©ABC 2017

Questions for discussion

Marriage Postal Vote

1. Discuss the BTN Marriage Postal Vote story in pairs. What points were raised in the discussion?

2. Finish the following sentence: A postal vote will soon be held to decide…

3. Why is the issue not being decided by a plebiscite?

4. In a plebiscite, voting is optional. True or false?

5. Does the result of a plebiscite or postal vote automatically change the law?

6. Why are supporters of same-sex marriage not happy with the government holding a postal vote?

7. About how much will a postal vote cost?

8. Why is there some doubt about whether the postal vote will happen?

9. Who will have the final say about whether same-sex marriage becomes legal?

10. What questions do you have after watching this story?

Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.

Kids Concussion

1. Which part of the body does concussion affect?

2. What happens to the brain when someone gets concussed?

3. The brain is protected by a hard structure called the…

a. Skull

b. Backbone

c. Spine

4. What are the symptoms of concussion?

5. Why is it important to protect your brain?

6. About how many sports-related concussions occur in Australian each year?

7. What recommendations did the NSW government come up with recently about kids and

concussion?

8. What do experts say is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from lasting

damage?

9. What do you think could be done to reduce the number of concussions in kids?

10. Name three facts you learnt watching the Kids Concussion story.

Do the quiz on the BTN website

Robot Jobs

1. Explain the Robot Jobs story to another student.

2. What is artificial intelligence?

Episode 22

15th August 2017

©ABC 2017

3. Give examples of jobs that artificial intelligence is already doing.

4. How are robots being used in the legal profession?

5. What sorts of jobs could be replaced by artificial intelligence?

6. What is an advantage of robots doing some jobs?

7. According to experts, it’s important for kids to learn _____________ subjects.

8. A recent report said that by 2030, workers will spend 77% more time using…

9. What was surprising about this story?

10. Do you think artificial intelligence will make the world better? Give reasons for your answer.

Check out the Robot Jobs resource on the Teachers page

Vote in the BTN Online Poll

Teen Novelist

1. Summarise the BTN story

2. How old is Mallory?

3. Where did Mallory get the idea for her book?

4. What is her favourite thing about writing?

5. What is the name of Mallory’s book?

6. Briefly explain what her book is about.

7. Mallory’s book is self-published. What does that mean?

8. How long did it take for Mallory to write, edit and publish her book?

9. What challenges did Mallory face writing her book?

10. What advice does she give to potential young authors?

Check out the Teen Novelist resource on the Teachers page

Outback Internet Issues

1. As a class, discuss the issues raised in the BTN story.

2. Where do Katie and Hayley live?

3. What do they like about living in the outback?

4. How far away are Katie and Hayley’s closest neighbours?

5. How do they do their schooling?

6. What do they like about doing school at home?

7. Give examples of how they use the internet for their learning.

8. How does a bad internet connection affect their schooling?

9. What did you learn watching this story?

10. Why is a good internet connection important for kids living in remote parts of Australia?

Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.

©ABC 2017

Teacher Resource

Robot Jobs

1. Explain the Robot Jobs story to another student.

2. What is artificial intelligence?

3. Give examples of jobs that artificial intelligence is already doing.

4. How are robots being used in the legal profession?

5. What sorts of jobs could be replaced by artificial intelligence?

6. What is an advantage of robots doing some jobs?

7. According to experts, it’s important for kids to learn _____________

subjects.

8. A recent report said that by 2030, workers will spend 77% more time

using…

9. What was surprising about this story?

10. Do you think artificial intelligence will make the world better? Give

reasons for your answer.

Class Discussion

Watch the BTN Robot Jobs story and discuss as a class. What questions

were raised in the discussion (what are the gaps in their knowledge)? The

following questions may help guide the discussion:

• What is artificial intelligence?

• What are some examples of artificial intelligence?

• Which jobs may be done by robots in the future?

The following KWLH organiser provides students with a framework to explore

their knowledge on this topic and consider what they would like to know and

learn.

What do I know?

What do I want to know?

What have I learnt?

How will I find out?

Episode 22

15th August 2017

Students will develop a deeper

understanding of what artificial

intelligence is and how it will impact

on society.

Design and Technologies – Years 5

& 6

Select appropriate

materials, components,

tools, equipment and techniques

and apply safe procedures to make

designed solutions

Design and Technologies – Years 7

& 8

Select and justify choices of

materials, components,

tools, equipment and techniques to

effectively and safely make

designed solutions

Science – Year 4

Science knowledge helps people to

understand the effect of their

actions

Science – Years 5 & 6

Scientific knowledge is used to

solve problems and inform personal

and community decisions

©ABC 2017

Students will investigate in more depth some questions they have about artificial intelligence.

Define: What do I want to know?

Key questions to research

Students can choose one or more of the following questions or come up with their own:

• What is artificial intelligence and how is it currently being used?

• How will artificial intelligence change society? Make some predictions.

• What is the history of artificial intelligence? When did the idea of artificial intelligence begin?

• How can we prepare for artificial intelligence?

Locate: Where do I find the information?

What resources will help answer my questions? (Internet, people, resource centre, organisations,

print). Discuss with students what a reliable source is.

Select: What information is important for the investigation?

Students may need support to sort through and select relevant information.

Organise: How do I make sense of the information?

Students can organise their research by creating main headings from their questions. Write each

heading on a separate piece of paper. Record the information found for each question.

Present: How do we let others know about this information?

Students decide on the best way to present the information. Possibilities could include:

• A `Did You Know’ Fact sheet

• Create an infographic using Canva

• Prezi presentation

• Oral presentation

• Glogster

Evaluate: What have we learnt?

Students reflect on what they have learnt about artificial intelligence and respond to the following.

• What I learned...

• What I found surprising...

©ABC 2017

Could a robot do your job?

Look at the ABC interactive Could a robot do your job? then respond to the following:

o Choose five jobs to search for and record what percentage is more likely to be automated. Record

some of the tasks that could be automated. Which tasks will still need to be done by humans?

o Which jobs face the biggest risk of automation? Who faces the lowest risk of automation?

o What was the most surprising thing you learnt?

Watch BTN’s Artificial Intelligence Jobs story and then respond to the following questions:

1. What is artificial intelligence?

2. Give examples of how artificial

intelligence is being used.

3. Scientists predict that in the next decade

______% of Australian jobs could be

replaced by artificial intelligence.

4. What sorts of jobs could be replaced by

computers and robots?

5. A student from the UK has developed

software that can…

6. What are STEM subjects and why is it

important to learn them at school?

7. about this story?

8. Name three facts you learnt watching the BtN story.

©ABC 2017

Design a Robot

If you could build a robot what kind of robot would you build? What would you make it do? Would it make

your breakfast or clean your bedroom? Brainstorm ideas in pairs and then share your ideas as a class.

Students will design a robot that performs a specific task. When thinking about their design, ask them to

consider:

• What problem or challenge does the robot solve?

• What are some of the functions your program will carry

out?

• Is it a function that a human could perform?

• Does the robot need any special features? If so, what are

they?

• What will your robot look like?

• How will your robot function? Consider the following:

o How will it be controlled?

o How does it move?

o How will it detect the environment around it?

o How will it be powered? (energy source)

Draw a design of your robot and present it to the class. Include a

detailed diagram of each component and a description of how it

works

If students have access to robot making products, they can design and build a robot that performs a specific task. How are the instructions for the robot written so that it will perform the task?

Ask a Reporter

Ask Jack your questions about Robot Jobs on BTNs Ask a Reporter, at 2:15pm (AEST) Friday 18th August

2017. Ask A Reporter provides students a chance to ask BTN reporters’ questions. Each Friday BTN live

streams a 20-30minute Q&A session.

Watch a previous Ask a Reporter session with Robot Jack and Amelia about artificial intelligence. Students

from around Australia sent in their questions for Jack to answer. See his responses here

©ABC 2017

BTN - Artificial Intelligence Jobs

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4576643.htm

BTN – Future Careers

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4126201.htm

ABC News – Could a robot do your job?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-08/could-a-robot-do-your-job-artificial-intelligence/8782174

ABC News – Lawyers, accountants join list of workers who could lose their jobs to AI, warns report

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-05/artificial-intelligence-taking-lawyer-accountant-analyst-jobs/8415286

©ABC 2017

Teacher Resource

Teen Novelist

1. Summarise the BTN story

2. How old is Mallory?

3. Where did Mallory get the idea for her book?

4. What is her favourite thing about writing?

5. What is the name of Mallory’s book?

6. Briefly explain what her book is about.

7. Mallory’s book is self-published. What does that mean?

8. How long did it take for Mallory to write, edit and publish her book?

9. What challenges did Mallory face writing her book?

10. What advice does she give to potential young authors?

Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete from

each section.

What do you think?

What do you THINK about what you saw in the BTN Teen Novelist story?

What does this video make you WONDER?

• Think of three questions you have

about the Teen Novelist story.

Remember that good questions are

open-ended (have no right or wrong

answer and can’t be answered with a

‘yes’ or ‘no’).

• What did you learn from the BTN

story? Leave your comment on the

Teen Novelist story page.

Episode 22

15th August 2017

Students will create their own creative story by developing storylines, characters and settings.

English – Year 4 Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers’ interest by using various techniques, for example character development and plot tension Create literary texts by developing storylines, characters and settings English – Year 5 Create literary texts using realistic and fantasy settings and characters that draw on the worlds represented in texts students have experienced Create literary texts that experiment with structures, ideas and stylistic features of selected authors English – Year 6 Create literary texts that adapt or combine aspects of texts students have experienced in innovative ways

©ABC 2017

Class discussion

Discuss the BTN Teen Novelist story as a class. What did they learn about the process an author goes

through to write a story? Draw a flow chart to illustrate the process from beginning to end. Ask students to

brainstorm as many words as they can think of that relate to books and the publishing process and record

their responses as a class. Below are some words that relate to this story writing and the publishing process.

Follow-up discussion, in pairs:

• What’s your favourite thing about reading?

• What’s your favourite thing about writing?

Book Review

Choose a book that you have read this year and write

your own book review.

• What are the themes in the book?

• What did you like or dislike about the book? Why?

• Would you recommend the book to other kids your

age? Why or why not?

• Include an illustration with your review. It could be

a sketch of the front cover or one of the characters

from the story.

• Tip: Think about the audience you are trying to

reach. Use effective vocabulary and accurate and

persuasive language.

Book Club

Hold your own class book club! Students will read the same book, either individually or as a class and

discuss the story in small groups. Choose a comfortable setting for students to sit before starting the group

discussion. Consider having refreshments, like juice and biscuits, for students during the discussion.

Below are some discussion starters for your class book club:

• How would you describe the author’s style?

• Who was your favourite character in the book? What did you like about them?

• Imagine what the character looks like and draw a picture of the character. Compare with other

student’s drawings.

Illustrator Publisher Distribution

Genre Character Author

Narrative Theme Plot

Setting Fiction Non-fiction

©ABC 2017

Favourite book

Students will choose their favourite book and choose one of the following activities to complete.

• Redesign the front cover of one of your favourite books. Explain why you chose the design.

• Create a poster that encourages people to read one of your favourite books.

• Rewrite the ending of your favourite book. Explain why you chose to end it the way you did.

Creative writing

As a class, make a list of useful tips for story writing. Include tips on how to build character development, plot

tension and narrative. Students will choose one of the following activities to help start the creative writing

process.

• Write your own short imaginative piece about a baby and a dinosaur. Start by brainstorming possible

scenarios. Remember to bring danger in from where the reader is least expecting it. Experiment with

different narrative structures such as flashback and multiple perspectives. Consider making a quick 8

page mini-book from one piece of paper to present your story.

• Ever wonder what happens at the zoo at night? What do the animals get up to when there are no

humans watching them? Write a story which is as wild, crazy or as funny as you like. It can be

science fiction, fantasy, adventure, or even a realistic story written from the animal's point of view.

• “Do not open this box. It will lead to all kinds of unusual activities!” Using illustrations, in comic strip

format, tell your story. Your first drawing will be a box with the words “DO NOT OPEN THIS BOX!”

Your second drawing will include the box with the lid open. What is coming out of the box? Include

dialogue to accompany your illustrations. This will form the start of your story.

• Spark a story! Look through recycled newspapers or magazines for interesting pictures. Alternatively

choose your favourite realist painting. Look for pictures that catch your eye and provide strong

visuals of characters and settings. Choose one picture to help spark a story. Respond to the

following questions: What’s happening in the scene, when is it happening, who are the characters,

what are they doing? Once you have brainstormed some ideas, begin writing your story about the

picture.

©ABC 2017

BTN – Young Author

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4296316.htm

BTN – Bookweek

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4067162.htm

BTN – Young Writer

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4131960.htm

BTN – Writing Club

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4522245.htm

The Children’s Book Council of Australia – Book Week 2017

https://cbca.org.au/cbca-childrens-book-week

©ABC 2017

BTN: Episode 22 Transcript 15/08/17

Hi, I'm Nathan Bazley, thanks for joining me for BTN! Coming up today:

• The reason experts are talking to primary school kids to try to knock out concussions.

• Why you might one day have to compete with a robot for your dream job.

• And we travel to Skinny Dip Outstation to find out how not having good internet access can cause big problems.

Yep stay with us for all that and more.

Marriage Postal Vote

Reporter: Ruby Cornish

INTRO: But first today. After a tense meeting and a failed senate vote the decision on whether same-sex marriage is legalised will now be guided by the Australian people through a postal vote. Last year we told you that a traditional plebiscite was the Government's plan. So, what is the difference between that and this new postal version? Take a look. Bills, bills, ads, more bills. The stuff in your letterbox probably looks like the stuff in mine. Not very exciting. But soon, something pretty important could be landing in this letterbox, and letterboxes all around the country. It's a ballot asking people over the age of 18 their opinion on an issue that's been in the headlines a lot lately; Whether same-sex marriage should be made legal in Australia. It's a topic we told you about last year. Back then the Government wanted to send everyone to the polls to vote on the topic in something called a plebiscite. MALCOLM TURNBULL: We call on the Labor Party and The Greens to support the plebiscite. REPORTER: So why send a letter in the mail instead? Well for the government to get a plebiscite through they needed the support of the senate. But the senate said no. Not once, but twice! So now, they’ve turned to their back-up option, the postal vote, to find out how Australians feel about same-sex marriage. But there’s a big difference between a plebiscite and a postal vote. In a plebiscite, everyone has to vote. But in a postal vote, sending back a response is optional. And while a plebiscite happens at polling booths, like an election, a postal vote's done, believe it or not, through the post!

©ABC 2017

Another important thing to remember about both plebiscites and postal votes is that the result doesn't automatically change the law. It just gives politicians an idea of what people think before they vote on it in parliament. But a lot of people who support same-sex marriage aren't happy the Government's holding a postal vote on the topic. They say most opinion polls already show that Australians support legalising same-sex marriage, so they say asking everyone again is a waste of money. The postal vote is expected to cost more than 120 million dollars. PENNY WONG: I am sure we can go through a whole range of things that $122 million can be spent on far better than a vote that is not going to be binding. Some people are also worried that the debate around a postal vote could turn pretty nasty and hurt people's feelings too. But Federal Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann says it's important that everybody gets a say. MATHIAS CORMANN: We trust that the Australian people are able to handle this debate. And he’s promised to work with all parties to make rules that keep the debate fair and respectful. But there is some doubt about whether this postal vote will actually happen. That's because are few different groups are going to court to argue that asking people their opinion in this way isn't legal. JONATHON HUNYOR, LAWYER: What we will be arguing in the case is that by going ahead with a postal vote without authorisation of Parliament, the Government is acting beyond its power. Most of those groups would prefer the Government to just vote on same-sex marriage in parliament like they do with many other bills. But the PM is confident the High Court will give his plan the thumbs up. REPORTER: If the court challenge fails and the postal vote does go ahead, ballots will be sent out on the 12th of September. We'll have to return them in November and a week or so later, we'll have the results. Then it’s up to the government to decide if and when members of parliament vote on the issue. In the meantime, I am doing something about all these bills.

This Week in News

The Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Barnaby Joyce, has discovered he's also a citizen of New Zealand. Under Australian law, people who are citizens of other countries aren't allowed to hold public office here so there could be serious consequences!

©ABC 2017

Our Deputy PM isn't alone though. Four other Aussie politicians have had citizenship concerns lately, and three have even resigned as a result. The High Court's looking into it all and they'll soon decide whether Mr Joyce has to resign too.

To America now and you might have seen these pictures on the news or in your timeline recently. But what actually happened here? Well it all started with a rally in the American city of Charlottesville. It was attended by white supremacist groups which believe that white people are better than people of other races. Anti-racism groups showed up to protest against them. That's when a man drove his car into the anti-racism protestors killing one woman and injuring 19 others. Many people have since spoken up against the original rally and the violence that happened there.

Back in Australia, and they're stealthy and tricky to spot in the wild but volunteers have been braving cold weather in regional New South Wales to look for platypus in the Upper Murrumbidgee River. It's the fourth year the platypus census has taken place in this stretch of water. It will provide scientists with valuable information about the shy monotremes which are nearly endangered.

And everyone loves cake but you'd have to be pretty hungry to take a bite of this one. This 100-year old fruitcake has been found in a hut in Antarctica which once belonged to an explorer. The people who found it said it's actually in great condition, and smells almost good enough to eat! Almost. After being preserved the cake will be returned to the site along with the other items found there.

©ABC 2017

Kids Concussion

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: New guidelines are being drawn up in NSW to better protect primary school-aged kids from concussion. That's because research out of the US shows kids aged between 8 and 13 end up in hospital with sports-related concussions way more than older kids. So, part of the new guidelines is to teach you what a concussion is like and what you should do if you get one. Here's more. It's one of the most important organs in our body that helps us think, remember, learn and move. Yep, it's our brain! And because we have just the one, it's really important we look after it. But there's something that can hurt this big, wrinkly, sponge anytime you walk out onto a sporting field. It's called concussion! Concussion happens when you get a bad knock to your head that actually injures your brain. You see, your brain sits in liquid inside your skull so it floats and can move around. But if it collides with something, the brain can bounce against the skull bruising the brain or even making small tears in the nerves. That can leave you feeling dizzy, confused, sick or give you blurry vision. KID 1: One of my friends on my rugby team got really badly concussed and she had to go to hospital. She had memory issues after it as well. KID 2: This huge bloke from Victoria picked me up and just dropped me on my head. I saw stars at first, I was like was a bit dazed, I got up I didn't really know what to do. KID 3: I've seen it once or twice before and it looks pretty painful. There are around 100-thousand sports-related concussions in Australia every year. And while you might think it's more likely to happen to older kids, surprisingly that's not the case. Research from the US for example found that more primary school-aged athletes end up in emergency departments with concussion than high schoolers. And experts say that's a big worry. So, in New South Wales, the government recently announced that it's working with Sports Medicine Australia to come up with new guidelines on kids’ concussion. Some of the recommendations are not lying down and resting for long periods after concussion because that can mask symptoms and make kids think they're okay when they're not and players should take up to 4 weeks out to recover properly. They're also going to hold workshops for players, parents, coaches and clubs on how to identify and deal with concussions better. Experts say recognising that you might be concussed and stopping play though is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from lasting damage. DR ALAN PEARCE, LA TROBE UNIVERSITY: You know, 'oh I've gotta still be playing for my mates and get back on the field and man up' and all that sort of old cultural ideas need to be changed. But what do you think?

©ABC 2017

KID 4: When you get concussion, I think they should probably have a longer time that should not be allowed to play and like ease you back into it. KID 5: Medical teams maybe instantly should come on and take them off to hospital if concussion does occur. KID 1: I feel like just education of the players because dangerous tackles lead to head trauma really. KID 6: Well head gear is one step but it doesn't really protect you from concussion, it's more grazes and bumps and stuff. Just following the game rules because they're set to protect you.

Quiz

Now for a quiz. How much does an adult brain weigh?

200g

1.4kg

3.1kg The answer: 1.4kg

Robot Jobs

Reporter: Jack Evans

INTRO: Every kid dreams of the career they'll adopt when they grow up. But a new revolution in computing could take away those dreams for some and inspire new dreams for others. Artificial intelligence will change the way we interact with technology and the things it can do for us. Here's more. Jack: Morning AI. Computer: Good morning Jack. Computer: You have 1,267 un-read emails. Jack: Oh, I should probably read those, mark them all as read. Computer: Really? I think you should read them! Jack: That's what you think? Computer: Yes, I am programmed to think and I don't appreciate the attitude! Computer: I saw that.

©ABC 2017

Jack: How's my script going? Computer: Give me a sec. Reporter: Wouldn't it be nice to sit back, relax and have a robot do all your work for you? Computer: Your script is ready! Jack: Thank you! Anyone for sushi? Computer: Not me. I prefer chips, get it? Well some experts reckon that within 20 years, artificial intelligence could be doing your dream job for you! Artificial intelligence is when machines are programmed in a way that lets them observe, learn and react to their environment. Kind of like we do. TOBY WALSH - UNSW: If you think about how we got to be intelligent we started out not knowing very much when we were born and most of what we got is through learning and so we write programs that learn to improve themselves. They need, at the moment, lots of data and they get better and better. There are a few jobs that Artificial Intelligence is already doing for us. In the US, a truck has successfully delivered goods to another state without a driver. Then there are other robots programmed to take orders, flip burgers, make coffee and deliver food. But it's not just physical tasks that robots can do. Meet Ailira, the Artificially Intelligent Legal Information Research Assistant. If you have a legal question all you need to do is type it in and just a few seconds later after reading through thousands of cases and pieces of legislation she'll have an answer. MALE LEGAL WORKER: She’s highlighted in there what she thinks is the answer. FEMALE LEGAL WORKER: Yeah, I mean wow, I mean even down to the fact it can answer those very specific questions. It’s awesome. Jack: Experts reckon AI is only going to get bigger. In fact, some predict that in less than 15 years AI will have a big role in every job in every industry. Jack: Hey that's my line! Recently Alphabeta released a report that shows what percentage of current jobs could eventually be taken over by AI in the future. From zookeepers, to vets, pilots and actors. But having AI do our jobs isn't necessarily a bad thing. Experts say that letting robots do some of the more simple, repetitive jobs will give us humans more time to focus on the things that we do best. Like complex problem solving, communication and creative thinking. Plus, it could open up a whole range of new careers. Experts say it's really important that kids today are ready for those jobs of tomorrow. Which means more time spent on STEM subjects at school. In fact, a recent report said that by 2030 workers will spend 77% more time using science and maths. So, while that seems like a long way away, it's never too early to start preparing.

©ABC 2017

Computer: Anything else I can help you with? Jack: What did I miss?

Ask A Reporter

Have you got a question about Artificial Intelligence? Ask me live on Friday during Ask A Reporter! Head to our website for all the details.

Poll

And we'd like to know if you think artificial intelligence will be a good thing or a bad thing in the future. Let us know in our online poll. And here's the results of last week's poll.

Teen Novelist Reporter: Ruby Cornish

INTRO: Now. A lot of kids have tried their hand at writing a short story or picture book - but what about a novel? Well, to get you excited for Book Week next week, we're going to introduce you to a young teen who's recently published a book over 32,000 words long. We sent our reporter Ruby out to find out how she did it. REPORTER: Okay, I need some inspiration. There once was a pigeon who wanted to ride a bike. This is easy! Well, I’m off to a good start with my book, but maybe I should find out more about the process from someone who’s done it before. MALLORY: Hi BTN, my name is Mallory Whiting. I'm 13 years old and I live on the outskirts of Mount Gambier, South Australia. I got to school at Compton and enjoy hands-on activities and doing anything outside. Surprisingly, I actually got the idea for my book from a dream. It was actually quite a bad dream, and I told my mum and she said "that would make a really good book! So, I wrote it down and decided let's just leave out these scary bits and make it great for kids! My favourite part about writing is that I get to use my creativity and how I can finish something that I start that means something. Mallory's novel is called Behind the Wall and it's a massive 32,000 words long! What an effort! MALLORY: My book is about a country girl called Ella who has to go to the city after an incident at her home. She starts off very shy and has no friends. But after she discovers a secret passage through the library wall she learns to face facts, learn the truth and discover unlikely friendships and look at things the right way.

©ABC 2017

REPORTER: And so, the pigeon hopped onto his bike and rode off into the sunset. All done It's okay for a novel to be half a page, right? SHOP ASSISTANT: What are you doing? REPORTER: Oh hi, I'm just putting my new book up for sale. It's about a pigeon who learns to ride a bike. It's a kind of short but really inspiring. SHOP ASSISTANT: That's not actually how you sell your book. Your book needs to be published first. REPORTER: Published? Mallory's book is self-published, meaning she and her mum took care of the illustrations, printing, and distribution on their own. MALLORY: The amount of time it took me to write the book was about a year and then two years on editing and publishing. The biggest challenge was when I couldn't work out how to resolve the main problem in the book and also going through with the publishing stages because we did heaps and heaps of research and it took a long time to work out how to do it. And her advice to other potential young authors? MALLORY: Persistence, because that's the one thing you need to accomplish something like this. Whether it's a short book or a long book, it's still going to take all that time. There's lots of waiting and you've just got to keep trying. No matter how many times you fail you've just got to get back up again. Keep persevering, that's how you finish a book. So, it turns out that writing, editing, publishing and selling your own book is a bit harder than I thought but it is possible, no matter what your age! As for me, I'm taking this masterpiece back to the drawing board. It needs a few tweaks.

Quiz

Now to a quiz. Approximately how many books have been published throughout modern history?

13 million

130 million

3 billion The answer is: 130 million

©ABC 2017

Sport

It's been a massive week for a couple of Aussie track stars at the World Athletic Championships in London. Sally Pearson won gold in the 100 metre hurdles taking top spot with a time of 12.59 seconds. It was a massive effort for the 2012 Olympic gold medallist who has just come back from injury after suffering a torn hamstring. This was her first major race since 2013. She's also currently coaching herself Amazing.

Meanwhile, Aussie Dani Steven's has smashed the Australian record in women’s discus with a huge 69.64 metre throw that landed her in second place.

The Boomers are in great form at the Asia Cup in Lebanon after an undefeated start to the group stage. The Aussies are now through to the quarter finals where they will take on either China or Syria.

And Justin Thomas has won the US PGA Championships after a miracle putt. Facing this distance at the 10th hole, Thomas walked away defeated as his ball sat right on the edge of the hole but 12 seconds later gravity, or maybe a strong breeze took over and the ball dropped in. Talk about a heart-stopper!

Outback Internet Issues

Reporter: Jack Evans

INTRO: Finally today. The internet is how most of you guys communicate with and find out about the wider world. But for kids living in regional areas access to the internet can be a huge issue. The kids of Skinny Dip Station in outback Queensland sent us this report about the problems they have and why they're calling for change. Katie and Hayley: We are the Brock sisters! Katie: Hi my name’s Katie and I'm 11. Hayley: Hi my name’s Hayley and I'm 8. BOTH: And welcome to Skinny Dip Outstation.

©ABC 2017

Hayley: We do a lot of things that most city kids do, but we're quite different. See here’s close-up footage of Katie. She’s riding her horse. Katie: I love to do my horse riding especially with my own horse Indigo. I love to go riding up and down the roads on my bike and most of all, sometimes when I need peace I just run down here. Hayley: We're used to getting dirty with lots of dust. We ride horses pretty much every day if we're lucky. Our closest neighbours are actually our cousins and they're still, what, an hour? A half an hour away? Katie: Hayley and I both do School of the Air so we do all of our classes on a computer at home. Teacher: Good morning Hayley. Hayley: Good morning Mr Whitney how are you today? Teacher: I'm well Hayley. How are you? Katie: The great thing about home school is that we don't have a set timetable. Today we didn't feel like doing our maths assignment so we kind of did robotics club instead. Hayley: Sometimes it's really tricky to do School of the Air because sometimes the internet's not working. So that means we can't really do our school work without internet because that's how we connect. Kaite: Hayley, so what's happening at the moment with our on-air lesson? Hayley: Well I don't actually know. I think it's, it's not loading. He said it might be because there are so many slides. But it also could be our internet connection but it says we've got full internet connection. Katie: Very frustrating. Hayley: When it drops out during school, no on-airs. Pretty much no school work because if we want to play a learning object that needs internet. If we need to open up a lesson on the computer that needs internet. If we need to go on-air with i-connect or skype it needs internet! Katie: So, we were about to watch a BTN story but the internet has decided to crash today again. Hayley: So, without the internet we're proper stranded. We're pretty much here with no internet. A lot of other families just like us have similar problems so it's really hard to communicate with some others. Katie: I think it's important to get better internet in rural areas.

©ABC 2017

Hayley: Because otherwise we can't do our school properly and bush kids just like us need proper schooling. Even though living in the bush is hard and we don't get proper schooling we wouldn't trade living in the bush for anything!

Closer

And that's it for today! But remember, there is always more to see and do on our website. Thanks for joining me I'll see you next week for more BTN.