Innehållsförteckning för Issue 204 från The Week Junior US

On March 7, President Joe Biden gave the State of the Union address at the US Capitol building. Those in attendance included members of Congress (branch of government that makes laws), justices of the US Supreme Court, and guests, while about 32.2 million people watched at home. The speech marked the unofficial kickoff of Biden’s Presidential campaign. Biden, a Democrat, will likely face former President Donald Trump, a Republican, on the ballot on November 5. What is the State of the Union? The address is an annual message from the President about the most pressing issues facing the country. The US Constitution (nation’s top law) requires that the President deliver this information “from time to time.” The first speech was given by George Washington in 1790, when it was known…

A SPRINGTIME PREDICTION The US National Park Service said the cherry blossom trees by the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, will hit peak bloom from March 23–26. More than 1.5 million people visit the capital to see the flowers every year. SPOTTING A SURPRISE More than 200 years after gray whales were declared extinct in the Atlantic Ocean, one was spotted off the coast of Nantucket, an island in Massachusetts. Marine experts were doing an aerial survey in a plane when they saw it. They described the moment as “wild and exciting.” A FAN FAVORITE Dairy Queen has announced that it is bringing back the hugely popular cherrydipped cone for a limited time, nearly a year after discontinuing it. Fans celebrated the return of the soft-serve ice cream covered in…

Last year, world leaders from across the globe gathered for a climate conference in the Middle East. Many of the attendees, including US climate representative John Kerry, traveled on private jets. Critics said they set a bad example by using small planes that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2, a greenhouse gas that stays in the atmosphere and contributes to climate change) to attend a meeting about helping the planet. Taylor Swift has also been called out for taking many short flights on her private jet. But some people think it’s the best way for important people to travel. What do you think? Should private jets be allowed? Yes—famous people have to fly too For people who use private jets, it’s often the most practical way to get around.…

Arielle, 10, California Kelly Sutherland Associate professor, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Most jellyfish are see-through because their bodies are 95% to 99% water. (Humans are about 60% water.) There is nowhere to hide in the open ocean, so this allows jellyfish to “hide in plain sight.” It also helps them grow quickly. Some double in size each day, but it’s mostly water weight. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology at sutherlandlab.org.…

Birds gained the ability to fly about 150 million years ago, which was a major event in animal history. For a long time, though, scientists have not fully understood how that change happened. A new study may shed light on the answer. A team of researchers found that birds evolved (changed very slowly over time) to fly due to changes in the part of the brain called the cerebellum, which is responsible for motor control and physical movement. For the study, scientists from Stony Brook University in New York and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland compared PET scans of modern pigeons to dinosaur fossils. Unlike an X-ray, which shows the body’s structure, PET scans create images of the body at work. With the PET scans, the team tracked…

Scientists found a 1,700-year-old tomb in Guatemala that is thought to belong to a Maya king. The tomb contained a jade mask of a Maya god that dates to the years 250 to 900, during the peak of the ancient civilization. There were also human thigh bones engraved with hieroglyphs (ancient writing with symbols) and mollusk shells that were used as currency. The discovery is significant because many ancient objects from the area have been stolen, preventing scientists from learning about the time period. Thieves only went as far as the outer chamber of this tomb, however, which left the inner part almost entirely intact. The engravings on the bones show a man who could be a king,…

Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator is a new simulation game. It was released for the PC in February, and a version just came out for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms. Other simulation games, such as Animal Crossing and Story of Seasons, have a mix of features and functions, like building houses or making friends. Garden Life, however, is mainly about gardening. The game’s story mode begins when you move to a town and get a letter from some neighbors. Their friend Robin, who ran the community garden, recently died. Without her, flowers wilted, bushes dried up, and the garden was damaged by weather. The locals have been looking for a new caretaker, and they’re excited you’ve agreed to do the job. A neighbor named Jasmine shows you around,…

Break By Kayla Miller (Clarion Books) The sixth installment of the Click graphic novel series takes place during spring break. Olive’s friends plan to hang out together, but her dad wants her to spend time with him because he just got back from New Zealand. She’s worried she will miss out on all the fun with her friends. Ages 8–12 City Spies: Mission Manhattan By James Ponti (Aladdin) In the fifth book of the City Spies series, a group of young undercover agents head to New York City to investigate a threat against a climate activist who is scheduled to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. The agents follow leads to city landmarks and even go through secret underground tunnels. The 169–Story Treehouse By Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry…

Ingredients ● 1 large navel orange, peeled and sectioned ● ¾ cup canned coconut milk ● ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract ● 4 teaspoons maple syrup ● Orange slices, for serving Instructions 1. Combine the orange sections, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and syrup with 1 cup of ice in a blender. 2. Blend until smooth. 3. Divide the drink evenly between 2 glasses, and garnish each with an orange slice. Drink immediately. Makes 2 servings.…

An Australian scientist named Weli won a competition by explaining his PhD thesis (work completed to earn an advanced degree) through dance. The Dance Your PhD contest encourages participants to explain complex topics using music and humor. Weli gathered a diverse group of dancers to film a video about his study of the personalities of eastern gray kangaroos, complete with re-creations of some of their movements. “Kangaroos are different, just like us,” he said.…

The Week Junior is teaming up with The Drew Barrymore Show to spotlight kids who are making a difference in their community. Are you donating time or raising funds for an important cause? For example, have you started a program to provide food to people in need, make books available to kids, or protect animals? If so, we want to hear from you! First, write a short paragraph about what you are doing. Then have an adult email it to us, along with a photograph of you, to hello@theweekjunior.com. Please include your first name, age, and state. Your submission may appear in a future issue of the magazine.…

In 2019, Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller opened the Sloomoo Institute, a museumlike experience in New York City that allows people to play with slime. The temporary exhibit became permanent, and today there are locations in Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; and Houston, Texas. A new one will open in Los Angeles, California, this year. How did your business begin? Sara Schiller: I was playing with slime with a friend’s daughter, and it smelled like the cereal I used to eat growing up. It made me so happy. Karen Robinovitz: Playing with slime in your hands taps into multiple senses of touch, scent, and sight. We realized it was something we wanted to share with others. What were some challenges? Robinovitz: Finding a name! We landed on Sloomoo as a result…

If you enjoy goofing around and annoying your loved ones, you’re not alone: Four kinds of great apes have been found to engage in playful teasing. Great apes are a family of primates that are very closely related to humans, so this discovery could shed light on how a sense of humor and playfulness emerged in people. The new study focused on chimpanzees, bonobos, western and eastern gorillas, and Sumatran orangutans. These apes were “excellent candidates” for this study because they “engage in social play, show laughter, and display relatively sophisticated understandings of others’ expectations,” said Isabelle Laumer, the study’s lead author. The researchers watched videos of 34 apes living in zoos. They looked for examples of teasing behavior, defined as an ape (the “teaser”) trying to provoke a response…

Guinness World Records has named Wain the wombat, who lives at the Satsukiyama Zoo in Japan, the oldest member of his species at age 34. The zoo’s director says a low-stress lifestyle has contributed to Wain’s unusually long life. ● LIFE SPAN: 15 years in the wild, 20 in captivity ● HABITAT: Forests and grasslands in Australia ● SIZE: About 40 inches long, up to 88 pounds ● DIET: Roots, grasses, herbs, and bark ● FUN FACT: Wombats may not look fast, but they can run up to 25 miles per hour.…

Located in a small town in Central New York, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a famous monument to America’s pastime. How it began Cooperstown is the Hall of Fame’s home because of a myth. Abner Graves, a mining engineer, made up a story about a young man named Abner Doubleday inventing the game in the town in 1839. Sports executives endorsed the story in about 1907—and when Cooperstown resident Stephen C. Clark later had the idea to build a baseball hall of fame there, baseball’s National League supported it. The first Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1936, and the building opened on June 12, 1939. To this day, some people still believe baseball was invented in Cooperstown. Who is in the Hall of Fame?…

Scientists created a device that attaches to a prosthetic (artificial) hand and detects temperature. The MiniTouch gives people who are missing a limb some of the physical sensations they no longer have. The MiniTouch has a fingertip sensor. When the wearer touches an object, the sensor gauges its temperature, then sends that information to a stimulator on the person’s arm, where they can feel it. This can tell the wearer whether the object is dangerously hot or cold. It also lets them feel the warmth of another person’s hand.…

The Adventure Racing World Championship is a competition for teams of top endurance racers. In 2014, a shaggy street dog ended up joining one of the groups on their 10-day, 435-mile trek through the mountains, jungles, and waters of Ecuador. The incredible journey inspired the new film Arthur the King. It is rated PG-13 for language. The dog’s story was originally told in the 2016 nonfiction book Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Swedish athlete Mikael Lindnord, the team’s leader. “I never dreamed of meeting a dog,” he said in an interview about the film. “The only dream I had was a world championship gold medal…. But that changed. He changed me.” Lindnord first saw the stray on a stop between race stages and threw…

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix or buy on other platforms) “This is my favorite series! It’s about Adora, a girl who grew up in the Horde, an evil organization intent on conquering Planet Etheria. She leaves the group and learns she’s a princess! All the characters are relatable, like 11-year-old Frosta, who wants to be taken seriously; Catra, who feels like she’s never enough; Queen Angella, who thinks her daughter, Glimmer, is growing up too fast; and Glimmer, who feels her mom is overprotective. I also love how it shows LGBTQ relationships in a way that’s appropriate for kids.” Libby, 11, California Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other kids? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

By Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold (HarperCollins) After returning home, April really misses Bear, a special polar bear she had an adventure with on an island in the Arctic Ocean. Every month, April looks forward to an email from Tör, the son of a boat captain whom she met on her first visit to the island. Tör writes that a polar bear who was roaring at the sea has been shot by a tourist. April thinks it might be Bear. She begs her father to take her back to the Arctic. With the help of a guide, April, her dad, and Tör take a long, difficult journey on a dog sled to reach an area where the polar bears are living. An unexpected storm causes them to have to…

It’s easy to get so busy in your daily life that you barely notice the fascinating world where you live. Taking time to get to know your own town or city can help you learn about its heritage and see your surroundings in a new light. With the weather outside warming up, now is a good time to go exploring with a trusted adult. Here’s how to get started. Pretend you’re a tourist Many times, when you live in a place, you never really explore some of the local highlights that a visitor might. Start by asking yourself this question: If I had a friend coming to town who had never been here before, where would I suggest they go? Maybe there’s a historic building you can tour, a nice…

Butterflies are important to the environment because they are pollinators—they drink nectar from flowers, and in doing so, they collect pollen and spread it from plant to plant. This helps plants, as well as fruits and vegetables, grow. Butterflies’ habitats are under threat due to climate change and other human activity. One way to help these vital insects is to grow plants that attract them. Talk to your local garden center about planting a mix of host plants and nectar plants in a garden or in pots. Host plants, like milkweed and parsley, are where butterflies lay their eggs. Nectar plants, like aster and echinacea, are typically wildflowers that butterflies like to feast on.…

I’ve decided I’m going to follow the good advice given in this week’s How To section and take a staycation (p24). I have lived in the same village for 23 years—and although it’s a small town where I can get to most destinations by walking, there are many places within it that I’ve never seen. I could also be a tourist in New York City, which is 35 minutes away by train. Although I work there and have spent hundreds of days visiting its incredible museums, theaters, parks, and restaurants, I know I have explored only a fraction of the exciting things I could do. While I’m following the suggestions in our How To section, I’m also going to make the creamy orange smoothie (p25). It looks so refreshing and…

“I took my copy of The Week Junior to the grave of President John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery. I enjoyed learning about him and seeing his memorial and the eternal flame!” Susie, 10, New York “We had fun making these yummy minty chocolate shakes from the How To section of The Week Junior. Thank you for this recipe!” Jackson, 10, Lawson, 8, and Taylor, 5, North Carolina “When The Week Junior’s Dino Debate issue came out, I enjoyed reading about T. rex because I like dinosaurs!” Pranav, 9, New Jersey…

1 In the book Finding Bear, April searches for what kind of bear? a) Black bear b) Grizzly bear c) Polar bear a □ b □ c □ 2 In the new series Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, there is an alternate universe where people only eat what? a) Broccoli b) Oranges c) Spaghetti a □ b □ c □ 3 True or false? In the video game Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator, Jasmine ran the community garden. True □ False □ 4 How many years old is Wain, the world’s oldest wombat? _______________________ 5 True or false? Eighteen people competed in the world’s first jet suit race. True □ False □ 6 What is the name of the interactive exhibit that Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller opened in 2019? _______________________…

March 17, 1941 The National Gallery of Art opens On March 17, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The museum was created after Congress passed an act in 1937 to establish a center of visual art, education, and culture for the country. Today, the National Gallery of Art has more than 150,000 works of art and is one of the 10 most visited art museums in the world.…

Cumberland Island is Georgia’s largest barrier island, a long strip of land parallel to the shore. It offers more than 17 miles of sandy beaches, which are great for swimming or gathering seashells. Visitors can also enjoy hiking trails, guided tours, boating, and campgrounds. Horses and armadillos are among the wildlife that may be seen, plus 55 different reptiles and amphibians and more than 300 species of birds, including laughing gulls. Cumberland is only accessible by a 45-minute boat ride, and reservations are recommended. Learn more at nps.gov/cuis.…

Bees The UK city of Derby is creating “bee bus stops”—bus shelters covered with native plants and wildflowers—to feed bees and other pollinators. Similar bus stops have also been installed in the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, and Belgium. Monarch butterflies The population of monarch butterflies spending the winter in Mexico has dropped about 59% since last year. This is the second-lowest level on record. Extreme hot and dry conditions in the US and Canada have caused the decline, experts said.…

Writing by hand can give the brain a bigger boost than typing, according to a new study. Scientists think children benefit from learning to write by hand in school. The research was done by a team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Participants were shown a word on a computer and asked to either write it in cursive on a touchscreen or type it on a keyboard. The participants wore special hairnets fitted with 256 electrodes to record their brain’s electrical activity. When they were writing, many areas of their brains were active, including the parts responsible for visualization, processing sensory information, and motor skills. This is because handwriting a word requires visualizing letters and using fine motor skills to shape them. When participants were typing, however, there…

On March 10, the final match of the first-ever Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup was played at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. A crowd of more than 31,000 fans watched as the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) defeated Brazil, 1–0. Concacaf is the regional governing body for national soccer teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Teams from countries in those regions as well as four invited teams from Conmebol, the governing body for South America, participated in the Gold Cup tournament. The US win was significant because the team is rebuilding itself after a disappointing performance in the 2023 World Cup. Getting to the Gold Cup final wasn’t easy for the USWNT. On March 6, they won a tough, rainy match against Canada that was tied…

Coach’s Name: James Francart Team: Southern Chester County Soccer Association 2013 Fire “Our team has been practicing together for less than a year, and many of us are new to competitive soccer. Coach Jim encourages us to work together and motivates us to become a better team. When we don’t win, he helps us work on the skills we missed. We have a lot of fun and work really hard. He is encouraging and motivating, and as a result, a great coach.” Theo, 10, Pennsylvania To nominate a Coach of the Week, send your coach’s name, photo, sport, and team to hello@theweekjunior.com. Include your name, age, state, and a few reasons why your coach is great.…

Chaser This border collie was raised by psychology professor John W. Pilley. To prove that dogs are smarter than humans realize, he taught Chaser to identify more than 1,000 toys. Buddy After being trained in Switzerland in 1928, this German shepherd began assisting Morris Frank, a blind American. Frank later founded what is now the oldest existing guide dog school in the world. He once called Buddy “a pioneer.” Jofi Sigmund Freud, a famous neurologist (doctor who specializes in the brain and nervous system), owned this Chinese chow. Freud could tell if his patients were anxious or calm based on Jofi’s behavior.…

Trolls Band Together (Peacock) The third installment of the music-filled Trolls franchise—plus a sing-along version—are now streaming. In the film, Poppy learns that Branch and his brothers used to be in the band BroZone. When one of the brothers is kidnapped, Branch must reunite the group members to save him. Photographer (NatGeo) (Disney+) (Hulu) A new documentary from award-winning filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi spotlights seven extraordinary National Geographic photographers from around the world. The episodes focus on their life stories and show how they do their work. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) (Disney+) Fans at home can now watch the movie version of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which celebrates her past 10 studio albums. The film has four acoustic songs that were not in the…

What inspired this book? I love animals, and I have a fierce desire to make a difference in this world. Is April based on anyone? She is mostly inspired by every child who dreams of a brighter future for the planet. What do you love about polar bears? Polar bears are the biggest of the bear species and there’s something so magnificent and regal about them. What advice would you give kids who worry about climate change? It’s normal to be worried. But the best way to tackle any worry is to empower yourself by taking action. Every action makes a difference! Did you always want to be a writer? Yes! Except for a brief spell of wanting to be a veterinarian, being a writer is what I dreamed of…

Word search Can you find all these shades of green in the grid? They are hidden horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and can be forward or backward. When you’re done, read the remaining letters to get a bonus message. ARTICHOKE AVOCADO CAMOUFLAGE CELERY CHARTREUSE EMERALD FERN FOREST GRASS HUNTER JADE JUNIPER KELLY LIME MINT MOSS OLIVE PEAR PICKLE SAGE SEAFOAM SPRING SWAMP TEAL FILL IN THE BLANKS Fill in the blanks in each sentence with two words so the second word is the same as the first word with the letters RE added at the start, like MARK and REMARK. (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) 1. Since our neighbor is an electrician, she is always happy to change a ———— in our breaker box and will always…

“I was a member of The Week Junior’s Junior Council, and I love reading the magazine and learning more about the world around me. On my 13th birthday, I asked my mom for a domain name (web address) as a gift and started my website, ourgreatstart.com, in January. Each day, I dedicate myself to updating the website with games, inspirational quotes, and hilarious facts to brighten readers’ days. My advice to other children who want to start something of their own would be to learn all they can about topics that truly interest them. It’s OK to have different interests than your peers. Our differences make life more interesting!” Have you done something interesting or raised money for a cause you care about? Whatever you’re up to, we want to…

Teacher’s Name: Jasmine School: Homeschool “I am homeschooled and want to nominate my mom for Teacher of the Week because of how hard she works to teach me and my sisters. She puts in a lot of effort to make sure we understand everything and goes out of her way to ensure we can do all the activities we want to do. She is the reason my days are always filled with fun!” Avery, 12, Colorado Nominate your teacher for Teacher of the Week! Send your reason for the nomination, a photo of your teacher, and your school’s name and address to hello@theweekjunior.com.…