Innholdsfortegnelse for 300 i The Week Junior

After 12 thrilling days of sporting competition, the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, came to an end on 5 September. How was the end of the Games marked? A spectacular closing ceremony was held on 5 September. It included music, parades and a fireworks display, and finished with a performance of the song What a Wonderful World. Boccia player David Smith was chosen to carry the British flag. Boccia is a sport similar to bowls, in which competitors have to throw a leather ball as close as they can to a target ball. Smith won his fifth medal at the Games, which means he is now Britain’s most successful boccia player of all time. How well did ParalympicsGB do? ParalympicsGB (the Paralympics team of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) finished…

Thames is seal hotspot Each year, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) carries out a seal survey of the Thames. This year’s survey revealed that the river is home to 2,866 grey seals and 797 harbour seals. The seal population is a good sign of how clean the river is. ZSL conservation biologist Thea Cox says the Thames has come a long way since 1957 when the National History Museum declared it biologically dead. Biologically dead rivers contain no oxygen, so very few species can survive. Artists paint for skate park Street artists have painted skateboards to raise money for a skate park following a campaign started by 13-year-old Idris Jones. Jones, from Bradford-on-Avon, England, started the campaign for a new skate park when he was nine years old, after…

The majority of young people in the UK play video games. About 93% of 10 to 16-year-olds regularly played in 2019. Last year, gaming rose to third place in the list of favourite hobbies among girls, up from seventh place in 2019. It has been the top hobby for boys for the last two years. Video games are a fun way to spend time relaxing with friends or on your own. Some research suggests they could be good for players, too. However, some people are worried that there are young people who spend so much time gaming that it could harm their physical and mental health. That’s why the Chinese government has limited young people to about three hours a week of online gaming. So, what do you think? Are…

From 18 to 26 September, the Great Big Green Week will be encouraging people to help the environment through art installations, music concerts and other creative events. Held during the build-up to the COP26 international environmental conference in Glasgow, Scotland, next month, it promises to be “the largest event for climate and nature ever seen in the UK”. The organisers want everyone who cares about fighting the planet’s problems to get involved. Things you can do from home include signing a declaration “for a cleaner, greener world” that will be sent to the UK Prime Minister, and spreading the message with “a great big green window display”. There are also organised events such as community clean-ups, nature walks and tree-planting schemes. You can find out more at greatbiggreenweek.com. If you…

There are thought to be seven different species of spider monkey, all of which live in Latin America (South and Central America). It’s difficult to get a count of exactly how many are left in the wild, but one species is officially classed as “vulnerable”, five out of the seven species are classed as “endangered” and one, the brown spider monkey, is “critically endangered”. 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…

Scientists in Egypt have discovered an ancient species of four-legged whale that lived about 43 million years ago. It is thought to be the earliest example of a semi-aquatic whale (one that lived partly in water but also walked on land) ever found in Africa. Whales are descended from deer-like, plant-eating animals that once lived on land. These evolved slowly into sea-dwelling creatures over the course of about 10 million years. They became more adapted for a life in the water and the legs that supported them on land gradually became smaller and less effective. The newly discovered whale belongs to a group of animals called Protocetidae, which appeared in the middle of this period of change. Scientists hope it will show them more about how whales evolved. The fossil…

Cristiano Ronaldo has won more than 50 team trophies and personal awards during his long and successful football career. On 1 September, he claimed another famous achievement by netting two goals for Portugal to set a world record as the highest-scoring men’s international player ever. The previous record of 109 had been set by Iran striker Ali Daei in 2006. Ronaldo had already drawn level with the record when he scored for his country at the UEFA European Championships in June. His double this month against the Republic of Ireland took his total to 111 and gave Ronaldo the outright record. Both goals were scored very late in an important FIFA World Cup qualifier to clinch a 2-1 win for Portugal. The 36-year-old Ronaldo, who recently moved from Italian team…

Colour brightens the world and makes it beautiful but colour is also vital for lots of species of plants and insects. An exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, called Naturally Brilliant Colour “celebrates the spectacular shades of the natural world”. It shows off the beauty of colour and explains its importance. Visitors follow a colourful trail from the origins of colour on Earth to new experiments with technology in creating incredible shades and hues. You can learn about the different types of colour that are found in nature. Andrew Parker, a scientist and artist, has used technology to recreate some of nature’s most vibrant colours for the show. Parker’s laboratory and studio is called Lifescaped, and the colours he has recreated there are known as structural colours.…

The Court Jester (1956) Amazon Video, DVD, Google Play We often hear stories of films being really expensive to make. All the way back in the 1950s, though, it was a film called The Court Jester that became the most costly comedy film of its day. It starred Danny Kaye and was a mixture of comedy and musical numbers (songs). The studio behind it invested in two huge film sets, dozens of extras (actors in crowd scenes) and many unforgettable sequences. It’s a really fun treat, often appearing on TV schedules. Be warned though – once you see it, you might not be able to stop saying its now-legendary line, “The pellet with the poison’s in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that…

Twitch by M.G. Leonard (Walker Books) Twitch has three pet chickens, four pigeons, swallows nesting in his bedroom and a passion for birdwatching. When he arrives at his secret bird hide one day and finds police everywhere, he realises that he needs to use his birdwatching skills in a new and surprising way: he must track down an escaped criminal. The Puffin Keeper by Michael Morpurgo. Illustrated by Benji Davies (Puffin Books) When Allen is rescued from the sea by a lighthouse keeper called Benjamin, a life-changing friendship begins. This heart-warming illustrated tale of a brave lighthouse keeper, an artist and a lost and lonely puffin is inspired by the story of Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin Books. Swan Song by Gill Lewis (Barrington Stoke) Dylan is excluded from…

“Zaiba, her brother Ali, and friend must solve a crime involving a celebrity. I would recommend it for readers who like mystery books!” YOUR TURN Email your book review to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If your review is printed in the magazine you’ll receive a Roving Reporter badge. Tell us what you liked about the book and why you’d recommend it to others, and don’t forget to include your name and address.* *If you are the competition winner, we will only use the details you provide to contact you and arrange delivery of your competition prize. Further details about how we manage the data you provide can be found at www.dennis.co.uk/privacy-policy…

Holly King-Mand is the nation’s favourite English teacher, having had thousands of young people join her online lessons during lockdown. She loves Shakespeare, etymology (the study of words and their origins) and sharing her love of learning. Here she reveals how to get organised with homework and succeed at even the trickiest of tasks. 1 Record instructions in a clear and detailed way It’s very important to clearly write down what you need to do. Use a notebook as your homework diary. It’s a good idea to write down any tips or suggestions the teacher gives because you might have forgotten these by the time you get around to doing the homework. 2 Ask for help If you’re not clear what the instructions are, don’t be afraid to ask your…

This week’s cover features New York City in the US. The photo is taken from the air and shows what the southern end of the city looks like two decades after the terrible attack on 11 September 2001 (you can read about this on page 12). Twenty years is a long time and the mountains of rubble that resulted from the collapse of two huge skyscrapers have been replaced by a beautiful memorial to those who died. New towers have been built and people continue to work, live, shop and play in and around the place that saw such loss and devastation. However, that doesn’t mean that the attack or its victims are forgotten – far from it. Funds continue to be raised for victims’ families; museums ensure that the…

Do you fancy designing a superhero gadget that can make a positive impact? The Institute of Engineering and Technology is on a mission to engineer a better world. Its exciting new competition challenges children to design a world-changing gadget. The winner’s design will be made into a working model and the winner will be turned into a new superhero character in The DM Universe comic strip. Enter before 13 October at www.engineer-a-better-world.org GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

Teacher’s name: Miss Brady School: Burhill Primary School, Hersham, Surrey “Miss Brady has helped me and my class through so much during lockdown and we’ve had her for two years now. When we went up to Year 6 we were lucky enough to have her again. She is so kind and caring and she always makes learning fun no matter what. If you’re ever sad or worried Miss Brady will always be there for you. She’s like a part of my family and is honestly the BEST TEACHER EVER!” Abi 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 Please include…

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 mountain visits should be limited… “I think no they shouldn’t because it gives you fresh air and good, hard exercise.” “Yes, mountain visits should be limited.” “No, because that is limiting others from climbing them and ruining their achievements.” “Yes, people go to mountains to avoid crowds but no because it’s people’s choice.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

1 How many medals has Dame Sarah Storey won at the Paralympics? □ a) 28 □ b) 17 □ c) 19 2 True or false? Rosh Hashanah means “best of the year”. □ True □ False 3 In which country have elephant numbers increased by 12% since 2014? _______________ 4 Which country has introduced online gaming time limits for under-18s? □ a) China □ b) France □ c) The US 5 True or false? September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. □ True □ False 6 For how long were beavers extinct in the UK? _______________ 7 When were New York’s Twin Towers completed? □ a) 1971 □ b) 1972 □ c) 1973 8 True or false? The Antarctic blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth.…

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) says it does not recommend that all young people aged between 12 and 15 should be vaccinated against Covid-19. What is the JCVI? The JCVI is made up of experts who advise the UK’s governments on preventing infectious diseases. They consider how safe and effective vaccines are. The JCVI says that it examines “the benefits (of vaccination) to the children themselves”. It is not the JCVI’s job to think about the benefits to society of vaccinating young people – that’s up to the governments. How did it reach this conclusion? The JCVI said that among healthy 12 to 15-year-olds who catch Covid-19, just two in a million will be seriously ill. As the risks are so small, the benefit of vaccinating this…

Andi Roy is a doctor and scientist who specialises in researching childhood cancers. Cancer is a broad term for a collection of diseases that are caused by oddly behaving cells growing out of control. “Fortunately, children’s cancers are very rare,” Roy tells The Week Junior. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. During her medical training in India, Roy looked after children with cancer. Many could not get treatment because it was too expensive. She says the experience showed her how important it was to develop better treatments. Roy moved to the UK for specialist training and has now been granted research money by two charities, Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People, and Children with Cancer UK. This money will help her to develop treatments for babies with a…

On 11 September 2001, the world was shocked by the largest terrorist attack ever in the US. People in the US write dates with the month first, which is why the day has become known around the world as 9/11. What happened on 11 September? Nineteen members of a terrorist group called al-Qaeda hijacked (seized control of) four aeroplanes. Two planes headed for the World Trade Center in New York, where up to 50,000 people worked in a pair of skyscrapers known as the Twin Towers. At 8.46am, a plane flew into the North Tower. At 9.03am, another struck the South Tower. Both buildings later collapsed. At 9.37am, a third plane hit the Pentagon building (headquarters of the US military) in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth flight was heading for the…

Experts studying a fossil tooth from an extinct sperm whale species have found evidence that the animal was attacked by a monster shark. The whale tooth is 11.6 centimetres long and dates to between 14 million and five million years ago. It has three gouge marks that seem to be bites from a giant shark – perhaps a megalodon, the biggest shark that ever lived. This is the first evidence that these extinct giant sharks hunted prey as big as sperm whales.…

National Botanic Garden of Wales This garden in south-west Wales houses the largest single-span glasshouse in the world. Inside are more than 1,000 Mediterranean plant species, as well as endangered plants from other areas around the world. Sheffield Botanical Gardens There are 18 different areas within these gardens, which are organised into geographical or botanical categories. The bear pit area is popular. When it was built in 1836, it was home to a black bear; it was later turned into Yorkshire’s biggest compost pit. Belfast Botanic Garden Established in 1828, the garden is a public park with tropical plants, bird feeders and a rose garden. Until 26 September, visitors can access the panoramic viewing wheel, a 33-metre structure with views over the gardens and the city of Belfast beyond.…

Jamie Oliver: Together 8pm on 13 September, Channel 4 The first in a new series in which the famous chef gives recipes and tips for making excellent food at home. In each episode, Oliver creates a feast to share with friends and family. Dishes on the menu include slow-roasted lamb, lemon roast potatoes and yoghurt panna cotta. Formula 1: Italian Grand Prix Highlights 6.20pm on 12 September, Channel 4 The Monza race track in Italy held its first Grand Prix in 1922, and the race has taken place there almost every year since then. Catch up on the highlights as Britain’s Lewis Hamilton and Dutch driver Max Verstappen compete for the F1 World Championship title. Disney’s Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall Available from 17 September, Disney+ This concert features…

If you watched British BMX riders Bethany Shriever and Charlotte Worthington win Olympic gold medals this summer, you may be keen to give it a go yourself. It’s an exciting sport and there are two types of BMX events: racing and freestyle. Shriever took victory in women’s racing and Worthington triumphed in the freestyle. In racing, up to eight riders compete on a track that has a variety of jumps and steep bends, called berms. Riders start by pedalling down a steep start ramp and then sprint to be the first to finish one lap of the course. It takes skill and practice to know how to go over the jumps, when to pedal and how to get the best track position. Races are typically less than 60 seconds long…

SEEING A DINOSAUR SKELETON The world’s largest-known triceratops skeleton has gone on display in Paris, France. The dinosaur, called Big John, is eight metres long. His remains were found in May 2014. He will be on display until 15 October, before being sold at an auction on 21 October. FUNDRAISING WITH FOOTBALL The charity football match Soccer Aid raised a record-breaking £13,014,769 for UNICEF on 5 September. UNICEF is an organisation that provides aid to children around the world. The match, which is held every year, is played by an England team against a Rest of the World team. The Rest of the World team won 3-0. HATCHING A CRANE A crane chick has hatched in Oxfordshire, England, for the first time in 500 years. The news was announced by…

Teotihuacan, Mexico Aztec treasure trove discovered A Mexican archaeologist called Sergio Gómez has been sharing new information about some of the 10,000 items he found beneath an ancient pyramid close to Mexico City. The pyramid, called the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, is around 1,800 years old. “It makes you feel close to the people who were here,” Gómez told Reuters news agency. Paraguay Drought drains Paraná river Water in the Paraná river, which runs through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, is at its lowest level for 77 years. The Paraná is the second-longest river in South America and provides around 40 million people with drinking water. However, a drought (a long period of time with little or no rain) has made the river much smaller than usual. São Paulo, Brazil…

Wild Goffin’s cockatoos have been seen for the first time crafting an ingenious set of tools from tree branches and using them to extract seeds from sea mangoes. It is thought to be the first time any bird species has been observed making a set of tools and using them in a specific order – a behaviour previously seen only in primates (the mammal group including humans, apes and monkeys). A team led by Mark O’Hara and Berenika Mioduszewska, from the University of Veterinary Medicine, in Vienna, Austria, caught 15 wild birds from their native habitat on Indonesia’s Tanimbar Islands. The birds were kept in an aviary (a large enclosure) for study before being released back to the wild. O’Hara gave the birds a variety of tropical fruits to see…

THE BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021…

How do you feel when you hear leaves crunching under your feet or see a spider spinning its web? Whether you love exploring the outdoors or prefer to watch from a distance, building a closer connection with nature can take your mind off your worries and make you feel calm. What is nature? Nature means the world around us that is not created by people, including birds, mountains, trees, the sea and the stars. It’s also a force that controls things like weather and the growth of animals and plants. You can find nature wherever you are: beaches, gardens, parks, rivers, woodlands and even unexpected places like cracks in the pavement. Why does nature make me feel good? The Mental Health Foundation charity says spending time in nature brings calm,…

Since the start of September, online services used by young people in the UK have been working under new rules to make sure users’ data and privacy are protected. The Children’s Code (also known as the Age Appropriate Design Code) was introduced in September 2020, and companies have had a year to make sure they are ready to stick to its rules. The code covers apps, games and websites, but also internet-connected toys and devices such as smart speakers. It was created by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the organisation in charge of making sure companies do not misuse data. “The internet was built with adults in mind, yet over time we’ve found more and more young people using it. About a fifth of UK internet users are children,” says…

What is a skill you would like to learn and why? I would love to learn how to paint and develop my drawing skills. I am in awe of incredible artists, much like Héloïse Mab, the wonderful illustrator of my book. My nan was a self-taught painter so I hope one day I might be able to produce something that could sit alongside one of her own paintings. Have you ever been to Paris? Yes, many times! I would often take the train to meet friends. As much as I love the Métro, my favourite way to explore Paris is on foot or by bike. Name a film you could watch many times. I love Whisper of the Heart, an animated film by Studio Ghibli. It’s about a girl who…

What are BMX bikes like? BMX bikes are smaller than normal mountain or road bikes. They have one gear and often only have brakes on the back wheel. The size of the wheels depends on the size of the rider. The standard wheel diameter is 51 centimetres. Racing and freestyle bikes are similar but freestyle bikes have rear stunt pegs to stand on, and can be heavier. How can I get involved? With the help of an adult, go to the British Cycling website (britishcycling.org.uk) to look for a BMX track and club near you. Try a beginner session, where you can usually hire a bike and safety gear. Watch some BMX events to get a taste of what happens.…

Plant blooms after 42 years Philip Roberts, aged 84, is thrilled that a plant he bought 42 years ago has finally bloomed. The Mexican royal agave plant, named Prickly, now stands 2.7 metres tall in Roberts’s garden in Suffolk, England. When he bought the plant, Roberts was told it could take 100 years to bloom, and he had thought he would need to pass it on to his grandson. However, in June the plant started to grow and it quickly shot up. Now it is blossoming with little yellow flowers. Racer moves at a snail’s pace A snail called Speedy Gonzales was declared the winner of a snail race on 28 August in the German city of Oldenburg. Speedy Gonzales clocked up a time of three minutes and 28 seconds.…

Name: Halima “Starlight Children’s Foundation is a charity that helps seriously sick children access play during their stay in hospital. Founded in 1982 Starlight is passionate about protecting each young patient’s rights to a childhood. This yea to help raise awareness and funds, Starlight U created the Skipping for Starlight Challenge; 100 skips for 31 days throughout August. I completed the challenge and have so far raised £140. On day one I could only jump five skips straight, but now I can jump 71 without stopping. It was tiring but fun. You can find out more at justgiving.com/fundraising/Hgirl ” What have you been up to lately? Which books have you enjoyed reading? What have you made? Have you written a poem or drawn a picture that you’d like to see published on…

We’d love to see your snaps. Send them to us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Don’t forget to tell us why you took them. “I saw the feature on Darling Reads in issue 295 so I visited the bookshop on the way on holiday. I bought two books. They have a very wide selection for children. Here is a picture of me outside the bookshop with one of my books and my The Week Junior.” Philippa “Here is the Greek Gallen Gravity challenge. These are sea shore rocks in Greece. We hope you like them.” Luke, Anna and Christina (Gallen) “This rainbow mosaic took three days to create and it’s been enjoyed by neighbours and walkers as they pass by on the way to the local hill.” Laila…