. We’ll take you through WHAT are some of the main myths about Ancient Egypt; WHY Egyptian men and women wore makeup; and HOW to make a mummy at home.
Listen nowReal History of Star Wars
It’s a worldwide pop culture phenomenon… its value is estimated to be $70 billion… and even though it’s space fiction, it has some very real historical roots. We’ll take you through how the Vietnam War shaped Star Wars; what the Galactic Empire has in common with Nazi Germany; and on whom the Jedi knights are based.
Listen nowChatGPT
We’ve heard SO much about ChatGPT lately. High schools and universities are really worried that students will start using it to cheat on their assignments. But before we get into that, let’s take you through WHAT exactly ChatGPT is, HOW it works, and then move on to WHY people are worried about it.
Listen now
Your Shortcut to… ANZAC Day
It started on the beaches of Turkey… it’s been disrupted more than once by a pandemic… and if you want the full experience, you’ll have to get up early. We’ll take you through WHAT happened on April 25, 1915… WHY we celebrate ANZAC Day… and HOW the holiday has changed over the years.
Listen now