Innholdsfortegnelse for 217 i The Week Junior

Voters in the US state of Iowa have become the first to help decide who will compete against Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election on 3 November. Supporters of the Democratic Party chose from 11 candidates during the vote on 3 February. As The Week Junior went to press, only some of the results had been released. How does the presidential election work? There are two main political parties in the US: the Democrats and the Republicans. Trump represents the Republicans; former president Barack Obama is a Democrat. Members of both parties decide who will represent them in the presidential election. Donald Trump is expected to be the Republican candidate, meaning most of the attention has been on whom the Democrats will pick. Between now and mid-July, members of…

11 February 1990 Nelson Mandela is released from prison On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela, the most famous leader in the fight for equality in South Africa, was released from a South African prison. Mandela had been in jail for 27 years for treason (betraying one’s country). This was because he protested against apartheid, a political system that treated black people unfairly. Mandela was released by the president at the time, FW de Klerk. They both won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, and in 1994 Mandela became South Africa’s first black president.…

● On 16 January, the Government announced plans to introduce a new law that would allow parts of some criminal cases in English and Welsh crown courts to be broadcast on TV. ● Crown courts rule on serious cases, such as murder or terrorism, and also handle cases that weren’t resolved in other, lower courts. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different systems. ● Under the proposed rules, the TV cameras would only be allowed to film judges, and only when they were delivering their sentencing remarks. This is a speech they read out to the court before they announce what a convicted criminal’s punishment will be.…

One of the biggest issues facing the environment, not to mention the world’s wildlife, is human-made rubbish. Plastic and other man-made products can cause havoc in natural habitats. Of the 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic that has been made, only 9% has been properly recycled. In fact, 79% of all plastic ever produced is lying in landfill sites or in the natural environment. The Great Global Cleanup is one effort that aims to tackle this problem. This worldwide scheme brings people together to gather rubbish and help clean up their local area. You can find out about how to join existing groups, or organise your own, at tinyurl.com/TWJ-cleanup HANGING AROUND Plastic bags take around 20 years to decay, but plastic bottles can take up to 450 years.…

New research suggests that a famous volcanic eruption that wiped out two ancient Italian towns was so hot that it turned its victims’ brains to glass. One afternoon in AD79, a dark cloud of unusual size and shape appeared over the city of Pompeii. It came from Mount Vesuvius, the only active volcano on mainland Europe. The chaos that ensued as the volcano erupted is among the most famous moments in ancient history. Around 16,000 people died when clouds of hot ash and pumice (a light foamy rock) overwhelmed Pompeii and the nearby town of Herculaneum. As the ash set solid, it preserved buildings and objects that now give us a unique insight into life in the Roman Empire. It also preserved the remains of many victims at the moment…

What did you want to be when you were a child? I absolutely love animals so I always wanted to be a vet, but I’ve heard that being a vet is very hard – especially when you can’t help sick animals get better – so I chose to write books instead. Have you ever lost something in a forest? The only forest I’ve ever been in was a rainforest in Australia, and I didn’t lose anything because I didn’t take anything in with me (except for myself and the clothes I was wearing, and I’m very glad I didn’t lose them!). I was not very prepared for that trip, and if I ever go into a forest again I will make sure I take supplies. Breakfast or lunch? Can I…

You don’t get many games about butter, but perhaps this new release will start a trend. Butter Royale takes the battle royale gameplay that’s been so popular in games such as Fortnite, and applies it to ultra-splattery food fights for up to 32 players at once. Released as part of the Apple Arcade subscription service for Apple devices, it has plenty of features that gamers will know well. The game takes place on an island, with a number of zones to explore, and you can hunt for loot and weapons. There’s even a version of Fortnite’s storm, although here it’s hot butter rather than howling winds. You can choose from lots of different characters to play – either solo in a battle mode, or in teams in the Squad Up…

Where can I take my clothes to be resold? You will find charity shops in most high streets. There are also donation points at every TK Maxx shop. To find your nearest, visit tkmaxx.com/uk/en/store-finder What can I donate? Any clothes and shoes that you no longer need that are in good condition. While you’re in a charity shop, you might spot clothes you like. It’s a cheap and eco-friendly way to restock your wardrobe. What does the money help to fund? Since it began the campaign in 2004, TK Maxx has helped to raise more than £34 million towards helping young people with cancer. Much of that money goes to the Children’s Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, where scientists work on finding treatments and ways to make life better for…

“I made the paper fortune cookies for my family. We had a special meal to celebrate the Year of the Rat!” Annabel “During Children’s Mental Health Week, there is going to be a special day called, “Inside Out Day” on 6 February. This is where you wear an article of clothing inside out to symbolise that the way people look on the outside may not be how they feel on the inside.” Sienna “In preparation for the Big Schools’ Birdwatch, I made a game called Guess the Bird. I made it to help the school’s nature club. In the club, we are learning about the UK’s birds.” Rohan…

A wall of crisps has delighted guests at a wedding, and inspired others to make something similar. The snack display was designed by Charlotte and Gavin Bell from Dunfermline for their wedding in December 2019. It took them two hours to build, and had 200 bags of crisps attached to it. Guests kept returning to it throughout the wedding celebrations, and took packets home with them. People have since got in touch with the couple to ask if they can borrow the frame.…

On 4 February, US president Donald Trump delivered a speech called the State of the Union. This important event takes place every year at Congress (Congress is similar to Parliament in the UK). His speech focused on trade, healthcare and security. Nancy Pelosi, one of two Democratic Party leaders in Congress, attempted to shake Trump's hand before the speech, but he didn’t seem to notice. Pelosi, a fierce critic of Trump, later ripped up a copy of his speech.…

A WELSH RHINO On 16 January, a rhino calf became the first ever male eastern black rhinoceros to be born in Wales. The new resident of Folly Farm Zoo, in Pembrokeshire, has yet to be named, but it is thought the Welsh names Glynn, Rhion and Llwyd are being considered. A TALENTED AUTHOR Jasbinder Bilan, the author of Asha & the Spirit Bird, has won this year’s Costa Children’s Book Award. Bilan’s book, which is her first novel, tells the story of a girl who goes on a quest with just her best friend and the spirit animal of her grandmother for company. The results were revealed on 28 January. INCREDIBLE ROWERS Mo O’Brien has become the first ever deaf person to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean as…

Now that you’ve read a bit more about it, tell us what you think by voting in our poll at theweekjunior.co.uk/polls. Vote YES if you think that cameras should be allowed in courtrooms, or NO if you don’t. We’ll publish the results next week. The aim of the Big debate page is to present two sides of an issue fairly and objectively, in order to stimulate discussion and allow our readers to make up their minds. The views on the page do not reflect those of The Week Junior, and the page is not funded by third parties. The page is created in association with the English-Speaking Union, an educational charity helping young people discover their voice and realise their full potential. For more information, please see esu.org…

Carrie Arnold Carnivores team leader, Marwell Zoo Amur tigers can eat up to 80 kilograms in one go. In the wild, the amount they eat depends on the availability of prey and how successful they are in hunting. The more they eat, the longer they can go in between meals – sometimes more than a week. In captivity they are fed 16–35 kilograms a week, depending on the season. Do you have a question about an animal you would like answered? We’d love to include it in the magazine. Send your question in an email to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

The city of Pompeii is so well preserved that it provides a window into what life was like almost 2,000 years ago. Gladiator gear Gladiators were armed competitors (often convicted criminals) who fought in arenas to entertain citizens. Their metal helmets and shin guards have been found in Pompeii. Exotic food The drains of a local eatery uncovered in Pompeii contained the remains of shellfish, sea urchins and a giraffe’s bone. There were also lots of spices from Indonesia. Local laundrette The rubble has revealed a Roman laundrette where locals would have gone to wash their clothes. The site includes large baths for washing and a press for ironing.…

Empire’s End: A Roman Story by Leila Rasheed (Scholastic) In AD207, a young African girl called Camilla travels to Rome with her mother and father, but when they are dispatched to Britannica, on the very edge of the Roman Empire, Camilla must navigate a tricky new world of secrets and danger. This fascinating story is based on real historical events. So You Think You’ve Got it Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Rome by Chae Strathie. Illustrated by Marisa Morea (Nosy Crow) What would it be like to grow up in ancient Rome? This fun illustrated fact book reveals all the weird and wonderful details of everyday life as a young Roman – from washing clothes in wee to fighting in gladiatorial combat. The Romans: Gods, Emperors and Dormice by…

After hitting a few bumps along the way, the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog film is finally being released. It’s never easy to take a much-loved character from one format (like a video game or comic) and transfer it to another (like a film), but Sonic the Hedgehog, based on the blue video-game character that can run at the speed of sound, has taken longer than the film’s creators had hoped. When the trailer for the film was released in April last year, fans and critics were not happy with how Sonic was designed. Keith Stuart in the Guardian newspaper wrote that the hedgehog looked like a cheap knock-off toy you might win at a fairground stand. After lots of complaints on social media, the film’s director, Jeff Fowler, said the…

The Farewell DVD, Google Play, Prime Video, iTunes A film that got a limited cinema release last year, The Farewell is now available to watch at home. It is a warm, funny and moving film that centres on a young woman who lives in the US but her family live in China. She returns to them when she learns that her gran is seriously ill, so you might think this is going to be a very sad film. Yet it isn’t at all. It’s worth watching with a grown-up, as there’s much to discuss, but the film is a celebration of life. TRUE STORY The writer of the film based the story on something from her own life.…

“There are lots of people who can’t afford to buy their own clothes. At school, as part of our eco club, we collect old school uniforms to give to younger children in the school. My friends and I collected our old shoes to give to children in Africa and we did a sponsored walk to raise the money to send them there.” WOW! Each bag of your donated clothing can raise up to £30 for Cancer Research UK.…

There are lots of wonderful things about working at The Week Junior, but one of the best is interviewing interesting people. Nancy Grace, the star of this week’s People page, told me some fascinating tales about being an archaeologist (someone who studies the past through items left behind underground), including how to work out which plants grew at a site thousands of years ago based on pollen found on ancient snail shells. She told me, “We get excited about little things like a bone hairpin or spoon. It’s lovely to find something shiny like gold and jewels, but it’s the other stuff that’s exciting.” The job is fun for other reasons, too. “Getting muddy and nobody telling you off is pretty great,” she says. Have you ever found something from…

Calling all nine to 21-year-olds! It’s time to team up with other students to think of a solution to save our shores from plastic waste, using STEM. This inspiring competition is your opportunity to invent an extraordinary solution to the global problem of plastic pollution. Winners from the 9–17 age group will take cash prizes to contribute to their school STEM labs, and the 18–21 age group from universities will take part in the “University Challenge” and become youth STEM ambassadors. Send your entries in to bieacompetition.org.uk before the 31 March deadline for your chance to win.…

Follow The Week Junior on PopJam@TheWeekJunior. You can download the PopJam app from the App Store or Google Play. At this year’s Grammys US singer Billie Eilish became the youngest person to win Album of the Year. You said... “That’s amazing. I love Billie Eilish so much. She deserves this!” “Omg! I really like her song Copycat and Bury a Friend.” Last week, our Big debate asked if schools should use isolation booths. “Yes, it means misbehaving students won’t be able to distract other children from their work.” “No, I think it’s just cruel.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

In some countries, like the US, it is normal for court cases to be shown on TV so that anyone can watch. Not so in the UK, which has enforced strict rules since 1925 that make it illegal even to draw in court, never mind film. Aside from some cases at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court (which both review the findings of other courts), cameras have never been allowed inside UK courts. However, under new plans, broadcasters would be allowed to film judges as they read out their sentencing remarks at the end of a trial. Not everyone thinks this is a good idea. Some legal experts have said they are worried about privacy, and others fear that broadcasters would eventually be given even greater access. So,…

One of the most memorable moments from Nancy Grace’s 33-year career is the time she took a 4,000-year-old skeleton to the dentist. As an archaeologist, Grace spends her days researching past human activities from clues that are left behind underground. When a storm ripped up a tree in Dorset and revealed a crushed skeleton, Grace knew she had to find out more. With the lower jawbone in hand, she headed to her dentist. An X-ray machine was used to find out that the person had signs of gum disease. Further research showed that the person was roughly 26 years old when she died, about 4,000 years ago. Grace is part of the archaeology team at the National Trust, an organisation that preserves historic buildings and areas of countryside across the…

Mount Kaputar slugs A species of bright pink slugs, found only on a single mountaintop in New South Wales, Australia, has survived fierce bushfires. The fires burned near the slugs’ habitat for more than six weeks in late 2019. Around 60 of the slugs, which can grow larger than a human hand, have now been found. Duck-billed platypus Duck-billed platypus numbers have dropped steeply in recent years, a new study shows. Dr Gilad Bino from the University of New South Wales in Australia said the species could now be considered severely endangered. A loss of habitat has played a major role in the decreasing population.…

The voice of an ancient Egyptian high priest has returned from beyond the grave, thanks to research carried out by UK scientists. The priest, called Nesyamun, worked at Karnak temple in Egypt around 3,000 years ago, during the reign of Pharaoh Rameses XI. His mummified remains, on display at Leeds City Museum, are so well preserved that scientists from Royal Holloway University of London, the University of York, and Leeds Museum were able to make a 3D model of his vocal tract (the hollow part of the body where sound is produced, from the back of the throat to the lips). The model was based on the inside of the mummified remains, as revealed by a series of close-up scans taken at a hospital in Leeds. The 3D model was…

Think of fantastic footballers, and stars such as Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo come to mind, but none of these great players can even come close to a record recently set by Christine Sinclair. On 29 January, the Canadian striker netted her 185th goal for her country. That made her the highest international scorer of all time, beating the record of 184 goals that was held by the retired US player Abby Wambach. Kane has 32 goals, Messi 70 and Ronaldo 99 for their national teams. Sinclair, who is 36, played her first game for Canada when she was just 16. In 2003 she helped them finish fourth at the World Cup and won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Sinclair, who plays club football for…

Otto Tattercoat and the Forest of Lost Things by Matilda Woods. Illustrated by Kathrin Honesta (Scholastic) Otto lives in a frozen city, where an eternal winter has fallen. When his mother goes missing, he joins the Tattercoats – a gang of brave orphans. The Tattercoats have rules: only steal what you need; don’t leave any trace of yourself behind; and if a Tattercoat is in trouble you must always help them. These guidelines have shaped Nim’s life on the streets and rooftops of the city. Now Nim, along with her rat Nibbles, decide to help Otto on a quest that will lead them into a dark forest, where witches lurk and sun dragons lie sleeping. This magical adventure will appeal to fans of fantasy authors such as Abi Elphinstone, Michelle…

Food Unwrapped: Sweet Tooth special 8pm on 10 February, Channel 4 Sugary treats are the focus of this episode, which examines how different foods are made and sold. Presenter Jimmy Doherty looks at chocolate in Switzerland and ice cream in the US, and Kate Quilton finds out why some honey is runny and some isn’t. Captain Underpants Epic Choice-o-Rama On Netflix from 11 February What happens in this special new release? Well, that’s up to you. Viewers decide how George, Harold and the Captain himself will behave when Principal Krupp threatens to destroy their treehouse. There are plenty of twists and turns and you’re in charge of how it plays out. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run trailer tinyurl.com/twj-spongebob There’s a brand new trailer for this upcoming film, produced…

Why would you put your smartphone inside a paper envelope that stops you from seeing its screen? Because you want to spend less time using it, of course. That’s the idea behind a new app called Envelope, which has been released by Google for Android phones as an experiment. To use it, you download a pdf (a type of digital document) to print out, then cut and fold it into the physical envelope. When you start the app and slip your phone into the envelope, the printed buttons will help you make calls and take photos and videos, but not get distracted by other apps and features. For now, the app only works with one phone, Google’s Pixel 3a. The envelope idea was created by a group of designers in…

Young Minds Improving young people’s mental health is at the forefront of Young Minds. The charity works towards ways to meet the needs of vulnerable children, putting young people and their parents at the heart of mental health policy and practice, and providing excellent services. It raises awareness of the types of feelings and symptoms associated with mental illness, ways to cope and where to go to get help, and it works to educate young people on how they should use social media. To find out more about what it does, go to youngminds.org.uk…

Teacher’s name: Miss O’Neill School: Chorlton Park Primary School, Manchester “I have nominated my teacher because she is interesting, fun, kind, very clever and she loves Harry Potter. She helps me when I’m sad and she really helps me with my learning. I can tell she really loves teaching us.” Elliot 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, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full name and address so that we can send you a Roving Reporter badge if your contribution makes it onto the page. We will only use…

A postman in Japan is under investigation after he hid 24,000 letters at his home in Kanagawa. The postman, who is 61 years old, told the police it was “too much bother to deliver them”, and he didn’t want to seem slower than his colleagues. The post office fired him when they found out, and has promised to deliver the letters. He could now face three years in jail or a fine of around £3,500.…

1 Which US state is the first to choose its presidential candidates for the election? a) Texas b) California c) Iowa a ■ b ■ c ■ 2 True or false? Toy Story 4 won the BAFTA for best animated film. 3 Which wild animal is being reintroduced in India? 4 What is the UK’s highest court? a) The Supreme Court b) The crown court c) The magistrates’ court a ■ b ■ c ■ 5 True or false? Archaeologist Nancy Grace took the skeleton of a dog to the dentist. 6 What colour are Mount Kaputar slugs? 7 According to a report, how many children cross the Irish border every day to go to school? a) Around 200 b) Around 300 c) Around 500 a ■ b ■ c…