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Video

Feathers, Fur and Fins: Observing a flying fox

Take a close look at the flying mammal called the flying fox, or fruit bat. Watch these furry flyers as they leave their roosts to find food. Discover how and why they climb trees. See how these animals fly like birds but are not birds.

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Pet Superstars: Ferreting around

Meet Will and his two pet ferrets, Lemony and Snicket. Learn how Will cares for these two animal acrobats. Find out about some challenges he faces in having ferrets around the house.

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Ready, steady, cook … park

Is there a place in your neighbourhood that is special to you, or that you visit regularly? See if you can create a report about this place, the way the reporter in this clip has done about Cook Park in Orange, NSW.

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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 ...

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For the Juniors: Exploring under the sea

Dive into the busy and colourful world of the coral reef. Explore some of the many animals that live in the shallow waters of the reef. See how they catch food and make their homes there.

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Researching with Gary Crew

When authors write stories involving historical events, they often spend time doing research. Why do you think they might do this? What are some of the primary source documents Gary Crew used to inform his book, Strange Objects?

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BTN: Paying for the news, or not

Imagine a time before modern technology: no television, radio or computers. How did people find out about what was happening in the world? Through newspapers! Times are changing, however. With the internet at our fingertips, do we even need newspapers anymore? Watch this clip to find out how the internet is creating issues ...

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Heywire: Persuade me to make a difference

Can Matt Dombrovski encourage you to be a donor or a volunteer? Test his powers of persuasion in this Heywire audio story, and hear about his own experience of donating something. Could you write or record a similar story about yourself and/or your community? The ABC's Heywire competition calls for stories from 16-22 year ...

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Red cabbage pH experiment

It might sound 'un-sciencey', and have a bad smell, but red cabbage is actually very useful for testing the pH of liquids. Added to well-known liquids like lemonade or vinegar, red cabbage juice changes to 'pretty colours'. In this clip, Surfing Scientist Ruben Meerman explains the colour changes and how red cabbage juice ...

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Can We Help?: Can seahorse dads really have babies?

Peter Rowsthorn visits Melbourne Aquarium to answer the question 'Do male seahorses give birth to their young?' Discover the answer as a marine expert describes Syngnathids, a unique family of fish. Learn what makes the seahorse and the sea dragon so unusual in the marine animal world.

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Journey into Japan: Modernising Japan in the Meiji era

The restoration of Emperor Meiji in 1868 ushered in a period of rapid change in Japan. The country not only borrowed practices and technologies from Western countries, in less than forty years it too had become an imperialist power. This clip is fifth in a series of six.

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BTN: Did you see it? Subliminal advertising

Are you persuaded to purchase products by the advertising you see on TV? If advertising was so subtle that we couldn't distinguish it from the content of the shows we watch, what effect might this have? Watch this clip and find out how some advertisers are using hidden messages to advertise products and influence our purchasing ...

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Feathers, Fur and Fins: Observing a sugar glider

Don Spencer shows us a small mammal called a sugar glider. Take a close look at its big eyes and furry tail. See it glide through the air from tree to tree. Watch the sugar glider eat. Learn how it got its name.

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For the Juniors: Where does honey come from?

Discover where honey comes from. Learn how and why honey is made and how we get different types of honey. See what daily life is like in a bee colony.

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BTN Podclass using podcasts in school video

Have you ever used a YouTube video or podcast on the internet to learn a new skill? Perhaps to learn how to play the guitar or to do new skateboard tricks or dance moves? Find out how one school in Italy uses podcasts to jazz up its lessons.

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Four Corners: Surfies, clubbies and a changing way of life

What effect did the rise of surfboard riding and its accompanying surf culture have on surf lifesaving? In the early 1960s, surf lifesaving was regarded as a model of the values that underpin the Australian way of life. This clip from 1964 explores the collision between the new surf culture and the traditions of the surf ...

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Pet Superstars: This cocky rocks

Meet Max and Cocky, his pet sulphur-crested cockatoo. Discover how Max handles his cheeky pet. Find out what body part he uses that has earned him the title 'the destroyer'.

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First Tuesday Book Club: Navigating 'Cloud Atlas'

Some authors like to take readers on a journey, none more so than David Mitchell, the author of 'Cloud Atlas'. His novel is a complex tale that attempts to weave together six different narratives over a period of hundreds of years. Join in this discussion and find out if he succeeds. This clip is the second in a series of two.

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Story development and plot holes with Andy Griffiths

How do you move your characters forward in a story? A trick Andy Griffiths uses is asking a lot of questions. His favourite question to ask is "what's the worst thing that can happen next?" Try asking yourself that question if you get stuck when writing your next story. In this clip Andy also talks about plot holes. What ...

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Testing the 5-second rule

When it comes to dropping food, have you heard of the 5-second rule? Or the 3-second rule? Watch this video to learn what really happens when you drop food. In order to cause disease, what must bacteria do? What circumstances allow bacteria and viruses to contaminate food more successfully?