Innholdsfortegnelse for 313 i The Week Junior

Rescue operations are under way after a volcano erupted on the Indonesian island of Java. Officials think that more than 5,000 people have had to move to safety because of the eruption. What happened? On 4 December, Mount Semeru volcano, on the island of Java, erupted. Mount Semeru is 3,676 metres above sea level and the tallest mountain on the island. It is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes and often has small eruptions that send ash around 4,300 metres into the sky. Its last eruption was in January of this year but fortunately no one died. This eruption was much larger, though, throwing ash more than 12,000 metres into the sky. Eko Budi Lelono, the head of Indonesia’s geological agency, has said that the eruption was caused by the…

The UK Government has announced a new law that says that all pet cats must be microchipped before they’re 20 weeks old. A microchip is a device about as big as a grain of rice. Each microchip has a unique number on it. It is put inside an animal so that the animal can be reunited with its owner if it is lost, and identified if it is injured. Since 2016, dogs in the UK over eight weeks old must be microchipped by law. People who don’t microchip their cat may be fined.…

On 16 November, the education ministers of France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus signed an agreement to promote the Latin and ancient Greek languages. French education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said that Latin and ancient Greek would soon be introduced to some sixth-formers. In the UK, from September 2022, 40 state secondary schools in England will start teaching Latin to 11 to 16-year-olds. However, some people think that learning ancient history and languages that are not spoken any more is pointless. The world has moved on from the Romans and ancient Greeks, and schools should look beyond Europe. So what do you think – should all students get the chance to study classics or is it time to lay ancient history to rest? Yes – studying classics can enrich learning Studying the…

An international team of scientists have announced plans to learn more about one of nature’s hidden wonders – a vast network of underground fungi. Fungi are a group of living things distinct from animals and plants. They range from tiny moulds and yeasts to large mushrooms. Some of the most important fungi are those that form networks in the soil that help connect trees and plants. These networks are sometimes called wood-wide webs. The fungi take substances that nourish them from the soil. Where they touch plant roots, the fungi exchange these substances for some of the carbon that plants absorb from the atmosphere – a swap that is good for both sides. There are trillions of miles of fungal networks just below the surface of the soil, but until…

A group of 30 white rhinos have been taken to the central African country of Rwanda in what is thought to be the largest ever rhino rehoming exercise. They were transported 2,100 miles by road and air in a 40-hour journey from South Africa to their new home in Akagera National Park. At the moment there are just 18,000 white rhinos living in a few areas across Africa, where they are often at risk of poaching (illegal hunting). Conservation group African Parks planned the move and police escorts went with the animals to keep them safe. African Parks want to set up a breeding group in a part of the continent where the species has never lived, and where the animals can be well protected. “It’s absolutely vital to get…

Laetitia in Chad Unicef works in Chad, in northern central Africa, to promote children’s rights. Laetitia says, “Some girls did not go back to school after Covid-19 because they are afraid. My wish for all girls in Chad is that I ask the girls to fight for their future.” Manija in Greece Unicef helps people like Manija and Atefe, who run a school in Greece. The girls are of Afghan descent and live in a refugee camp. They are not allowed to go to school in Greece so they started their own. “Teaching is my passion,” Manija says. Sofia in Uruguay Unicef is helping young people such as Sofia to continue at school. “I think our generation questions many things,” she says. “We want to use empathy to leave behind…

HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021…

Imagine it’s pouring down outside and you’re curled up with a cup of hot chocolate, a soft blanket and your favourite book. How do you feel? People from Denmark would describe this cosy scene as “hygge”, and it can boost happiness. What is hygge? Hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) is a Danish word, which translates as cosiness, warmth and comfort. Meik Wiking, who wrote The Little Book of Hygge, describes it as an atmosphere – a feeling of being safe and at home – and an experience, where we take time out to enjoy simple pleasures with loved ones. It is a way of life in Denmark. “There are no expectations other than being in the moment,” explains Danish education expert Iben Sandahl. Why is it good for me? Everybody benefits from…

(Farshore) This new short story collection brings together 13 Christmassy crime stories, written by authors including Elle McNicoll, Benjamin Dean and Sharna Jackson. Packed with thrilling twists curious clues and sinister suspects, it proves that mystery stories can be anything from funny and surprising to creepy and chilling. There’s something for everyone here – whether it’s Joanna Williams’s fascinating historical tale set in the Frost Fairs of 1700s London, or Dominique Valente’s magical mystery in the icy forests of the Frostwilds. Complete with lots of fabulous artwork, an introduction from editors Robin Stevens and Serena Patel, and your own Very Merry Murder Club official badge of approval, this book is a real treat.…

Number fit All of these numbers fit in the grid. Can you work out where they go? We’ve placed one to start you off. 3 numbers 285 716 887 966 4 numbers 1318 5240 5468 7458 7808 5 numbers 13460 30627 40410 64867 82746 6 numbers 119534 254804 7 numbers 1373359 2663327 4625817 8 numbers 10656842 30047535 72227341 9 numbers 772817805 862473287 986406704 Wordsearch Can you find all of the cartoon characters listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. ASTERIX BALOO BART DORA EEYORE GOOFY HOMER JERRY LILO PIGLET PIKACHU PLUTO POOH POPEYE SNOOPY STITCH THUMPER TIGGER TINTIN TWEETY Puzzles page and quiz answers…

The independent booksellers Daunt Books has launched its annual children’s short story competition. The aim of the competition is to celebrate the creativity of children’s writing, so if you’re between four and 15 years old, you can join in by writing a story up to 1,500 words long. You might even have your story published in a book illustrated by award-winning designer Sharon King-Chai and introduced by writer Femi Fadugba. Find out how to get involved before the 31 January 2022 deadline at dauntbooks.co.uk/short-story-competition GETINVOLVED 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 the details you provide to arrange delivery of…

1 What sort of cat was Josephine Baker’s unusual pet? ◻ a) Cheetah ◻ b) Jaguar ◻ c) Leopard 2 True or false? Every home in Wales is being offered a free tree to plant. ◻ True ◻ False 3 What is the capital city of Georgia? 4 What language does J.K.Rowling use for spells in the Harry Potter books? ◻ a) Greek ◻ b) Latin ◻ c) Hebrew 5 True or false? It took Nirmal Purja 17 months to reach the top of the world’s 14 highest mountains. ◻ True ◻ False 6 How much do the largest white rhinos weigh? 7 How long ago was Unicef established? ◻ a) 100 years ◻ b) 90 years ◻ c) 75 years 8 In which English county is the ancient monument…

Scientists are investigating the new strain of Covid-19 called Omicron. Their research will reveal how transmissable Omicron is and how it reacts to vaccines. They don’t yet know what impact Omicron could have. It will take scientists at least two weeks to collect and study enough data to know exactly how Omicron behaves What is known about Omicron? When a virus such as coronavirus reproduces, it changes so it can spread as a new version, or variant, of the disease. The spike protein on the Omicron variant isn’t the same as the one on the Delta variant. (The Delta variant was first reported in October 2020 and became the main type of coronavirus in the UK in the summer of 2021.) The spike protein sticks up from the surface of…

Gillian Anderson has appeared in many popular films and TV shows. This month, like many people, she will settle down to watch some Christmas films and shows. Anderson is a big fan of animated films, including those by Aardman, makers of Wallace & Gromit. “I watched those films a million times with my daughter,” she says. This year, Anderson stars in Aardman’s new Christmas film on Netflix, Robin Robin. If Anderson could make a Christmas wish, she says it would be for “a place where all the refugees could go where they would feel accepted and embraced by a new life.” A refugee is a person forced to leave their home country because it is unsafe for them. This year she hopes to convince her family to watch It’s a…

The winter months are a great time to see bramblings – small, plump birds with orange breasts and orange-flecked wings that are winter visitors to the British Isles. Around a million bramblings make journeys, called migrations, to the UK each year in order to avoid cold winters in Scandinavia (northern European countries including Sweden and Norway) and Russia. The birds tend to gather in large flocks, sometimes containing thousands of birds, in woodlands or on farm fields close to woods, so keep a look out for them on winter walks. However, bramblings will also visit gardens, parks and towns, so you might spot these colourful visitors anywhere. They like to eat fruit and seeds, so if you have a garden with a bird feeder – or a favourite place to…

Four and a half thousand years ago, prehistoric workers building the famous stone circles at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, enjoyed huge midwinter feasts. Visitors came from as far away as Scotland, bringing cows and pigs to roast – but new evidence suggests that there might also have been mince pies for pudding. Archaeologists (experts who study ancient objects to help us understand history) have recently been excavating (digging for artefacts) Durrington Walls – a settlement nearby where the Stonehenge builders lived. Among their finds are the remains of charred plants, suggesting that the builders filled up on sweet treats such as cooked crab apples, other fruit and nuts. For a boost of energy and strength, they could have preserved these foods using animal fats – rather like the idea behind…

On 5 December, Chelsea beat their London rivals Arsenal 3-0 to win the Women’s FA Cup final. It means Chelsea have won a treble of trophies in the 2020-21 season; they were also crowned Women’s Super League and League Cup winners. The FA Cup competition was delayed from earlier in the year because of the pandemic. With Arsenal leading the Women’s Super League and Chelsea second, the match was expected to be exciting – and it didn’t disappoint. Between them the two teams had scored 42 FA Cup goals in their four games to reach the final. Chelsea’s force of England international Fran Kirby and Australia’s Sam Kerr were too strong for Arsenal. Kirby scored after just three minutes and Kerr netted twice in the second half to put Chelsea…

• Refreshments are essential, especially hot drinks and sweet snacks. • Your environment matters. Think candles (ask an adult to light these and ensure they’re in a safe place) and blankets. • Hygge is about comfort. Wear soft knits, cosy socks and well-loved casual clothes. • Hygge focuses on being present. Enjoy the here and now. • At its heart, hygge is about togetherness and spending quality time with loved ones.…

Do you love the festive season? With The Week Junior Science+Nature’s 12 Days of Science you can enjoy 12 days packed with mind-blowing experiments and activities, nature spotting, festive treats and exclusive interviews with some brilliant brains working in science. Plus, there are loads of fantastic prizes up for grabs every day. Prizes include Disney on Ice tickets, a Gravitrax building bundle, a Robotics Smart Machines kit, Bug Photography sets, books and plenty more. There is something for everyone and the fun will help make this the most exciting and activity-packed Christmas ever. What’s going on? Science+Nature has teamed up with Winchester Science Centre in Hampshire, England, and lots of other exciting companies to offer a festive feast of activities themed around science and nature, including making a snowstorm in…

What is your favourite time of year? I love autumn for the crisp mornings and the crunchy leaves underfoot but I do also love the hope and light of spring. What is your favourite kind of exercise? Walking. Do you have a favourite Christmas song? Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. Do you love or hate Brussels sprouts? Neither, I don’t mind them at Christmas but never eat them at any other time of year. What is the best prank you have pulled? I’m not a very good prankster, I’m no good at being sneaky and would give myself away immediately. My children like playing pranks on me, though. Especially jumping out and scaring me or putting a plastic spider on my lap, which makes me leap about six feet in…

What is wasgij? Puzzles called wasgij (which is “jigsaw” backwards) are jigsaws with a difference. Instead of piecing together the exact picture on the box, you have to think what the scene may be like in the future or perhaps what different characters might be seeing. These puzzles can be very challenging but are also very imaginative Any helpful puzzle tips? Do your puzzle in a place where you don’t have to pack it away before you can finish. Lightweight, non-slip puzzle boards are a good buy. They mean you can piece it together on the board and pack it away safely. Some roll up to keep unfinished puzzles intact.…

Book is better late than never A book called New Chronicles of Rebecca has turned up in a US library 110 years after someone took it out. Boise Library, in the state of Idaho, said that if it charged late fees, the book would have a penalty charge of nearly £600. It’s a mystery who took the book out and who sent it back after so long. Library assistant Anne Marie Martin said, “We’ll never know, but you could imagine all types of fun stories about it.” Mini flat that costs less than 70p The Swedish furniture company Ikea is renting out a miniature apartment in Tokyo, Japan, with an equally miniature price tag. The flat is available to rent for less than 70 pence per month, plus bills. Ikea…

Teacher’s name: Mr Patterson School: Wimbledon High School, London “Mr Patterson is like a firework, constantly sparking joy. He teaches us in such a fun, unique way, it’s as if you’ve walked into a theatre, because he entertains us like he’s on stage while he teaches. He’s incredible and I’ve learnt so much from him. It’s so important to have an engaging teacher. I used to dread having to arrive at this lesson, but with Mr Patterson, it’s my highlight!” Olivia 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…

SAVING AN INJURED SEA TURTLE A turtle that was hurt by plastic pollution has found a new home in Scotland. The sea turtle, which has been named April, was found in netting in the Maldives, in the Indian Ocean. April was too badly injured to return to the wild, so she was flown to Sea Life Loch Lomond where she has “settled in brilliantly”. CELEBRATING A 100TH BIRTHDAY On 26 November, pupils, staff and parents from Ropsley CE Primary School in Lincolnshire, England, celebrated a neighbour’s 100th birthday. Edwin Crow, who waves as children make their way to school, was given cards and presents. The group sang Happy Birthday before releasing 100 biodegradable balloons. HELPING LONELY DORMICE A tiny bridge is being built in Lancashire, England, to help Britain’s rare…

Mont Blanc, France Climber rewarded for jewel find In 2013, a climber on Mont Blanc found a metal box full of precious stones. Experts believe the box had been on a plane that crashed on the mountain 55 years earlier. The climber gave the stones to the police. In early December this year, the climber was finally rewarded for his honesty with a half-share of the stones’ value – around £127,000. Mexico City, Mexico Ancient Aztec artefacts unearthed Archaeologists have revealed a 16th century altar in Mexico City. The altar, which was used for religious rituals, dates to between 1521 and 1610, when the Aztec civilisation ruled the region. The altar was in the home of an Aztec family and would have been used to honour the dead. Other items…

Fungi can have a huge effect on Earth’s climate by locking carbon dioxide gas underground. Tiny organisms in the soil absorb carbon from the air as they grow but often release it again quickly when they die and rot. Soils with rich networks of fungi can trap carbon for hundreds or even thousands of years, so boosting fungal networks could be a good way of cutting the amount of climate change-causing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as well as boosting plant growth.…

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Unicef (say YOU-knee-seff), which is an organisation that helps young people around the world. To celebrate its fantastic work, we’re taking a look at why Unicef was formed, how it has helped millions of children and find out about the work it does today. What is Unicef? Unicef stands for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. It was formed in 1946 by the United Nations (UN) after the Second World War (1939–1945). The UN is an organisation of 193 countries that takes action on human rights, peace and climate change. Unicef’s aim was to help all children, whatever country they were from. Maurice Pate was Unicef’s first executive director and the organisation’s Leadership for Children Award is named after him. In 1953, Unicef…

Throughout December, volunteers are baking mince pies around the hearth at the Stonehenge settlement in reconstructed neolithic houses. These are recreations of the homes in which archaeologists believe the builders lived. The archaeologists used about 1,000 hazel rods to weave a frame for each building, about five metres across, and covered the walls in a mixture of crushed chalk, straw and water. The roof was thatched with thick straw, producing a bright and airy single-roomed house whose white chalk walls and floor would make the most of sunshine in summer and reflect the heat from the fire back into the room in winter.…

One of the most wintry outdoor activities you can think of is ice skating. Luckily there are plenty of beautiful places around the UK to do this in December and throughout the festive season. Ice skating is thought to have developed in the northern European region of Scandinavia around 1000BC. People took it up as a hobby in the UK in the 17th century, skating on frozen ponds. The world’s first artificial ice rink, called the Glaciarium, opened in London in 1844. However, it closed after a year because without the technology to keep ice frozen, the rink instead used pig fat and salts to make it slippery. This meant it smelled disgusting, which put people off visiting. By 1876, the right technology was available to freeze water and keep…

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson. Illustrated by Katie Hickey (Macmillan Children’s Books) In this children’s classic, travel deep into the Amazon jungle in search of adventure with heroine Maia. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of an award-winning, bestselling story, this gift edition comes packed with lots of colourful artwork from illustrator Katie Hickey. The Boy With Wings by Lenny Henry. Illustrated by Keenon Ferrell (Macmillan Children’s Books) Twelve-year-old Tunde just wants to hang out with his friends and avoid the school bullies. When something remarkable happens during a football match, he discovers he has amazing powers, a secret past and dangerous enemies. Comedian Lenny Henry’s first children’s book is a hilarious adventure. Little People Big Dreams Treasury by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Lisbeth Kaiser (Frances Lincoln Children’s…

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah “This book shows that instead of life with Prince Charming, a girl’s dream is a good education and a life with a person who cares. It is a different view of the fairy tale.” 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 The Week Junior details about how we manage the data you provide can be found at www.dennis.co.uk/privacy-policy…

Olaf Falafel is a children’s author, illustrator, dad of two daughters and a comedian. During the first lockdown he created an online Art Club (tinyurl.com/TWJ-olafart). Each episode was filled with jokes, useful drawing tips, funny animations and stuff about his favourite artists. Over to you, Olaf… As well as telling jokes, I love reading and making comic strips. Roy Lichtenstein was a famous artist in the 1960s who also loved comic strips. He was part of a movement called pop art, which is short for popular art. The artists were inspired by things from popular culture, such as celebrities and everyday objects. Lichtenstein would take panels from comics and scale them up into huge paintings. He was fascinated by the dot patterns that you get from low-quality printing, and he…

One of the best things about working on The Week Junior is finding out about amazing, inspiring people like Josephine Baker, who’s our cover star in this issue. You can read more about why Baker has been awarded France’s highest honour and her trailblazing life on page 3. Born in the US, Baker later moved to Paris and became one of France’s most popular entertainers in the 1930s. During the Second World War she worked as a spy for France against the Nazis. She also qualified as a pilot at a time when such opportunities weren’t often open to women – especially women of colour – and throughout her life stood up for equality. Elsewhere in this issue, I enjoyed discovering the Danish idea of hygge (page 19), and how…

Follow The Week Junior on PopJam @The Week Junior. You can download the PopJam app from the App Store or Google Play. Last week, we asked you if fake Christmas trees are better than real ones… “I don’t think so because all of the plastic could hurt the planet. However, it stops trees getting cut down. Both are environmentally unfriendly but real trees are better.” “Yes, fake trees are amazing. I have one.” “No, Christmas is supposed to be a time to treasure. Real Christmas trees and their smell are part of Christmas.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…