Innholdsfortegnelse for 315/316 i The Week Junior

It’s been another unusual year, one in which the whole world and many people’s lives have been turned upside down once again by Covid. the Week Junior team continued to work from home and there was lots of news about the virus, vaccinations and lockdowns. However, that’s not all there was, and this end-of-year bumper issue is proof of that. It’s been a fantastically exciting year, full of stunning breakthroughs, eye-popping achievements, daring discoveries and, above all else, plenty of good people doing great things for others. Find out our heroes of 2021 on pages 18–21. These are just some of the people who raised our spirits, broke down barriers and inspired us to take on new challenges. Tuck into our animals and environment pages, starting on 22, to remind…

In March, millions of people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland completed a survey known as the census. It takes place every 10 years and it’s an official record of society at one moment. Every household is sent a form asking everyone where they live, who they are, where they come from and what jobs they do. This information is used by the Government and local councils to provide services such as education, transport and healthcare. It can also show how society might be changing and provides historians with valuable information. In an online Let’s Count lesson, historian David Olusoga said the census allows us to know the ways in which people are different, and make sure they are valued and treated fairly in everyday life. Olusoga described the census…

On 4 July, people around the UK came together to show their gratitude to the National Health Service (NHS) and other people who helped out during the pandemic. The day of celebration was part of the first national Thank You Day. To mark the event, the Queen awarded the George Cross to the NHS. The George Cross is an award that is presented for “acts of the greatest heroism or of the most courage in circumstances of extreme danger”. It was first given by King George VI in 1940. Its award to the NHS was only the third time the George Cross has been given to a group, country or organisation, rather than a person. The Queen wrote a personal message saying, “It is with great pleasure, on behalf of…

In December, the UK Government announced new restrictions to help slow the spread of Covid-19 in England. These included making it compulsory to wear face masks in most public indoor spaces, such as cinemas and theatres. Workers were asked to do their jobs from home if possible and people were encouraged to get fully vaccinated to ensure they were protected against serious illness. Secondary school students were advised to wear masks in communal areas. Similar measures are in place in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The new advice is in response to the discovery of a coronavirus variant called Omicron. At the time The Week Junior went to press there was still a lot that was unknown about the new variant, but it appeared to be spreading quickly. Scientists are…

Everyone knows the feeling: peeling back the paper and hoping that something they’ll love is wrapped inside. Instead, it’s a toy they used to play with; a book they’ve already read; a pair of socks. Any disappointment must be hidden while the recipient thanks the giver. In the days after Christmas, the gift is left untouched as more exciting presents are enjoyed. After a few weeks it is forgotten, along with the tree, the tinsel, scraps of cake and empty stockings. Some people hold on to the gift; they might need the socks in the future or try the book again. Others have a different idea: give it to a charity or to someone else who might make better use of it. Do you think passing your presents on to…

Plant experts in Cambridge, England, celebrated in February as a rare cactus flowered for the first time in the UK. The moonflower cactus, which has the scientific name Selenicereus witti, normally grows in the Amazon rainforest of South America. Scientists at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) – where it grows in a glasshouse that mimics the warm, moist Amazon conditions – had watched the plant closely for days before it showed signs of flowering. Moonflowers only open for a brief 12-hour period, usually at night, which is how they got their name. However, the one growing at CUBG blossomed in mid-afternoon, opening up its 28-centimetre-long petals at around 3pm. An estimated 200,000 people watched it happen online. “I’m so excited to see and share this most unusual flowering,” said…

Many people dream of going into space, but until recently only professional astronauts had that privilege. That all changed in 2021, with successful first missions for several space tourism companies. First off the runway, in early July, was Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic company. Its spaceship, called VSS Unity, took four passengers and two pilots on a trip to the edge of space, where they experienced weightlessness and saw the Earth from above. Unity has a fully reusable design – it is carried to a height of 9.5 miles under a larger “mothership” plane called Eve. It is then released before firing its own rockets to reach its maximum height of 53 miles. As it begins to descend, its wings swivel so that it floats down slowly like a shuttlecock, before…

Between the food, gifts and games of Christmas Day and the fireworks and parties of New Year’s Eve, many people make resolutions, setting goals for the year ahead. Is setting a resolution good for me? NewYear’sresolutions resolutions areanoppo an opportunity to pause, reflect ect (think carefully) and plan. They allow you to consider the changes you’d like to make, such as being kinder or taking up anew hobby. The new year can feel like afresh start, whichcan give you the energy and opportunity to make changes. According to psychotherapist (an expert in mental health) Rachel Melville-Thomas, “Aiming at what you want keepsyou calm and confident.” What’s the best way to set goals? Although it can be exciting to set goals, making too many can lead to feeling overwhelmed. Professor Ann…

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll (Knights Of) When Addie learns about the historic witch trials that took place in the Scottish village where she lives, she makes up her mind to campaign for a memorial to the unfairly accused women. Along the way, can she challenge how her neighbours see her? Winning not one but two big book prizes this year, the first novel from author Elle McNicoll is a brilliant and inspiring read. When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle (Andersen Press) During the Second World War, Joseph is sent away from his home and starts to help out at a zoo. As bombs start to fall, he is given the job of protecting Adonis, a huge and dangerous silverback gorilla. Inspired by a true story, this…

Prince Philip “This was a tricky cover. Death can feel dark and depressing – not wha you want on the front cover! – but as we reflected on Prince Philip’s rich and colourful life, we realised it was an opportunity to be respectful and reflective. I really like his cheerful expression here – after all, he was known for being quite jolly. It’s a cover that reminds me that when people die, it is often a chance to celebrate life.” Felicity, editor A helping hand “I am a big fan of Lego, so this cover design was great fun. The story of David Aguilar was really inspiring. He created a fully functional prosthetic arm out of the world’s most popular toy – plastic bricks! To celebrate this achievement, we needed…

The largest vaccination programme in UK history was announced on 11 January. The Government’s aim was to vaccinate at least two million people a week against the virus. A vaccine is a medicine that helps your body fight a disease using its own defences. The very first Covid-19 vaccination was given in the UK on 8 December 2020, to 90-year-old Margaret Keenan. Seven large vaccination centres opened in England: in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Stevenage and Surrey. Hundreds of other places around the UK were turned into vaccination centres, including hospitals and pharmacies, sports stadiums, supermarket car parks, museums and concert halls. Those most at risk from Covid-19 got their vaccinations first. That included people who live in care homes; all frontline health and social care workers; everyone aged…

On 22 February Mount Etna erupted. It produced lava fountains that surged 1,500 metres into the sky and filled the Valley of the Ox, one of the volcano’s several craters. Ash clouds billowed into the air above nearby towns on the island of Sicily, Italy. The international airport in the city of Catania was closed until the runways could be cleared of ash and rocks. No one was reported injured. Stefano Branca, a volcanologist (an expert who studies volcanoes) based in Catania, told an Italian news agency, “We’ve seen worse”. The eruption, Branca added, was “not at all worrying”. Local people took some impressive pictures of the eruption and posted them on social media, saying that they found it beautiful to witness. “Fountains of lava are spectacular at dusk,” tweeted…

On 24 September, thousands of young people took to the streets around the world demanding that governments do more to stop climate change. Climate change is the long-term changes in the world’s weather patterns – including rising temperatures – mostly caused by human activities. The demonstrations were the largest climate protests since the pandemic began. Around 1,500 events were held in more than 80 countries. The protests were organised by Fridays for Future, a youth-led protest movement that was inspired by Swedish environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg. Thunberg spoke to the crowd at a large rally (big meeting) in Germany’s capital city, Berlin, and said that no political party was doing enough to protect the environment. “We want change, we demand change and we are the change,” she said. The protesters…

On 24 November, the US space agency NASA launched a spacecraft on a mission to deflect an asteroid. Asteroids are rocky fragments that orbit the Sun. It is the first time this has been tried. The mission is only a test and the targeted asteroid system, called Didymos, is not heading towards Earth. The practice mission is called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) and its purpose is to fly the spacecraft into a small asteroid moon called Dimorphos, that orbits the asteroid Didymos, and change the moonlet’s course. NASA hopes that DART could one day protect Earth in the unlikely event that an asteroid heads towards the planet. The spacecraft is powered by solar panels that draw on the Sun’s energy to make its journey of about 6.8 million miles.…

In December, we reported on Josephine Baker, who was an entertainer, a spy and a civil rights activist. She became the first black woman to receive one of France’s highest honours when she was entered into the Panthéon. The Panthéon is a monument in Paris where the remains of famous historical figures lie. Baker was born in the US in 1906. Her childhood in the US was marked by violence against black people. She moved to France in the 1920s and became one of the country’s most popular entertainers for her dance shows. In 1937, Baker became a French citizen. During the Second World War (1939–1945) she worked with the French Resistance, a secret group that fought against Nazi rule. She spied on German officials and wrote reports on them…

Amanda Gorman “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it” were the final lines of Amanda Gorman’s poem, The Hill We Climb, delivered at US president Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony in January 2021. The ceremony marked the day when Joe Biden became president. Gorman said she wanted the poem to represent as many Americans as possible as well as be “a moment of unity for our country”. Gorman is an American poet and activist who in 2017 became the first National Youth Poet Laureate in US history. Her inauguration poem received praise and attention around the world and her books became bestsellers. One of these books is a picture book called Change Sings. The opening lines are, “I can hear change humming/ In its loudest,…

Fans of giant pandas had reason to cheer in July, when Chinese wildlife officials announced that the species should no longer be classified as endangered. Although they are still considered to be “vulnerable”, the number of giant pandas living in the wild has risen to around 1,800. Despite being regarded as a national treasure in China, the giant panda population fell in the 20th century. By the 1980s, only around 1,200 of the animals survived, putting them at risk of extinction. Since then, concentrated efforts have been made to protect and expand the bamboo forests that supply 99% of the bear-like mammal’s diet. A carefully managed programme has encouraged them to breed and provided protection so that more giant panda cubs can survive long enough to have babies of their…

Politicians, scientists and environmental campaigners gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, in October for talks about the future of the planet. COP26 was the latest in an international series of meetings (known as “Conferences of the Parties”) bringing together governments to protect the environment. Its main goal was to take measures against climate change – long-term cha in world weather patter that are linked to huma activities including farming, industry and transport. Gases such as carbon dioxide, which are produced by these activities, trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere and cause temperatures to rise, leading to extreme floods, heatwaves and storms. Earlier in 2021, events such as a record-breaking heatwave over Canada and devastating floods in Germany made clear the need for action. Scientists say that limiting the rise in average temperatures to…

NASA’s Perseverance robot rover touched down on Mars in February. It is now looking for signs of ancient life at its landing site in a crater called Jezero, which was once filled by an ancient lake. The rover is accompanied by a small helicopter called Ingenuity that made the first flight over Mars in April. Initially only five test flights were planned, but Ingenuity proved so successful that its mission was soon extended. In November 2021, NASA released the most detailed images yet of Ingenuity in flight searching for interesting rock formations.…

July saw a pizza restaurant with a difference opening in Paris, France – one where the chef can serve up to 80 pizzas an hour and juggle 10 at a time, thanks to its three arms. The chef is a robot called Pazzi, the result of seven years’ work by French engineers Sébastien Roverso and Cyrill Hamon. The robot is fitted with one arm for rolling out dough; another for spreading tomato sauce; and a third for sprinkling toppings such as cheese, mushrooms and peppers. To develop the robot, the engineers worked with 30 experts, engineers and developers. They also had the help of chef Thierry Graffagnino, who has won the World Pizza Championships three times. Graffagnino helped them to develop new pizza recipes. Roverso says Pazzi creates excellent pizzas…

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION CAN YOU CRACK ALL 24 PUZZLES? Crossword Read the clues carefully and write the answers into the grid. Across 1 Decoration placed on top of a Christmas tree (5) 4 Gets bigger (5) 7 Colour of Santa’s suit (3) 8 Prickly Scottish plant (7) 9 Jingle ___, ringing instrument (4) 10 Good ___Wenceslas, Christmas carol (4) 13 Gobble up (3) 15 As well (4) 16 Kitchen fixture (4) 19 Fastener with a key or number combination (7) 21 Fluid in pens (3) 22 ___ icing, Christmas cake topping (5) 23 Yellow parts of eggs (5) Down 1 Measurement of land (4) 2 Small mechanical devices (7) 3 The ___Mermaid, Disney film (6) 4 Material scattered on icy roads (4) 5 Opposite of “in” (3) 6 Santa Claus’s…

Olaf Falafel is a children’s author, illustrator, dad and a stand-up comedian. During the lockdowns he hosted online art clubs (tinyurl.com/TWJolafart), combiningart and comedy. His current favourite joke is, ‘Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl in the bathroom? Because it has a silent pee!’ Now, let’s get on with the show – over to you, Olaf… “If you’ve ever watched any of my comedy or any or of my Art Clubs then you probably already know that surrealist artis my favourite. Surreal means abit weird, strange, unusual or unexpected and two of the best surrealist art is my favourite. Surreal means a bit weird, strange, unusual or unexpected and two of the best surrealist artists are Salvador Dalí and René Magritte. Dalí is famous for his bizarre paintings, like the…

Campaigning for change Climate activist Skye ran a campaign to ban plastics from magazines. On hearing about her campaign, Waitrose said it would stop selling magazines containing plastic toys. Having your posters in the Science Museum During a climate march in London, the Science Museum asked James if it could display his climate change poster as part of an exhibit in the museum. Fundraising for India’s hospitals Rayaan created a fundraising page and raised over £4,000 to help the Oxygen for India appeal. The number of Covid-19 cases in India was very high and hospitals needed extra oxygen supplies to help their patients. Saving a local pool Sonny and Marcia launched a campaign to save their local swimming pool from closure. A petition, a film about what the pool meant…

If you’d like to share your news, show off your photos or give a shout out to your favourite teacher, here’s how. Make sure you have a parent or guardian’s permission before sending us anything. REPORT YOUR OWN NEWS For a chance to see your efforts celebrated in The Week Junior, write a short report to tell our readers about something you’ve done that you’re proud of or that you think others might find interesting. Your report should be between 100–150 words in length. You need to supply a photo to go with your report, as well as a photo of yourself. NOMINATE YOUR Teacher OF THE WEEK This is where you get to give a teacher a round of applause by telling us why they’re top of the class.…

In the US, on 20 April, Derek Chauvin, a former police officer, was found guilty of murdering George Floyd while on duty. When verdict was announced, a crowd that had gathered at the place where George Floyd died cheered. Floyd, who was black, died on 25 May 2020 in Minneapolis, in the state of Minnesota, after he was arrested by Chauvin – who is white – and three other police officers. Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck and shoulder for more than nine minutes during the arrest. Before he died, Floyd had told the officer that he could not breathe but the officer did not move. Floyd’s death led to anti-racism protests in the US and across the world, including the UK. Racism is when people are treated badly because of…

Aseries of elections were held across the UK on 6 May, and there were some historic results. In Liverpool, Labour’s Joanne Anderson was elected mayor, making her the first black women to lead a major UK city. In Hartlepool a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) was elected for the first time since 1959. The new MP, Jill Mortimer, was the first woman to be elected as the MP for Hartlepool. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won the Scottish parliamentary elections for the fourth time in a row. In August, the SNP entered into a power-sharing agreement (teamed up) with the Scottish Green Party. This was the first time that a Green party had become a part of the government anywhere in the UK. Elections were also held in…

On 11 June, the Queen’s Birthday Honours List was revealed. The list – which is published every year in June, to mark the Queen’s birthday – officially acknowledges and celebrates people who have achieved outstanding things. Anyone can nominate someone for an honour. All nominations are reviewed by a committee before their recommendations are passed on to the Prime Minister and then to the Queen, who awards the honours. This year, 1,129 people received honours. Many of them were given to those who helped others during the pandemic. They included Professor Sarah Gilbert, who co-designed one of the Covid-19 vaccines. Gilbert was made a Dame, one of the highest honours. So was Kate Bingham, who was in charge of distributing Covid-19 vaccines around the country. Divya Chadha Manek was given…

In August, the world’s largest ever report into climate change was released. It detailed what countries need to do in order to prevent more extreme weather events in the future. Climate change is when there are long-term changes in world weather patterns, including rising temperatures (known as global warming). Human activities such as burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), farming and cutting down forests are all major causes of climate change. The report was released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international group of scientists working on climate change. The report said that climate change is already causing more extreme weather around the world and that action must be taken now to limit the amount of harmful gases that are released into the air. The UK…

On 11 September, memorial events took place around the US to mark 20 years since the largest terrorist attack in the US. On 11 September 2001, 19 members of the terrorist group al-Qaeda hijacked four aeroplanes, two of which crashed into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, two skyscrapers in New York where 50,000 people worked. The third plane flew into the Pentagon, the US military headquarters, and the fourth, which was going to Washington D.C. (the capital of the US), crashed in Pennsylvania. In all, 2,977 people died, including firefighters who ran into burning buildings to help people. To mark the anniversary, there was a ceremony at Ground Zero, the site where the Twin Towers stood. The names of the victims were read out, a tradition that takes place…

On 6 October, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that a vaccine that prevents malaria should be given to children in parts of Africa. The WHO is an organisation that works around the world to promote health and keep people safe. A vaccine is a type of medicine that trains the body to fight a disease using its own defences. The vaccine has taken almost 40 years to develop and is seen as an enormous scientific advance that could save tens of thousands of lives each year. Malaria is a disease that is passed to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes. The vaccine will be given in four separate doses to children aged five months and above who live in African countries south of the Sahara Desert, where…

In May, experts from UK wildlife charity the Wildwood Trust announced an ambitious plan to reintroduce European wildcats to England. The wildcat is one of the UK’s rarest mammals – similar in size to a domestic cat but slightly heavier. They have a tabby-like coat pattern and a bushy tail. The cats prefer to live in forests within reach of open grassland. They died out in most parts of the UK around 200 years ago, partly because this kind of habitat disappeared. Humans also hunted them. Today, fewer than 300 still live in the Scottish Highlands but these too are in danger. One of the reasons the species is under threat is because they breed with domestic cats that have gone to live in the wild. This produces mixed or…

Dozens of new agreements were made for protecting the planet. Governments committed to reducing emissions of planet-warming gases such as carbon dioxide and methane by 2030, and to end the largescale felling of trees (which help cool the planet by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) by the end of the decade. Rich countries promised to give money to support poorer parts of the world, which are already being badly affected by climate change. However, leaders of some of these nations complained that aid was being delayed.…

In April, scientists announced the discovery of a strange prehistoric species, nicknamed the “monkeydactyl”. Officially called Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, it is a member of an extinct group of flying reptiles called pterosaurs. It lived alongside dinosaurs in China around 160 million years ago, during the Jurassic period. Kunpengopterus is the oldest-known creature with opposable thumbs; in other words, one of its claws could bend to touch the others on the same hand. Opposable thumbs allow their owner to pick up and hold objects, and this development was an important stage in the evolution of primates (humans and their relatives, including apes and monkeys). Researchers believe that the monkeydactyl, which had an 85-centimetre wingspan, developed its crafty thumbs for climbing in trees but that it could also use them to grab prey.…

2021 was a big year for trying new ways of getting around. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the successful test flight of a practical flying car. The AirCar, built over two Years at a cost of about £1.7 million, flew at around 120 miles per hour between two airports in Slovakia, turning science fiction into reality. The vehicle is the idea of Slovakian professor Stefan Klein. Powered by an engine from car maker BMW, it uses ordinary petrol-pump fuel and can transform from a car into a plane in just two minutes and 15 seconds. With room for two people inside, the flying car has a range of 600 miles and can reach heights of 2,500 metres. Upon landing, the wings fold up and into the car, making…

Emma Raducanu What a year it was for British tennis player Emma Raducanu! Aged 18, she rose to fame by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in July. Then, in September, she did even better by winning the US Open, becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam for 44 years. The four biggest tennis competitions–the the US Open, Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open – are called the Grand Slams, and these were the first two that Raducanu had played. Sheisals also the first to lift a Grand Slam title after having to win qualifying games before taking part. She had to win 10 matches in arow to become US Open champion. Sarah Storey “I’ve worked for this for such a long time. That what cyclist Dame…

New Pokémon Snap While lots of people were stuck at home during Covid-19 lockdowns, New Pokémon Snap provided an opportunity to dream about an exotic photography holiday. This Switch game is a remake of the original Pokémon Snap, which came out in 2000. It sends you off exploring an island to spot and photograph Pokémon for points. Players are scored on how close they get and how well they frame the picture, as well as for whether the Pokémon is posing in an unusual way – or even being photobombed by another one! There’s no pressure though – just have fun taking pictures if that’s what you prefer. Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania The title of this game says it all: it’s about rollingy your monkey through a series of…

The holidays are a great time to get into the kitchen. Cooking and baking are both fun to do, and can make you feel good too. The Week Junior asked Sally Brown and Kate Morris from the Guild of Food Writers to describe some of the joys and benefits of cooking. They said, “Cooking is good for you in all sorts of ways, some which you might not even have thought of. When you follow a recipe you might learn new words, and you get to practise following instructions. You will also do some maths with counting, weighing and measuring and working out cooking times, as well as seeing science in action, like when puff pastry puffs up. Cooking can be very creative too. Once you understand how a recipe…

“We set up our Halloween display outside so it was more Covid safe.” Tia and Skelly “We would like to share a funny incident with our Maltese terrier dog called Chopsticks. A few days ago, he was left in the car for one minute, after pickup. He triggered the car’s theft alert system by standing up against the steering wheel. As a result our dad received a text message, alerting him to possible theft. Not knowing what had happened, he frantically called our mum. We realised it was our cheeky dog, although this photo does suggest he was trying to start the engine and drive off.” Liv, Felix and Jemima “My family decided that we should write our own Climate Agreement.” Frankie “I enjoyed my first 5k run along the Bournemouth…

Page 31 Page 32 Word jumble: parsnips, stuffing, mince pie, turkey. Page 33 Spot the difference Page 34 Page 35 Word jumble: ear muffs, jumper, anorak, mittens. Page 36 Word jumble: Joseph, shepherd, wise men, manger. Page 37 Spot the difference Quiz of the Year answers 1 True 2 a) Mount Etna 3 Scotland 4 Sir Anthony Hopkins 5 China 6 a) Prue Leith 7 c)4 July 8 False, there are 1,154 9 False, it’s New York 10 Greta Thunberg 11 Costa Rica12 a) DART 13 False, it’s £700 million 14 Amanda Gorman 15 Lauren Ridloff 16 b) Marcus Rashford 17 True 18 George Webster19 True 20a) Giant panda 21 Glasgow 22 A cactus 23 b) 62 miles 24 c) Pants 25True 26 Monkeydactyl 27 b) Mary Rose 28 False…