Innehållsförteckning för Issue 212 från The Week Junior US

On April 24, President Joe Biden signed a bill that provides $95.3 billion in aid to three countries that are allies of the US. The aid package also included a provision that could lead to the banning of TikTok in the US. What happened? The House of Representatives (one half of Congress, the branch of government that makes laws) passed the bill in separate votes on April 20. They voted 311–112 to send $60.8 billion worth of aid to Ukraine, 366–58 to send $26.4 billion in aid to Israel, and 385–34 to send $8.1 billion in aid to Taiwan. The bill was presented as one package to the Senate (other half of Congress), where it passed by a vote of 79–18 on April 23. The next day, Biden signed it…

FLYING HIGH Japanese ski jumper Ryōyū Kobayashi soared 954.7 feet through the air in Iceland, which was 123 feet farther than the current ski jump world record. Kobayashi’s feat was unofficial but still epic. “This is my dream come true,” he said. A CONFETTI SHOWER A school in Perth, Australia, celebrated its 40th anniversary by setting a record for the most people simultaneously launching a confetti cannon. More than 2,000 students and staff set off 2,013 eco-friendly cannons filled with rice paper confetti that won’t harm the environment. A WILD MOMENT Joren Whitley, a chiropractor who sees animals and people, recently treated a 16-foot-tall, 2,500-pound giraffe named Gerry. In response, Gerry nuzzled the doctor. That sweet moment was caught on video and now has nearly 50 million views. “Gerry loves…

Broadcast journalist Craig Melvin is news anchor of Today and co-host of 3rd Hour of Today. Now he’s tried something new by writing his first children’s book, I’m Proud of You. What inspired this book? I wanted to write a love letter to fatherhood. Once I became a parent, I noticed that picture books featured more moms than dads. Today, dads are very involved in their kids’ lives, and I wanted to celebrate that. Is it based on your family? Yes, the book is about being with my family, especially my son. I remember when he was learning to swim and wanted to jump off the diving board. The moment he climbed the ladder and made his first leap is included in the book. How did you get started in…

Officials in Indonesia have launched a search for the Javan tiger, which was thought to have died out by the 1980s. A recent study suggests the animals may still be alive. Three tiger subspecies used to live in Indonesia: the Javan, the Bali, and the Sumatran. Javan tigers looked similar to Sumatran tigers but had more stripes and narrower noses. Javan and Bali tigers were declared extinct in the 20th century. Many died due to illegal hunting or because the forests where they lived were chopped down for farmland. In 1938, almost 25% of Java was covered by forest, but by 1975, forest was 8% of the island. In the 1960s, disease affected the Javan tiger’s most important prey, rusa deer. There have been rumored sightings of Javan tigers since…

Hens in Scotland The Scottish government is considering banning the use of cages for hens that lay eggs. If this proposal is approved, Scotland, which is part of the UK, would end the practice of keeping chickens in cages by 2034. Peregrine falcons A study found that peregrine falcons in North America are suffering long-term harm from exposure to certain chemicals in consumer products. Although use of the chemicals stopped in 2012, falcon eggs were still contaminated years later.…

Homo sapiens (modern humans) first appeared in Africa about 300,000 years ago. Then, about 70,000 years ago, some of them left Africa. About 25,000 years later, Homo sapiens started to settle in Europe and Asia. Until recently, however, no one knew where or how they lived after leaving Africa. Researchers now think they have figured out where these ancient humans were. To find out, scientists compared modern and ancient human DNA. (DNA is the chemical that carries information about how a living thing grows, and ancient DNA can be found in the remains of animals and plants.) The DNA of people who live in an area called the Persian Plateau closely matched ancient DNA from the earliest groups that left Africa. The Persian Plateau covers land that is now part…

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a new JRPG (Japanese role-playing game), a type of game that typically has larger-than-life characters, dramatic stories, and complicated fighting. It is out now for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation platforms, Xbox consoles, and PC. In 2020, popular video game creator Yoshitaka Murayama told his fans that he wanted to make a new game. After he shared a short preview of Hundred Heroes, more than 46,000 people donated a total of $4.6 million to fund the project and a small prequel, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, which came out in 2022. The lead character in Hundred Heroes is energetic and brave Nowa. One day, he meets Seign, an army officer who is searching for rune-lenses, small glass lenses with magical powers. The army that Seign is a part…

When the 12 members of The Week Junior’s Junior Council began meeting for the Spring 2024 session, they decided they wanted to use their voices to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the planet. The children came up with specific ideas, conducted research on the topic, interviewed experts, and wrote their stories. We hope their work inspires you to take action! If you do, write to us about it at hello@theweekjunior.com. INVESTIGATE NATIVE PLANTS IN YOUR AREA By Eden, 11, North Carolina Native plants are ones that grow naturally in your area. Planting and growing them is a great way for you to help the environment. Here are three things to know. Native plants support the ecosystem. Flowers and other plants that are found locally nourish wildlife, including pollinators like…

In this week’s issue, we are delighted to showcase the work of our Junior Council members (p22). For the fifth time since we began publishing The Week Junior in 2020, a class of 12 children from across the country has spent four months learning from our staff, special guest speakers, and one another. They selected a cause they care about (protecting the environment), chose specific topics to focus on, interviewed relevant experts, conducted additional research, and wrote articles for the magazine. They worked extremely hard, and we are so proud of the time, effort, and passion they poured into their projects. Congratulations and thank you to each one of them! If you think you might enjoy participating in Junior Council, the application period will open again in the fall. With…

The Royal Meteorological Society’s Young Weather Photographer of the Year contest is being held in partnership with The Week Junior Science + Nature magazine in the UK. Kids under age 18 from around the world can submit photos they have taken that capture the wonders of the weather. The contest is free to enter, and the deadline for submissions is June 18, 2024. You can find out more about the terms and conditions for applying at tinyurl.com/TWJUS-WeatherPhoto. IT’S YOUR TURN Email your news, views, and photos to hello@theweekjunior.com. We want to hear from you! To have your letters, photos, nominations, recommendations, or ideas considered for inclusion in the magazine, please include your full name, age, and state with your submission. By emailing your submission to us, you give The Week…

How much of this week’s news can you remember? 1 The Mexican government will feed and care for what animals at the National Palace in Mexico City? a) Cats b) Dogs c) Squirrels a □ b □ c □ 2 Who is the main character in the video game Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes? a) Marisa b) Nowa c) Seign a □ b □ c □ 3 In the book Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All, Magnolia and Iris look for the owners of what type of clothing? 4 True or false? The first Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week was held in 1979. True □ False □ 5 Okapi are the only living relatives of what animal? 6 Which musician is said to have one of the best-selling live rock music albums of…

Lake of the Ozarks is a 17,441-acre region that includes the lake and two state parks: Lake of the Ozarks State Park and Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Dozens of hiking trails go through bluffs, hills, and some of the 1,150 miles of shoreline. Bald eagles and great blue herons are two bird species native to the area. Deer, foxes, and groundhogs are some of the other animals there. Four caves are filled with stalactites (hanging rock formations that look like icicles). The caves stay cool year-round, and one of them can be reached by boat.…

Fruits and vegetables make up 40% of all food that gets wasted, often because it can be difficult to know when they will go bad. To address that problem, a new device can predict the shelf life of fresh produce. OneThird beams infrared light into a piece of produce to measure its water, sugar, and starch content in under a second. It then uses artificial intelligence to calculate the food’s shelf life. That information helps farmers, distributors, and stores determine how quickly produce needs to be shipped, sold, or used before it goes bad.…

Doctor Who is an award-winning TV series about a sharp-witted alien who travels through time and space. It debuted on the BBC, the UK’s public broadcast system, in 1963 and is the longest-running sci-fi series ever. It has aired in more than 90 countries, and on May 10, the new season will have a historic worldwide premiere on Disney+. The series’ main character is the Doctor, who is a Time Lord. A Time Lord looks human but has two hearts and can read minds and transform into a new body. The Doctor solves mysteries, faces enemies, and travels in the TARDIS, a time machine. It has taken him to places such as 1930s New York City and war-torn future worlds. Doctor Who originally aired from 1963 to 1989. The first…

Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn (Apple TV, Netflix, Prime Video) “This silly TV show is about siblings who are quadruplets. Nicky is the youngest and most cautious of the quads. He also loves to be the chef. Ricky is the second oldest and the smartest. Dicky, the third oldest, is the silliest and my favorite, and Dawn is the oldest and the leader. My favorite episode is when the quads’ parents buy a machine to make sure they don’t do anything mischievous. When they do, the machine reports them, so they try to get rid of it. The kids argue and fight, but at the end of each episode, they get together and love each other no matter what.” Ishanvi, 11, Texas Do you have a film or TV show…

By Chanel Miller (Philomel Books) When an angry customer storms into the laundromat owned by Magnolia’s parents, a bulletin board falls to the ground. Upset that the customer yelled at her Chinese American parents and told them they need to “understand English,” 10-year-old Magnolia discards the board, which had socks hanging from it that were missing their mates. The next day, she sees her new friend Iris, who recently moved to New York City from California. Iris cheers up Magnolia by telling her they should retrieve the socks and become “sock detectives” to figure out who the owners are. Day after day, they make matches and have fun doing it. Magnolia runs into a classmate and asks if she wants to help. Iris is jealous that Magnolia asked the classmate,…

Word ladder To change the word VERY into the word WELL, use each clue to fill in a word that is only one letter different from the word before it. If you get stuck, try solving from the bottom up. STEPPING STONES Each figure hides a seven-letter name of a language. To find each one, start anywhere and move in an unbroken path through letters that share a border (no jumping!), using each letter once. (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) Spot the difference These two pictures of magnolia blossoms appear to be the same, but take a closer look. There are actually five differences. Can you see them? Stepping stones hint: The second language ends with N. DO NOT ENTER Draw one continuous path from START…

When flowers, trees, plants, and grasses sprout in spring, it’s a busy time for bees and other pollinators looking for food and a place to live. But spring also brings out lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and hedge trimmers, which aren’t great for our pollinating friends. A movement called No Mow May asks people to stop cutting and trimming their lawns for the month of May so flowering plants can flourish and give pollinators a spot to rest their wings. These helpful creatures have a big job to do, and we rely on them to do it. Some people, though, don’t want to let their lawns go wild. What do you think? Should cities require No Mow May? Yes—consider the bees’ needs What’s a few weeks of not mowing your lawn? It’s…

Mike Kirby Amazonia zookeeper, Smithsonian’s National Zoo Typically, a frog’s tongue can stick out about one third of the frog’s body length. Frogs have unique cells inside the muscles in their tongues, which help them stick their tongues out so far—and so fast. Frogs’ tongues can move so quickly that they are almost invisible to the human eye. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the Smithsonian’s National Zoo at nationalzoo.si.edu.…

Artificial intelligence (AI, when a computer imitates human learning) has been used to explore human personalities. Now researchers have used it to shed light on the temperaments and personality types of dogs. A study used a database at the University of Pennsylvania called Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaires (C-BARQ). This is a tool for assessing a dog’s behavior and temperament, including how they respond to a variety of situations. The database contains results for more than 70,000 dogs. The team of researchers used AI to review C-BARQ data. It took note of dog behaviors and personality traits such as being “excitable when the doorbell rings” and showing “aggression toward unfamiliar dogs visiting your home.” AI sorted the dogs in the database into five personality types: Excitable/Hyperattached, Anxious/Fearful, Aloof/Predatory, Reactive/Assertive,…

On April 25, the 32 teams in the National Football League (NFL) began their annual three-day draft. During the event, college football players get selected by professional teams. This year’s draft was held in Detroit, Michigan, and more than 775,000 people attended in person, the most in NFL history. The Chicago Bears had the first pick and selected quarterback (QB) Caleb Williams from the University of Southern California (USC). The Washington Commanders then chose Louisiana State University QB Jayden Daniels. At different points in their college careers, Williams and Daniels won the Heisman Trophy, an award given to the top college player of the season. This is the second time a pair of Heisman winners were drafted first and second overall. The third pick was QB Drake Maye, a former…

Coach’s Name: Lydia Scrofani Organization: Girls Sports Academy “Coach Lydia started Girls Sports Academy, which helps girls learn about sports, learn to compete, and learn to keep trying. The sports include basketball, pickleball, volleyball, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and martial arts. She makes every event fun and takes us on field trips to see college teams play. She’s kind and encourages us to work hard. She makes me excited about sports and exercise. She’s the best coach in the world!” Ainsley, 10, Virginia 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.…

Firefly There were 14 episodes of this series about Captain Mal Reynolds leading a renegade crew through the wild frontier of outer space. The film Serenity continued their story. Star Trek: Prodigy This animated series, whose second season is expected this year, was the first spin-off of the popular Star Trek franchise aimed at younger viewers. It follows a group of young aliens who find a starship and use it to embark on adventures across galaxies. Eureka In this funny five-season series, US Marshall Jack Carter becomes sheriff of Eureka, a quirky Pacific Northwest town. A research facility filled with genius scientists and inventors is located there.…

Epcot Becoming (Disney+) (Hulu) The Epcot theme park in Florida, which opened in 1982, has changed and grown over the years. This new behind-the-scenes documentary special follows along as teams craft an innovative roller coaster and unveil a nighttime experience, “Luminous: The Symphony of Us.” Gordita Chronicles (Tubi) (Hulu) This comedy series follows a 12-year-old girl, Cucu, who moves with her family from the Dominican Republic to Miami, Florida, in the 1980s. The story is told from the perspective of a grown-up Cucu as she looks back on her childhood and her eccentric family’s life. Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (Disney+) The latest animated series set in the Star Wars universe takes place in two different eras and has two main characters looking to fulfill their destinies: Morgan Elsbeth,…

What inspired the story? I moved to New York City in the beginning of the pandemic, and I spent a lot of time at a nearby laundromat. One day, I noticed a bulletin board of lost socks that customers could come in and claim. I thought that was so interesting. Do you identify more with Magnolia or Iris? I’d say I’m more similar to Iris—she’s quiet but, at the same time, observational. What books did you enjoy reading while growing up? As a child, I was addicted to the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park. Junie B’s voice was the strongest voice I had encountered. It wasn’t like anything I had read. Holes by Louis Sachar also stood out to me. The chapter when they’re in the desert biting…

Take your chips for a walk For some people, having easy access to snacks is a must. A new collaboration called Pringles X Crocs aims to make it easier. Three types of footwear were released featuring the chip brand’s mustache-sporting mascot, and one pair of boots has a carrier on the ankle to hold a can of Pringles. The boots come with a new chip flavor called “Croc-tail Party,” which combines watermelon, chili, and lime. Pringles said the collection “allows fans to express their taste.” Cats rule at president’s palace On March 4, Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador won his battle to allow 19 cats to continue living at the National Palace in Mexico City. Wild cats began hanging out in the gardens of the government building about 50…

“I’ve lived with chickens since I was born, and I’ve had a special relationship with them all my life. Research studies have shown that chickens are actually very smart! I’m fascinated by the complex language and societies they form. I created a one-episode podcast about chicken language, covering a few important sounds these birds make and what they mean. I co-hosted it with my friend Alex, who is a chicken. I’m also passionate about ending animal cruelty and factory farming, which keeps birds in harsh living conditions. On my blog, Voices for Chickens, I write about chickens and how people can help them.” Have you done something interesting or raised money for a cause you care about? Whatever you’re up to, we want to hear about it at hello@theweekjunior.com. RIDDLE…

“I help the Earth by recycling, gardening, and cleaning up trash outdoors.” Caleb, 9, New York “One of my favorite parts of The Week Junior is the Puzzles section. They are fun to work on and also help me to relax.” Gigi, 8, North Carolina “I love baseball and was very excited to see two pages on the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum!” Samuel, 9, Pennsylvania…

Teacher’s Name: Mr. Creach School: Oak Hill Elementary “Mr. Creach is my fifth grade teacher, and he makes learning fun by inventing math games and having book clubs. He always picks out the most enjoyable books. He also comes to our music class and plays the drums with us. This is the first time ever that I do not want the school year to end!” Vivian, 11, Iowa 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.…