New
New
Year 3

Developing responses to 'Varjak Paw' through rich discussions

I can develop my own response to 'Varjak Paw'.

New
New
Year 3

Developing responses to 'Varjak Paw' through rich discussions

I can develop my own response to 'Varjak Paw'.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Character traits can be explored through the text’s illustrations or words used by the characters.
  2. Different readers may interpret a text in different ways.
  3. Discussing books by building on others and our own views can help us to deepen our understanding of a text.
  4. Making links to other characters and stories helps to deepen our awareness of texts.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that how a character looks determines whether they are friend or foe.

When discussing the character of Sally Bones, focus on character traits that intimidate Varjak, not solely her appearance.

Keywords

  • Character trait - Character traits are the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.

  • Impression - An impression refers to initial feelings about a person, place or thing, gained from reading a text.

  • Connection - How a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world can be called a connection.

  • Recommendation - A recommendation is a suggestion for a text that is well-suited to a reader’s age and their interests.

Varjak Paw is an example of a heroic character. Compare character traits he exhibits to other heroes that the children know from other texts. Provide a diverse range of characters so pupils have an opportunity to see themselves reflected as a hero.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2014 Corgi Childrens edition of ‘Varjak Paw, written by SF Said with illustrations by Dave McKean, for this lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which animals are the central characters in 'Varjak Paw'?
dogs
Correct answer: cats
rats
Q2.
True or false? Varjak is a Mesopotamian grey cat.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q3.
Which of the following are adjectives that can describe a character in a text?
whistled
whispered
Correct answer: scary
Correct answer: strong
Q4.
Match the characters in 'Varjak Paw' to their descriptions.
Correct Answer:Julius,Varjak's brother

Varjak's brother

Correct Answer:Elder Paw,Varjak's grandfather

Varjak's grandfather

Correct Answer:Jalal,Varjak's ancestor

Varjak's ancestor

Correct Answer:The Contessa,the lady who owned the house Varjak's family lived in

the lady who owned the house Varjak's family lived in

Q5.
Which of the following are themes that can be found in 'Varjak Paw'?
Correct answer: bravery
environment
Correct answer: friendship
Q6.
A recommendation is a suggestion of a text that is suited to a reader's ...
Correct answer: age.
name.
Correct answer: interests.

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:character trait,special qualities that make a character unique and interesting

special qualities that make a character unique and interesting

Correct Answer:impression,initial feelings about a person, place or thing gained from reading

initial feelings about a person, place or thing gained from reading

Correct Answer:connection,how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world

how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world

Q2.
Who is the illustrator of 'Varjak Paw'?
SF Said
Correct answer: Dave McKean
Corgi Childrens
Q3.
Which of the following character traits would describe Varjak?
Correct answer: brave
rude
selfish
Correct answer: courageous
Q4.
Who are the mentors to Varjak in the text?
Sally Bones
Correct answer: Elder Paw
Razor
Correct answer: Jalal
Q5.
Who are the villains in the story?
Cludge
Tam
Correct answer: The Gentlemen
Correct answer: Sally Bones
Q6.
Which of the following describes a text-to-text connection?
The text made me think of a time when I was brave.
Correct answer: The text made me think of the character Charlotte from 'Charlotte's Web'.
The text made me find out about Mesopotamia.