Anokha Sunday Stories

5 Stories to Share With Your Class This Week

Five fascinating stories to spark curiosity, conversation and connection in your classroom. Explore the stories together, discuss the questions and see where the conversation takes you.

12–18 October 20265 storiesIrish primary classrooms

Classroom Slideshow

Show the seven slides to your class. Use the big arrows, swipe, or the left and right arrow keys. Choose Full screen for your interactive whiteboard.

Slide 1 of 7: Stories to Share With Your Class This Week, 12 to 18 October 2026, with a giant tortoise on St Helena and a note that the slideshow is available at anokhalearning.com

Slide 2 of 7: Mayo volunteers remove tonnes of rubbish from beaches. A bag of litter on a rocky Mayo beach, with a Talk About It question about stopping litter reaching the sea

Slide 3 of 7: Meet Jonathan, the 194-year-old tortoise. A giant tortoise on the lawn on St Helena, with a Talk About It question about what has changed since 1832

Slide 4 of 7: Ancient ring reveals a lost wonder of the world. AI-generated illustration, not the real ring, of a bronze ring engraved with the Lighthouse of Alexandria — AI illustration, not the real ring.

Slide 5 of 7: Scientists detect mysterious ghost particles under Antarctica’s ice. The IceCube Laboratory under an aurora and the Milky Way. Photo: John Hardin, CC BY 4.0 — Photo: John Hardin / CC BY 4.0

Slide 6 of 7: Britain’s new banknotes are going wild. A puffin, barn owl, bumblebee and hedgehog, the four animals chosen for future Bank of England banknotes

Slide 7 of 7: This Week in the Classroom, 12 to 18 October 2026: Maths Week Ireland, Climate Action Week, Global Handwashing Day and World Food Day

Slide 1 of 7

This week’s five stories

1 Ireland · Environment

Mayo Volunteers Remove Tonnes of Rubbish From Beaches

Almost 400 volunteers collected an estimated 2.3 tonnes of litter during beach clean-ups across County Mayo. Children from Ballycastle Athletics Club also joined in.

Their efforts help protect marine wildlife and keep the coastline cleaner for everyone.

Talk About ItWhat could our class do to help stop litter reaching the sea?

Source: Western People, 9 October 2026

2 Wildlife · Science

Meet Jonathan, the 194-Year-Old Tortoise!

Jonathan lives on the island of St Helena and is believed to be around 194 years old, making him the oldest known living land animal.

Scientists have studied his DNA to understand why he has lived for nearly two centuries. Their findings may offer clues about how some animals age so slowly.

Talk About ItWhat has changed in the world since Jonathan hatched around 1832?

Source: Vanderbilt Health, 7 October 2026

3 History · Egypt

Ancient Ring Reveals a Lost Wonder of the World

Archaeologists exploring underwater ruins in Alexandria, Egypt, discovered a bronze ring showing the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The ring was found near the remains of a sunken palace. The lighthouse was once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but it disappeared centuries ago.

Talk About ItWhat object from today would you want archaeologists to find in 2,000 years?

Source: Franck Goddio / Hilti Foundation

Image: AI illustration, not the real ring.

Story image: Scientists detect mysterious ghost particles under Antarctica’s ice. The IceCube Laboratory under an aurora and the Milky Way. Photo: John Hardin, CC BY 4.0

4 Science · Antarctica

Scientists Detect Mysterious ‘Ghost Particles’ Under Antarctic Ice!

Scientists use the IceCube Observatory, a giant detector with sensors buried deep beneath Antarctica’s ice, to study tiny particles called neutrinos.

These particles are nicknamed ghost particles because they can pass through enormous amounts of matter without interacting with it.

In October 2026, scientist Francis Halzen won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work in neutrino astronomy and the IceCube Observatory.

Talk About ItIf ghost particles can pass straight through Earth, how do you think scientists manage to catch them?

Source: NSF / IceCube, 6 October 2026

Photo: John Hardin / CC BY 4.0.

5 Money · UK

Britain’s New Banknotes Are Going Wild!

The Bank of England has chosen four animals to feature on future banknotes: the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog.

Nearly 500,000 people took part in the public consultation. The new notes will take several years to design and produce.

Talk About ItWhich Irish animal would you choose for a banknote, and why?

Source: Bank of England, 8 October 2026

This Week in the Classroom | 12–18 October 2026

10th–18th Oct

Maths Week Ireland

Try a maths trail, puzzle or number game.

Source: Maths Week Ireland
12th–18th Oct

Climate Action Week

Choose one small action to help our planet.

Source: Climate Action Week
15th Oct

Global Handwashing Day

Practise washing hands properly with soap.

Source: Global Handwashing Day
16th Oct

World Food Day

Explore where our food comes from.

Source: FAO

This Week in the Classroom, 12 to 18 October 2026: Maths Week Ireland, Climate Action Week, Global Handwashing Day and World Food Day

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