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Catalan Cruncher

Despite the food, Flamenco music and dance, bullfights, horses, arts and literature, there is a crisis brewing in Spain. What do you know about it?

For some time now, we’ve all been reading about the Catalan crisis in Spain. Let’s take a look at what this is all about.

Catalonia is in the north-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula and is separated from France by the Pyrenees Mountains. It is an autonomous area with its own language, flag, Parliament, anthem, and police force. The people of Catalonia are called Catalans and the biggest city here is Barcelona.

Catalonia was a principality in the kingdom of Aragon. Go through the timeline below to learn more about its history.

Family Ties

The Smith family is very large. Can you find out who’s related to whom? Try your hand at this family tree quiz!

Whether big or small, sometimes it can be hard to keep track of all of your family members. The Smith family is a very large family. Can you figure out how everyone is related?

Take a look at their family tree below, and try and answer the questions that follow.

Fear Factor

Test your vocabulary with this quiz on ‘phobias’! Do you recognise any of them?

The word ‘phobia’ is derived from the Greek word ‘phobos’ meaning fear. All of these questions deal with common ‘phobias’. See how many you can guess correctly!




Shape Sudoku

This Sudoku is all about shapes! Drag and drop the shapes into the boxes correctly in this interactive game.

You may have played a Sudoku with numbers. This Sudoku is all about shapes! The aim of this game is to fill in the boxes in such a way that every shape appears in a row, a column and 2 x 2 grid only once. Drag and drop the shapes and click on ‘check’ to find out if you are correct.

Bridge the Gap

Combine Sherlock Holmes styled investigation and an interest in the environment to record memories of nature…

Environmental changes and destruction of forests is common in today’s world. But it is hard for us to visualise the negative impact of these changes or imagine the root cause for it.

The caribou, also known as the reindeer, has been migrating to the Tundra in the Alaska’s north coast for over a millennium. More than a hundred thousand animals migrate to this landscape at a particular time to feed on its lush green vegetation. For many decades the natives and researchers have observed this spectacular migration, which is similar to the wildebeest migration in the African Savannah.

Many years back, there was a sudden drop in caribou numbers. Thousands of animals vanished from the herd. This baffled the scientists. Studies revealed that mosquitoes were the reason for the disappearance of thousands of caribou!

These mosquitoes are usually in the larval form hidden in the vegetation when the caribou feeds. These larvae hatch after the caribou completes its feeding months and migrates to another place. This has been the routine cycle.

But due to climate change and global warming, the rise in just one degree of temperature hatched the mosquito larvae, which coincided with the caribou’s feeding months. To escape the mosquitoes sucking their blood, the caribou started to climb the mountain slopes covered with snow. Thousands of caribou started to die due to harsh weather and lack of vegetation on these slopes.

This is an example of how everything in nature is closely interconnected. The migration of caribou could never be the same like how it was many decades ago. There are numerous stories like this around us.

How did our environs look like in 1920s, 1940s, 1970s and 2000s? You could find this if you love Sherlock Holmes styled investigation clubbed with an interest in environment. Ask questions, read books, think and imagine how forests would have been during your parents’ and grandparents’ time. Talk to them to record their memories of nature when they were young.

Here are a few questions to start your investigation. Click on the hotspots to read the questions.

Each unique memory is a treasure to remind us of the loss of forests and wildlife at an unimaginable level during the last few decades. I hope the stories that you find will bridge your gap with nature and propel you to conserve the natural world around you.

Have no ‘Fear’

Test your vocabulary with this quiz on ‘phobias’! Do you recognise any of them?

The word ‘phobia’ is derived from the Greek word ‘phobos’ meaning fear. All of these questions deal with phobias associated with the field of medicine. See how many you can guess correctly!

Statescan – November 24, 2017

Stay updated with the latest happenings across the country! Here is an interactive map.

How aware are you of developments in states outside yours? Here are some of the latest happenings in the country! Click on the hotspots to read.

Design: K.B. Jawaharr

Make Your Own Music

Let’s make some music! Learn how to make your very own hand drum with handy material from around your home…

In this DIY activity, learn how to make your very own hand drum with very simple materials!

Things you will need:

Step 1:

Using a cutter and a pair of scissors, carefully cut the cylindrical container such that the cut piece is approximately 6 to 7 cm in height.

Step 2 (Optional):

Using colour paper, cover the cut piece to give it a vibrant look.

Step 3:

Poke a hole through the centre* of any side of the cylinder. Insert a pencil in the hole in such a way that it looks like this.

*It is very important that the hole be made in the centre of the cut piece because it will ensure proper rotation of the hand drum.

Step 4

Poke two holes on the cut piece in such a way that an imaginary line joining the holes is perpendicular to the pencil. Refer to the image to understand where to poke the holes.

The holes must be poked through the centre of the cut piece like this.

Step 5:

Insert a ribbon through one hole, and knot the end that is on the inside of the cylinder. Repeat the same for the other hole.

Refer to the following image to understand how to knot the ribbons.

Step 6:

Slip a few beads on to one of the ribbons. When you stretch the ribbon across the open side of the cylinder, make sure that the beads can reach the centre. Knot the open end of the ribbon to ensure that the beads do not slip out.

Step 7:

Take a pair of scissors and cut off the neck of a balloon. Refer to the image to understand how to cut the balloon. Do the same for the second balloon.

Step 8:

Now, take the top part of the balloon and stretch it over the open side of the cylinder, such that it looks like this.

Step 9:

Now secure the balloons with tape.


Step 10:

Your hand drum is ready!

Now turn the pencil to make music with your new hand drum!

Try this out at home! Make sure to use the equipment, especially the cutter and scissors, in the presence of an adult.