Innholdsfortegnelse for 259 i The Week Junior

DISCOVERING AN OWL A tiny owl was discovered in a Christmas tree in New York City, US, on 16 November. The 23-metre-tall tree was due to be installed at the Rockefeller Center when the owl was found. The adult male – now named Rockefeller – has been released into the wild. AMAZING OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES Patrick Dexter began posting videos of himself playing the cello online after Ireland went into lockdown. His online performances have gained millions of views and Dexter has received messages of thanks from people around the world. The videos are shot outside his cottage in County Mayo, on Ireland’s west coast. RESCUING AN ELEPHANT An elephant was rescued from a 16-metre-deep well in southern India. The 14-hour operation involved a team of 50 people. During the night,…

Rory Cowlam, who is better known as Rory the Vet, is the star of CBBC show The Pet Factor and is Blue Peter’s resident vet. He has recently written a book called The Secret Life of a Vet, in which he discusses the ups and downs of working with animals. Cowlam grew up in the Cotswolds, England, surrounded by animals. He says he wanted to be a vet from the age of four, when he got a pet dog, a Great Dane called Lulu. He was inspired to become a vet by Mr Benson, Lulu’s vet. Mr Benson let Cowlam listen to Lulu’s heart through a stethoscope and showed him how to use the weighing scales. Cowlam says it was in that moment that he decided he wanted to work…

Angela Ryan Animal operations manager, ZSL London Zoo Zookeepers have a variety of creative ways to keep our animals toasty warm over the winter months. Everyone has indoor dens to cosy up, and often we add extra hay and bedding for them to nestle in. Some animals, such as our Sumatran tiger Asim and our pride of Asiatic lions, have heated rocks where they can sprawl out – and our pygmy hippos even have their own hot tub! International conservation charity ZSL needs your support to help feed and care for its 20,000 animals during these challenging times. For more details, head to zsl.org/donate…

BOOK OF THE WEEK Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend (Orion Children’s Books) Morrigan Crow has had an eventful first year as a young scholar of the Wundrous Society. Now she faces a new challenge: learning to control her own dangerous magical powers while keeping her abilities a secret. Meanwhile, as she begins to try and master the mysterious Wretched Arts of the Accomplished Wundersmith, something strange is going on in Nevermoor. An illness has broken out, and as the peculiar “Hollowpox” spreads, panic begins to take hold. Could the feared Wundersmith Ezra Squall be behind what’s happening? It’s down to Morrigan to find a cure. The third Nevermoor adventure is just as entertaining as the previous books in the series, taking readers even deeper into Morrigan’s marvellously magical world. The exciting…

5 The ISL season lasted for five weeks and the first match was on 16 October. 4.5m During the season, ISL teams and swimmers competed for more than £4.5 million in prize money. 2019 The first ISL season was in 2019. 463.5 Caeleb Dressel, the Cali Condors captain, won 463.5 points during the season – the most of any swimmer. 350 Lilly King, also from the Cali Condors, was the second most successful swimmer, with 350 points. 0 Sadly, no fans watched the ISL Grand Final at the Duna Arena because of coronavirus restrictions.…

Where can I find information? Go to schoolradio.com to find out how your school could set up a station and the equipment needed to broadcast through speakers to the classrooms. You can also find out about streaming, which lets you broadcast across the world. What about podcasts? A podcast is different from a radio show. It’s a recording that can be downloaded to a computer or mobile device through a website or app, and listened to whenever a person likes. However, many popular radio shows are made into shorter podcasts once they have been broadcast.…

“My name is Ella Webb and I am a 14-year-old radio presenter on my local radio station, Phoenix 98 FM. The show is every Wednesday from 6-7pm and is called Worldwide Webb. Each week I talk about some of the news stories from The Week Junior, featuring one of the main stories, three stories from the Around The World page, a food story, and two little stories taken from the That’s Unbelievable page. I started my show on 15 January 2020, when I was still 13, for the Skill section of my Duke of Edinburgh Award. My dad asked the chairman, Paul Golder, if I could get a slot for my show and fortunately one became available. And so it started! At first I was only due to do the…

School: Moorlands Junior School, Cheshire “I would like to nominate Mr Clark for Teacher of the Week because he always has something fun for us to do. I love the stuff I do with Mr Clark, he is the BEST TEACHER EVER!” Elliot 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 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 the details you provide to arrange delivery of badges, and we will not share them with anyone else. By submitting your reports and pictures,…

Carol singing, nativity plays and pantomimes make for a very merry Christmas. This year, because of the pandemic, such events are taking place virtually instead. London’s Old Vic theatre announced in November that it would stream its new production of A Christmas Carol. The lead actor, Andrew Lincoln, said, “My only Christmas wish is that as soon as possible, audiences are back in theatres.” However, there are benefits to audiences joining in virtually beyond just obeying coronavirus rules. Christmas is about coming together – physically or virtually. Virtual events allow more people to join in but some say it’s not the same if everyone is singing at home instead of together in the same place. What do you think? Can virtual Christmas events compare to the real thing? Yes –…

Wildlife can often do with extra help in autumn and winter. Northumberland Wildlife Trust suggests leaving out bowls of peanuts, seeds, apples and dried fruit, as well as fresh water, to help birds and small mammals. Stacks of bricks and pots can shelter toads and newts, and piles of sticks and logs provide homes for insects and hedgehogs. If you have a garden, try to leave it undisturbed until spring – uncut grass and leaves provide shelter and food. If you do not have a garden, you can still help birds by making fat balls to hang from nearby trees. Feeding wildlife is one of The Week Junior’s 12 Days of Kindness activities. For instructions on how to make a fat ball, visit theweekjunior.co. uk/12daysofkindness KEEP IT UP! If you…

GOOD The asprete Biologists have discovered 12 asprete fish – members of one of the world’s rarest species, in Romania’s Vâlsan river. There are thought to be just 10–15 survivors from this 65-million-year-old species, and a team of conservationists and biologists is now working to save them. BAD Britain’s pets The RSPCA has launched its Christmas Rescue campaign. Last year, the animal charity took in 7,000 animals over the winter, but staff fear this could be the worst ever Christmas for abandoned animals, thanks to the impact of the virus, which has made some people poorer.…

The Benin bronzes are some of the most important West African works of art. There are thought to be more than 1,000 of these intricate sculptures and plaques, which were created for the royal court in the Kingdom of Benin from around the 16th century onwards. This was an area that is now in southern Nigeria – not to be confused with the modern country called Benin that shares a border with Nigeria. Some of the most significant pieces are no longer in Africa; many are in the UK and the US instead. On 13 November, a plan was announced for a new museum to be built in Nigeria, which could mean that some of the bronzes will return home. What are the Benin bronzes? The Benin bronzes were made…

What’s your favourite dessert? This is an easy and excellent question. Peppermint choc chip ice cream. Every time. Descriptions of food in the Nevermoor books can get quite elaborate but in real life I am very basic – at least when it comes to dessert. How did you come up with the idea of Nevermoor? I’m inspired by some of the places I’ve lived and travelled – there’s a fair bit of London in Nevermoor, and a touch of Edinburgh and Marrakech (in Morocco, North Africa). And I’ve added lots of my favourite thing... I love hotels, Christmas, Halloween and big cats with big attitudes. Do you have any hobbies? I am learning how to draw. I used to love drawing when I was a kid but as an adult…

St Helens rugby league team They defeated Catalans Dragons 48-2 to reach the Super League Grand Final for a record 12th time. St Helens will play Wigan Warriors in the final on 27 November. Judd Trump He won the Northern Ireland Open snooker tournament by defeating Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-7. It is the third year in a row that he has beaten O’Sullivan 9-7 in the final. Daniil Medvedev The Russian tennis player beat Dominic Thiem, from Austria, at the ATP Finals in London to win the title for the first time. PSG Féminine The French football team beat Lyon 1-0. It is the first time Lyon have lost in the league for 80 games, going back to 2016.…

Black Beauty Available from 27 November on Disney+ A new film adaptation based on the classic novel by Anna Sewell is about a horse that is rounded up and taken away from its family. The horse, Beauty, is adopted by a trainer John Manly and introduced to his 17-year-old niece – the start of a firm friendship between the horse and the girl. For the Love of Britain 7.30pm on 1 December, ITV The first in a series exploring the UK and its outdoor attractions. From the familiar sights and landscapes to less famous spots, the show will explore the nation. The first episode focuses on Cornwall and Devon in south-west England.…

Christmas could look a little different this year. This week, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the rules that will be put in place over the festive period to allow friends and family to gather and celebrate, but also keep them safe from the coronavirus. You can read more on page 2.  Festivities and celebrations are already being disrupted – as you may well be aware. For example, pantomimes, plays and carol concerts might be happening virtually, rather than in person – see our Big Debate on page 8. Different doesn’t have to mean worse, however, and there are plenty of reasons to remain cheerful and excited as we get into December. After all, necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, and I would add to that,…

Design our festive front cover We’ve teamed up with Action for Children, the charity supporting vulnerable children in the UK, to challenge you to design a festive front cover for us on the theme of “kindness”. TV presenter, author and Action for Children ambassador Dr Ranj will be joining us to judge the entries. The winner will not only feature on the front cover of The Week Junior, they will receive a framed print of their front page and a signed copy of Dr Ranj’s book. Plus, there are also prizes for the runners-up. To find out how you can get involved before the 4 December deadline, visit theweekjunior.co.uk/ christmas-cover…

Follow The Week Junior on PopJam@TheWeekJunior. You can download the PopJam app from the App Store or Google Play. Last week’s Big Debate was whether brutalist buildings are awesome. You said... “I think they’re cool but they look out of place outside cities.” “Not sure, they look a bit old-fashioned.” “Yes definitely!” “Yes because they are beautiful types of art and they attract tourists. They also make businesses money when people come to see them.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

1 December 1919 Lady Astor becomes the first woman MP On 1 December 1919, American-born Lady Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the UK’s House of Commons as a Member of Parliament (MP). She would hold on to her seat in Plymouth, England, for 26 years, winning seven elections in a row, before retiring from parliament in 1945. For two years, she was the only woman MP in the House of Commons. In Parliament, Lady Astor’s focus was on education, as well as greater control over the sale of alcohol.…

● This year, organisations are hosting their festive events virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. ● The children’s charity Barnardo’s will stage a virtual Christmas event on 1 December to raise money for vulnerable young people around the UK. ● Action for Children’s “Starry Night” Christmas carols will be broadcast on 8 December on Channel 4. The money raised will help children living in poverty – more than four million – in the UK. ● Other events such as Christmas plays, nativities and pantomimes, will most likely be held online.…

Whereas the Millennium Seed Bank stores wild plants, a project in the frozen Arctic is protecting the staple food crops on which humans rely. Located deep inside a mountain on a remote island between mainland Norway and the North Pole, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is run by the Crop Trust. It preserves 980,000 samples of food crops such as barley, maize, potato, rice and wheat, so they can be used if future man-made or natural disasters affect our planet.…

Sir David Adjaye is a Ghanaian-British architect. An architect is someone who designs buildings. Sir David said he was “humbled and deeply inspired” to design the new museum i Beni City. This year, he was awarded the Royal Gold Medal, which is one of architecture’s top prizes. He is the first black architect in the 173-year history of the medal to win the prize. He is best known for designing the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in the US, which opened in 2016.…

Kids Knit by Kerry Kimber (GMC Publications) Learn the basics of knitting and start creating items such as a knitted frog and a pair of cat ears. Step-by-step tutorials with lots of photographs make it easy to learn, and as you progress through the projects, you’ll develop your skills until you reach the level of “star knitter”. Stitch-by-Stitch by Jane Bull (Dorling Kindersley) Explore a whole range of stitching skills with this book, which covers crochet, knitting and sewing. There are more than 50 projects for you to make that will introduce you to lots of techniques, including appliqué, needlepoint and patchwork. I Can Make My Own Accessories by Georgia Vaux and Louise Scott-Smith (Thames & Hudson) This fun book shows you how to make and customise your own jewellery,…

Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures When 12-year-old Rowan Freemaker finds the legendary Kyber Saber, he and his family are thrown into an action-packed adventure. This series takes place during the time of the original films. Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales In this animated series, C-3PO tells the story of the Star Wars films from his point of view, along with his trusty sidekick R2-D2. Anthony Daniels returns to voice his character. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Similar to the new holiday special, this upcoming video game takes a look back at all nine films in the Skywalker Saga. Players will be able to travel through the films in whichever order they like, and there will be almost 500 characters featured. The game is due to be released in…

Solving Kids’ Cancer Neuroblastoma is a rare and aggressive childhood cancer that affects around 100 children each year in the UK. This week’s charity was nominated by a young person whose sister received support from Solving Kids’ Cancer. Focused on fighting for a future where no child dies of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma or suffers due to its treatment, Solving Kids’ Cancer works to fund research. It is also dedicated to providing hope, support and information to families affected by this diagnosis. To find out more, head to solvingkidscancer.org.uk…

“This is our Little Free Library – built by my dad and painted by my mum. We have filled it with books for children and adults. We want to encourage people to love books. We are in St Bees and ours is the first Little Free Library in Cumbria. If you ever visit here please drop by!” Eben “We had a sleepover in a den at home as part of a virtual festival badge “Under the Stars” for Guides and Brownies in the Anglia region. This was so much fun!” Amelia and Isla “This is me blogging! You can see it on my YouTube channel Living In A World With Piggy – which is about me and my family, our animals and our life.” Piggy…

New single is just for dogs A Christmas single has been released specially for dogs. The song, called Raise the Woof!, has been made by pet food company tails.com, with help from vets and some scientific research. The track includes sounds such as squeaky toys and phrases such as “Good boy”. All of these have been proved to increase dogs’ serotonin levels. Known as the “happy chemical”, serotonin helps feelings of wellbeing in living things. The song’s producers played more than 500 sounds to a group of 25 dogs in order to find the perfect combination. Money made from sales of the single will go towards the mental health charity Dudes & Dogs. St Nicholas can’t be stopped by Covid rules On the morning of 6 December, young people in…

1 In which year did Mount Vesuvius erupt, burying Pompeii? a) AD70 b) 79BC c) AD79 a □ b □ c □ 2 True or false? One of the OED Words of the Year for 2020 is “coronavirus”. 3 The Czech revolution of 1989 was named after which fabric? 4 Which charity has teamed up with Vodafone to put on a virtual Christmas event? a) Action for Children b) Barnardo’s c) Unicef UK a □ b □ c □ 5 True or false? Cristina Palmer, who is 14 years old, is a British female motocross champion. 6 What is Paolo Fanciulli exhibiting under the sea? 7 The Benin bronzes come from which part of the world? a) Australia b) South America c) West Africa a □ b □ c □…