Innholdsfortegnelse for 490 i The Week Junior

In our survey, 94% of parents said they’d learned something from their kids during meal time chats. Test your family with three facts from this issue – are they amazed? Find out more on page 7 Researchers in Wales set up an experiment and discovered that goats are cleverer than sheep and alpacas. What sort of tests do you think the researchers used to test the animals? Find out more on page 12 Scientists found that dog owners said their friendships with their pets are more satisfying than nearly all their human relationships. Who is your best friend and why? Find out more on page 17 The big debate Should schools remove mirrors in bathrooms?…

On 28 April, the Liberal Party was declared the winner of Canada’s general election. This was the Liberals’ fourth election victory since 2015. What happened? The Liberal Party, led by Mark Carney (see panel), won the election with 169 seats (places) in the House of Commons. There are 343 seats in the House of Commons in Canada. Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected by voters to represent areas across the country. MPs are usually members of a political party but sometimes they work without a party. To have a majority in the House of Commons and lead the government on their own, a party needs to win 172 seats. If they fall short, the party must team up with another party so that together they have more than 172 seats.…

According to Ofcom, technology companies can check users’ ages in a number of ways that “are capable of being highly effective”. One of these is asking someone to upload a picture of themselves, along with an identification document with their age and a picture on it, such as a passport, so the two can be compared. Another way is using software to analyse someone’s facial features and estimate their age. The types of assurances of age that Ofcom says are not good enough include having users just type in how old they are.…

Mirrors have helped people tidy their hair and generally look presentable for thousands of years. Yet William Farr Comprehensive School in Welton, England, recently removed all mirrors from its bathrooms. The school took the decision because of concerns that mirrors encourage pupils to spend too much time in the loos, often in large groups. As well as making pupils late for lessons, “this can make it uncomfortable for some students to use the toilet”, says headteacher Grant Edgar. Messages have appeared on the walls demanding the mirrors are returned. Some parents think the new rule is “silly” and “a bit extreme”, while others hope it will help pupils get to lessons on time. What do you think? Should mirrors be removed from school bathrooms? Yes – they can cause delays…

Scientists from Aberystwyth University in Wales have found that goats are smarter and have better memories than sheep and alpacas – and the findings suggest that farm animals are cleverer than people think. The scientists carried out two studies on the animals. In the first, they tested their spatial memory. This is the ability to remember the location of something important. They set up an experiment where there were eight buckets, two of which contained food, in an arena (an area where spectators can watch the action). The animals searched the arena until they found the food. Once they did, they were taken out and then put back in to see if they could remember where the food buckets were. The results showed that the goats had the strongest spatial…

A team of scientists in Weymouth, England, are working to suck carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the sea. CO2 traps the Sun’s heat in Earth’s atmosphere, causing climate change. The SeaCURE project relies on the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide. The sea absorbs 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. SeaCURE works by sucking water from the ocean and moving it to a processing facility. Here, the water is treated to make it more acidic. This makes the carbon dissolved in it turn into a gas so it can be released. It’s a bit like the way a fizzy drink behaves when a can is opened – the drink goes bubbly as the CO2 in it escapes. SeaCURE sucks away the CO2 released by the acidic seawater and stores it.…

Sleep can improve your mood, keep your energy levels up and allow you to concentrate better. Sleep plays a crucial role in brain development in children, too. After all, newborn babies generally spend most of their time snoozing. However, although lots of research has been done into sleep in adults, scientists know less about sleep in adolescents (young people aged between 10 and 19). The adolescent years are an important time for the development of people’s brains, but they are also a time when children tend to start going to bed later and generally get less sleep. To find out more about the effect sleep has on adolescents, a team of researchers looked at data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. The study involved 3,222 children, aged between…

Anavia Battle The US sprinter won the women’s 200 metres race at the Diamond League in Xiamen, China. Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) came second. England women rugby union team In the Women’s Six Nations championship, England beat France 43-42 to win the title for the seventh year in a row. Liverpool FC Liverpool beat Tottenham 5-1 to become champions of England for the 20th time, which equals Manchester United’s record. Arsenal Women Arsenal’s 4-1 victory against Lyon put them into the women’s Champions League final. Mariona Caldentey, Alessia Russo and Caitlin Foord scored for Arsenal.…

Horrible Science features familiar faces from the Horrible Histories TV show and some other stars including science whizz and content creator Big Manny. You might recognise him from the TV show Blue Peter, where he shows viewers how to do cool science experiments such as creating a lava lamp (using gas to make shapes in a bottle of liquid). Big Manny studied biomedical science at university and, in 2021, he started posting educational content such as science experiments online to show people the fun side of science. Earlier this year, he was joined by Prince William to make a video, where they did an experiment with a strawberry. He has also written a book for children called Science is Lit, which includes all sorts of experiments to try at home…

You have a cat – what is her name? My cat is called Frankie and she is six years old. She’s a rescue cat and we got her from the Cats Protection charity. If you were an animal, what would you be? A cat. Obviously! Who’s your favourite character in this story? Puffin. Tell us about your favourite place to be in nature. I’m a water baby so I love to be in the sea. I also love being within old ancient forests, although I don’t get a chance to do this much. What do you do when you are not writing? I like to physically move about, so anything that involves movement. And eating yummy food!…

“This is a picture of my shelf. I like Pamela Butchart because her books are funny and make me laugh. I also like Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers books as there are lots to collect and enjoy!” Iris, 8 Send a picture of your shelf showing the book titles clearly and tell us why you love them. Ask an adult to send it to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk with your name and age.…

Teacakes pass fit-to-fly test It is rumoured that during the 1960s, some Tunnock’s Teacakes exploded in the cockpit of an RAF aircraft while it was flying. The treats, which have a chocolate coating and a marshmallow centre, are said to have blown up, leaving a sticky mess on board. The RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine has now carried out tests to determine the snacks’ safety by putting some inside an altitude chamber (a machine used to recreate flight conditions). Although some of the filling escaped, the teacakes did not explode and have been deemed fit to fly. Cosmic tornado shaped like a lolly Astonishing images have been released of an outflow of hot gas from a newborn star. NASA has said it looks like an “ice cream sundae with a…

Teachers’ names: Miss Harewood and Miss Lily School: St Saviour’s Primary School, Poplar, London “I would like to nominate my teacher Miss Harewood and TA Miss Lily from St Saviour’s Primary in Poplar, Tower Hamlets, as the Teachers of the Week. Miss Harewood is kind and always makes me laugh. Miss Lily is inspiring in Design Technology with her knitting.” Rahela 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 JOKE OF THE WEEK “What’s yellow and smells like banana? Monkey vomit.”Minnie…

1 Mark Carney, Canada’s Prime Minister, used to be the governor of which bank? ☐ a) Bank of Scotland ☐ b) Bank of Ireland ☐ c) Bank of England 2 True or false? Magician Sophie Lloyd recently became a member of the Magic Square. ☐ True ☐ False 3 In which country is a tourist attraction called the Gates of Hell? 4 What was the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS)? ☐ a) A group of codebreakers stationed at Bletchley Park ☐ b) The women’s branch of the British Army ☐ c) An organisation that made maps 5 True or false? Children can only start learning British Sign Language at six years old. ☐ True ☐ False 6 Which dragonfly species is being released in Cumbria, England? 7 In which of these…

Welcome to our new-look, even bigger magazine! We’re 10 years old this year and although our birthday isn’t actually until November, we’ve already started the celebrations. We’ve got a smart new cover and four new pages, so every week you’ll be getting even more of the magazine you love. Don’t worry, we haven’t taken anything away, we’ve just added extra. You’ve told us you love puzzles – so we’ve now got two pages of brain-bending challenges every week (page 30). We’ve also made space for more readers’ photos on Over to You, which you’ll find on page 32. When you listen to our podcast, you’ll notice some changes too. Eve and Joe are now our permanent presenters, with host Bex Lindsay. You’ll still hear from the rest of the team,…

Mark Carney has been Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party since March. He is an economist, which means he’s an expert on the way people, countries and businesses exchange money and goods. He previously worked as the governor of the Bank of Canada and was also the first non-British person to be head of the Bank of England (the UK’s central bank, which oversees the country’s financial system). After the Bank of England, he went to the United Nations (a group of 193 countries that work together) as an expert on climate and money issues.…

CARING ABOUT CURLEWS To mark World Curlew Day (21 April), Matt Trevelyan completed a 53-mile walk wearing a giant curlew costume. The former puppet maker made the costume using polystyrene and bamboo. Trevelyan said he did the walk because “every nest, chick and egg matters”. WREXHAM’S RISE Wrexham football club has been promoted for the third season in a row after beating Charlton Athletic 3-0. The club’s owners, actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, celebrated with players and their families on the pitch. Captain James McClean said the team’s success was a “big group effort”. RUNNING MARATHONS Paula Radcliffe has been awarded the Six Star Medal after running the Boston Marathon in the US. The medal is given to runners who complete six of the world’s major marathons: Tokyo, Boston,…

Deaf Awareness Week runs from 5–11 May. The Week Junior spoke to 16-year-old Niamdh Braid, who had to fight to get the help she needed as a deaf pupil in school. Niamdh was born deaf and wears hearing aids that connect to a microphone worn by teachers. A few years ago she realised that she wasn’t picking up everything the teacher said, so she asked for an interpreter who could use British Sign Language (BSL), a communication system using hand signals and gestures. The local authority said they couldn’t provide BSL support because they would have to employ extra staff, but the National Deaf Children’s Society helped Niamdh’s family to take legal action and she won her case earlier this year. Niamdh now wants to work in politics to make…

On the 8 May it is the 80th anniversary of VE Day. VE stands for “Victory in Europe”, and it was on this date in 1945 that the surrender of the German forces in the Second World War came into effect. It brought an end to fighting in Europe, although the war carried on in other parts of the world. VE Day was a day of celebration but also one of serious reflection. What events led to VE Day? The Second World War began after Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Germany was ruled by the Nazi Party, headed by Adolf Hitler, who wanted to make the country much bigger and more powerful. On 3 September, Great Britain and France – who were allies (friends) of Poland – declared…

A number of artists have been producing art using ink made from farmed seaweed for a special project. Through the sale of the artworks, the project – called Art For Your Oceans – is raising money for the World Wide Fund for Nature’s ocean protection work. Seaweed is a valuable tool in the fight against climate change. One of the ways it can help is by absorbing carbon dioxide (a polluting gas), from the atmosphere. Seaweed grows quickly, so it can absorb lots of carbon dioxide. Enjoy these stories? Find more in this month’s The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk…

Making time to talk helps you share ideas, shape your views and connect with people. It’s also reassuring to check in with your family, the people who know you best. Finding time for a chat Whether your day has been amazing or awful, it feels good to come home and tell your family about it. However, finding time to chat isn’t always easy. Learning and hobbies take up lots of your day, and adults can be busy with work or looking after things at home. When you do have free time it’s easy to flop down in front of the TV, play video games or pick up a book, tablet or phone. Yet making time to talk is important because it’s a chance to share your feelings, news and ideas.…

Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson (Usborne Publishing) London, 1939 – and Ronnie is scared of the bombs that fall at night, but is excited to race his friends to collect the best bits of shrapnel (pieces of metal from a bomb) each morning. When he discovers that his little brother has a secret job, Ronnie begins to uncover some explosive secrets about the war. Arctic Star by Tom Palmer (Barrington Stoke) It’s 1943, and teenagers Frank, Joseph and Stephen have joined the Royal Navy and are setting out on their very first mission at sea. Their ship is part of an Arctic convoy sailing to Russia to deliver supplies – but navigating the waters will be dangerous. With enemy attacks, storms and icy conditions, will the boys make it home?…

Name: Amelia The Ministry of Unladylike Activity by Robin Stevens “Intriguing, unpredictable and thrilling! Impossible to put down as you try to piece together the codes, evidence and alibis in this perfect World War 2 mystery.” YOUR TURN Please email your book review to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If it is printed in the magazine you will receive a Roving Reporter badge. Describe your chosen book in three words, tell us what you liked about it and why you would recommend it to others. Don’t forget to include your name and address.*…

A blank sheet of paper can be a great starting point for your visual imagination, whether you like to paint, draw or create collages. Can a blank screen do the same thing? There are plenty of arty apps giving it a try. Tayasui Sketches School is one of the best examples. It’s an app designed for young people to use easily because it doesn’t have some of the complicated features in apps used by professional artists. Instead, you can get creative with digital tools including a pencil, felt pen and brushes for (virtual) oil pastel or watercolour paints. The app is free, but with an optional subscription in-app purchase that unlocks more features. Although Tayasui Sketches School is only on Apple devices, the original Tayasui Sketches app for all ages…

Wordsearch Can you find all of the hidden words? They are placed horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. CALENDAR CHART CLOCK DECORATIONS LIGHTS MAP MIRROR MURAL NOTICE PAINTING PHOTO POSTER PRINT REMINDER SHELF SIGN SWITCH TAPESTRY TELEVISION WHITEBOARD Sudoku Place the numbers from 1 to 6 exactly once in each row, column and 2x3 bold-lined box, to complete the grid. Split words Piece together the groups of letters to find four words linked to taxis. 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 448 532 593 642 4 numbers 3129 5610 9181 9721 5 numbers 42066 46801 92648 6 numbers 101365 322885 513888 752561 7 numbers 4600848 4741017…

Martha Mills Young Writers’ prize This writing competition for 11 to 14-year-olds was set up in memory of Martha Mills, a girl who loved reading and writing. To celebrate her life, her family have joined forces with the London Review Bookshop and the author Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who is this year’s guest judge. The theme is “A New World” and written entries should be under 500 words. Fantastic prizes are up for grabs, including £200 for three winners. The deadline for entries is on 6 June. Visit tinyurl.com/TWJ-mills for details. WIN A BADGE! 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…

World leaders, royalty and members of the public gathered in Vatican City on 26 April for the funeral of Pope Francis. The Pope (the leader of the Catholic Church) died at his home in the Vatican on 21 April at the age of 88. On the morning of the funeral, the Pope’s body was carried from St Peter’s Basilica church into St Peter’s Square, where the service took place outdoors. Leaders from more than 150 countries, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, were there, along with around 400,000 people of all ages and nationalities. They gathered to watch the service in Vatican City and the surrounding streets. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who led the service, paid tribute to Pope Francis saying he was “a Pope among the people, with an…

On 24 April, Ofcom revealed a set of new rules aimed at making children safer when they use the internet. Ofcom is short for Office of Communications, the Government organisation overseeing communications services in the UK, such as the internet. One of its jobs is making sure companies have systems to keep people safe online. What are the rules? The rules are steps that technology companies must take in order to protect children from harmful content. They are designed to make being online – such as using social media, browsing the web and gaming online – a safer experience. They’re part of the Government’s Online Safety Act, a law that is due to come into effect in July. The rules say online services carrying content that could be harmful for…

Betty Webb was part of the code-breaking team at Bletchley Park in England during the Second World War (1939–1945). This was where many people, including the famous mathematician Alan Turing, worked to decode secret messages sent by enemy forces. Webb joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army, in 1941 when she was 18 years old. She had been studying a domestic science course at college but decided she wanted to do something to help the war effort. At Bletchley Park, Webb’s work involved sorting through German communications and writing down Japanese messages. In 1945, Webb was moved to work at the Pentagon, which is the headquarters of the US defence department. She was the only member of the ATS to be sent there, which…

Numbers of this pretty and commonly spied butterfly peak in May. It can be found across most of the UK, though it is rare in Scotland. The holly blue is common in gardens and parks, coastal areas, woodland and hedgerows. It has a wingspan of up to 3.4 centimetres and is bright blue, although females have black wing edges. It can be mistaken for other species, such as the large blue or small blue, but you can tell the holly blue by the black spots on its silver-coloured underside. Unlike other blue butterflies, the holly blue also likes to fly high around shrubs and trees, rather than near the ground. It’s attracted to nectar-rich flowers and loves holly and ivy to chomp on when it is still a caterpillar. A…

Give a tea party The King and Queen are hosting a tea party for war veterans at Buckingham Palace on VE Day. Why not host one for your family and friends? All you need are some cakes and sandwiches. Make bunting Get your house into the VE Day spirit by making some colourful bunting and hanging it up. You can use paper or scraps of unwanted fabric. Ask an adult to help you find our step-by-step guide at tinyurl.com/TWJ-bunting Visit a museum You could discover more about VE Day and the Second World War at one of the UK’s Imperial War Museums: in London, Manchester and Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England.…

A team of scientists in the US says it has discovered a new colour that humans have never seen before. It’s a blue-green colour that they have named “olo”. People see colours through a part of their eye called the retina. The retina has light-sensitive cells called rods and cones, which send electrical signals to the brain. There are three types of cone cells, which detect red, green or blue light. A green-detecting cone can only usually be stimulated at the same time as either one or both of the other cone types. In everyday life it can’t be stimulated on its own. The scientists used a special, very small laser (intense light beam) that can stimulate only the green-detecting cones in five people’s eyes. Lasers can damage your eyes,…

On 27 April, Tigst Assefa and Sabastian Sawe enjoyed memorable wins in the London Marathon. Assefa, from Ethiopia, won the women’s elite race in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds – the fastest time ever in a women-only marathon. Sawe, who comes from Kenya, was the men’s elite champion with a finishing time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds. It was the first time he had run in the London Marathon. A marathon is a 26.2-mile race. The London Marathon takes place every year and the course takes competitors past famous sights such as Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. The elite races are for the fastest athletes and they start earlier than the other runners. Great Britain’s Eilish McColgan and Rose Harvey came…

Since 2009, the TV sketch show Horrible Histories has been showing children the most unusual, ridiculous and disgusting parts of history. Now it’s time for science to get horrible as well, because the team has made a new television show called Horrible Science, which viewers can watch on CBBC from 9 May. It’s bursting with brilliant facts, catchy songs and hilarious characters. Writer and actor Jessica Ransom spoke to The Week Junior about what went on behind the scenes of Horrible Science. She plays lots of characters in the show, including Taylor Swift performing a song about how water is recycled on Earth, an astronaut on the International Space Station and Mary Ploppins, who goes to people’s houses to help with their digestion. Ransom’s most memorable day while filming Horrible…

by Lui Sit. Illustrated by David Dean (Macmillan Children’s Books) Author Lui Sit was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Australia and now lives in London with her family and cat. A cat is the star of her first book for children – a magical adventure about a brave girl who is determined to help a rare wildcat. Puffin Lau is the daughter of a scientist who is a leading expert on a creature called the Kuri – an extinct wildcat that was once found on the remote Linger Island and was believed to have magical healing powers. After visiting the research centre where her mum works, Puffin and her best friend Lance unexpectedly encounter a sick Kuri. Soon, they find themselves on a mission to return it to…

Carrie Sellon is the author of Pizza Pete and the Perilous Potions, which won the Younger Fiction prize at The Week Junior Book Awards in 2024. In time for World Laughter Day on 4 May, Sellon gives you all the ingredients you need to write a fantastic story using her “story pizza” method and shares her top tips on adding an extra helping of humour. “Funny books can totally change your mood,” says Sellon, “You are all born with the most incredible imaginations, so use them and get writing!” 1 Find funny inspiration Reading funny books is a great way to find humorous inspiration. “Read funny stories and watch comedies – and have a laugh along the way,” says Sellon. Listening to people around you and noting down the funny…

Whether you‘re speaking to an old friend, a family member or someone you’ve just met at school, everyone gets stuck for words from time to time. If you’re unsure of what to talk about with someone, here are three tips to help you break the silence. Plus, we’ve got nine great conversation starters to help you take the plunge and get chatting. 1 Start by smiling. If you look friendly and approachable, people will want to talk to you. 2 Be curious and ask questions. Most people like to talk about themselves, so if you show you’re interested, they’ll respond positively. 3 Listen carefully, nod and show that you are interested in what they are saying. Keep the conversation going by asking another question based on what they’ve told you.…

Name: The swifties at 3rd Swinton “We are a Brownie group in Girlguiding North West England from Swinton, Salford, known as 3rd Swinton Brownies. We have been finding out about swifts and how we can help them. Roshni from the RSPB has told us lots of facts about swifts. Did you know swifts weigh the same as a Creme Egg? They can fly at nearly 70 miles per hour. They do everything while they are flying and they like to eat lots and lots of insects. We’ve been helping the swifts that fly to Swinton each spring from Africa by making swift boxes. We have painted them and put nest cups inside. We hope that by putting up more boxes, our swifts will have homes to live in here. We…

“We enjoyed reading The Week Junior at the beach on our holiday to Spain.”Naomi and Josh “My principal and school secretary loved The Week Junior as much as I do.”Freya “I dressed as a banana for ‘Dare to be Different’ Autism Awareness Day.”River “I can’t wait to read the new issues of The Week Junior on the weekends. My motto is ‘Eat, read, sleep & repeat with The Week Junior ’.”Mert We’re proud to be plastic-free The Week Junior is delivered without a wrapper. This decision was made in response to requests from our readers who wanted us to reduce waste. Since removing the wrap in 2018 we have saved our planet from more than 20 tonnes of plastic and made your magazine 100% recyclable. Very occasionally, magazines are damaged…