Developing responses to 'Varjak Paw' through rich discussions | English

Starter quiz

Which animals are the central characters in 'Varjak Paw'?
- dogs
- cats ✓
- rats
True or false? Varjak is a Mesopotamian grey cat.
- True
- False ✓
Which of the following are adjectives that can describe a character in a text?
- whistled
- whispered
- scary ✓
- strong ✓
Match the characters in 'Varjak Paw' to their descriptions.
- Julius
  
  ⇔
  
  Varjak's brother ✓
- Elder Paw
  
  ⇔
  
  Varjak's grandfather ✓
- Jalal
  
  ⇔
  
  Varjak's ancestor ✓
- The Contessa
  
  ⇔
  
  the lady who owned the house Varjak's family lived in ✓
Which of the following are themes that can be found in 'Varjak Paw'?
- bravery ✓
- environment
- friendship ✓
A recommendation is a suggestion of a text that is suited to a reader's ...
- age. ✓
- name.
- interests. ✓

Match the following keywords to their definitions.
- character trait
  
  ⇔
  
  special qualities that make a character unique and interesting ✓
- impression
  
  ⇔
  
  initial feelings about a person, place or thing gained from reading ✓
- connection
  
  ⇔
  
  how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world ✓
Who is the illustrator of 'Varjak Paw'?
- SF Said
- Dave McKean ✓
- Corgi Childrens
Which of the following character traits would describe Varjak?
- brave ✓
- rude
- selfish
- courageous ✓
Who are the mentors to Varjak in the text?
- Sally Bones
- Elder Paw ✓
- Razor
- Jalal ✓
Who are the villains in the story?
- Cludge
- Tam
- The Gentlemen ✓
- Sally Bones ✓
Which of the following describes a text-to-text connection?
- The text made me think of a time when I was brave.
- The text made me think of the character Charlotte from 'Charlotte's Web'. ✓
- The text made me find out about Mesopotamia.

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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.

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.

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.