Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 158 i The Week Junior

As The Week Junior went to press on 12 December, the UK Prime Minister Theresa May was facing a vote of no confidence in her leadership. That’s because enough Members of Parliament (MPs) from her own party had demanded that a vote must be held. What is a vote of no confidence? Under Conservative Party rules, if 15% of its MPs say they don’t believe their leader is the right person for the job, a vote of no confidence is automatically triggered. On 12 December, it was announced that at least 48 MPs out of the total 315 Conservative MPs had delivered letters calling for the vote, which was due to take place the same evening. This vote is secret, so every Conservative MP gets to say privately whether they…

With Christmas just around the corner, parents, carers and teachers alike will be dusting off their dancing shoes and warming up their singing voices. According to a recent YouGov survey, the thought of this is enough to make many young people flush with embarrassment. Parents breaking into song is the worst, according to the poll, with dancing not far behind, although one in eight (12%) children say they don’t find their parents embarrassing at all. So if you do decide to set some party boundaries this Christmas, you might want to stop and think: are you reasonably protecting your reputation, or just being a party pooper? Do you agree that parents’ singing and dancing is cringeworthy, or just a bit of harmless fun? Yes, everyone deserve to have fun It’s…

Anew project by the European Space Agency (ESA) will try to find out how many trees there are on Earth. In 2021, it will launch a new satellite called Biomass, which uses a special type of radar to peep under the leaf canopy (the topmost layer of branches and leaves) that covers forests. Radar stands for radio detection and ranging. It uses radio waves to see things by sending out a beam of radio waves and detecting the radio waves that are reflected back. The further away an object is, the longer the signal takes to return, which is why radar can be used to track moving objects and to map landscapes. Ordinary satellites can only map the two-dimensional area (the length and width but not the depth) covered by…

Christmas decorations are an important part of the festive season. They brighten up the long winter nights and create an atmosphere of celebration. From Ukrainian spiders and Welsh disguises to Latvian trees and German silver, there are lotss of fascinating tales behind these festive traditions. The Christmas tree Christmas trees are usually evergreen trees (they stay green all year long), such as pine, spruce or fir. People have been decorating evergreen trees for more than 2,000 years. Some believe the first Christmas tree was put up in Latvia, in 1510, by a group of traders. Others claim it was in Germany, where, in the 7th century, it is said an English saint called Boniface cut down an oak worshipped by pagans (people who praised spirits and many different gods). In…

After nearly two years, NASA’s spacecraft Osiris-Rex has reached the asteroid Bennu. Blasting off in 2016, Osiris-Rex has travelled 1.2 billion miles to reach the asteroid. On 3 December, the spacecraft got as close as 12 miles off the 500-metre-wide object. It will begin to circle Bennu on 31 December. Over the course of three years, Osiris-Rex will study the asteroid before stretching out a mechanical arm to collect 60 grammes of rock and dust from the surface. In 2021, the spacecraft will then head back to Earth with the samples safe in a container. Asteroids are really important to science because they are the ancient rocky leftovers from the birth of the solar system, around 4.6 billion years ago. Some scientists believe that asteroids such as Bennu might have…

If you’re a football fan, you’ve probably bought, collected and swapped trading cards and stickers. Topps (the company behind Match Attax) and Panini make cards and stickers featuring heroes such as Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now a junior football club from Marple, near Stockport in England, has been inspired by the big companies and has made its own sticker collection, featuring all 200 players from the club. Rose Hill has teams from under-7s to under-17s level. The club also links up with under-6 players from a local group called Footytotz. In total, there are 299 stickers to collect, including team photos, coaches and club volunteers, which can be stuck into a special Rose Hill football album. Stickers cost £1.20 for a packet of six and can be…

Olaf In Frozen, Olaf is a happy snowman who dreams of summer. Created by Elsa’s magic powers, he spreads positivity around the kingdom of Arendelle and ultimately helps to save the day. Frosty As we all know, Frosty the Snowman was a jolly, happy soul. As well as starring in the popular Christmas tune, Frosty has also appeared in a film all about his adventures on a journey to the North Pole. Jack Frost Jack Frost tells the story of a young boy’s father coming back to life in the shape of a snowman. The 1998 film wasn’t a hit and a famous reviewer said he had never “disliked a movie character more”.…

A team of young people at a school near Cambridge have used coding site Scratch to create a historical map of their village, going back more than 200 years. Aidan, Eoin, Esmé, Finn, Jack, Scarlett and Zac are Year 3 pupils at Haslingfield Endowed Primary School, and members of the coding club. They used Scratch to combine maps of Haslingfield village going back to 1800, and added a slider bar to switch between them and see places of interest through the years. “All of the info in the maps was already available, however it was practically inaccessible to any but a few highly motivated people,” says Phil Golden, who runs the school’s code club. “Making it was a wonderful experience. The students found old maps, online and written resources, and…

What you need Apairofhands A willing participant Instructions Make sure the person you’re massaging is relaxed and comfortable. If they have long hair, perhaps brush it first to untangle it and get rid of any knots. Use the tips of your fingers to make small gentle, circular motions, starting at the forehead and working your way back to the scalp. You can also use the palm of your hands to apply a light pressure to the forehead and then move your hands in an upwards direction. Got an idea? Made something cool? Share it with us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

Name: Gracie “On 12 November, primary school children from all over South Yorkshire came together at the National College for High Speed Rail in Doncaster, for a day celebrating debating. The day started with six pupils from Arbourthorne School debating in front of an audience. ‘I was very nervous because I was in front of a big crowd,’ said Maddison Woollen, who spoke in the debate. The famous author Frank Cottrell-Boyce was there as well. “I was very nervous walking into the building, but when I reached the microphone I was excited.” All the children and teachers went home after a day of debating and teamwork. ” What’s going on at your school? Have you taken part in a sporting event, put on a show or done something fun to…

World leaders have held a heated debate on climate change as part of an important conference in Katowice, Poland. Climate change is the long-term change in the planet’s weather patterns, mostly caused by harmful gases released through the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal. The United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP24, was a chance for the leaders to discuss how to stop global temperatures from rising to catastrophic levels, which could cause irreversible damage to our planet. At a conference in October, representatives from the world’s governments agreed on an important report, which explained the consequences of rising temperatures and how they can be avoided. Creating this report was a long process, which involved thousands of scientists analysing years of research. However, on 8…

Raheem Sterling, a footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national team, has spoken out against racism in the sport. Racism means treating people badly or unfairly because of their race. Sterling was said to have received racist abuse during a match on 8 December against Manchester City’s rivals, Chelsea. What happened during the match? Footage from the game shows Sterling standing on the pitch in front of Chelsea fans. The men appear to be throwing insults at Sterling about the colour of his skin. In an Instagram post, the midfielder said he “had to laugh” when he heard the comments during the game, and he expects “no better”. What else did Sterling say? Sterling said that newspapers are part of the problem. He pointed out two stories…

A rare first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica has been published online to mark 250 years since the first volume was released in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. The Encyclopaedia Britannica is the world’s oldest English-language general encyclopaedia – a reference book or series of books that contain facts about many subjects. The books were created, printed and published in Edinburgh; the first edition was published on 10 December 1768. The themes of Scottish identity and modern science run throughout the series, which was put together by printer Colin Macfarquhar, engraver Andrew Bell and editor William Smellie. It consisted of three volumes once it was completed in 1771. According to the 18th century reference books, there were only six planets in the solar system, as Uranus and Neptune had yet to…

For seven months this year, Daniel Woollard was the only resident of a remote island in the Irish Sea. The 22-year-old worked as a warden on the Calf of Man, which is one mile wide and about 1.5 miles long, looking after the wildlife there. If the weather was stormy, he could have been cut off from the world for weeks at a time. He told the BBC, “I knew it was going to be lonely and difficult, but I didn’t care. Most of my friends thought I was a bit crazy.” There are usually two wardens who live on the island, but Woollard’s colleague broke his ankle and had to leave. Woollard enjoyed the experience so much he says he has applied to do the job next year. “If…

Sculpted over millions of years, Corrie Fee in Angus in Scotland is a huge natural bowl carved out by a glacier during the Ice Age. Walkers come here year-round to explore the paths, which lead from the foot of the corrie up to a waterfall. Along the way, you can spot rare plants such as the Alpine blue sowthistle and mountain willow, and watch golden eagles and peregrine falcons soaring above. If the weather is good, bring some sandwiches to enjoy on one of the picnic benches. Find out more at tinyurl.com/TWJ-CorrieFee…

A survey of 81 countries has found that some species living over wide areas thrive when humans change the land to build farms and cities. The brown rat is one such animal; it is an expert at survival. ● LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: One to three years. ● HABITAT: They can be found in most land habitats, but they are particularly common in towns and cities. ● DIET: They eat a wide range of things – fruits, seeds, food waste, birds’ eggs and small mammals. ● FUN FACT: The brown rat first arrived in the UK in the 1700s, on board ships travelling from central Asia. DID YOU KNOW? Brown rats can breed from the age of around three months old.…

Rats are very social creatures. In fact, a new study shows they will even make friends with robot rats. Rats (like humans) need to be able to understand social signals to tell whether another rat is a friend or foe – in case they need to scuttle away. Laleh Quinn at the University of California, in the US, and her colleagues decided to test these skills in rats using robots. The team set up an experiment with eight real rats and two robotic rats. One of the robot rats was very social, following the real rats around, playing with the same toys, and opening cage doors to let them escape. The other robotic rat wasn’t very friendly and just spent the time moving forwards and backwards. After four days, the…

One of the most anticipated films this year, Mary Poppins Returns, will fly into cinemas on 21 December. It has already been nominated for four Golden Globes, which are famous film awards. Emily Blunt plays the magical nanny in the new film, which is due to arrive 54 years after Julie Andrews played the part in the original screen musical. Blunt has been nominated for her performance, and so has her co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the original film, Poppins was seen teaching the Banks family some valuable life lessons, assisted by Dick Van Dyke’s character of Bert. In Mary Poppins Returns, she revisits the Bankss children, several decades after their first adventure. Van Dyke will reappear in the film, joined by an all-star cast that also includes Meryl Streep. DID…

The seventh season of Fortnite is under way, and it includes a brand new way to play the popular game: Creative Mode. The new option gives you a private island of your own, to which you can invite your friends. You’ll be able to add your own scenery, including placing chests and loot llamas, and create your own mini-games to play. Everything will be saved in between sessions, so you can come back to it. The new mode opened up to everyone on 13 December. Also new for Fortnite season seven: zipwires to help you get to high terrain (and then slide back down again); a new location called Frosty Flights; and Stormwing planes to get you airborne. WARNING! Fortnite is recommended for ages 12 and above.…

What you need Scissors Small plastic bottle Drawing pin Straw Felt-tip pens Table-tennis ball Instructions Carefully cut the top part off a small plastic drinks bottle (pictured below) with scissors. This will be your cup. Recycle the rest of the bottle. Remove the lid and make a hole in it with the drawing pin, then use the point of the closed scissors to make the hole just big enough for the straw. Screw the lid back on to the bottle and poke the short end of the straw through the hole. It should fit snugly. If the hole is too big, air will escape and the ball won’t move. Decorate the ball with felt-tip pens and leave to dry. Put the ball in the cup and blow through the…

A29-year-old yachtswoman has been rescued from the Southern Ocean 50 hours after her boat was wrecked in a storm. Susie Goodall, who had been alone on the yacht, was attempting to complete the Golden Globe Race around the world. Her boat overturned in rough weather on 5 December, destroying its mast. It later flipped back to its upright position, but by then it was too badly damaged to be sailed. Goodall, from Falmouth in Cornwall, was injured in the incident and suffered severe seasickness. A distress signal was picked up by Falmouth coastguard in the UK, because Goodall is registered as a local sailor with them. Due to her remote location, around 2,000 miles west of South America, she had to wait for a Hong Kong cargo ship, called Tian…

17 December 1945 Jacqueline Wilson is born On 17 December 1945, Jacqueline Wilson, the author of The Story of Tracy Beaker, was born in Bath, Somerset. Wilson says she always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first novel at the age of nine, although it wasn’t published. She worked for a publishing company and as a journalist before she started writing novels full time. She has won many awards for her writing. In 2008, she was made a Dame and won the BAFTA Special Award in 2017. In the UK, she has sold more than 40 million books.…

Germany New party leader announced Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has been picked as the new leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union party. The 56-year-old replaces Angela Merkel, who has been leader of the party for 18 years and leader of the country since 2005. Merkel will remain as chancellor (the German equivalent of a prime minister) until the next elections, due by October 2021. Merkel and Kramp-Karrenbauer are good friends. Washington, DC, US Chief of staff leaves the White House John Kelly, who was White House chief of staff for US president Donald Trump, is leaving on 15 December. He was hired to bring order to Trump’s government, but it is thought that Kelly had become frustrated with the president. Kelly said it was the “hardest job (he’d) ever done”. In total,…

On a family outing when she was 10 years old, Donna Strickland went to the Ontario Science Centre, in Toronto, Canada, and saw her first laser. Strickland told The Financial Times newspaper, “It was love at first sight.” It inspired her to work with lasers and eventually to win the Nobel Prize for Physics this year. Strickland says that when she was growing up there were not many female role models in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) world, although things are improving now. Strickland says children should be given as many career options as possible to find out what their strengths are. Then they should be given the support to continue in whatever area they choose. “The world works best when we all do what we’re good at,”…

Monkeys living in Costa Rica are turning yellow, putting them at risk of being caught by predators. A new study says that humans are to blame for this colour change. Mantled howler monkeys are usually dark, but in recent years, pale patches have started to appear on their tails and legs. To find out why this is happening, scientists took a closer look at the chemicals in the howler monkeys’ bodies. Their fur contains melanin, a substance that colours hair and skin. However, in the lighter patches, this pigment has changed to one known as pheomelanin, which is found in animals with yellow, pink or orange tones. Pheomelanin contains sulphur (a strong-smelling chemical) and the scientists believe that this may come from pesticides, which are chemicals sprayed by farmers on…

Forty years ago a timeless snowman was created, not from snow but in drawings by author and illustrator Raymond Briggs. The Snowman, a wordless book, was a hit when it was released in 1978. Its popularity increased when it was turned into a Christmas TV special in 1982. Now the Snowman is being recreated – but this time from people’s memories or, more specifically, photos of their memories of The Snowman over the past 40 years. A new piece of art, called My Snowman, is on display at Brighton Museum. The huge picture is made up of 2,626 photos and shows the character flying through the air. Some of the photos show fans making their own snow sculptures and others are of people watching the animation. As well as the…

Making your own clothes is creative, great for the environment and lots of fun. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never even tried to sew on a button before: with a bit of patience and practice, you’ll soon be a fashion designer with amazing clothes that no one else will have. “There are so many benefits to making your own clothes,” says Kerrie Padmore, founder of sewing workshop, Sewing With Kerrie, and craft centre Living In Loveliness. “It’s a lovely feeling when someone asks where you bought your dress and you can say ‘I made it’.” Sewing is also a great way to be productive. “It’s the perfect way to switch off for a few hours and get lost in creativity,” says Padmore. Making your own clothes is ethical and environmentally…

A nine-year-old boy from the state of Colorado, US, has convinced his town to overturn a nearly 100-year ban on snowball fights. Dane Best, from Severance, persuaded the town’s leaders to lift the ban, saying, “The children of Severance want the opportunity to have a snowball fight like the rest of the world.” He said that children should play outside as it helps reduce anxiety, depression and obesity. After the victory, the mayor allowed Best to throw the first legal snowball. When asked who he would like to have a snowball fight with, Best pointed at his younger brother, Dax. Snow joke? Is this real or is it rubbish?*…

Alfred Norwood Jr was driving past a house in Texas, US, when he saw someone hanging from the roof. He rushed over to help, only to realise that the person was a Christmas decoration, an attempt by Chris Heerlein to win a local competition. The dummy was meant to look like a scene in the film National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, in which lead character Clark Griswold ends up nearly falling off the roof while putting up lights. The Heerlein family tracked down Norwood and gave him a gift voucher worth nearly £400. Heerlein said, “He’s a hero.” There is now a sign up asking people not to call the police.…