Issue 11 / November 2019

Clic-itNews for Primary Schools in WalesCymru Clic-itNews for Primary Schools in WalesCymru

Authors: Haf Llewelyn, Mali Williams Editor: Karen MacIntyre Huws DIPPY THE A CHRISTMAS DIPLODOCUS ELECTION Traditionally, general elections are held during the spring or summer months. The weather is ROARS INTO better, and more people go to the polling stations to vote. But parliament has announced that a general election will take place on CARDIFF! Thursday, 12th December. This election will be ‘Dippy’ the Diplodocus has arrived at the National NEW STORY! the first winter election in almost a 100 years. Just an old sock? Museum in Cardiff as part of its United Kingdom (UK) tour. The famous skeleton had lived in London’s Natural History Museum since 1905 but is But what is a General Election? now staying in until the 26th January. , Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been divided into 650 areas - these areas are called PAGE 3 constituencies. Each constituency has a person - a Member of Parliament, who represents that area in the House of Commons, the parliament in London. Everyone who is 18 or over, has the right to vote to say who they think should be their Member of Parliament. Putting an x on the ballot paper. At the polling station, a paper will be issued - this is the ballot paper. On it will be a list of all the candidates, and a box opposite the candidate's name. To vote, a Here is Miriam, Haf and Myfi, three readers of Clic-it Cymru who visited Dippy in Cardiff. In cross must be put in the box opposite the candidate their opinion Dippy was “Awesome! Dippy which you wish to vote for. was huge! We only reached his knee and it This is done secretly, no one will know who you vote HIBERNATION was really far to walk from head to tail!” Let's stay under for. This is very important, it means that everyone is Dippy is a cast (or copy) of a Diplodocus skeleton that the duvet! free to vote as they wish. was discovered in Wyoming, United States of America in 1898. It consists of 292 bones and is 21.3m long, 4.3m wide and 4.25m tall. PAGE 6 As Dippy tours around the UK the hope is that it will encourage adults and children to take an interest in natural history and inspire them to look at collections in their local area. The will be holding an exciting programme of events as part of Dippy on Tour. Visitors will be able to marvel at Dippy himself, visit the various natural history exhibits and come face to face with dinosaurs and creatures of all sorts. Entrance to the museum is FREE to all!

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS What happens next? When did some of the Christmas When polling day is over, all the ballot boxes are taken traditions begin? to the same building, then the important work of counting votes happens. The candidate with the most votes wins, and that candidate will take his or her seat in the House of Commons. PAGE 7 DATES FOR THE DIARY lake before going in! There are many of these November World Toilet Day types of events throughout Wales, including in The purpose of this day is to raise FANTASTIC FACTS Porthcawl on Christmas Day and on Boxing 19 awareness about worldwide ABOUT THE TURKEY: Day in Tenby, Llandudno and Penbrey and on sanitation and aim for having toilet • Only the male (boy) turkey makes the New Year’s Day in Abersoch. The aim of many facilities for all by 2030. Today 4.2 ‘gobble-gobble’ sound. of these events is to raise money for charity billion people live without toilets, • The piece of skin at the bottom of a and wearing fancy dress adds to the fun! which causes sadness, suffering and turkey’s neck turns red when the bird is endangers lives. stressed or looking for a mate. • A turkey has excellent eyesight but a very poor sense of smell. COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: • Turkeys have two stomachs. December Advent • Americans eat 45 million turkeys at Thanksgiving every year. 1st December is the beginning of Festive Swims Wales 1 ADVENT, which is a time of ‘waiting’ • Every year the American President is for Christmas in churches. This can presented with a turkey, who is then December Guto Nyth Brân Race mean opening the doors of advent given a ‘pardon’ by him. This means the 31 (New Year’s Eve) calendars, lighting candles and turkey gets to live the rest of its life on a This race has been run in the town of holding special services in church. farm rather than ending up on a Mountain Ash since 1958. The race During this time many children Thanksgiving dinner plate. is held to remember the famous attend the Christingle service. In • King Henry VIII was the first to eat turkey Welsh runner ‘Guto Nyth Brân’ who this service children receive a for Christmas dinner. lived in the area in the early 1700’s. specially decorated orange with a • It was only in the 1950’s that turkey Before the race begins a service is candle in it. became more popular than goose for held at Llanwynno church and a Christmas dinner. wreath is laid on the grave of Guto Candle - represents Dried fruit or • Around 10 million turkeys are eaten in the Nyth Brân in the cemetery. The race Jesus Christ ‘Light sweets on 4 sides - UK over Christmas. finish is in the town centre near the of the World’ represents the statue of Guto himself. Every year a fruits of the earth ‘mystery runner’ competes in the and the 4 seasons. race and in past years has included Linford Christie, Iwan Thomas and Lillian Board!

Red ribbon - represents the blood of Christ Orange - represents the world

December Hanukkah 2019 Hanukkah is the Jewish ‘Festival of 22-30 Lights’ and people of the Jewish December Christmas Eve faith all over the world celebrate by Tuesday lighting candles on the menorah 24 (one every night), eating special December Christmas Day food, singing special songs and Wednesday holding parties. This year Hanukah 25 begins at sundown on Sunday, Rhondda Cynon Taf Libraries December Boxing Day 22nd December and ends at Statue of Guto Nyth Brân in sundown on Monday, 30th Thursday Mountain Ash. December. 26 January Epiphany December December January 5th or 6th January. 5/6 This is the 12th day after Christmas 25 + 26 + 1 and the end of the festivities. A Dip in the Sea? Traditionally this is the day when Christmas decorations are taken On Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New down. This day is also associated Years Day it’s traditional in many locations to with old Welsh customs and take a dip in the sea or in a lake. One of the traditions such as Hela Dryw Bach most famous of these events is the annual (Hunting the Little Wren) the Mari swim in the Serpentine lake in London on Lwyd and the Winter Solstice Christmas Day, where swimmers sometimes celebrations. Menorah candlestick have to break the ice on the surface of the

2 or a biscuit or a soft toy. them of a special friend. Today The space was empty, the Tom could see that one JUST AN basket was gone, and Tom snowdrop had already managed couldn't find the old grey sock. to poke its white head out of the Dad had probably thrown it out. earth. OLD SOCK? Tom had rummaged through the Downstairs his breakfast was Christmas box that Dad had waiting. Behind the cereal box, carried down from the attic. He something grey and tatty hid. took out the tinsel and put it on 'Shall we put it on the tree?' the tree, he then took each asked Dad. delicate bauble out, and Tom hung the old sock there on carefully balanced them on the one of the branches, and stroked branches. Then he took out the the small, red stitches that Father Christmas soft toy, he spelled the name ‘GELERT’. examined it, and smiled sadly. Its 'Dad hugged Tom and said, 'I cap was riddled with tiny holes, thought it best to put it up as teeth marks. usual. Tom put the last decorations up and went off to bed. He lay there, thinking. Of course, he was Tom loved Christmas and exactly how it should be. excited, he loved Christmas, but everything was almost as usual. The space near the fireplace, still this year something was missing. The Christmas lights twinkled on looked bare without the basket. The following morning Tom got the tree, colourful patterns Every Christmas Eve, Tom would up and opened the curtain. He reflected onto the window panes. hang an old sock on the hook could just make out a shape Outside in the front garden, the above the basket. Father underneath the apple tree in the model deer was illuminated. Christmas would always leave garden. Dad had helped him However, this year, all was not something in it - a ball perhaps, plant snowdrops there to remind ADVENT SANTA This is a fun way of marking the time of ADVENT and counting down to Christmas using Santa’s beard. His beard is formed of 25 circles, so on December the 1st you snip one circle off and keep GoGo forfor itit cutting another one off every day. By 25th December Santa’s beard will have all gone! Make Santa’s Cut strips of white 1 face in any way 2 paper (2cm wide that you want. and 20cm long You will need: Clic-it Cymru has works quite well). You will need 25 • Paper plate or white card painted the paper plate pink, strips, one for each • Red card or paper used a black felt day of advent. • Paint, crayons or felt pens to pen to draw a These will form nose and mouth circles that fit colour with and then glued through each • White paper eyes and a hat on other like a paper • Scissors him. chain. • Stapler You can 3 4 5 make a hole in the top and put some string through it to TIP hang it up if you like. Your The beard Santa is now looks better if ready to see you keep it you through quite advent and symmetrical count you Using a stapler, stick (the same on Keep building up down to the a row of 6 circles both sides) Santa’s beard by putting big day! onto the bottom of and that it a strip of paper through Santa’s face. gets narrower one or two circles and and forms a stapling to form another point at the circle. Keep doing this bottom. until you have all 25.

3 Drama Literature Television ININ THETHE Music Art LIMELIGHTLIMELIGHT Poetry NATIONAL which is very, very similar to the programme.” The Devil in the Shawl first one. This second version The Painting’s History The painting became even more has been recently bought by the LIBRARY BUYS The first ‘Salem’ was painted in famous when some people National Library of Wales. The ‘SALEM’ 1908 and shows Sian Owen, noticed that you could see the first 'Salem' is exhibited in the Tyn-y-Fawnog arriving at the face of the devil in the folds of PAINTING Lever Art Gallery near Liverpool service in Salem Chapel, near Sian Owen’s shawl. According but the second one will now be Cwm Nantcol in . The to the artist Curnow Vosper, he exhibited in Wales for the first original painting was bought by hadn’t intended to paint it at all. time. This is very good news William Hesketh Lever, owner of according to to Pedr ap Llwyd, the company ‘Sunlight Soap’. To Chief Executive of the National help him sell more soap, Lever Library: included special vouchers in his “…this is one of our national soap packets and people were treasures and I’m looking able to collect the vouchers and forward to the opportunity of receive a copy of the painting for sharing it with Wales and their homes. As a result of this The painting ‘Salem’ by the artist beyond. It will be a pleasure to there were copies of ‘Salem’ to Sydney Curnow Vosper is very be able to exhibit it and take it be seen in homes up and down famous. But Vosper also painted out into the community, as part the country. another version of the painting of our Masterpiece in Schools

end of the Victorian era when The Traditional women did not actually wear this Welsh Black kind of hat in real life. Why do you think the artist has chosen to Hat: do this? Many modern Welsh The three women in the ‘Salem’ artists have also chosen to show Ruth Jên painting are all wearing the the traditional ‘Welsh Lady’ hat. What do you think: a silly traditional Welsh black hat. Here is the work of Ruth Jên and old-fashioned stereotype or an Vosper painted the picture at the Lowri Davies: important tradition? Lowri Davies ELOISE WILLIAMS JOBS AND CAREERS NAMED FIRST CHILDREN’S Sara Davies LAUREATE WALES Name: Sara Davies arrangements and schedules to was brought up going to watch Literature Wales has announced Job: Scarlets Rugby Team organise, and calendar updates Whitland RFC. When I went to that popular Pembrokeshire Manager to do. I watch the training and university I played rugby for -based children’s author Eloise Work place: help with the analysis. Cardiff Met and became Williams is the first Children’s Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli It's a long day, I work from involved in the off-field Laureate Wales. Her role will 7:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. administration of the team, I involve trying to engage and Best things about your work: really enjoyed it. When the job inspire the children of Wales • Working with a group of self as a Rugby Administrator came (primarily ages 5-13) through driven athletes up at the WRU, I applied, and literature; • Match day excitement was lucky enough to get the job. • Pressure I love it! • Winning Tips: Not so good: • Work hard Typical Day: • Seeing players get injured • Be friendly We begin the day with a staff • Losing • Go the extra mile meeting, then I catch up with the Why did you go into this • Get as much volunteering players and check that they're experience as you can. work? Apply for a Children’s ok. Then it's following up on I've played rugby from the age of Thanks Sara and good luck Laureate Wales visit here. e-mails, there are always travel 8, and I always loved the game. I Scarlets!

4 I don't think we should buy them. There is so much waste from DiscussionDiscussion the packaging, and the gifts are often made of plastic. We are all Point aware of the damage plastic does to our environment and wildlife. Don't buy them! On the other hand you can always make your own crackers without the plastic. What's your opinion? It's Christmas time and many people buy Christmas crackers. Crackers are fun! Christmas wouldn't be the same without However, many crackers use them. I believe too much fuss is being made about plastic waste. plastic as packaging and the small As long as we recycle the packaging and keep the plastic gifts gifts inside are often made of safely, then we should be able to enjoy crackers. plastic. Should we then keep on Homemade crackers don't look as good. buying crackers? What do you think? BRAIN TWISTER CHRISTMAS GIFT PUZZLE

Socks Board game Roller skates Book Cai Mair Cadi Simon The children have all received a present. What present did the children receive? 1. There are no wheels on Cai's gift 2. Mair and Cai can wear their gifts. 3. Simon did not get a board game.

WISE You must tell your parents or a trusted adult WORDS if you go out after dark. Always wear light coloured or bright FROM clothes, especially near roads. That way AUNTY DOT cars can easily spot you. The clocks have gone back, Take a torch with you - there may be no the days are shorter and the street light. evenings are dark. Here are a

Stay on the pavement.

few safety tips from Aunty Dot.

Christmas gifts puzzle answers answers puzzle gifts Christmas Cai : Socks Mair : Roller skates Cadi : Board Game Simon: Book Simon: Game Board : Cadi skates Roller : Mair Socks : Cai :

5 What happens during hibernation? • body temperature drops • the animals metabolism slows UNDER THE • breathing slows down down (it needs less energy) MICROSCOPE • heart rate drops Animals which hibernate in Wales: Dormice HIBERNATION - LET'S STAY UNDER THE DUVET! Dormice hibernate underground in small nests. Before hibernating, they will feed until It's cold, damp, and winter is here. they are almost double their usual weight. Do you sometimes feel like staying in bed and curling up under the duvet? Well, it's not just you! Bats All the species found in Wales hibernate, this is because they feed on insects. They will snuggle up in tree hollows, caves or they might be dreaming under rafters in your home! Their heart rate will drop to around 20 per minute when deep in sleep. Hedgehogs Hedgehogs need to hibernate as their main Hibernation source of food is scarce in winter. They feed Some animals will sleep over the winter months. This is because on beetles, worms and insects. Before food will be hard to find as green vegetation dies down and insects hibernating they will feast on whatever food are scarce over winter. Some animals go into a deep sleep. They is available in order to get an extra layer of fat hibernate in order to conserve energy, so they will need less food. to help them keep alive over the cold Preparation months. Then the hedgehog will nestle down Some animals will prepare for their long sleep by feeding well during in its bed of leaves, or underneath a hedge. the weeks before they hibernate. Others will collect food and store it If you come across a hibernating near where they will make their winter bed. They may wake, take ! some food and go back to sleep. hedgehog - don't disturb it!

store-room is full to the brim. How do you relax? Then we must load everything Where I live is very cold, so I like YOU’RE A STAR! onto the sled, and lastly, we going on holiday to the beach. COLIN CORN must make sure that the I've heard that the beaches of reindeer are ready – happy and Wales are beautiful. I might visit Clic-it Cymru has been able What is a typical day's work? healthy. one this year. I love building to interview one of Santa's I help Santa with all the lists – Hobbies: sand castles, and warming my helpers. What a star! there are so many to read. Then Map reading. Sometimes the toes in the sea. Name: Colin Corn we must find all the presents. Sat. Nav. freezes and stops Where will Age: Hmm? Not sure! Following that we must make working. That's a huge problem you be in 10 School: sure that all the gifts go to the for us, so I plan every journey years time? Left school a long time ago. correct destination. That's the and follow the map. That's how Somewhere Favourite subject at school? difficult part, because there are Santa gets to the correct between the Geography. so many presents to be locations every time. North and delivered, and Santa's South Poles!

HERE ARE SOME OF ELOISE’S BOOKS. IDEAL FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS STOCKING! Lark struggles to settle when her When her parents send her to 1899. Nansi's mother family moves to a new site on the stay with a grandmother she disappeared on the day she was coast. Her mother is ill, her little hardly knows for the summer, fished out of Cardiff docks. She sister has stopped speaking and Elen is furious. Gran lives on a can't remember anything else. she has fallen out with her best tiny island and doesn't want Now, with no family to turn to, friend. Is a girl in a green dress her either - it's not an easy she works for Sid at the Empire following her in the fog? Or is her start. But after saving Gran in Theatre, trying to earn enough sister playing tricks on her? When a storm, Elen finds a picture money to hire a detective to find a local woman tells her 'the girl' that she's sure is a clue to her mother. Everything changes comes to take sisters, Lark knows hidden treasure... when Constance and Violet join only she can save her family. the theatre company.

6 TIMETIME TRAVELLINGTRAVELLING MIDWINTER CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS Before Christian times, people would TRADITIONS celebrate midwinter by feasting. Evergreen branches would be used to decorate homes and dwellings. Once the shortest day had passed (21st of December) everyone would be relieved to see the days getting longer again. In the middle of a bleak winter, it was good to see that spring would follow soon. We still use evergreen plants to decorate our homes. Christmas is coming and we at Clic-it Cymru are getting into the festive spirit! The tree will be in its place by the beginning of December, the letter to Father Christmas written and posted. The traditional Christmas is a busy time. Some of these traditions come from pre-Christian times, but most of the present traditions come from the Victorian Era. Holly Pine and pine cones THE BEGINNING OF MODERN CHRISTMAS Mistletoe Ivy Before the Victorian Era, Christmas was very different. The New Year would be celebrated SAINT NICHOLAS Saint Nicholas came from Turkey. Accord- by the giving and receiving of small gifts, ing to tradition, he was a kind-hearted man, and children would go from house to house especially towards children. One story tells singing good wishes for the year to come. of him dropping a small bag of gold down During the 1800s, life changed for many the chimney of a poor family. Could this be people. Many young worked the first Father Christmas? in the cities and towns, and with the coming of the railway, they were able to return home for Christmas. For their families, that was a THE CHRISTMAS CARDS great reason to celebrate. • 1840 - Penny Post, the During the Victorian Era, industries CHRISTMAS first postage stamp to be developed and machinery was able to used produce decorations, cards and other TREE • 1843 - Sir Henry Cole, a merchandise for selling. Production for the Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria came businessman from Christmas market had begun. from Germany. In Germany it was a tradition London sent the first to bring an evergreen tree into the house on Christmas card to his Did you know? Christmas Eve. A drawing of the Royal friends. Family was published in 1848, showing the • 1850s - post boxes were Back in the 4th century, December first seen on our streets Pope Julius I decided on family standing beside a decorated tree. • 1880s - 5 million 25th of December as That started the tradition of putting up a 25 Christmas tree. It was then decorated with Christmas cards were Merry Christmas Day. Christmas ribbons, nuts, fruit and candles. sent

PREVIOUS ARTICLES AND DATES (Issues 1-6 Welsh only) 1st of November: Calan Gaeaf 1867-1934: Marie Curie (Issue 7) 1948: Establishing the Health Service (Issue 4) 500: Saint David (Issue 1) 1912: Reaching the South Pole (Issue 6) 1960s: The Sixties' Revolution (Issue 2) 1136: Welsh Castles (Issue 3) 1914: Christmas Truce in the trenches (Issue 5) 1859: Royal Charter Disaster (Issue 8) 1942-1945: Anne Frank (Issue 9)

7 WHERE TO GO IN WALES? 3 CHRISTMAS MARKETS 1

A tradition held during the wooden Nussknacker Here are some Christmas markets time of advent (the 24 toys. The most popular held here in Wales, how about visiting days before Christmas) is Christmas markets are in one near you? the Christmas Market, or large German cities such as 4 the Christkindlmarkt as Frankfurt, Dortmund and 2 * 1 Wrexham Victorian Market it’s known in Germany. This Cologne and attract Opens 5th December tradition began in Germany millions of visitors every during the Middle Ages but year. Cardiff Christmas Market is by now popular in all 2 14th November – 24th December parts of Europe, including here in Wales. In a traditional market there are Llandudno Christmas Fayre 3 14th-17th November wooden stalls selling all sorts of things, such as ginger biscuits called *Christkindlmarkt Meaning ‘Christ Child Swansea Christmas Market Lebkuchen, hot mulled 4 8th December Market’ Nussknacker wooden toy wine called Glüwein and FOOTBALL EURO 2020 FOOD With victories against Azerbaijan and Hungary in the last two games, Wales have secured their place in the Euro 2020 championship finals next year. This is the second time in four years for Wales to qualify for a major tournament - and BANKS the first for Ryan Giggs as manager in hist first full THINKING OF OTHERS campaign. Well done Wales! The championship will start on OVER CHRISTMAS TIME 12th June, 2020. According to the charity Save the Children, around 200,000 FA Wales children in Wales live in poverty, that’s I child in every 3.

GROUP E P W D L +/- Pts 1 Croatia 8 5 2 1 10 17 2 Wales 8 4 2 2 4 14 3 Slovakia 8 4 1 3 2 13 The Trussell Trust is a charity that supports over 1,200 food 4 Hungary 8 4 0 4 -3 12 banks throughout Britain. Food banks provide food for people in crisis and who need help to have enough to eat. It’s possible to 5 Azerbaijan 8 0 1 7 -13 1 donate to a Food Bank at your local supermarket, so if you’re P = Games Played L = Lost shopping over the Christmas period why not buy one thing extra W = Won +/- = Goal difference to give to the food bank? D = Draw Pts = Points

Two issues of Clic-it Cymru will appear on Hwb each term. The next issue will be available on Monday the 20th of Januray. Remember to contact us by emailing [email protected] - we will be delighted to hear your ideas and opinions. 8