Developing responses to 'Varjak Paw' through rich discussions
I can develop my own response to 'Varjak Paw'.
Developing responses to 'Varjak Paw' through rich discussions
I can develop my own response to 'Varjak Paw'.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Character traits can be explored through the text’s illustrations or words used by the characters.
- Different readers may interpret a text in different ways.
- Discussing books by building on others and our own views can help us to deepen our understanding of a text.
- Making links to other characters and stories helps to deepen our awareness of texts.
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.
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.
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).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Varjak's brother
Varjak's grandfather
Varjak's ancestor
the lady who owned the house Varjak's family lived in
Exit quiz
6 Questions
special qualities that make a character unique and interesting
initial feelings about a person, place or thing gained from reading
how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world