Meesha Makes Friends

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Meesha loves making things… but there’s one thing she finds difficult to make – friends. She doesn’t know quite what to do, what to say or when to say it. But one day, she discovers she has a special talent that might just help her navigate social situations – and maybe even make new friends.

English:

• There are several books in the Big Bright Feelings series*. Which is your favourite? What lessons do they teach us? Could you write a new story for this series?
• Choose a part of the story and retell it from Meesha’s point of view.
• Rewrite a story about Josh and how he becomes friends with Meesha.
• Think of some speech / thought bubbles to add to the illustrations.
• Choose one of the pictures of Meesha and infer what she might be thinking.
• Write a set of instructions to help Meesha make some new friends.
• Write some instructions to teach Josh how to make one of Meesha’s cuddly friends.
• Find different examples of punctuation in the text. Why has the author used them in different places.
• Write some letters between Meesha and Josh after this story takes place.
• Write character descriptions of Meesha at the start and end of the story. How do your descriptions differ?
• Write a story about a time when you felt shy. How did you overcome these feelings?

Maths:

• Make a picture out of numbers (like Meesha does) and use it as the starting point for some problems (e.g. What is the largest number in my picture? What is the total of all of the numbers? Write the numbers in order of size).

Computing:

• Create an animation of a face that changes expression.
• Make a game in which a character has to move around a location to find and make new friends.

Design Technology:

• Meesha cuts and sticks and glues and sews some new friends. Could you make a model of a person or animal to keep you company?
• Design a new toy that helps children play together.

Art:

• Choose one of Meesha’s paintings or models and make your own version.
• Could you draw your own illustrations of Meesha? Try to draw different expressions and show a variety of emotions.
• Why has the illustrator draw some pictures of Meesha in colour and other characters in shades of grey? Could you use this technique in one of your pictures?
• Tell the main points of the story in the form of a comic strip.

Music:

• Look at the musical notes in Meesha’s pictures. What do they mean? Can you make a poster to teach others about musical notation?
• Compose a song about making friends to help Meesha.

Geography:

• Make a story map that shows the places in the story and the events that happened there.
• Make a map of the town that Meesha and Josh make together.

History:

• Learn about famous historical figures who worked with others to achieve something together.
• Make a timeline that shows the main events in this book.

PSHE:

• Meesha finds it hard to make friends. Have you ever been in this situation? How did you feel?
• Make a list of words and phrases to describe Meesha’s feelings at different points in the story. Copy some of the illustrations and write your words and phrases around her.
• Make a table that shows different emotions sorted into groups.
• How could you help somebody who is feeling lonely?
• Are there times when you prefer to be alone? Think of times when it is better to do things together.
• Write a letter to Meesha offering advice how to keep the new friends that she has made.