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Frankie is a quiet boy. He lives on a quiet street, with his quiet parents and his quiet dog and cat. But when Frankie decides to learn the trumpet, the most incredible things happen!
Teaching Ideas and Resources:
English
- Look at the names of the colours shown in the book. Can you think of some other names for different colours.
- Retell the story from Frankie’s point of view.
- Write some diary entries for Frankie… the day before he got the trumpet, the day he got it and the day after.
- Write a newspaper article about how life on Ellington Avenue changed.
- Make a list of synonyms for ‘quiet’ and ‘loud’.
- Can you perform the story to an audience?
Maths
- Make a graph to show the noise level of different objects / animals (e.g. a mouse, a pig and an elephant).
Science
- Can you find out how sound is measured?
- Use a data logger to monitor the sound level in different places (or in the same place at different times of day). Can you explain why the noise levels may be different?
- Can you explain how a trumpet makes a sound? How do we change the volume / pitch of the sound that the trumpet makes?
Computing
- Can you find out the HTML colour codes for some of the colours shown in the book?
Design Technology
- Could you make a model trumpet?
- Can you find out how a trumpet is made? What materials are they made from?
Art
- Look at the different colours shown on the inside covers of the book. Can you try to mix these using paint or other art materials?
- Make a poster that teaches other people how to mix colours to make new ones.
- Look at the patterns used in the illustrations. Can you create your own pictures using a similar style / technique?
- Listen to different sounds (e.g. a bird tweeting, a dog’s bark, water running down a plughole) and draw what the sound looks like.
- Draw a picture of Ellington Avenue before and after Frankie starting playing his new trumpet.
Music
- Try to be as quiet as possible for a few minutes. What other noises can you hear? Can you write (or draw) what you heard?
- Could you learn how to play the trumpet?
- Can you research any famous musicians who play the trumpet?
- Can you find out the names of any pieces of music that include a performance by the trumpet?
- Can you find out more about synaesthesia? Use the information in the back of the book as a starting point.