NOVEMBER 2020 TEACHER REFERENCE PRESENTATION CLASS 7 onwards TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2020 CLASS 7 onwards

Pick of the Month Gap Profiles Global Updates

❖ Door To Hell ❖ Nadia Comaneci ❖ New ‘Air India One’ ❖ ‘Blue Flag’ tag for Indian beaches Discover India Around the World ❖ 2020 ❖ Kongthong Village ❖ Cairo Snippets

❖ Nadal equals Federer’s Born This Month Gappenings record ❖ Apple’s ‘Floating’ Store

❖ Bhanu Athaiya no more Door To Hell Pick of the Month

The Darvaza Crater, commonly referred to as the 'Door to Hell', is located in the middle of the Karakum desert, in Turkmenistan. It is unique as it has been burning continuously for close to 50 years now. Its fiery glow can be seen for miles around.

How was it formed? The huge crater is not a natural formation. Its origin is disputed, but the theory most widely accepted, involves a Soviet expedition to explore for oil reserves in the site, in 1971. Identified as a potential oil reserve, geologists started the drilling operations to assess the quantity of oil available at the site.

They, however, discovered that the area housed huge natural gas reserves instead of oil. While the drilling process was on, the ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, opening into a huge, methane gas-filled crater. Fearing the spread of the toxic gas, which is harmful to the environment, the researchers set the crater on fire, hoping it would burn out in a few hours. This was a miscalculation by the scientists, as the crater continues to burn to this day. Door To Hell Pick of the Month

The Expedition to Door to Hell In 2013, George Kourounis, a Canadian explorer, became the first and the only person till date to have ventured into the burning pit, as part of an expedition. The aim was to collect soil samples from the pit, and to find out whether life can exist in such a harsh environment. It was discovered that bacteria were present, despite the hot, methane-rich environment. Surprisingly, these bacteria were not found in any of the surrounding soil outside of the crater. This expedition also helped scientists to experiment whether life could survive in similar conditions elsewhere in the universe. Kourounis travelled to the bottom of the crater, held by a series of ropes and encased in a heat-reflective suit. He used self-contained breathing apparatus and a custom-made climbing harness that would not melt from the extreme heat. Tourist Attraction

In recent years, the crater has become one of the country's few tourist attractions, drawing adventurers from around the world. Tourists risk their lives by going near the crater's edge, which is not fenced. It is also dangerous to do so as the ground soil often crumbles away. Door To Hell Pick of the Month

Did You Know

❖ The crater is also known as the ‘Gates of Hell’. ❖ It is 225 feet (69 metres) wide and 99 feet (30 metres) deep. ❖ Named the 'Door to Hell' by the locals, it refers to the fire, Ask the kids to locate the country boiling mud and orange flames in the large crater. of Turkmenistan on the world map. ❖ Scientists are unable to predict when the burning will actually With this background, educate stop as they have no accurate information on the amount of gas them on the giant burning crater, left in this sinkhole. that is located in the middle of the desert, that has been spewing flames close to 50 years now. Door To Hell Pick of the Month

What is 'Flaring of Gas'?

In oil and natural gas drilling operations, most of the time, the natural gas cannot be captured. Unlike oil, which can be stored in tanks indefinitely after drilling, natural gas needs to be immediately processed. If there is an excess of natural gas that cannot be piped to a processing facility, drillers often burn the natural gas to get rid of it. This process is called 'flaring'. Nadia Comaneci Gap Profiles

Nadia Comaneci is a popular Romanian gymnast and one of the most famous athletes in Olympic history. A living legend, she remains a role model for gymnasts across the world. Early life

Nadia Comaneci was born in November 1961, in Romania. Growing up, she was always an energetic child. To keep her engaged, her mother enrolled her into gymnastic classes. Nadia fell in love with the sport and used any chance she had, to jump around and practice. The difficult routines in gymnastics came almost natural to her, and she enjoyed doing them. Her talent was recognised by a coach who trained her. She started taking part in various gymnastics competition surprising the spectators with her dazzling performance. In 1970, at the age of 9, she became the youngest gymnast ever to win the Romanian Nationals. Nadia Comaneci Gap Profiles

The Olympic Fame

Nadia’s claim to fame came when she was just 14 years old. In 1976, she participated in the Montreal Olympics in Canada and took the world by storm. The judges had no other option but to give her a perfect score of 10 for her flawless and stunning performance. She became the first gymnast in Olympic history to score a perfect 10. At the Olympics, gymnasts are rated from 1 to 10 as they perform their routines. She went on to receive six more during this competition and won three gold medals for the uneven bars, balance beam and individual all-around, and a bronze medal for her floor exercise. She became an international star overnight. Four years later, in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, she came home with 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals. Nadia Comaneci Gap Profiles Retirement After a long and amazing gymnastics career, she retired from the sport in 1984. Currently, Nadia co-owns an academy called the 'Bart Conner Gymnastic Academy' with her husband Bart Conner. She is also associated with ‘Perfect 10 Production’, a television production company and Grips, a gymnastic supplies company. She runs her own clinic called the 'Nadia Comaneci Children's Clinic' in Romania. The clinic provides free or low- cost medical care for children. She also writes for gymnastic publications and travels the world promoting the sport. Accolades She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her achievements. She was named the 'Personality of the Year' by BBC in 1976 and 'Female Athlete of the Year' by the Associated Press. She was awarded the Olympic Order twice. When she received the award for the first time in 1984, she became its youngest recipient. Olympic Order is the highest award given by the International Olympic Committee. In 1993, she was admitted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. In 2000, she was named one of the Athletes of the Century by the Laureus World Sports Academy. Nadia Comaneci Gap Profiles

Did You Know

❖ She was named after a Russian actress called Nadya. Nadia means ‘hope’. ❖ Her gymnastic training began when she was just 6 years old. ❖ She has won 9 Olympic medals in the sport (5 gold, 3 silver Ask the kids to name some and 1 bronze). sports events played at the Olympic Games. Gymnastics ❖ She holds a world record for getting the most number of would be one among them. perfect 10 scores (seven) at a single Olympic event.

❖ When Nadia was given a perfect score of 10 at the Olympic Lead the discussion to one of Games in 1976, the scoreboards were not designed to display the most famous athletes in the 10.0 score as people thought it was impossible to get a Olympic history: Nadia perfect score. It just displayed her score as 1.00. Comaneci. ❖ She is the only athlete to receive the Olympic Order twice. Highlight her achievements. ❖ She holds dual citizenship of both Romania and USA. ❖ In 2003, she published a book called 'Letters to a Young Gymnast'. Nadia Comaneci Gap Profiles

What are ‘Comaneci Salto’ and ‘Comaneci Dismount’? Comaneci Salto and Comaneci

Dismount are two difficult moves on the uneven bars in gymnastics that are named after Nadia Comaneci. The Comaneci Salto is rated at a high difficulty level, even to this day. New ‘Air India One’ Global Update

India now has a custom-made aircraft to ferry the top political leaders of the nation. Named ‘Air India One’, it will be exclusively used to fly the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister of India on their official tours within the country and abroad. Until now, the dignitaries used to fly in the state-run airline, Air India's Boeing-747 for international travel, and the Indian Air Force aircraft for domestic travel. These were temporarily reconfigured for their travel. When the B747 aircraft are not flying the dignitaries, they are used by Air India for commercial operations. With the arrival of the special Boeing 777 aircraft, the decades old Boeing 747 aircraft will be removed from the Air India VVIP fleet. New ‘Air India One’ Global Update

About Air India One

‘Air India One’ is the call sign of any aircraft with the President, the Vice President or the Prime Minister of India, on board. Built in the U.S.A by jet maker Boeing, the modified aircraft has ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’ written on it, along with the Ashoka Emblem. Its tail has the Indian National Flag painted over it.

Special Features

The modified Air India One, with impressive interiors, is a high- tech aircraft. It can function as a full-fledged office space. It has a conference room, a cabin for VVIP passengers, a medical centre as well as seats for other dignitaries, press and staff. New ‘Air India One’ Global Update

Due to the advanced communication system fitted in the aircraft, the dignitaries can communicate safely with the relevant ground staff through video or audio conferencing. The aircraft features advanced electronic warfare suits, which not only prevents the aircraft from an attack but can also strike back at the enemy. It can also jam the enemy's radar signals and divert the direction of nearby missiles. Update the kids about the landing of custom-made Did You Know Air India One for India’s top ❖ The new ‘Air India One’ will be flown by the pilots of the Indian dignitaries. Air Force. Earlier, they were flown by pilots of Air India. Highlight on its special and ❖ The plane will be able to refuel mid-air in the event of an advanced features. emergency. ❖ It is capable of flying continuously for over 17 hours, without a stop. ❖ The aircraft is similar to 'Air Force One', which is the official aircraft of the President of the U.S.A, in terms of security measures. ‘Blue Flag’ tag’ for Global Update Indian Beaches In Oct 2020, eight beaches in India were awarded the prestigious Blue Flag certification, an international eco- level tag which is one of the world’s most recognised awards for clean, safe and environment-friendly beaches. India is the first nation to have been awarded Blue Flag certification for all the 8 recommended beaches, in a single attempt. With this feat, India is now in the league of 50 'Blue Flag' countries. India now plans to work towards getting Blue Flag certification for 100 such beaches in the coming years.

The 8 Blue Flag beaches

The 8 beaches, spread across five states and two union territories are Ghoghla (Diu), Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands), and the Golden Beach (Puri-Odisha). ‘Blue Flag’ tag’ for Global Update Indian Beaches Blue Flag Project in India

In India, the Environment Ministry started the initiative of developing beaches as per the Blue Flag certification as a pilot project, in 2017. As a part of this project, 13 beaches across India were selected by their respective State Governments, to develop and enhance standards of cleanliness on beaches by clearing the garbage. In 2018, Odisha’s Chandrabhaga beach became Asia’s first beach to get such certification. The beaches in the country are being developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), an Environment Ministry’s body working for the management of coastal areas, in accordance with the Blue Flag standards. The Blue Flag Certification

The Blue Flag certification is awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), an international organisation based in Denmark. Established in 1985, the Blue Flag initiative began in Paris, and quickly spread through Europe, and later to South Africa. Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest beaches of the world. They are equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists. To qualify for the tag, several standards related to environmental, bathing water quality, educational, safety, services and accessibility standards must be met by the beaches. ‘Blue Flag’ tag’ for Global Update Indian Beaches Did You Know

❖ To achieve the Blue Flag standards, a beach must be plastic-free and equipped with a waste management system. You can ask the kids to name a ❖ A certified beach will have all the rules and information about few beaches that they have Blue Flag standards displayed on the beach. visited in India and ask them to ❖ The certification is considered important for tourism as the tag give reasons as to which one they liked the most. You can later attracts both domestic and international tourists to such introduce them to the prestigious beaches. Blue Flag certification that was ❖ Spain has the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in the world. bestowed upon 8 beaches in India, recently. Educate them about the eco-level tag and its importance. 2020 Nobel Peace Global Update Prize

The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the (WFP). The agency was given the prize for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace in conflict- affected areas, globally. In 2019, the WFP aided close to 100 million people in 88 countries who were victims of acute food insecurity and hunger.

In many countries, the combination of violent conflict and the coronavirus pandemic has led to a dramatic rise in the number of people living on the brink of starvation. In the face of the pandemic, the WFP has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts. 2020 Nobel Peace Global Update Prize World Food Programme The World Food Programme was created in 1961 on the request of US President Dwight Eisenhower as an experiment to provide food aid through the United Nations. It is headquartered in Rome. Months after it was created, it responded to a major earthquake in northern Iran, delivering food supplies to survivors. Since then, the programme has intervened in several global emergencies and conflicts around the world, including Yemen, Afghanistan and South Sudan, to name a few. The WFP provides lifesaving food assistance to millions across the world, often in extremely dangerous and hard-to-access conditions. It acts as a driving force to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict. During emergencies, WFP provides food assistance to the victims of war, civil conflict, drought, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, crop failures and natural disasters. 2020 Nobel Peace Global Update Prize Did You Know

❖ The World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. ❖ It has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships and nearly 100 planes on the move, Update the kids about the delivering food and other assistance to the most remote and recipient of this year’s challenging parts of the world. Nobel Peace Prize. ❖ Funded entirely by voluntary donations, it helps communities rebuild shattered lives and livelihoods. Use this story to educate the kids on the World Food Programme ❖ It has implemented school feeding programmes worldwide. and its role. Nadal equals Snippets Federer’s record

Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic to win the 2020 French Open singles title. This was Nadal’s 13th French Open title.

With this win, Nadal has equalled Roger Federer's record of 20 Grand Slam singles titles.

Nadal has also become the first player in history to win 100 matches at Roland Garros. Apple’s ‘Floating’ Snippets Store

Apple Inc. has opened its world’s first floating store in Singapore called ‘Apple Marina Bay Sands’.

Fitted with a glass dome, the store looks to be floating on water. It is entirely surrounded by water and offers 360-degree panoramic views of the city and its spectacular skyline.

The structure was influenced by the Pantheon in Rome. It has a circular opening at the top of its dome which brings in a ray of light. Bhanu Athaiya no Snippets more

Noted Indian costume designer Bhanu Athaiya has died after a prolonged illness. She was aged 91.

She was India’s first Academy Award winner. She won the prestigious award for designing the costumes for Lord Richard Attenborough’s film ‘Gandhi’, in 1983.

She remains the only Indian woman to have won the honour. Kongthong Village Discover India

Kongthong is a small village nestled in a remote area of the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. With beautiful views and captivating greenery, it is one of the most unique places to visit. The village is unique as the inhabitants communicate among themselves by whistling, instead of using names to call each other. The whistle or tunes are generally inspired by nature such as those of birds. The origin of such a tradition is not known. However, it is believed that such traditions have been in existence since the establishment of the village and the inhabitants have been following this for generations and continues to this day. It has become a part of the village’s culture. Kongthong Village Discover India

The unique practice For generations, whenever a child is born in the village, the mother composes a tune or a lullaby that becomes a unique identity of the child for life. They have their official names too, but the tune given by their mothers becomes their identity in the village and the same tune is used by all the villagers so that he/she gets accustomed to it. Moreover, the lullaby has no words and is just a tune, a kind of hum that only the villagers are able to recognise and remember. Each of these tunes (locally called ‘jingrwai ïawbei’ meaning ‘song of the clan’s first woman’) is unique. Unlike our names, no two people have a common tune. The tunes range from anywhere between twenty seconds to more than a minute. There are two tunes composed by the mother. The first one is a full-fledged song and the second is the shorter version of it. When a person dies, the tune that was assigned to him is not given to anybody else. There are two stages to this unique tradition. The first stage is at the time when a mother gives certain tunes to her child through which the child gets in touch with the family. The second stage is at the time of adulthood when grown-ups also create their own sounds and tunes to converse with family, friends and relatives. During this stage, the adult is solely responsible for handling this language of tunes and whistles. Kongthong Village Discover India

How it has helped them This unique practice has helped the villagers. Each and every inhabitant knows each other’s tune. However, people use only the shorter version of the tune to call each other in the village. When they are out in the fields to work, the entire tune, the duration of which is not more than a minute, is used. There is also a legend regarding the peculiar use of these whistling Sounds. The villagers believe that some evil spirits exist in the nearby forests and when they hear someone’s name being called out, they make the person fall ill. To protect themselves, the villagers started using tunes instead of names.

It has also proved to be an effective method of communication during hunting expeditions. When a group goes hunting, they use these sounds to alert fellow members without arousing the curiosity of another group that may be after the same prey. It is said that the practice of whistling developed as a result of the steep mountains and rugged terrain of the region, which required the inhabitants of the village to find an alternative way to communicate across long distances. Kongthong Village Discover India

Isolated village Living in isolation, people of this village are seen rarely getting in touch with the outer world. After the visits of several researchers and journalists, the village has started to receive some recognition in the past few years. Because of its unusual culture, today, it has become a destination for an ardent traveller and explorer. Did You Know

❖ Kongthong, also known as the ‘whistling village’, has a population of a few hundred. ❖ The village, lined with little huts and farms, is surrounded by waterfalls, small ponds, and root bridges. ❖ The villagers are mainly involved in agricultural activities and hunt in the forests. ❖ The major agricultural produce of the village include honey, betel nuts, bay leaves, oranges, jack fruit, and white and black pepper, to name a few. ❖ All the agricultural products grown in the village are organic and indigenous, produced without the use of any pesticides. Kongthong Village Discover India

Do you know about this interesting folklore associated with the practice of whistling in Kongthong? There are a few legends and folklore associated It is said that the name 'Amazon' was given by Spanishwith the explorer practice namedof whistling Francisco followed Orellana, by the who waspeople the of first Kongthong European. According to sail down to one the of Amazon the folktales,River. In 1542,a man while trying on to hisprotect expedition, himself hefrom and somehis menattackers, ran into climbed a tribe a treeof enormous and used fiercespecial womensounds towarriors call out in his the friends area. forHe help.compared The man them to the Amazons, the warrior women from Greek was rescued in no time while the attackers mythology and named it after them. remained clueless about him. It is said that since then, the practice of whistling and creating sounds to communicate with each other is prevalent in the village. Cairo Around The World

Cairo, located on the banks of the River Nile, is the capital and the largest city of Egypt.

The city was a stronghold of many ancient dynasties. It is associated with ancient Egypt and has magnificent attractions. Cairo Around The World

Major Attractions

The Babylon Fortress, built by the Romans in the 4th century, is the oldest structure in the city. Several historical buildings lie within the fortress’ boundary. Cairo Around The World

Major Attractions

The Hanging Church is believed to be one of the earliest places of worship for the Christians in Cairo. It is named so because of its location above the towers of the Roman Babylon Fortress. Over the centuries, the ground has risen quite dramatically, and today the towers of the fortress are completely buried. The wooden roof inside the church looks like Noah’s Ark, the ship which saved the biblical character Noah, his family and two of every kind of animals from flood. Cairo Around The World

Major Attractions

The Cairo Tower is the tallest concrete structure located in Egypt. It is considered as a famous landmark in Egypt.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo displays the largest collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world. It houses statues, pottery, royal mummies, jewellery, eating bowls, toys, treasures of King Tut, the Egyptian pharaoh and other great pharaohs of Egypt, making it one of the world's greatest museums. Cairo Around The World

Did You Know ❖ The official name of the city is ‘Al-Qahirah’, meaning ‘The Victorious’ or ‘The Triumphant’. ❖ Cairo is nicknamed the ‘City of Thousand Minarets’ due to the presence of numerous mosques in the city. ❖ Due to its unique location, the Hanging Church gives the impression of being suspended mid-air. ❖ Tahrir Square is a major public town square in Cairo. ❖ The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Sphinx and several historical monuments lie on the outskirts of Cairo. Cairo Around The World

What is Cairo’s ‘City of the Dead’? Cairo’s ‘City of the Dead’ is an ancient cemetery that has become a residential neighbourhood for the poor of the city. It is a bustling place of graves, tombs and mausoleums, where people live and work amidst the graves of the dead. For some of its inhabitants this is their own way of being close to their ancestors. Most of the residents earn their living by being tomb keepers. Born This Month

12 Nov (1961) Nadia Elena Comaneci Former Romanian gymnast

Nadia Elena Comaneci is a retired gymnast from Romania. She was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games.

14 Nov (1863) Leo Hendrik Baekeland Belgian chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland was a Belgian-born American chemist. He is best known for inventing Bakelite, which marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry. Born This Month

19 Nov (1976) Jack Patrick Dorsey American computer programmer Jack Patrick Dorsey is an American computer programmer and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Twitter.

27 Nov (1986) Suresh Kumar Raina Former Indian Cricketer Suresh Kumar Raina is a former Indian cricketer who retired from international cricket in August 2020. He is the first Indian batsman to hit a century in all three formats of international cricket. Gappenings

•In 1512, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City, painted by Nov 01 Michelangelo, was exhibited to the public for the first time.

In 1783, the Wright brothers conducted the first free flight by Nov 21 humans.

In 2012, a new species of freshwater fish was named ‘Etheostoma obama’ Nov 29 after former U.S. President, .