Innholdsfortegnelse for 255 i The Week Junior

On 3 November, Americans will vote for their president for the next four years. The choice is between the current president, Donald Trump, who represents the Republican Party, and Joe Biden, the Democratic Party candidate. Who is Donald Trump? Donald Trump is the 45th president of the US. He was elected in 2016 using the slogan “Make America great again”. As president, Trump has built part of a wall on the border between the US and Mexico to stop people illegally crossing into the US. He has also arranged a historic deal between Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, to work together on areas such as trade and travel. Who is Joe Biden? Joe Biden was the vice president (second in command) under Barack Obama, the 44th president, and…

A BABY GORILLA Zookeepers at Bristol Zoo Gardens are taking care of a baby gorilla. Its mother was unable to feed the infant, so staff have stepped in and are bottle-feeding the two-month-old around the clock. They are making sure he is spending lots of time with his mother, Kala, and other gorillas. A BRILLIANT FIND Two rare coins discovered separately by teenage metal detectorists over the summer have sold for thousands of pounds at auction. In August, 17-year-old Reece Pickering found a Harold II silver penny from 1066 in a field in Norfolk, England. In September, 16-year-old Walter Taylor was in Essex, England, when he found a coin from 1106 depicting Henry I. A THOUGHTFUL YOUNG SINGER During lockdown, Cormac Thompson, from Lancashire, England, sent his grandmother in…

A novel by Onjali Q. Raúf called The Star Outside My Window has won Best Children’s Book at the 2020 Diverse Book Awards. The Diverse Book Awards were set up last year to celebrate diversity in literature. The Star Outside My Window tells the story of 10-year-old Aniyah, who finds herself in foster care after her mother disappears. Another children’s book written by Raúf, The Boy at the Back of the Class, won the 2019 Blue Peter Book Award for Best Story.…

Benjamin Zephaniah is one of the UK’s most beloved writers. However, speaking to The Week Junior, Zephaniah revealed that he was actually a reluctant reader growing up. This was partly because of his dyslexia – a learning difficulty that causes problems with reading, writing and spelling. Zephaniah overcame this and has written many books. His latest, called Windrush Child, is inspired by the Windrush generation. The “Windrush generation” refers to the people who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean between 1948 and the early 1970s. After the Second World War (1939–1945), the Government encouraged people from the Caribbean to work in the UK, where they had the same rights as people born here. The term “Windrush generation” comes from a ship called Empire Windrush, which brought the first of…

Scientists have released a report explaining the secrets of how a tiny beetle can withstand crushing forces of up to 39,000 times its body weight. The diabolical ironclad beetle lives in parts of the US and Mexico. It is only around two centimetres long but can survive being stepped on by a human and being run over by a car. To find out how it is able to do this, engineers at the University of California Irvine and Purdue University, both in the US, scanned the beetle in a CT scanner. This uses X-rays and a computer to show detailed pictures of inside the body. The results showed that the key to the secret lies in the beetle’s hardened forewings on the outside of its body, which are called elytra.…

Knots in Norfolk A record number of birds called knots – around 140,000 of them – have been counted at a nature reserve in Norfolk. The birds fly all the way from the Arctic to Europe and Africa for their winter feeding. They eat worms and shellfish, which are abundant at the coastal Snettisham reserve. Old pear tree People living in Warwickshire were devastated when a 250-year-old pear tree was cut down to make way for HS2, the high-speed train line from London to Birmingham. The tree was England’s Tree of the Year in 2015. It is thought to have been the second-oldest wild pear tree in the UK.…

The long race to be president of the US is nearly over. On 3 November, people in the US will vote for their chosen candidate. The two main options are Donald Trump, representing the Republican Party, and Joe Biden, for the Democratic Party. Many people will have already sent in their votes by post before election day. However, the process isn’t as simple as checking off the name of their favourite candidate. Although voters pick a candidate’s name on the ballot sheet, their vote will actually be used to elect members of the electoral college. What is the electoral college? The electoral college was established in the US Constitution (a set of rules on which a country bases its l s). It is a group of 538 people, called electors,…

A Russian rocket has broken the record for the fastest journey from Earth to the International Space Station (ISS). The Soyuz spacecraft completed the trip in three hours and three minutes, around half the usual time required. Soyuz was able to achieve this by taking just two trips around Earth (orbits) to catch up with the ISS, whereas it usually takes four orbits to make the trip. It was carrying three scientists, Kate Rubins, Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who will spend the next six months in space.…

Who is your favourite character from Greek mythology and why? That’s very difficult to say. I have a soft spot for Chiron the centaur because we have so much in common. We are both teachers. We have both trained many young people and watched them go on to wonderful careers. We have both been around for a long, long time. We both are horses from the waist down... wait, maybe not that last one. If you could be any animal, fictional or real, what would it be and why? I would love to be a dragon. I’ve always had a fascination with them. Flying around on giant wings and terrifying villagers would be fun. Blow-torching insufferable knights. Taking long naps on comfy beds of gold and jewels. Not a bad…

At this year’s annual London Film Festival, a virtual-reality (VR) experience gave guests a glimpse into the future of filmmaking. Virtual reality is a computer-generated environment that looks as if it is real. By putting on a VR headset, either at home or at the BFI Southbank building in London, viewers could watch a selection of films and feel as if they were a part of them. The films had all been made specially for VR, with the images surrounding the viewer from every angle. People could find these films by “walking” through a virtual exhibition space called The Expanse. In this space, pictures of the films appeared on displays, like art in a gallery. People could then “jump” into whichever film they wanted to watch. These films covered a…

Having played in a World Cup final, become a European champion with the Netherlands and won three league trophies, Vivianne Miedema is already a superstar footballer. The 24-year-old is also now the record scorer in the Women’s Super League (WSL) after netting her 52nd goal in the competition in October. Miedema plays for Arsenal Women in the WSL, which is the highest level of female football in England. She had shared the record of 49 goals with Nikita Parris, who now plays for Lyon in France, but Miedema broke that with three goals in a 6-1 win over Tottenham Women recently. Miedema only needed 50 WSL games to reach the record of 52 goals. In comparison, Parris played 110 WSL games to reach 49 goals. Miedema plays as a striker,…

What you need ● A pen ● A cardboard tube or cylindrical container with a base ● Scissors ● Pipe cleaners ● PVA glue ● A glue brush ● Tissue paper ● Brown paint ● A paint brush or sponge ● Foil ● An LED tea light 1 Draw a mouth and eyes onto a cardboard tube then very carefully cut out to make holes. Cut the top edge into a zigzag. 2 To make a branch, twist three or four pipe cleaners together. Make several more branches in the same way. 3 Brush glue over some tissue paperr strips then tightly wrap them around the pipe cleaners tto cover them. 4 Paste tissue strips over the tube. Push them through the eyes and mouth and over top edge so…

Name: Freya “I enjoy fishing because it makes me feel connected with nature. You’re surrounded by lots of trees, plants, butterflies and dragonflies. When you catch fish you let them go because you can’t take them out of the water. Sitting by the water works on my concentration and makes me feel good. When I go to fishing matches and competitions, I love making friends. I get excited when I catch fish, especially ones that are hard to catch. More people should go fishing because they get to see how fun it is. They are also outside instead of on their phones or screens. More boys go fishing than girls but everyone should do it.” What have you been up to lately? Which books have you enjoyed reading? What have…

“Here’s a photo of me with my new nine-week-old puppy Rosie Louise Snowdrop.” Flora “We walked and cycled from South Queensferry to Dunbar, part of the John Muir Way, which altogether totalled 55 miles. It was a tiring journey, but it was definitely worth it, as we raised over £325 for the RSPB.” Isaac and Reuben “I drew unicorns in different scenarios and then my mum said it looked like a storyboard so I wrote it up properly and we got it published! Find out more at tinyurl.com/ TWJ-Unicorn” Thea…

At least 69 people have died in Nigeria, west Africa, since protests against police violence began earlier this month. Demonstrations started across the country after footage was shared on social media that showed police from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS, shooting a man. SARS is a police unit that was formed to stop armed robbery. Protesters say that for many years SARS police officers have been breaking the law. SARS officers have been accused of robbery, kidnapping and violence. On 11 October, the government responded to the protests and said it had shut down SARS. However, this has been promised before. As a result, the protests have continued to grow. Protesters want to see changes in the way the government runs the country and are calling for better…

England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford is leading a campaign for free school meals in school holidays, after the Government refused to pay for them over half-term. What is the campaign? At schools across the UK, students from poorer backgrounds can receive free lunches during term time. In June, Rashford convinced the Government to provide food vouchers over the summer holidays to children in England who need them. This year it has been harder for families to afford food because of the coronavirus outbreak. Some parents have lost their jobs or aren’t being paid as much. This means children are going hungry. Rashford wants the Government to pay for food vouchers throughout all school holidays. What has been the Government’s response? On 21 October, there was a vote in…

At this time of year, it gets darker earlier in the day, leaves turn blood red and there’s a chill in the air. This makes it the ideal season for Halloween. The festival was started in ancient times by the Celtic people, who were tribes in Britain, Ireland, France, and Spain around 2,000 years ago. Their New Year’s day was 1 November, which marked the end of the harvest. The night before, on 31 October, they held the Samhain festival, during which they believed the world of the dead mingled with the living, and ghosts could come back to Earth. The Celts dressed in animal skins and left offerings for their dead ancestors. Although today we still have ghosts, dressing up and offerings (sweets), some say the festival has lost…

British hedgehogs are classified as vulnerable to extinction. There were around 30 million in the UK in the 1950s but that number is now more like one million. Research shows that as many as 335,000 hedgehogs are killed by road traffic every year. However, there are ways you can help. If you have a garden, create a wild corner where hedgehogs can take shelter during the day when they are asleep. This also encourages insects, which hedgehogs love to eat. Don’t give them human food like bread because they can’t digest it. Picking up litter also helps because litter is harmful to all wildlife, including hedgehogs. There are many wildlife groups working to save these animals, such as the Wildlife Trusts, which you can support. Find out more at tinyurl.com/TWJ-hedgehogs…

...one person wins the popular vote but another wins the electoral college vote? The winner of the electoral college becomes president. This happened in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly three million votes, but Donald Trump won the electoral college vote by 304-227. ...electors change parties? In 2016, seven electors swapped sides and voted for the opposing candidate. This didn’t affect the result of the election, but in July this year the US Supreme Court (the highest court in the country) ordered that electors must vote for the candidate their state has chosen. …it’s a draw? If the electoral college is split evenly, Congress decides the winner. If the popular vote is close in a state, candidates can ask for…

The Haunting of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes. Illustrated by Keith Robinson (Usborne Publishing) Aveline loves ghost stories, so she’s delighted when she finds a spooky book that belonged to Primrose Penberthy – a girl who vanished mysteriously. As Aveline starts to explore the book’s secrets, strange things begin to happen. This chilling tale makes ideal reading for dark and stormy nights. Ghostology by Dugald Steer. Illustrated by Doug Sirois, Garry Walton and Anne Yvonne Gilbert (Templar Publishing) This amazing book is a fascinating exploration of all things ghostly throughout history. The pages are packed with letters, booklets, moving elements and glow-in-the-dark ink, ideal for aspiring ghostologists to study their craft. Storm by Nicola Skinner (HarperCollins Children’s Books) Frances has always had a temper. When she dies in a natural…

Anew exhibition, called Turner’s Modern World, has opened at Tate Britain in London. It contains 160 works of art by the famous British landscape painter J.M.W. Turner. Joseph Mallord William Turner was born in 1775 and started studying art at London’s Royal Academy aged 14. As his skill developed, so did the world around him. “Turner lived during a time of huge change,” Amy Concannon, one of the exhibition’s curators (people who oversee items in museums and galleries), tells The Week Junior. “Trains were a new invention in Turner’s day,” she says, and the artist was “fascinated” by them. Unlike most artists of the time, who painted in their studios, Turner would head outdoors with his sketchbook, pencils and brushes to paint what he saw in the world around him.…

Scooby-Doo 2! Monsters Unleashed Apple TV DVD, Google Play, Prime Video, Sky Store, YouTube The canine ghost hunter Scooby-Doo, along with his gang of young detectives, have been solving mysteries for decades. There have been film versions of Scooby’s adventures too, but a firm favourite is Monsters Unleashed. Much better than its predecessor, this sequel has the gang battling a face from their past. It’s a nice mix of spooks and laughs, and perfect for Halloween. The only pity is that the planned Scooby-Doo 3 film was cancelled. DID YOU KNOW? Scooby-Doo first appeared on TV in the US back in 1969.…

Tao Geoghegan Hart The 25-year-old from London won the Giro d’Italia in Italy. The event is one of cycling’s three big races, known as Grand Tours, and it’s the first time he has won one. Lewis Hamilton Hamilton won his 92nd Formula One (F1) race at the Portuguese Grand Prix. He set a new record, beating the total of 91 wins he had shared with Michael Schumacher. England women’s rugby union team France’s 13-13 draw with Scotland on 25 October meant England won the Women’s Six Nations. England last played in March against Wales (pictured) and face Italy on 1 November. Exeter Chiefs A week after winning the European Champions Cup, Exeter won the Premiership with a 19-13 win over Wasps. The Premiership is the highest league competition in England.…

Halloween is on 31 October and is a time when people around the world enjoy celebrating and having a frighteningly fun time. Some local restrictions that are in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus mean that traditional activities like trick-or-treating with friends or having a big Halloween gathering may not be possible. You can still celebrate this year, though, by planning a last-minute Halloween party at home with your family. It won’t take long to organise but if you’re not sure where to start, here are some ideas: ● Have you got a scary costume from last year that still fits? Or you could try making your own simple outfit, such as using a white sheet to become a ghost. Dressing in black and green and, with the help…

Every now and then, a science story comes along that is so daring that it almost defies belief – and certainly demands a second read. Our cover feature, about NASA’s mission to land its Osiris-Rex probe on an asteroid, is one such story. The spacecraft launched  in 2016, hurtling 200 million miles from Earth to delicately touch down on the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid’s surface. The idea is for the spacecraft to scoop up some of the rocky rubble, which should hopefully tell us more about the formation of the solar system. It sounds like an impossible venture, and yet scientists this week say the mission has actually been too successful – the probe has greedily picked up more rubble than it can handle. A rock has wedged open the door of…

The Literacy Trust is launching its first national Christmas card design competition for primary school children. Judged by award-winning illustrator Dapo Adeola, the winning designs will be made available to buy and the money raised will go t charity. If this sounds like something you’d like to have a go at, make sure your spectacular design is on A5-sized paper. Scan it and email it to christmas@literacytrust.org.uk by 13 November. You can find out more at tinyurl.com/TWJ-Christmascard…

Teacher’s name: Mr Newton School: Coton Green Primary School, Staffordshire “I would like to nominate Mr Newton because our class have had to isolate and work from home for the last week. He has made our learning fun and interesting! We even had a PE class in which Mr Newton said he was going to be Joe Wicks and had us (and my dad) sweating! At the end of the week we had a brilliant art class drawing Charles Darwin, this was my favourite.” Will If we pick your teacher as Teacher of the Week, we’ll sendyourschoolthreefreeissuesof 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…

A social media star A dog named Scraps has become a star on social media after its owner built a photo booth that allows the pet to take pictures of itself. Simone Giertz made the machine using Lego and put in a pedal that Scraps can press to take the photo. When the pedal is pressed, Scraps gets a treat. Giertz uploaded the photos to social media, where they have been liked more than 275,000 times. Giertz came up with the idea after failing to get Scraps to take a picture with her phone. Band performs concert inside plastic bubbles Live music concerts have not been possible in many places around the world during the coronavirus outbreak. However, a band in the US called The Flaming Lips has come up…

1 With whom did the oldest person in the UK share their birthday? a) The Queen b) The oldest person in France c) The oldest man in the world a □ b □ c □ 2 True or false? The oldest tree in the UK is thought to be in Wales. 3 What is the name of the cabbage dish that South Koreans are missing this year? 4 Halloween originated from which ancient festival? a) Samhain b) Pukah c) Bealtaine a □ b □ c □ 5 True or false? Benjamin Zephaniah was born in Birmingham, England. 6 What sort of animal is a knot? 7 Which US state has the highest number of electoral college votes? a) California b) Texas c) Florida a □ b □ c □ 8…

1968 Barbara Blake Hannah becomes the UK’s first black TV reporter In 1968, Barbara Blake Hannah became the first black TV reporter. She joined Thames Television as a reporter in 1968. Hannah was sacked after nine months because viewers complained about a black person being on TV. At that time there was a lot of racism. Racism is when people are treated badly because of their skin colour, culture or nationality. Hannah then worked as a reporter for another TV channel. Now, Hannah is being honoured at the British Journalism Awards with an award named after her.…

● Halloween is celebrated on 31 October. Its origins come from a pre-Christian festival more than 2,000 years ago, called Samhain (pronounced sow-win). ● Samhain involved ghosts such as Pukah, who was a shape-shifting being, and Lady Gwyn, a headless woman who chased people at night. ● In AD1000, the Christian church made 2 November All Souls’ Day, which was a time to honour the dead. It replaced the Samhain celebration. ● More than 24 million pumpkins will be carved this year in the UK, although much of the flesh won’t be eaten.…

Scientists have discovered that an eel-like, bony fish recently found in southern India is so unusual that the experts have classified it as a whole new fish family. A family is a broad group of many species that have similar characteristics. Ralf Britz, from the Museum of Zoology in Dresden, Germany, who was lead author of the study, called the find “the most exciting discovery in the fish world of the last decade”. In 2018, researcher Rajeev Raghavan saw a photo on social media of a strange fish in a well. He sent it to Britz, who travelled to India’s Western Ghats mountain range to investigate. At first they thought they had found a species belonging to another fish family called snakeheads. They named it a Gollum snakehead, after the…

Megan Harber Okapi keeper, ZSL London Zoo The okapi is related to the giraffe through an ancient shared ancestor, which was alive 11.5 million years ago. The okapi still looks a bit like this ancestor, with its short legs made for walking through the rainforest. However, over time the giraffe has evolved its longer legs and long neck to reach the leaves of the tallest trees. Today, the okapi is the giraffe’s only living relative. Enjoy unlimited visits to ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos, plus a host of other benefits with ZSL Membership. Find out more at zsl.org/membership/zsl-membership…

A spacecraft has successfully completed a “touch-and-go” (TAG) mission with an asteroid more than 200 million miles away from Earth. The mission’s aim was to scoop up bits of rock from the asteroid’s surface. Scientists at the US space agency, NASA, hope that the rocks can now be brought back to Earth for analysis. The asteroid, named Bennu, is 500 metres wide – narrower than two Eiffel Towers laid end to end. It is believed to have formed more than 4.5 billion years ago, during the first 10 million years of the solar system. This means it could contain precious new clues about the ancient history of nearby planets and the Sun. The spacecraft, called Osiris-Rex, took four and a half hours to complete its descent onto Bennu on 20…

BOOK OF THE WEEK Trials of Apollo: The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan (Penguin) Set in the same world as the Percy Jackson stories, Rick Riordan’s Trials of Apollo series once more takes inspiration from ancient myths and legends. In this, the conclusion to the series, the god Apollo has survived six months in the form of a human teenager named Lester. Now, together with his closest ally, 13-year-old demigod Meg McCaffrey, he ustt face his most difficult challenge yet. As they head back to New York, US, can they take on the last emperor Nero and survive? And will Apollo ever be able to return to his godly form? With plenty of action, danger and excitement, this story is an entertaining rollercoaster ride – and the perfect conclusion…

Crummock Water On a rainy day in the Lake District in 1797, Turner drew a view that he called Crummock Water, Looking Towards Buttermere. Experts think that he probably waited until he got home to add his watercolour paint, so the rain didn’t ruin the picture. Cardiff In the summer of 1795, Turner set off on a tour of South Wales with his sketchbook. He recorded what he saw mostly in pencil sketches. In the city of Cardiff he drew The Castle and Bridge Over the River Taff, which he later turned into a watercolour painting. Margate Following his first visit, aged 11, Turner often visited the town of Margate in Kent, England. He thought that the skies over this stretch of land were “the loveliest in all Europe”. Margate…

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting Streaming now on Netflix Around Halloween, a bogeyman and his monster sidekicks kidnap Jacob, a boy who can turn his dreams (or nightmares) into real life. It’s up to the Secret Society of Babysitters to bring the boy back to safety before the monsters unleash his nightmares. Max Winslow and the House of Secrets At cinemas now. Certificate 12A In this sci-fi thriller, five teenagers are invited to take part in a competition at a billionaire inventor’s isolated mansion. Whoever wins gets to keep the mansion but the teens find themselves trapped by an evil supercomputer. The Mandalorian Available on Disney+ from 30 October In the second season of this Star Wars spin-off series, the Mandalorian and the Child continue on their dangerous journey…

If you’ve played a lot of Mario Kart games, you’ll be used to facing obstacles such as banana peels, Koopa shells and bolts of lightning, but how about table legs, stairs and your puzzled pets? Those are the kinds of obstacles players of the latest game in the series will be up against. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit has you racing a remote-controlled kart in your home. The controller is Nintendo’s Switch console and the vehicle has a camera built in to it, so you can see a Mario’s-eye view on your screen as the kart zips around. The game itself is free to download, but the kit that goes with it – including the kart, four cardboard “gates” (arches that you can drive through) and two arrow markers –…

What can I do online? Ask if you can join other family or friends online for a gruesome get-together at Halloween. On a tablet, phone or laptop you’ll be able to see other people’s creepy costumes, share scary stories and play quizzes. What do pumpkins have to do with Halloween? The tradition comes from the old Irish legend of Stingy Jack. In the story, Jack tricked the Devil but was later punished by having to roam the Earth with a piece of burning coal in a hollowed-out turnip to light the way. This ghostly figure became known as Jack O’Lantern.…

Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) Show Racism the Red Card is the UK ‘s largest anti-racism educational charity, which was set up in 1996 with the help of a donation by Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop after his experiences of racism. Over the years, Hislop has used his position as a professional footballer to tackle the problem of racism. SRtRC continues to work to help educate young adults across the country, as well as tackling racism within professional football. To find out more about its work, go to theredcard.org/ourstory…

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Follow The Week Junior on PopJam@TheWeekJunior. You can download the PopJam app from the App Store or Google Play. Last week, we asked you if the Premier League should be smaller. You said... “No, because small teams won’t have an opportunity to thrive.” “Yes, because right now in the pandemic, it will stop the spread of coronavirus.” “I think that they should stay the same as they have managed for years.” “No, I think everyone should have a chance to get in.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…