Innholdsfortegnelse for 349 i The Week Junior

The UK Government has announced that it has approved a new vaccine for Covid-19. This will target two variants (versions) of the virus. It is due to be sent to doctors in September. What is the new vaccine? The UK is the first to approve this new Covid-19 vaccine. The new vaccine, which will be called “Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron”, was developed by the medical company Moderna. It is a “bivalent” vaccine, which means it targets two types of Covid-19 – the original one from 2020 and the Omicron variant, which appeared in late 2021. The Omicron variant is less dangerous than earlier variants. Even so, it is still important to keep people safe from the variant, because some people, such as the elderly, are more vulnerable to it than others.…

This year’s national rail strike is the biggest in the UK for 30 years. It has led to disruption on trains across the country and people haven’t been able to get to work, school or their holiday destination. All sorts of workers strike – including postal workers, hospital staff, teachers, university staff, lawyers and rubbish collectors – for many different reasons. They may want better pay, or to protect colleagues from losing their jobs, or to have a safer working environment. They may also be protesting if some workers are treated unfairly. A strike can be for different lengths of time – for example, a 24-hour walk-out or one day a week for several weeks. Is it the best way for workers to get their employers to listen to them?…

On August bank holiday weekend, after two years of cancelled events, London’s Notting Hill Carnival is finally returning. This street festival, which is famous for its colourful costumes, delicious food and upbeat music, is a celebration of Caribbean history and culture. Read on to learn more about how it all began and how it is celebrated today. When and where is the carnival? The carnival will be held from 27 to 29 August on the streets of Notting Hill in West London. For the last 56 years it has been a celebration of the islands of the Caribbean, which include Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. How did it all begin? Although the first outdoor event was held in 1966, the carnival actually dates back to 1959. It began in…

Most people have an inner voice. It’s the internal chatter that goes on inside your head. What you say to yourself, and how you say it, makes a difference to how you think, feel and behave, so it’s worth paying attention to it. What is your inner voice? Your inner voice is always with you, giving a commentary inside your head. You might notice it when you make a mistake, when you try something new, or when you solve a problem. Your inner voice has different tones. Sometimes it sounds kind but at other times it can sound mean or scared. Young people’s coach Maria Evans says it should be treated with kindness. “It gets scared when you think about doing something that feels stretchy. It can be helpful to…

If you had to describe the Star Wars films, you might use words such as exciting, action-packed or thrilling. Relaxing? Not so much, given all those lightsaber duels, spaceship battles and exploding Death Stars. However, relaxing is exactly the word you might use to describe a new series of YouTube videos created by mindfulness app Headspace. It’s based on Star Wars and aimed at children who might be feeling stressed or are finding it hard to fall asleep. The series is called Find Your Force, and it features the adventures of the giant hairy Wookiee, Chewbacca, and his chirpy robot companion BB-8 as they go on a journey to Chewbacca’s home planet of Kashyyyk. Find Your Force is four episodes – one for each week in August. Each episode includes…

Pebble or sand beaches? Pebble beaches are more interesting. I love searching for fossils and hag stones, finding flat pebbles to skim or hurling big rocks into the sea with a satisfying splosh. The sound of waves rushing up a pebble beach and chattering back is the best. Favourite ocean memory? Visiting a black sand beach in Iceland. It was cold, grey and windy. Dark waves were crashing up onto the beach so fiercely we were told not to turn our backs to the sea. Craggy spires of rock were rising from the mist a little off shore. It felt like the edge of the world. What sea creatures scare you? Animals like crocodiles and sharks inspire a deep, visceral fear inside me, but I also recognise that those animals…

How to learn sign? You can learn to sign in class with a teacher of the deaf or online using YouTube tutorials. Like learning any language, it takes time to sign, but learning a few phrases a week is an easy way to get started. Where can I learn to sign? The Institute of British Sign Language (iBSL) has a website with information on where to find courses for children and adults. For some instant phrases and lessons, ask an adult to help you find the Commanding Hands YouTube site. For more information, head to the National Deaf Children’s Society website at ndcs.org.uk…

Achoo! Sneezing sea sponges Did you know that sea sponges can sneeze? The creatures will often sneeze when they accidentally suck in sand and other debris (bits of waste) from the ocean. What is even more surprising is that when the sea sponges sneeze, the mucus (snot) they release is eaten by other sea creatures, such as shrimp. Scientists from the University of Amsterdam also discovered that sponge sneezes are incredibly slow, unlike human sneezes. It takes a sea sponge up to 50 minutes to complete a sneeze, so the shrimp have plenty of time to snack. All aboard the “Doggie School Bus” In the US, schoolchildren are heading back to school after the holiday – and so are their dogs. This “Doggie School Bus” picks up pups and takes…

Poliovirus, or polio, a disease that was once thought to have disappeared from wealthy countries, has been found again in several places, including London. To combat the outbreak, the UK Government is offering a vaccine to everyone between the ages of one and nine in all areas of London, starting in places where people have already caught the disease. Parents will be contacted shortly to let them know if their children need the vaccine. Most children in the UK are already vaccinated against polio so there is a very low chance of catching it.…

A FLOWERY FUNDRAISER A field of sunflowers owned by Becketts farm shop in Wythall, near Birmingham, England, is open to the public to raise funds to help the people of Ukraine. The sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. The field will stay open for about four weeks or until the flowers fade. CONQUERING FEAR A first-time triathlete who learnt to swim in just eight weeks has done his first triathlon (running, swimming and cycling). Even though John McDermott, from Northern Ireland, was afraid of water, for the challenge he swam 350 metres in open water. He said it was “the biggest thing I have overcome.” RESCUING THOUSANDS OF DOGS In the US, a charity has rescued 4,000 dogs from a breeding facility in Virginia accused of treating animals badly. The beagles…

The shortlist of UK cities that could host the 2023 Eurovision song contest has been released. Ukraine won the last contest and would usually host the event, but as it is at war with Russia, the UK (who came second with Sam Ryder’s performance of Space Man) will host instead. The shortlist is: Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. The cities will be assessed to identify which would be the best host before the winner is revealed.…

Jackson Mann, aged 15, is passionate about protecting the world’s endangered animal species. Working with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), he’s created a card game, SOS: Save Our Species, which aims to entertain and educate people about species that are under threat. Jackson had the idea for the game on a trip to Costa Rica, Central America. “We were seeing lots of wildlife and playing lots of card games,” said Jackson. “We thought that while kids are engaged with football cards and Pokémon cards, if they were engaged with wildlife cards as well, we could raise awareness for important problems.” Jackson’s favourite species is the African wild dog, which he saw on a safari. There are fewer than 1,500 of them left in the world. “We spent four…

The results of a 10-year study have revealed that nature-friendly farming practices can be good for growing crops. The project, run by an organisation called the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, began in 2005 to see how nature-friendly farming methods affected crop yield (the amount of crops produced). The experiment was paid for by the Government and took place on a farm in Hillesden, England. Instead of using all the land for crops, the farm put some aside to create natural habitats for wildlife. The team grew plants that had seeds that birds can eat, along with wildflowers popular with bees and butterflies. There were also areas of thick, long grass left wild for creatures such as birds, insects and small mammals to live. The result was an increased population…

Food stalls There are more than 300 food stalls at the carnival, offering food from all over the world, but mainly Caribbean. The food most associated with the carnival is Jamaican jerk chicken – smoky, spicy chicken cooked over a flame. Sound systems First introduced to the carnival in 1973, there are now more than 30 sound systems playing music of all sorts, including ska, reggae, dancehall, calypso and hip-hop. Ska, reggae, and dancehall are rooted in Jamaican culture, and calypso has its roots in Trinidad and Tobago. Mas bands Mas (meaning masquerade) bands are part of the annual parade during the carnival, showing off costumes inspired by Caribbean and Brazilian culture. There are around 15,000 costumes in the parade each year, and it takes about one million hours for…

Hosting more than 2,200 young athletes from 48 countries, the recent Summer European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) was an exciting sporting event. Held in the city of Banská Bystrica, in Slovakia, young people aged 13 to 18 took part in 10 sports. These included athletics, artistic gymnastics, basketball, cycling, swimming and tennis. Great Britain’s team (Team GB) took 40 teenage athletes to the games. The youngest was 13-year-old swimmer Mabli Collyer from Carmarthenshire, Wales. Team GB won 18 medals at the EYOF, including seven gold medals. Gymnast Danny Crouch, aged 16, from Essex, England, secured a gold and two silver medals at the EYOF. “I feel really proud,” he said. “Meeting people from different sports and watching different sports has been a really good experience, and to be able to…

Young people’s coach Maria Evans explains that sometimes your inner voice can hold you back from doing things you want to do that feel a bit risky. “Most of the time the risk is just perceived (your opinion or a thought inside your head). Even though this voice can sound like it can predict the future, no one actually can, so try asking whether you really want this voice to hold you back from doing something that’s challenging, or if you want to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. We can learn so much from doing things that stretch us.”…

Ever since streaming services for films and TV shows became popular, one company has dominated the market – Netflix. Now, for the first time, it has fewer subscribers than Disney. Although Netflix has been losing customers recently, more people have been signing up to Disney+. Disney recorded 221 million subscriptions across all its streaming platforms by 2 July. This rise has continued after the pandemic, in which more people started to use streaming services. Disney+ was launched in 2019 and its popular original shows, from The Mandalorian to Ms. Marvel, have attracted more than 150 million subscribers. Disney owns other big streaming services, including sports-focused ESPN+, which have helped it to edge ahead of Netflix. The company will launch a new version of Disney+, including adverts, in the US later…

The Amazing Edie Eckhart: The Big Trip by Rosie Jones. Illustrated by Natalie Smillie (Hachette) Edie Eckhart is 11 years old and has a disability called cerebral palsy. She’s just getting used to secondary school when – to her horror – she has to go on a camping trip. Will Edie find a way to enjoy muddy walks and team games? The Beast of Harwood Forest by Dan Smith. Illustrated by Chris King (Barrington Stoke) When Pete, Nancy and Krish arrive at Heathland Camp for their school camping trip, they find strange things are going on. There’s a mysterious old building and screams in the woods at night. The friends investigate and soon get lost in the sinister forest. This spooky mystery will send shivers down your spine. Picture Perfect…

Name: Taraneh Escape to the River Sea By Emma Carroll “Surprising. Mysterious. Action-packed. Rosa is a World War Two refugee waiting for her family to pick her up when she finds adventure in the Amazon.” 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.futureplc.com/privacy-policy…

These fun, fruity ice lollies are a refreshing way to stay cool in the heat. Super simple to make, they’re healthier than many of the sugary ice pops found in shops. You can adapt the recipe and include different fruits – or use sparkling water or juice for a tasty twist. These lollies are also a great way to use up any old fruit you have at home, so rather than throw it away, why not get creative in the kitchen? What you need ● Fruit of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, melon all work well)● Cooled boiled water● Sharp knife● Chopping board● Ice lolly moulds 1 First wash your hands, then clear and clean a workspace in the kitchen. Place your moulds, sticks, knife and chopping board on…

Can you remember what it was like leaving lockdown? It was great to go out and meet friends and family again. The cats of Walldorf, in Germany, must be feeling the same (see page 6). They were kept indoors – or walked on a lead – for months, to stop them from attacking an endangered bird that lives near the town. Also on the topic of cats, have you noticed that they always seem to go straight to the people who don’t like them? On page 11, all is explained. Thanks to animal experts studying the behaviour in detail, it seems cats really do prefer their enemies! Please send pics of your pets to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Acting editor P.S. You may have seen in the news that Royal Mail are on…

Every month, our sister magazine The Week Junior Science+Nature, is filled with fascinating facts and fun things to do. Get outdoors and snap some photos of the beautiful things you find in nature as part of their annual Scavenger Hunt. You could win a camera (right), plus each category winner and runner-up will also receive a nature book bundle (below). Visit tinyurl.com/TWJ-scavengerhunt22 to take part ahead of the 31 August deadline. GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

Teacher’s name: Ms Hughes School: St James’ Primary School, Cheltenham “I would like to see Ms Hughes as Teacher of the Week because she always helps us and has inspired so many pupils to enjoy music. Every morning we are greeted by a smile. We have been through so much together such as young voices and residential. She is the best teacher I have ever had and she is leaving! We will be sad to see her go and I think she would like to see this as a farewell treat because she definitely deserves it.” Luke 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…

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 whether exploring space is worth the money… “I think exploring space should be done, but not right now.” “I think it is because if we go into space, we can find out more about our universe!” “We should put aside exploring space until all the big problems on our planet are solved.” “Exploring space seems cool, but there’s places on Earth that we know less about.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

If you’ve enjoyed this issue of The Week Junior, why not listen to our podcast, The Week Junior Show by scanning the QR code below. This week, the team are talking about the drought, dog poo and Raymond Briggs. 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, you give consent to The Week Junior to print them in the magazine and digital editions. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, accuracy and suitability. Ensure you have your parent/guardian’s permission before sending anything to…

1 Who will be invited to have the latest Covid-19 booster vaccine? □a) People under 18 □b) People over 50 □c) Everyone 2 True or false? Brazil competed in the World Pipe Band Championships for the first time this year. □True □False 3 Why did Italy take Slovenia to court? 4 What is the name of an organisation that helps people working in the same company, industry or job to fight for their rights? 5 True or false? The African wild dog is Jackson Mann’s favourite species. □True □False 6 What is the most widely grown crop in the UK? 7 Which food is most associated with London’s Notting Hill Carnival? □a) Jerk chocolate □b) Jerk chicken □b) Jerk beef 8 True or false? Scientists in Finland are using a…

Large parts of England are now officially in a “drought”, as low rainfall and hot weather continue to put a strain on water supplies. What is a drought? A drought is a period of time when there is little or no rain, resulting in a lack of water. In the UK, the Government’s Environment Agency decides when an area is in a drought. It makes its decision by assessing things like rainfall, water levels in rivers and reservoirs (lakes that store water) and soil moisture. It also assesses how lack of water affects nature, households, farms and businesses. The drought has been caused by record-breaking weather, including temperatures of over 40C. The dry conditions have also caused wildfires, hitting farms, forests, nature reserves and parks. Many shops have stopped selling…

Scientists in Norway have created an underwater robot that can identify different kinds of pollution at the bottom of the sea. The robot will help cleanup teams identify the spots where there is rubbish and focus their time and money removing the most damaging materials. The robot, which weighs 45 kilograms and uses special cameras to capture 3D images, was created by a team at Skarv Technologies. Another Norwegian company, Ecotone, developed a spectrometer – a device that can work out what material an object is made of, even in murky water. The researchers put their work to the test at a bay in the city of Bergen, on Norway’s south-west coast. First, the robot swam up and down in rows two metres above the seabed, collecting data. Then a…

Sophie Unwin and Fran Brown The British cyclists won gold in the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Canada. Brentford Football Club In the Premier League, Brentford enjoyed a 4-0 victory against Manchester United. It’s been a tough start for the losers and their new manager Erik ten Hag. Millie Bright, Beth Mead and Lucy Bronze Three England football players have been nominated for the 2022 Ballon d’Or award, which is given to the best footballer of the year. Will Smeed The 20-year-old cricketer for Birmingham Phoenix became the first ever player to score 100 runs at The Hundred competition.…

If you’re feeling brave (and have a strong stomach) the London Dungeon has the perfect creepy exhibition on now. The show tells the story of London’s bodysnatchers. These were people who stole bodies from graveyards for money in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Doctors and scientists didn’t know much about the human body at that time and would buy real ones to study. Some people say that the dark business actually helped medical science. The show focuses on a group known as the London Burkers – John Bishop, Thomas Williams and James May – who stole bodies across London and sold them to hospitals and colleges, like St Bartholomew’s Hospital and King’s College, which still exist today. The show will take you, if you dare, to Nova Scotia Cottage,…

Angry Birds Summer Madness, Season 3 Out on 25 August, Netflix Join Red, Chuck, Bomb and Stella as they have fun at Camp Splinterwood. This is based on the classic phone game. Tangled Sing-Along Out now on Disney+ Disney+ has rereleased some of its films in karaoke style, with the words on-screen so that you can sing too. Joining Moana, Beauty and the Beast and others – is Tangled, based on the fairy tale Rapunzel.…

by David Owen (Usborne Publishing) For as long as Alex Neptune can remember, the sea has been trying to kill him. He need only put a toe in the water and monstrous waves and vicious currents appear. It doesn’t help that he lives in a seaside town, steeped in myths about pirates and water dragons. When a determined octopus drags him to the town’s spooky old aquarium, Alex must get over his fears because a real water dragon needs help. Alex and Kraken the octopus join with friends Zoey and Anil, a thieving seagull, three otters and a crew of sea creatures to break the dragon out of prison. Will Alex unlock the mystery of his connection to the sea? This is a brilliant mix of adventure, mystery and legend…

When Rose Ayling-Ellis took home the trophy in the dancing TV show Strictly Come Dancing last December, it was not just a win for her but for the whole of the deaf community. Ayling-Ellis, who was born deaf, uses sign language to communicate and she inspired people to want to learn to sign. Sign is a visual way of communicating. It uses hand shapes, facial expressions, gestures and lip movements. If a family member, a friend or someone at school is deaf, then learning how to use sign language means you can understand each other. Even if you don’t know any deaf people, understanding some sign language is a helpful skill. There are different types of sign language used around the world. In the UK, British Sign Language (BSL) is…

Number fit Read the clues carefully and write the answers into the grid. We’ve filled in one to start you off. 3 numbers 145 183 281 572 870 4 numbers 2530 3833 6444 5 numbers 21732 37562 40629 6 numbers 106565 252736 557631 865681 7 numbers 4356684 9631548 9646368 8 numbers 38749250 48548751 74380657 9 numbers 168226557 421243380 444734702 Sudoku Place the numbers from 1 to 6 exactly once in each row, column and 2x3 bold-lined box, to complete the grid. ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 29 Spot the difference These two pictures appear to be the same, but take a closer look. There are actually five differences. Can you spot them? Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally…

Name: Mackenzie “I am 12 years old and I write. I don’t mean that I write during my English lessons at school (although I do). I am more – I am an author – a real, published author. This is how it happened. At my school my English teacher chose me for a special project; I don’t know why. With a few other children across the school and a man named Nick and his friends, we workshopped ideas, put our ideas into words and before we knew it, we each had a finished story. I Have a Dream is a brilliant book and my story, Saffron is right in the middle. It was read out to all the people at the book launch. When I grow up, maybe I’ll become…

“We were inspired by your articles and decided to do a bake sale. All proceeds went to DEC in Ukraine (Disasters Emergency Committee). We raised £138.40 in 90 mins thanks to some very generous football supporters.”Lara and Romy “It was a rainy day in the school holidays so we decided to make our own magazine called ‘The Month’ (inspired by The Week Junior). We plan to copy it and send it to our friends and family so they can enjoy it too.”Maisie and Jessamy “I have made a kindness poster as suggested in a recent issue. In the poster it says be yourself, respect others, everyone makes mistakes, do what you want and love, and lastly, remember how lucky you are.”Eli…