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ISSUE 85
JUNE 26, 2020
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The St ra ng
e
LEARN ABOUT THE
LAND DOWN UNDER
Pl
yp at
us
WHY DOES A YEAR HAVE 12 MONTHS?
HOW IS THE WEIGHT
OF A SHIP MEASURED?
FOLKTALE The Fox and the Grapes
One day, Fitru fox was in a jolly and relaxed mood. He had nothing to do for an entire day. The farmer was home guarding his chickens as it was a holiday. Thus, the chickens were way out of Fitru’s reach. Fitru was, however, delighted to find some leftover food from last night. He closed his eyes, and started thinking about the food. Once he opened his eyes, he saw some fresh bunches of luscious looking grapes. Firtu was very excited. He imagined biting into the grapes and its sweet juice flowing through his throat. He started salivating at once.
But there was one problem; the grapes were way beyond his reach. He skipped and jumped and tried his best but still could not manage to reach them. He was getting more and more tempted by the sight of the grapes. After spending about an hour and trying different techniques to reach the grapes, Fitru finally gave up. Fitru looked at the grapes with disgust and said, “Oh the grapes must be terribly sour. And they look really glossy; the farmer must have loaded them with pesticides. I am sure he did not wash them nicely enough to remove the poisonous pesticide from them. It’s good that I don’t have that poisonous fruit.” He took one last look at the grapes and walked away quietly.
What’s wrong in the Picture?
Silly Rhymes
Hitch up your cattle And drive to Seattle To see all the boats come in, From Kibi and Kobi And Panama Dobi And some from the Islands of Myn.
Boats
They’re bringing us rices And cocoa and spices And pineapples done up in tin, And maybe Aunt Dinah Will come back from China If ever the boats get in. 2
Sam Visits the Duck-Billed Platypus I'm stuck in the middle of a forest but check it out! I found an animal that lays eggs but strangely is also a mammal, strange right? The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), also known as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia. The platypus is one of the most unusual creatures in the animal kingdom. A typical platypus is 15 inches (38 centimeters) from its head to the end of its rump. Its tail adds an additional 5 inches (13 cm) to the animal’s length. Platypuses (which is the correct plural form, not “platypi”) have a paddle-shaped tail like a beaver; a sleek, furry body like an otter; and a flat bill and webbed feet like a duck. The first time a platypus was brought from Australia to Britain, people couldn’t believe that it was a real animal. They thought that a trickster had sewn two animals together. The coolest thing though is that the platypus is venomous! It has a small spur at the end of its foot that shoots out the venom.
Science explorer
How is the Weight
of A Ship Measured? To measure the weight of a ship, we will use the Archimedes’ Principle. Archimedes’ Principle states that “any floating object displaces its own weight in fluid.” Let’s say that we have to measure the weight of a ship. We will need a water dock, measured in cubic meters. Note down the current water level. Put the ship into the dock. Now note the level. Here the water level has increased by 5 cubic meters. So by Archimedes’ Principle Weight of the ship = 5m3 x Density of water Weight of the ship = 5m3 x 995.65 kg/m3 Weight of the ship = 4978.25 kg This is how we calculate the weight of a ship.
spot ten differences
Pondering Corner
Who Decided
a Year Should
Have 12 Months?
People across the world follow the Gregorian calendar which was adopted in 1752. Before that, people around the world followed different calendars. Infact people who farm, still use a combination of solar and lunar calendars. The 12 months in the calendar, as we know them today, were first introduced by Julius Caesar, in the year 45 BC, on 1st January. The calendar used previously consisted of 10 months. But it couldn’t account for the cyclic revolution of the earth around the sun, which takes exactly 365.2422 days. The previous Roman calendar, began the year in March and ended it in December. It had been in use from 753 BC, by Romulus, the legendary first king of Rome. This calendar was later modified because it accounted for only 304 days in a year. The second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius added two months at the end of the calendar, Ianuarius and Februarius, to account for the missing days. He also introduced an intercalary month that occured after Februarius in certain years. These years became known as leap years. In addition, he deleted one day from all the months that had 30 days, so that they had 29 days instead. This resulted in a total of 355 days in a common year and 377 days in a leap year. The leap years were declared at the whim of the king. Although unstable, the calendar was in use for 700 years. But it got very confusing because seasons and calendars did not match. It played havoc with the farmers. So Julius Caesar, in 45 BC, under the guidance of his astronomers, decided to alter the calendar and make it more stable. Finally, the seasons had a chance to catch up!
Tickle your
funny bone
Q: What do you call a platypus with 8 tentacles? A: Octypus
Q: What is a platypus' favourite game? A: Beak-a-boo! Q: What do you get when you cross a platypus with a long divison sum? A: A
mathypus
AMUSING NEWS
A Genetic Milkshake
A platypus is considered a weird animal - most of its genes make it a mammal. However, unlike mammals, they lay eggs! Odder still, their eggs are hard-shelled, like that of a bird! If it wasn't already confusing, the platypus also has reptile genes, as it can deliver venom through spurs in its hind legs!
stories from history
The Rajputs
In the 7th and 8th century a group of people emerged who called themselves Rajputs which meant ‘Sons of Kings.’ They were warriors who hailed from Rajasthan and parts of Central India. They belonged to three kinds of ancestries; Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi. Under Agnivanshi were the clans of Pratiharas, Solankis, Paramaras and Chauhans. These clans established Kingdoms in Marwar, Ujjain, Malwa, Kannauj, Ajmer and Gujarat.
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Rajputs were known for their courage and loyalty. Rajput women were trained for war and did not hesitate to go into the battlefield if their men were outnumbered. However, if the King and all his men were killed in a battle, Rajput women preferred to commit suicide rather than allow themselves to be taken as prisoners. This ritual was known as ‘Jauhar.’
One of the most prominent Rajput Kings was Prithviraj Chauhan. He ascended the throne at the age of 13, after the death of his father. He was adept at military targets and was known to hit moving targets merely by listening to the sound. He was a romantic, chivalrous and an extremely fearless person. He spread his empire and controlled most of Rajasthan and Haryana, unifying Rajputs against Muslim invasion. A Muslim conqueror named Mohammad Shahab-ud-din Ghori was capturing nearby kingdoms. As he covered more areas, he became a threat to Prithviraj’s territory.
Prithviraj prepared for war. The two clashed at the First Battle of Tarain. Prithviraj defeated him with his massive army of loyal soldiers. As Ghori retreated, Prithviraj was advised to attack the retreating army. The noble king refused to do so, and this proved to be his undoing as Ghori soon came back with his armies for a second attack.
At the second battle of Tarain, Prithviraj was defeated and captured. In 1192 AD, Prithviraj Chauhan died, ending an era of profound bravery, courage and mortality. Maharana Pratap, Bappa Rawal and Rani Padmini have all made an indelible mark on the pages of Indian history. Maharana Pratap, the ruler of Mewar, is synonymous with Rajput valour and chivalry. He continued his combat against the Mughals and other infiltrators for the rest of his life. Gradually the power of the Rajputs dwindled as they were no match for the Mughals. When the British arrived in India, the Rajput states became colonies, this ending the reign of the Rajputs forever.
Fun With WordS
E
Take out a pen and paper and make as many words as you can with the letters in the wheel.
T
G
A N 8
S
R
T S
Complete the Story...
The archeologists were hard at work, chiseling away at a chunk of rock they believed contained fossils. The sweltering sun was shining down on them. One of the archeologists gave a shout, as her work revealed a beautiful fossil pattern, it looked like an ancient platypus!
fun facts
with Hamlet the Hamster To know or not to know, that is the question! Well, wouldn’t you prefer to know?
Facts about Australia Australia is the largest island and the smallest continent in the world. It is two times larger than India. Geologists believe Australia to be the world’s oldest continent. Two-thirds of Australia is made up of flat desert area. The population of Australia is more than 19 million. But Australia’s sheep population is fourteen times more than its human population!
Feed the Platypus
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The Team Editor
Assistant and Copy Editor
Aryaa Naik Dalmiya
Contributing Writers Kaniz Fatima Khan
Priyanka Garegat
Deepti Raavi
Ekta Bhatnagar
Raunaq Amarnani
Rituparna Chatterjee
Archana Rajagopal
Content
Lavanya Khare
Layout and Design Walmik Pawar
Artists
Kalpana Siromani
Amol Padwal Shailendra Havane Sujith VS Rohini Dusane
Distribution
Bhavini Damani Sitanshu Bhartiya Atul Wankhade
Digital Marketing
Archana Rajagopal Bharat Pillai Tushar Rokade
Dnyanesh Thombre Prashant Kini Shekhar Ramaiah
Creator Jesh Krishna Murthy
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