Patrick

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Welcome to the wonderful world of Patrick! For when he plays his violin, the most extraordinary things start to happen: fish can fly, and cows can dance and trees grow cakes instead of apples.

There’s fireworks and fun and colours everywhere, when Patrick performs his magical tunes…

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Read the first page of the story. Can you predict (or write about) what might happen next?
• Write a prequel to this story. Who owned the violin before? Where did it come from?
• Choose another object on Mr Onions’ stall. Write a new story about someone who buys a different magical object there.
• Plan and write a new page for the story, in which another magical event happens when Patrick plays his new violin.
• Retell the story from Patrick’s point of view.
• Think of some questions that you could ask Patrick (or Mr Onions). How might they respond to your questions?
• Write a story about another musical instrument.
• Make a persuasive advert to encourage other people to buy a magical violin like the one in the story.
• Write a newspaper report about the events that took place in this story.
• Find out more about Quentin Blake using some of the videos below:

Maths

• Make up some word problems based on the things being sold on the market stalls.

Science

• Find out how a violin makes a sound.

Computing

• Use the information on the back of the book to make a trailer to promote it to others.
• Take (or find) a photo of somewhere and imagine that Patrick played his violin there. Can you edit / paint the photo to show how it might change?

Design Technology

• Create a model of a violin.
• Can you retell the story using puppets?

Art

• Look at how the illustrations have been created. What materials were used? Could you try to recreate one of them using similar materials?
• Imagine that Patrick came to your school / house and played his violin. Draw a picture that shows how things might change.

Music

• Find out about violins. How are they made? Could you try and play one?
• Compose a tune that Patrick could play on his violin.