Freddie And The Fairy

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Freddie is desperate for a pet, so when he rescues Bessie-Belle and she offers to grant his wishes he knows just what to ask for. The only problem is that Bessie-Belle can’t hear very well, and Freddie tends to mumble. Whatever can they do? Luckily the Fairy Queen is on hand to explain…

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

Think of words to describe what the fairy looked like.
Make a list of the rhyming words in the story. Can you think of a new verse for each page?
Think of some speech / thought bubbles for the characters in each illustration.
Write a short story that explains how the fairy got stuck in the tree.
Imagine that you met a fairy. What would you wish for? Can you write a story about what might happen?
Can you think of other words that rhyme with ‘pet’ or ‘dog’ (or the other things that Freddie wished for). Add a new page to the story based on the idea that Bessie-Belle heard him say one of these words instead.
Turn the story into a playscript, using the speech to help you. Could you perform it to an audience?
What does Freddie do with all of the things that Bessie-Belle conjures up for him?
Retell the story in the form of a recount from Freddie’s point of view… or from Bessie-Belle’s point of view.
Bessie-Belle gives lots of animals to Freddie (e.g. frog, bat). Can you write some instructions to help Freddie to look after them?
Write a newspaper report about the sighting of a fairy who has been granting peoples’ wishes (but making lots of mistakes).
Continue the story… what happens after Freddie meets the gorilla?

Maths

Estimate the size of the different things that Bessie-Belle gives to Freddie. Can you show this information in a table or a chart?

Science

Investigate some of the animals mentioned in the story. Where do they live? What do they eat?

Computing

Take a digital photo of your head and use art software to transform yourself into a fairy.
Make a stop-motion animation that retells part of the story.
Make a poster, using publishing software, to share the three rules that the Fairy Queen gives.

Art

Split your page in two. On one side, draw the things that Freddie wished for, and on the other, draw the things that the fairy gave him.
Draw your own picture to show what a Fairy King or Queen would look like.

Music

Compose a short tune to announce the arrival of the Fairy Queen.

Geography

Draw a map showing the different locations shown in the story and add labels to show what happened there.

History

Can you find out about the ‘Cottingley Fairies’? Could you try to recreate some of the images?

Physical education

Watch a video of the ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’. Could you plan and perform your own fairy dance?

Languages

Could you learn some sign language to help Bessie-Belle to understand Freddie?

PSHE

Look at the facial expressions of the characters at different points in the story. How are they feeling? Can you draw your own pictures that show different emotions?
How does Freddie communicate more clearly with Bessie-Belle? How can we help others to understand us?
Bessie-Belle can’t hear very well. Can you find out more about this and other disabilities?