Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 96 i The Week Junior

Angela Merkel has been elected the leader of Germany for the fourth time in a row, after winning her country’s general election on 24 September. In Germany, the leader is called the chancellor. What happened? Merkel is in charge of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. It has a sister party (a party that is connected to it) called the Christian Social Union (CSU). The CSU stands for election only in Germany’s biggest state – Bavaria. The two parties have governed Germany since 2005. The CDU-CSU won Sunday’s election, and will have the most members in the German parliament, which is called the Bundestag. However, it received only 32.9% of votes, which was 8.6% less than it won in the previous election in 2013. This was the CDU-CSU’s worst result…

28 September 1928 Sir Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin Born in Scotland in 1881, Sir Alexander Fleming devoted his life to medicine. In 1928, Fleming was working on the flu virus and studying a bacteria called staphylococcus. He was growing the bacteria in glass dishes. When he checked them, he noticed that mould had formed. Where there was mould, he found that the bacteria had been killed. He later realised that the mould was an antibiotic, which he later called penicillin. When the drug was introduced in the 1940s, it completely changed the way people were treated, and helped save millions of lives.…

When Colin Kaepernick was in the US equivalent of Year 5, he predicted he would grow to be 1.93 metres tall, attend university and then play American football for one of his two favourite teams. He was right on all counts. However, he could never have predicted the influence he would later have on the country. He became a star player at the University of Nevada, and in 2011 he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) after graduation. A year later he led the team to the Super Bowl, the sport’s championship, where they lost a thrilling game 34-31. In 2016, Kaepernick decided he would either sit down or drop to one knee during the traditional pre-game singing of the US national anthem.…

China’s air pollution From 15 November, almost all major building works in China’s capital of Beijing will be banned for four months. It’s hoped that this will help ease the air-pollution crisis the city currently faces, which is believed to be the cause of thousands of early deaths every year. Christmas Island pipistrelle A species of bat found only on Australia’s Christmas Island has been declared extinct. The Christmas Island pipistrelle hasn’t been spotted on the island since 2009. It has a distinct call, and experts waited for the latest surveys to be completed before making the announcement.…

On 19 September, presidents, prime ministers and representatives from 193 different countries travelled to the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York to discuss some of the most important issues facing the planet. The meeting is part of the annual General Assembly session, and it ended on 29 September. What is the United Nations? The United Nations is an organisation made up of 193 countries, known as member states. The UN aims to work for peace and development around the world. It tries to keep people safe in countries where there is war; it helps poor countries boost their economies; it encourages good relations between countries; and it promotes human rights. The UN was born in 1945 after the Second World War ended. It is made up of six major…

On 26 September 1991, eight crew members (four men and four women) were sent to live in Biosphere 2 for two years, completely cut off from the outside world. Biosphere 2, located in Arizona in the US, was the world’s largest artificially enclosed system. The mission was to discover whether a group of humans could live in an isolated colony, like they would on another planet. The 12,000-square-metre structure had its own oxygen system, its own rainforest and its own ocean. The crew produced its own food, recycled waste and water, and conducted research. However, after less than a year, food was getting low and the crew began to argue. In early 1993, oxygen levels in the dome had dipped so low that the crew was struggling to breathe. The…

If your bedroom gets warm and you’re struggling to sleep, you may feel more comfortable if you flip your pillow over so you can enjoy the cooler side. Now, a gadget has been created to keep your pillow cold all night – but with a price tag of around £300, it might be a little expensive. The smart pillow, called Moona, is tethered to a machine that sits on your bedside table. When filled with water, the machine pumps cool liquid into a pad that slips under your pillowcase, keeping it at a temperature of around 22ºC all night long. Moona also connects to an app, which can monitor your sleeping patterns as well as recording how much you move around during the night.…

On 23 and 24 September at the Liverpool Echo Arena, hundreds of gymnasts had a big spring in their step. That’s because they competed at the Trampoline, Tumbling and DMT (double mini trampoline) British Championships. Male and female gymnasts as young as nine performed flips and jumps in the three separate sports across different age categories. There were events for athletes with physical and learning disabilities and those who have difficulty seeing or hearing. Luke Strong, from Liverpool, won the senior men’s trampoline competition for the third time, while the senior women’s trampoline title was taken by Laura Gallagher from Somerset. Lucie Coleback and Greg Townley finished first in the senior women’s and men’s tumbling categories. Benjamin Atkins and Kirsty Way took winners’ medals in the DMT class. There were…

Imagine by John Lennon, illustrated by Jean Jullien (Frances Lincoln) This stylish, brightly coloured book follows one little pigeon on a mission to spread peace all around the world. The lyrics to John Lennon’s famous song Imagine have been combined with new illustrations from Jean Jullien to help raise money for the charity Amnesty International. The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson (Macmillan Children’s Books) Tally dreads going to boarding school – but when she arrives, it’s nothing like she expected. Soon she is setting out on a very unusual school trip to the country of Bergania, where she finds herself helping a new friend, Prince Karil. Set just before the Second World War, this warm-hearted story explores the importance of peace, tolerance and friendship. Peace Maker by Malorie Blackman, illustrated…

In the 1980s, New York, US, was a very different city to what it is today. Downtown Manhattan, the heart of the city, was a rough-and-ready place. In the 1970s and 1980s, rogues mixed with creatives, and artists worked freely, turning their hand to whatever they liked and creating brand-new art forms. These were the first days of hip-hop and graffiti – days when painting and music collided in a whirlwind of colour and beats. Into this incredible environment strode a young artist called Jean-Michel Basquiat. His work was instantly recognisable, and the people around him soon recognised his talent. At the beginning of his career, he used the streets as his canvas; he and his friend sprayed graffiti on the walls of the city, writing mysterious, poetic slogans for…

All Stars (2013) DVD, Netflix, Amazon, iTunes Two of television’s biggest talent contents, Strictly ComeDancingand TheX-Factor, are now both underway. The charming 2013 movie AllStars mixes both song and dance – and showcases a lot of young performers – as it follows a group of six children who put on a dance show to save their youth centre. What’s interesting about the film – and it’s an entertaining, worthwhile movie to seek out – is what happened on its release. Despite being a small British production, it was able to stick around the box office charts for far longer than anyone predicted. Another bonus: the film features a brief, memorable appearance from Doctor Whostar John Barrowman. DID YOU KNOW? Theo Stevenson, one of the stars of the film, also played…

Champions and Challengers – Adventure Time Android / iOS (Free) There hasn’t been a bad game based on Adventure Time, and the latest one is the best yet for Finn, Jake and friends. Champions and Challengers is a role-playing game with more than 70 characters to unlock. It sees you battling opponents a bit like a board game, swiping enemies to attack them, tapping a block button to defend, and making use of your characters’ special abilities whenever you can. The fun comes in unlocking new characters and figuring out what they can do. As with other games, this includes in-app purchases, but they’re optional: you can play at your own pace without having to pay anything.…

We asked award-winning author David Baddiel to tell us his six top tips for storywriting success. This is what he said: 1. Think of a good idea and start writing. 2. Keep writing. It doesn’t really matter at this stage where the story is going – use the original idea to power through whatever comes to mind. 3. About a third of the way into the story, you’ll probably realise you’ve gone as far as you can with it – but that third you’ve written will have thrown up some new possibilities and ideas. 4. Change the third you’ve written to reflect your new ideas. For example, if it’s a detective story, you might realise your sleuth needs an assistant. You don’t want to introduce a main character a third…

This week, the Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, published a “plain English” version of the terms and conditions that Facebook expects people to agree to if they want to use its service. Earlier this year, Longfield accused Facebook, and other social media providers, of making it difficult for users to understand exactly what they are being asked to sign up to. The plain English version makes it crystal clear. Some of the terms, such as “don’t bully anyone” or “don’t pretend to be anyone else” seem sensible enough, but you may be surprised to learn that Facebook can use technology to track the location of its users as well as collect information about all their contacts, the websites they visit and even what device they’re using. By accepting the…

How much time do you spend on screens? The Farms for City Children charity’s Unplug day is challenging kids and adults alike to spend just one day without screens, exploring what the outdoors has to offer and spending quality time together instead. Simply choose any day in October for your Unplug day, and get fundraising. The money you raise will go towards providing children from the city, who may not have experienced the countryside before, with the opportunity to spend a week on one of the charity’s three farms. For more information, head to farmsforcitychildren.org/support-us/unplug/…

“I loved your recipe for sandwich cookies in issue 94, so I made them for my brother, sister and parents. They were so delicious. We ate them all in one go!” Ben, Year 6 “This is me in my back garden helping my dad cut off the leaves and twigs from the bigger sticks to upcycle them to make canes for sunflowers.” Bethany, Year 6 “We made our own table football with the colours of Manchester United and Manchester City – our favourite teams!” Leo, Year 5, and Sam, Year 2…

Follow The Week Junior on PopJam @TheWeekJunior You can download the free PopJam app from the App Store or GooglePlay. The UK has got a brand new £10 note with Jane Austen on to commemorate 200 years since the author died. You said… “That is a brilliant way to remember such an important and lovely person!” @Crafty_Sisters “Wooow, I better look out for that” @Jessica277 “I want one” @EnchantedMisty Proud gardener Peter Glazebrook broke his own record for the world’s heaviest onion. You said… “Some onion” @crazy_kitty_980 “You would need a big salad to put that in!” @JumpingMushroom “That must have taken a lot of care and time” @BobinRobin “That’s insane. I love it” @OfficialDomVlogsHugeFanGirl Tell us what you think of this week’s issue. We’ll give you a shout out…

Is this a snake or a caterpillar? When animal charity the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was called to a home in Kent to tackle a large snake, its staff weren’t quite sure what to expect. Rushing to the address, animal-collection officer Monica Faloona discovered a box in the garden under which the homeowner had trapped what they’d claimed to be a two-metre-long snake. However, when Faloona lifted the box, the creature was in fact a small elephant hawk moth caterpillar. She tried to reassure the caller that the insect would do them no harm, but as “they were still very traumatised and scared”, she decided to remove the caterpillar and find somewhere else for it to live. DID YOU KNOW? A caterpillar is either…

1 In which year did Prince Harry set up the Invictus Games? a) 2014 b) 2015 c) 2016 2 How many Londoners use Uber? 3 What is the flight deck onboard HMS Ocean bigger than? a) The length of the UK b) Forty double-decker buses c) A football pitch 4 True or false? US television channel ABC was the first to broadcast news 24 hours a day, every day. 5 Who was Christopher Robin’s father? 6 How high can snow leopards leap? a) Up to five metres b) Up to 10 metres c) Up to 15 metres 7 True or false? The United Nations was formed in 1945. 8 Which Hawaiian volcano did scientists spend eight months living on, in a test to see what it would be like to…

Angela Merkel was born in Hamburg, in West Germany, in 1954, but grew up in a small town in East Germany 60 miles from Berlin. She was an excellent student at school – although she did not like PE – and became a scientist after university. She entered politics in 1990, and in 2000 she was elected head of the CDU, making her the first female leader of a German party. She has been German chancellor since 2005, when the CDU won the general election. Many people call her mutti, which means “mummy”, because she looks after the country. She likes to bake and is said to make a very good plum cake.…

THIS ORANGUTAN Alba, thought to be the only albino orangutan in the world, is getting a new home. She doesn’t have a special chemical in her skin, fur or eyes that gives them colour. Now the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation is building her a forest island where she can live. SYRIA’S GIRL SCOUTS Despite six years of war in Syria, girl scouts are flourishing in parts of the country. Now, the Scouts of Syria organisation has become an official member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Arabic may even be added as an official scout language. FINDING A LOST CITY A city on the road from Iraq to Iran has been uncovered by British and Iraqi archaeologists, after flying a drone over a previously out-of-bounds area.…

A“lost” portrait of the First Duke of Buckingham has been rediscovered almost 400 years after it was painted. The artwork, by the world-famous Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, had been on display in Glasgow’s Pollok House stately home. The portrait was believed to have been a copy because of the dust it had gathered, and because it had been painted over many times. However, it was recently revealed to be by Rubens, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists who ever lived. An expert described the discovery as “thrillingly exciting”.…

North Korea Over the past few years, North Korea has been testing ballistic missiles – these are powerful weapons capable of travelling over long distances. This has angered many countries, and it was one of the main issues discussed at the General Assembly debate. US President Donald Trump spoke about North Korea in his first speech to the GA. He said that the US will defend itself and its allies from any threats. Environment Climate change was another hot topic. Scientists believe that climate change has made recent hurricanes, such as Irma and Maria, more extreme than they would have been in previous years. Many world leaders expressed their support for the Paris Agreement on climate change – a promise by nearly 200 countries to limit their use of fossil…

Trampoline: Gymnasts perform a routine from 10 skills, twisting and turning as they reach a height of 10 metres. Tumbling: On a 25-metre springy runway called a tumble track, gymnasts make high-speed jumps, somersaults and twists in a routine that lasts for only a few seconds. Double mini trampoline: After a short run, gymnasts spring from a small trampoline, perform skills and then bounce from a second trampoline and finish their routine.…

Number 13 is a groundling: half boy, half fox. He has only one ear and no real name of his own. At Miss Carbunkle’s Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures, he leads a miserable life – until he makes a friend in Trinket, a small bird groundling who christens him Arthur, and comes up with a bold plan to help them both escape. Leaving the grim Home behind him, Arthur is soon venturing through the Wild Wood to the city of Lumen Town in search of his real name and his true destiny. But the city is strange and overwhelming, and when he is taken in by a gang of groundling thieves there is danger ahead – as well as some extraordinary discoveries. Set in a richly described world of…

Breaking2 tinyurl.com/TWJ-breaking2 This National Geographic documentary on YouTube follows three top athletes attempting to break the two-hour marathon record. Follow Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa, Eritrean Zersenay Tadese and Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge as they attempt to run 26.2 miles at an average pace of 4 minutes and 34 seconds per mile. Saturday Mash-Up! 9am from 30 September, BBC2 and CBBC Every Saturday morning a brand-new kids’ show will be on BBC2 and CBBC. Hosted by Yasmin Evans, Jonny Nelson and Hacker T. Dog, it will give viewers a first look at new shows including the Next Step and Danger Mouse, plus live music and competitions. Sing: Ultimate A Cappella From Saturday 6 October at 9pm, Sky One Hosted by Cat Deeley, this new series sees groups battle it out to be the…

“I love the individuality of lacrosse. Sure, there is a textbook way to play, but every player is different. You can add your own flair and unique playing style. The skills needed to play each position well are huge, both from an athletic point of view and mentally. I’ve learned that there may be people who have more talent than me, but that’s no reason for them to work harder than me. That’s what makes lacrosse special to me.”…

“Last month, an enormous, 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier entered the Royal Navy’s base at Portsmouth Harbour. The ship, named Queen Elizabeth, is the largest ship the Royal Navy has ever had! It is so large that Usain Bolt would need 30 seconds to run the length of the deck. My family and I visited Portsmouth Harbour to see the giant aircraft carrier. I spotted a sign for a harbour tour from a boat, called the Ali Cat, which covered the aircraft carrier. We bought tickets and then boarded the boat to see the carrier, and what a sight met our eyes! A tall, grey thing loomed above all the boathouses and buildings. It looked like a big building. As we approached the majestic Queen Elizabeth, with police patrol boats and sailors…

Anew poll has revealed that adults in the UK spend twice as long sat on the toilet every week compared with the amount of time they spend exercising. The poll, by lifestyle body UKactive, found that each week the average adult could be found sat on the loo for three hours and nine minutes. However, adults were discovered to be spending just 90 minutes a week exercising; an hour below the NHS’s recommendation of 150 minutes of weekly activity such as swimming or cycling.…

Thomas Maunders, keeper at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Most insects don’t sleep the same way that humans do. However, they do have periods of the day where they rest. As well as having rest periods, insects also have active periods. Some insects are active at night, and this behaviour is called being nocturnal – like owls. Other insects are most active during the day, which is known as diurnal. 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…

Holy moly A slackliner shows off his daring, high above the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic. Anyone in? This humongous vegetable was on show at a pumpkin contest in Slovenia. Foaming fun A boy battles through the froth at a charity bubble run in Leicester. Radical yoga Ladies in China take yoga right to the edge, and over the side of a cliff. Have at ye! Two knights do battle at the first-ever World Jousting Championship in Sydney, Australia. Hot wheels This illuminated car floated down the River Derwent as part of the Matlock Baths Illuminations, in Derbyshire. Oh deer A buck in Phoenix Park, in Dublin, Ireland, got itself in a tangle.…

Loughborough Lightning netball team They won the first-ever Fast5 All-Stars title at the O2 Arena in London, after beating Team Bath 35-33. Bianca Walkden and Mahama Cho The British duo won gold medals at the Taekwondo World Grand Prix event in Morocco, North Africa. Chelsea Ladies They beat Bristol City Women 6-0 and topped the Women’s Super League 1 football table after the first weekend of the new league season. Peter Sagan The cyclist from Slovakia won the World Championship road race in Norway. Sagan is the only man to win three titles in a row.…

What is your favourite school memory? I was in kindergarten when the whole school gathered in the auditorium to watch a children’s book author/ illustrator tell a story while drawing amazing pictures on a giant sketchpad on stage. I was absolutely gobsmacked! Who is your favourite book character? I think it’s a cross between Piglet and Black Beauty. How many books do you think you have read in your life? I can’t even begin to count! Where have you been on holiday most recently? I was in Norway for about three weeks back in August. Part of my trip was to a Sami reindeer-herding village above the Arctic Circle, where I lived in 1996–97. I was researching my next adventure book series after The Wonderling. Shhhh... it’s a secret! Ice…

SoundForest iOS (Free) We’ve covered some great music apps on The Week Junior, but SoundForest is a new app that gets you making tunes with... trees. That’s right, trees. Not real trees, though: virtual ones on the screen of an iPhone or iPad – plus parrots, snails, worms and other creatures you might find in forests around the world. The app uses sequencers, which is what real musicians use to create electronic music. You swipe and tap on a bar at the bottom of the screen to choose notes – represented by the wildlife – and then place them above in a pattern to make tunes. From creating your own version of hits like Despacito, to making your own original tunes, it’s really fun. You can use some sounds with…

Most of the attention around virtual reality (VR) technology has focused on games, but the latest use for VR is much more serious: it’s teaching people to save lives in a digitally simulated world. Lifesaver VR is a new app created for the British charity the Resuscitation Council. It teaches people how to help someone who’s just had a cardiac arrest (which is when your heart stops pumping blood around your body). The app works on iPhone and Android smartphones as well as in web browsers, and uses videos to teach people how to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) by pushing down on a person’s chest rhythmically to help start the heart again. The charity hopes that this will help more people survive cardiac arrests. DID YOU KNOW? Junior eekThe Resuscitation Council…

Is lacrosse for me? It’s for boys and girls of all shapes and sizes, as long as you enjoy working in a team and you’re up for plenty of running. How do I get started? Look at englishlacrosse.co.uk to find your local club, or ask your sports teacher at school if they would think about introducing lacrosse. Do I need all the protective gear? Girls’ lacrosse and POP (lacrosse for primary schools) are non-contact, so you don’t need much gear. Older boys will need a helmet, mouth guard, gloves and padding – everything but the mouth guard will be provided by your club.…

Teacher: Mrs Harrison School: Bryony School, Kent I think my teacher, Mrs Harrison, should be Teacher of the Week because she is always thinking about everyone and making sure we are all ok. She helps us with our maths work to make sure we understand. She is kind, nice and very, very funny. Ruby, 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 GET INVOLVED Email your news, viewsandpictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Every reader who has a report, review, Teacher of the Week nomination, joke or a picture printed in the magazine will be sent a…