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Video

Feathers, Fur and Fins: A song about echidnas

What would it be like to have an echidna for a pet? Listen to Don Spencer as he sings this song about a pet echidna. Watch an echidna looking for food to eat.

Audio

Radio National: What makes a great speech?

Did you know that making a speech in public is rated as one of most people's greatest fears? There is however an art to making a great speech. Listen as Don Watson speech-writer for the former Prime minister Paul Keating, Michael Gurr playwright and speech-writer, and Ted Widmer foreign policy speech writer for former US ...

Video

Feathers, Fur and Fins: A song about the Kookaburra's call

Have you heard a Kookaburra's call? Watch this clip and listen to the lyrics of the song performed by Don Spencer that captures in sounds and words the magical call of the kookaburra.

Video

Exploring themes with David Williamson

Watch this clip to learn about David Williamson's background and what themes fascinate him as a playwright. What ideas does he enjoy exploring in his plays?

Audio

Radio National: Words as weapons: speech-making and democracy

Have you heard the term 'freedom of speech' or thought about how speaking in public or public speaking could be linked to freedom? Find out how these words are linked as you listen to this audio program, which considers the importance of speaking in public to the history of democracy in the USA.

Video

BTN: Who was Banjo Paterson?

Banjo Paterson was an Australian writer and a poet, most famous for writing 'Waltzing Matilda' and 'The Man From Snowy River'. It could be said that his writing, based on his own experiences of the Australian bush life, has shaped Australia's identity. Do you agree? Why/why not?

Video

'This old man' sung by Teddy Rock

Watch and listen to Teddy Rock perform the nursery rhyme 'This old man' in this animated music video. Then have some fun with counting and rhyme as you create and perform new verses for the song.

Audio

Radio National: Pink suits and circus wagons in 'The Great Gatsby'

Part of the success of F Scott Fitzgerald's novel 'The Great Gatsby' is the intriguing title character, Jay Gatsby. In this audio clip, explore the effect that Fitzgerald's skilfully-constructed character has on those who read the novel. Find out what makes this character so intriguing.

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Representing diversity with Sally Rippin

How important do you think it is for writers to represent a diversity of experiences and perspectives in their books? What does Sally Rippin say about the world she represents in her stories? Who are the characters she writes and illustrates?

Video

Heywire: Running towards mental health

Would you accept someone's argument if you didn't think the person presenting it was credible? Explore Nakita Sobczyk's Heywire audio story and reflect on what makes her an ideal person to educate others about mental illness. As you do, consider the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle's discussion of how 'ethos' can be ...

Video

Heywire: Digging for diprotodons

Ever dreamed of finding buried treasure in your own backyard? For Natasha Camp, this is a reality. Her 'treasure' is not gold or silver, but the bones of ancient Australian megafauna. In this Heywire photo story, Natasha describes the latest dig at Floraville Station, Queensland, her family's property. It was on this dig ...

Video

'Incy Wincy Spider' sung by Teddy Rock

Watch and listen to Buzz, Belle and Bop perform the traditional nursery rhyme 'Incy Wincy Spider' in this animated music video. Use the rhyme, sung with a rock beat by Teddy Rock, to discuss, order and retell events.

Audio

Heywire: At home in the country

What is the best thing about living on a farm out in the countryside? What is the worst? How does where you live make you the person you are today? Listen to Jane Gould from Boort, finalist of the 2012 Heywire storytelling competition for young people, talk of the connectedness she feels to the land on which she lives.

Video

BTN: The future of the book

What is the future for the print book as we know it? Will it ever completely disappear? In this clip from 2010, Behind the News visits schools and talks to students about their use of ebooks (e-books). Find out about some of the ereaders (e-readers) now being used at school and at home and listen to different views on the ...

Video

Libraries in decline

Did you know that libraries have been around for over 4000 years? For a very long time, you could only borrow books from libraries, but in recent years this has changed. You can now borrow magazines, DVDs, CDs and even download ebooks! How does Sarah, the reporter, feel about this? How does Debra, the librarian, feel about ...

Audio

Big Ideas: Evolving English and the impact of television

Imagine if the English language never evolved. What would we be speaking? Possibly Old English, the language of the Anglo-Saxon tribes, a language written down using runes known as the 'futhorc'. English continues to evolve, but it takes the media to bring new words into common usage. So which form of media is responsible ...

Video

Hey diddle diddle' sung by Teddy Rock

Watch and listen as Buzz, Belle and Bop perform 'Hey diddle diddle' in this animated music video. Then try to create your own sentences that include pairs of words that sound the same at the end (rhyme).

Audio

Radio National: Shakespeare sweated it!

Ben Jonson, a 17th-century playwright and critic, said of Shakespeare that 'a great poet is not just born, but made'. Enjoy this discussion between Phillip Adams and John Bell, Australian actor and director of the Bell Shakespeare company. They explore soliloquies, authorship and why Shakespeare came to be considered the ...

Video

Rebecca Lim's spooky themes

Do you enjoy reading spooky stories? Listen to Rebecca Lim as she describes how her half-memories, reading experiences and imagination come together to inspire her.

Video

Heywire: Presenting a point of view about marriage equality

Marriage equality is a controversial issue in Australia, one that has provoked media sensationalism, political rhetoric and heated arguments. Sometimes, however, quieter voices make their point amid all the furore. Explore the voice of Lochsley Wilson in his Heywire audio story.<br /><br />To talk with someone about anxiety ...