Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 101 i The Week Junior

On 27 October, the region of Catalonia, in the north-east of Spain, declared itself independent from the rest of the country. Why did Catalonia declare independence? On 1 October, the Catalan government held a referendum (a special type of vote) to ask its citizens if they wanted independence. According to the Catalan leaders, 90% of those who voted chose to break away from Spain. However, only around 42% of Catalans voted. How did the rest of Spain react? Both the Spanish government in Madrid and Spain’s highest court said the referendum was illegal. They said it was against the constitution – a set of rules laying down the beliefs and laws of a country. The Spanish constitution says Spain must stay as a whole state. This meant that the Spanish…

A MOVING TRIBUTE When Second World War veteran Ernest Capstaff died earlier this month at the age of 101, he only had a few family members left. A Facebook appeal was set up, urging well-wishers to attend his funeral. On 26 October, hundreds lined the streets of Accrington, Lancashire, to pay their respects. NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST CAT Jacinda Ardern has just been elected prime minister of New Zealand, but she’s not the only one with a new job. She brought her cat, Paddles, with her to the office. Paddles is now being referred to on social media as “First Cat” Paddles. Paddles made her Twitter debut on 21 October and already has more than 10,500 followers. AN INCREDIBLE DISCOVERY Two time capsules dating back to the 19th century were found…

Swimming has been a popular sport in the UK since the 19th century, although early swimming pools were used as much for bathing as they were for exercise. In the 1930s, swimming outdoors was all the rage, and 169 lidos, or outdoor pools, were built across the UK. People also enjoyed swimming in lakes and rivers, although as they became more aware of health and hygiene, many people were put off. Today, there are thought to be about 4,614 public swimming pools in England.…

A faded sketch believed to be of one of history’s most intriguing characters, Mary, Queen of Scots, has been discovered hidden beneath a 16th century portrait. The lost sketch was spotted during a research project by National Galleries of Scotland and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. The portrait is of Sir John Maitland, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, but when Dr Caroline Rae X-rayed the painting, she noticed a shadowy figure of a woman concealed beneath the original. She compared the image with other paintings of Mary, Queen of Scots. Distinct similarities, such as her face shape, suggest that it is likely to be a sketch of the doomed queen. Experts believe that the original sketch, described as a “remarkable discovery” was painted over because at that time it…

What you need to know ● Foxhunting dates from at least the 15th century. On a hunt, riders on horseback chase a fox with a pack of hounds. ● In 2004, a law was passed that banned foxhunting in England. ● Trail hunting is an alternative to foxhunting. Instead of chasing a fox, hounds follow a trail of scent. Critics say that animals still end up being killed. ● On 21 October, the National Trust held a vote to decide whether or not it should allow trail hunts to be held on its land. Members voted narrowly in favour of allowing the hunts. Hunting with hounds has been popular in England for hundreds of years. Since at least the 19th century some people have felt that foxhunting is cruel. In…

A tsunami is one of the world’s most powerful and destructive natural forces. The giant waves can speed across oceans faster than a jet plane; they can swallow up islands and destroy coastal villages. Now, scientists think they have discovered the world’s oldest tsunami victim after studying a site where an ancient skull was found almost 90 years ago. The skull, discovered in 1929 near the town of Aitape in Papua New Guinea, is thought to have belonged to a 6,000-year-old human. Originally, Paul Hossfeld, an Australian scientist who found the skull, believed it belonged to Homo erectus – an ancestor of modern humans that died out around 150,000 years ago. However, researchers announced on 25 October that the skull probably belonged to a Homo sapien (a modern-day human) who…

For years, chefs have been whipping up incredible creations with the help of science, from using liquid nitrogen to instantly freeze ice cream to making bubble tea – tea served with chewy tapioca balls that you can eat. Now, scientists from the University of Sussex and the University of Bristol have created floating food, which they believe will be the next culinary craze. TastyFloats is an invention that levitates food into your mouth using sound waves. Sound is a vibration and it moves through the air like a wave. The system uses focused ultrasound waves (too high for humans to hear) at the top and bottom of the machine to hold the food in mid-air. If this force is strong enough, it can levitate objects – a bit like when…

Underwater rhythm A percussionist who specialises in underwater music gets in some practice ahead of a gig in Glasgow. It’s a knockout A young buck gets knocked for six during a brawl in Norfolk. Horsing around This statue is part of a performance artwork, designed to float down the Don River in Toronto, Canada. Standing tall At 108 metres, this statue in China is taller than London’s Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben. Peek-a-boo It might look like it’s playing a silly game, but this owl was in fact caught during take-off in Oregon, US. Berry nice Cranberries are stored floating in a flooded bog after harvesting in Wisconsin, US. Fluffball This Persian cat, called Cullykhan Vivaldi, won top prize at the Supreme Cat Show in Birmingham. Attack of the…

Guinness World Records: Gamer’s Edition 2018 (Guinness World Records) The latest edition of this video-games annual comes packed with information about the biggest stars and best games. Discover crazy gaming stories from around the world, meet the world’s oldest games Youtuber, see the world’s biggest Game Boy, and more. The introduction is written by gaming superstar DanTDM himself. The Person Controller by David Baddiel Illustrated by Jim Field (HarperCollins Children’s Books) Ever wondered what it would be like if video games came to life? That’s exactly what happens to gaming fans Fred and Ellie in this hilarious story. When they are sent a strange video game controller by a mysterious man, the pair are soon plunged into a wild and wacky adventure. Game On! 2018 (Scholastic) Learn more about the…

Paddington Bear has been a firm favourite of adults and children since he sprang from the mind of author Michael Bond and onto the pages of his first adventure in 1958. His last adventure in literature was released at the beginning of this year, shortly before Bond passed away at the age of 91. Paddington arrived on the big screen in 2014, in a state of some confusion. Having arrived from Peru to a bustling and unfriendly city, he was homeless and seemed out of luck. By a stroke of very good fortune, as he sat in London’s Paddington Station, he was discovered by the Brown family who, in spite of his catastrophic clumsiness, eventually found a place for him in their home at 32 Windsor Gardens. Now, the bear…

The Parent Trap (1998) DVD, Amazon Prime Instant Video, iTunes, Disney Life Most of the time, when films are remade, they don’t match the standard of the original. However, 1998’s delightful The Parent Trap was a notable exception. Based on the 1961 film of the same name, in turn based on German author Erich Kästner’s 1949 book Lottie and Lisa, the idea is that identical twin sisters swap places to try to bring their parents back together. Both versions are idealistic in their own way but also lots of fun. The 1998 version has little references to the original film, including use of the track Let’s Get Together, sung in 1961 by the then-teenage actress Hayley Mills. WOW! There are actually five Parent Trap films. Three…

Just Dance 2018 PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox One / Wii / Wii U / Switch Available for pretty much every console that’s still in a living room, Just Dance 2018 is the latest game that challenges you to shake a leg on your carpet. In fact, to shake both legs and both arms, if you’re playing properly. The game tracks your moves based on the controller you’re holding, although you can also download its app to your smartphone to use that instead. Some of this year’s most popular songs are included, from Despacito and Shape of You, to Bad Liar by Selena Gomez and Side to Side by Ariana Grande. There’s even a bit of Queen for the parents, if you can bear to watch them…

The word resilience is often used to describe how people react to a challenging experience. Resilience is demonstrated by a person’s ability to recover quickly from a difficult situation and to take something positive from it – and to keep trying even when times are tough. It’s something that Premier League footballer Yannick Bolasie knows a bit about. He has spent almost a year recovering from a knee injury that left him unable to play, but he is determined to be back in action by Christmas. Bolasie is one of the judges of the Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition that we’re supporting on page 24 of this issue. Primary school pupils are invited to write poems on the theme of resilience, and there are some great money-can’t-buy prizes up…

Teacher’s name: Miss Barnes School: Wimbledon High School, London Miss Barnes is the coolest teacher in the world. She makes up hilarious rhymes to help us with our spelling, and clever links to help us remember our times tables. Miss Barnes has helped a lot with my spelling and maths, and she has a fantastic sense of humour with all the class. Sisi, Year 4 If we pick your teacher as Teacher of the Week, we’ll send your school three free issues of The Week Junior. Send your nominations, along with a picture of your teacher and your school’s full name and address, to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

Walking in the air Optical illusions confuse your brain into thinking you’re seeing something that isn’t actually there. In the Icelandic town of Ísafjörður, a clever way to make drivers pay attention on the roads has left some people feeling like they’re seeing things. This 3D illusion makes it seem as though the white crossing stripes are hovering above the road, when really it’s just a clever painted design. It’s hoped that this ingenious trick will startle drivers into stopping, making the town a safer place for pedestrians. ANIMALS ON THE ROAD In the UK, aside from zebra crossings, there are also crossings named after puffins, pelicans and toucans. Real OR Rubbish? Police put stolen pumpkins on parade In a suburb of St Louis, a city in the US state…

Born in 1542, Mary Stuart was the only child of King James V of Scotland and his French wife. Her father died shortly after she was born so Mary’s mother ruled Scotland for her while she was still a child. As queen, Mary wasn’t very popular in Scotland, and she was forced to abdicate (give up) the Scottish throne and flee to England. She hoped that her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, would help her but Elizabeth felt threatened by Mary and imprisoned her for 18 years. Mary was executed for treason in 1587.…

David Yarrow is one of the world’s best photographers – and he’ll go to any lengths for a snap. For more than 30 years, David Yarrow has dedicated himself to documenting the world around him. He made his start photographing sports events. He found himself taking pictures at some of the most famous sporting events of the 20th century, such as the 1986 World Cup final – but sports photography wasn’t what he really wanted to be doing. For the past eight years, Yarrow has fulfilled his dreams of documenting wildlife. He has travelled the world, searching for the perfect shot. Yarrow has developed his own techniques to capture majestic, but often dangerous, animals from up-close and unusual angles. For help getting close to the planet’s mightiest beasts, Yarrow uses…

The common shrew has a rather unusual way of surviving the winter. Scientists have discovered that shrews shrink their heads during the winter months, and expand them again in the spring. This survival method is called Dehnel’s phenomenon. It is named after a scientist called August Dehnel who first noticed the effect in 1949. The phenomenon was observed by studying the size of different shrews’ skulls. The skulls came from animals that had died at different times of year but, although they varied in size, scientists couldn’t be certain that this was because their heads had shrunk. Experts thought there may have been another reason for the size differences; perhaps smaller shrews were better able to survive the winter, for example. To proved Dehnel’s theory, scientists needed to study the…

Samantha Guillaume, keeper at ZSL London Zoo Catfish aren’t closely related to cats. Although they are both vertebrates, they belong to two different groups. The catfish is a fish, but cats are terrestrial mammals. Catfish have been given this name because of the barbels on each side of their mouth that look like whiskers. Unlike cats, however, catfish have tastebuds all over their bodies. Do you love animals? ZSL London Zoo’s Junior Zoo Academy is a great way to learn about creatures from all over the world. Find out more at zsl.org/experiences…

Electronic tattoos are sensors that doctors can stick to skin to monitor things like heart rate. Usually, the electrical parts of these tattoos are made from gold because it can be rolled thin, it doesn’t get damaged easily and can carry even very low electrical currents. One team from the University of Texas in the US, however, has decided to use graphene. Graphene is made of a single layer of pure carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern, like a honeycomb. It’s 200 times stronger than steel and is very light and thin – in fact, it is a million times thinner than a strand of hair. Graphene works well in electrical tattoos because it conducts electricity better than gold and, as it is so thin and soft, graphene wrinkles…

On 29 October, British racing driver Lewis Hamilton was crowned Formula One world champion for the fourth time. Hamilton finished in ninth place at the Mexico Grand Prix, winning two points and taking his total for the season to 333. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel is in second place with 277 points. Each win is worth 25 points, so even if Vettel wins the final two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi he would only reach 327. Hamilton, who drives for the Mercedes team, has now won the F1 world championship more times than any British driver. The 32-year-old won his first title in 2008 and was world champion in 2014 and 2015. Hamilton has wanted to race cars since he was a boy. At the age of eight, he became…

Sally Jones is a mechanic working aboard a cargo ship in Lisbon, Portugal. She’s clever and kind, with a special talent for chess. Oh, and she also happens to be a gorilla. When her dear friend Chief is falsely convicted of murder, she must put all her talents to work to clear Chief’s name. This story is her typewritten account of her remarkable quest to discover the truth. The Murderer’s Ape has already won lots of important European book awards, and it has won praise from top children’s writers like Philip Pullman, too. It’s easy to see why: this is a captivating adventure story, full of intrigue, mystery, dark secrets and dangerous escapades. With its rich descriptions, page-turning plot and a brilliant main character in Sally Jones, it’s a truly…

Why do you think Paddington is such a popular character? One reason is his ability to bounce back and be optimistic, and always try to see the good things in life. I think we’ve all been Paddington, in the sense that we’ve all been strangers in a strange place. That’s why we sympathise with him and we want to make sure he’s ok. Because we’ve all been there. Paddington loves his marmalade sandwiches. What’s your top snack? When I was very young, I thought the best snack was cheddar cheese and ketchup sandwiches on really white bread. I think of that now and I want to vomit. Are there any roles you’ve never played that you’d like to? I’ve got to be in a comic-book movie haven’t I, surely? Even…

DuckTales: Woo-Oo! Special 5.30pm on 4 November, Disney Channel and Disney Life Join Huey, Dewey and Louie in a special episode as they uncover Scrooge McDuck’s long-kept family secrets, which send them on wild adventures around the globe. The new DuckTales TV series continues early next year. Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards 2017 8pm on 7 November, ITV This awards ceremony celebrates the nation’s unsung heroes. This year, the focus will be on the bravery of the country’s emergency services and the National Health Service (NHS). Women At War – 100 Years Of Service 9.15am on 6 November, BBC1 In 1917, women were allowed to join the British army – the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps was its first all-female unit. This week-long series looks into how army life has…

Fossils of an ancient animal called archaeopteryx are helping scientists to figure out how dinosaurs evolved into birds – and exactly how this prehistoric creature moved. Brendan Body, who teaches animation at the University of Dundee, has created an animated version of archaeopteryx. Clips of his animation went viral when they were released on social media, and Body is hoping that the feedback he’s had from dinosaur experts will help him make even more accurate animations in the future. “I’m bridging the gap between the prehistoric and our modern 3D world,” explained Body, who says he was inspired by films such as Jurassic Park. The archaeopteryx animation is on display at the University of Dundee’s Lamb Gallery until 15 December as part of an exhibition celebrating the archaeologist who found…

Feeling inspired? With Premier League Writing Stars you could win an incredible prize and have fun while doing it. All you need to do is write a poem on the theme of resilience. What does it mean to you to try and try again? Any type of poetic writing is suitable, so it could be a rap or song lyrics. Poems should be no more than 20 lines or 150 words. The winning poems will be published in a special book and your class could even win an author-led writing workshops and have the Premier League trophy in your school! What’s more, the first 1,000 schools to enter will win a special book bag. Judges include football stars Frank Lampard and Yannick Bolasie and Children’s Laureate Lauren Child. The closing…

This year, the wildlife show Autumnwatch is encouraging viewers to take part in a science project called Seabirdwatch. With seabirds around the world in serious decline, camera traps have been set up at various sites across the north Atlantic. These cameras have taken thousands of pictures of seabirds, including kittiwakes and guillemots. It’s up to the general public to help identify these birds and their chicks in the images, to help experts monitor the birds’ breeding patterns and chick survival rates. Head to tinyurl.com/TWJseabirdwatch to get started.…

Follow The Week Junior on Popjam @TheWeekJunior You can download the free Popjam app from the App Store or GooglePlay. French president, Emmanuel Macron, was in for a nasty surprise when his dog was filmed peeing inside the Elysée Palace. You said... “That is the most LOLtastic thing in the whole universe!” @TheGigglers123 “Hilarious” @turquoiseturtle0404 “My face would have gone red” @FrontWalkovers We told you that a normal marathon is 26.2 miles and an ultra-marathon is any race longer than this. You said... “Woah!” @Rainbow_Karina “That’s a lot of running” @cutebunny_12 “If I did that I would literally die” @SilverGriffyn Tell us what you think of this week’s issue. We’ll give you a shout-out if your post is printed here.…

1How tall is California’s vertical rock formation, El Capitan? a) 700 metres b) 800 metres c) 900 metres 2True or false? Mary, Queen of Scots’ actual name was Stuart. 3What was the age of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, when he died last October? 4The oldest fox hunt in England dates back to which year? a) 1558 b) 1668 c) 1778 5Ron Jones, Britain’s oldest poppy seller, has been selling the commemorative red flowers for how many years? 6What is another name for the Mediterranean tree frog? a) Spotty tree frog b) Stripeless tree frog c) Mosaic tree frog 7True or false? Monet, Pissarro and Renoir were all famous minimalist artists. 8How long do experts recommend that people spend brushing their teeth? 9In which country has a pavilion been…

In 1915, a Canadian officer called John McCrae wrote a poem, In Flanders Fields, inspired by the sight of poppies growing on a battlefield. Since then, the poppy has become a symbol of remembrance. Poppy badges are sold for charity in November and people wear them to remember those who lost their lives in battle. This year, to launch the annual poppy appeal, lines from In Flanders Fields have been written out in poppies around England, Wales and France.…

Hibernation Hibernating animals aren’t sleeping. They slow their breathing and heart down to conserve enough energy to get them through winter without needing to eat or drink. Migration Travelling from one place to another to escape the cold is one way that birds survive the winter. Alpine swifts spend the summer in Switzerland before migrating to Africa. Take a dip Japanese macaques at Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano, Japan, are famous for soaking in the hot springs to warm up. Huddle up Emperor penguins have mastered the technique of grouping together to share body heat and conserve energy. They even do this with eggs balanced on their feet.…

The kea parrot The world’s only mountain parrot, the kea, has been voted New Zealand’s bird of the year. More than 50,000 votes were cast in the competition. Kea are intelligent green parrots that live in the mountains of New Zealand’s South Island. They are an endangered species. Honeybees An survey has revealed that less honey was produced in the UK this year than in 2016. Almost two thirds of beekeepers who took part in the survey are worried about the use of pesticides (chemicals used in farming), which have been linked to a fall in the bee population.…

During the 19th century, artists often painted from their imagination. Most European art showed grand scenes, such as battles from history or stories from ancient Greece and Rome. However, there was a group of French artists doing something different. They painted landscapes and scenes of people eating, sleeping and doing housework. These artists were not painting pictures that looked realistic, but rather they were attempting to create an impression of how a person, object or landscape looked to them. They became known as Impressionists. In the 1870s, they left Paris and came to paint in London. Some of these paintings form part of a new exhibition at the Tate Modern. Find out more here: tinyurl.com/twj-Impressionists Working quickly Impressionists hoped to capture scenes in the way they looked at a particular…

You probably brush your teeth twice a day, but did you know lots of people don't brush often enough? NHS guidelines say that people should brush their teeth once in the evening and once at any other point in the day. However, many Brits aren’t doing this. According to a report by YouGov published on 23 October, 29% of Britons brush their teeth just once a day, and men are more likely than women to skip brushing their teeth a second time. The report also said that 8% of people brush their teeth for a third time and 2% – or one out of 50 – don’t brush their teeth at all. People were also more likely to brush in the morning than the evening. Skipping the evening brush is…

Elise Christie The speedskater was named Sportswoman of the Year at the Sunday Times sports awards. She became world champion in the Netherlands earlier this year. Yan Bingtao The 17-year-old snooker player beat five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-1 at the International Open in Daqing, China. Katie Archibald The 23-year-old Scottish cyclist won the women’s overall title at the Six Day London competition. Anthony Joshua The British heavyweight boxer defeated Carlos Takam from Cameroon on 28 October to keep his WBA, IBF and IBO world titles in front of 78,000 spectators at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.…

If you could be any book character who would it be and why? Tintin, maybe. He never seems to grow old. I have read all of the adventures numerous times (except for the first two or three, which are not at all as good as the others). If I had to choose one favourite, it may be The Calculus Affair. Where would you most like to go? I would go sailing to some island in the South Pacific. The only island in the South Pacific that I have been to is New Zealand’s South Island. And that was just a short stop on the way home from an expedition with an icebreaker to Antarctica, but I would love to come back to New Zealand some day and explore both the…

On 29 October, a new series filled with underwater adventures splashed onto screens across the UK – the first episode of Blue Planet II. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the series is set to reveal many astonishing sights, including tiny creatures that live within the world’s corals. Before the first episode had been broadcast, it was revealed that some of the awe-inspiring close-up scenes had been filmed within a laboratory instead of out in the wild. Attenborough explains that these shots are “not in any way misleading” because the majority of the series was filmed out in the planet’s waters. The executive producer for the show, James Honeyborne, added that to get some of the close-up shots in the wild would have disrupted the wildlife because filming them needs specialised…

The Famous Five Adventure Game iOS (£2.99) This year is the 75th anniversary of author Enid Blyton’s first book starring The Famous Five. Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog went on to sell more than 100 million copies over 21 books, and they’re still popular today. Now there’s an app, too. The Famous Five Adventure Game puts you in the shoes of the four children (plus the paws of their dog) to solve a mystery on their regular haunt, Kirrin Island. How? This is partly about playing fun mini-games that test your memory and logic skills but also about playing detective and questioning other characters who (without spoiling the story) may have something to hide. The app tones down some of the more old-fashioned elements of the original…

Names: Grace Year: 8 “A few months ago, I featured in a Match of the Day Kickabout on CBBC, because I am part of a mixed football club. I have loved football from a young age, and so being asked to join this team was a dream come true. I was a little bit apprehensive because I suppose football is quite a stereotyped sport. So, I was nervous about how the boys would react. However, everyone was really lovely, and I already knew most of the boys. I was also joined by my friend from school, which was great. I think that more girls should take up football because it’s a really fun sport, and I have made so many new friends through it. It is also very good for…

“We went for a walk in Epping Forest and came across a tree that looked like a Halloween witch!” Laila, Year 6 “We went to check out Walthamstow Marshes with our parents.” Dylan, Year 5, and Adam, Year 7 “This is a picture of me reading The Week Junior amongst all my copies. I laid them all out on the stairs before my mum woke up, and she couldn’t get down the stairs!” Edie, Year 4…