Decades before Harry came to Britain, there lived another Potter with magical talent; author, illustrator, botanist and conservationist, Beatrix Potter! Harness the popularity of the Peter Rabbit movie with activities to inspire every high potential learner. Demonstrate Skills Building (www.skillsbuilder.org) by discovering Potter ‘Staying Positive’ in the face of sexism, ‘Aiming high’ and using her ‘Creativity’ and ‘Leadership’ to advance the role of women and the conservation of the natural world she loved.
Quiz Challenge
Create a set of Q&A cards about Beatrix Potter. These could be general knowledge or based on a particular aspect of her life or influence. – Game on!
Using resources such as https://www.peterrabbit.com/about-beatrix-potter/ and http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20160215-beatrix-potter-pioneering-scientist-or-passionate-amateur and https://www.quentinblake.com/tags/beatrix-potter …here are some example Q&As:
General Knowledge
- Q1: When was Beatrix Potter alive?
- A1: 1866–1943
- Q2: Who illustrated the Peter Rabbit story books?
- A2: Beatrix Potter!
Geography
- Q3: Where did she live that deeply inspired her books?
- A3: England – The Lake District – Cumbria – Near Sawrey – Hill Top Farm
History
- Q4: Lancaster Castle, Wray Castle and Pendragon Castle were all ships built in Cumbria. Which one was named after the mansion on Lake Windermere where Beatrix Potter spent a family holiday?
- A4: Wray Castle
Science
- Q5: Beatrix Potter was fascinated by ‘mycology’…what is it?
- A5: ‘Mycology’ is the scientific study of fungi.
Art
- Q6: Quentin Blake famously illustrated the Roald Dahl books. How is he linked to Beatrix Potter?
- A6: Quentin Blake illustrated Kitty-in-Boots, which was first published in 2016. Potter had written the tale in 1914 but drawn only one sketch.
Resources
Web-based
For independent learners, the National Trust provides reliable, ‘safe’ information to research and describe, for example: the natural habitat near Hill Top Farm; where creatures mentioned in the books still live locally today; the history behind Wray Castle and its uses. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lists/explore-beatrix-potters-lake-district
For budding modern artists, the Marcus Crocker figurines project is fascinating. See https://www.peterrabbit.com/marcus-crocker/ (and linked multimedia content) to learn how he “spent over 140 hours on each sculpt, meticulously studying the anatomy of each animal in the same way that Beatrix would have done over 100 years ago”.
For more traditional artists: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/between-naturalism-and-fantasy-the-art-of-beatrix-potter
Active in All Weathers
For the younger child, try the fun activity sheets from the Penguin Books’ ‘Animation Resource Pack‘ https://www.peterrabbit.com/adults/
Get stuck in to Jemima Puddle Duck’s Water Painting, Mr McGregor’s Garden Colours or, for a group, the Rabbit Races and their badges for Skill, Bravery, Strength and Friendship. (Lily Bobtail’s Pine Cone Baubles and the Pumpkin Patch activities are good seasonal activities). Become an Explorer Rabbit and gain badges with the Bug Quest, where you can comb an outdoor area for minibeasts, study them and record their features in words and pictures; and develop ‘listening’ skills with the Big Ears Sound Adventure.
Differentiated Resources
A fabulous, cross-curricular 39-page ‘Teaching Resources Pack‘ is also available as a free download at https://www.peterrabbit.com/adults/ . Every ‘lesson’ includes a practical element for a home or school setting and is differentiated for 5-7 or 7-11 year-olds. It includes the following topics (Potential Plus UK has identified how they fit into the Skills Builder framework in brackets).
BEATRIX POTTER:
- Be Brave Aim High – A woman ahead of her time (Aiming High)
- My Special Place – The Conservationist (Staying Positive)
- Nature Detectives – The Botanist (Listening)
- Powerful Picture Letters – The Artist (Presenting)
- Storyteller – The Author (Creativity)
- The Search for a New Apprentice – The Business Woman (Problem Solving).
Outdoors
Visit the Lake District’s majestic landscape, Wray Castle with its Peter Rabbit Adventure rooms or Beatrix’s beloved Hill Top Farm. (https://www.peterrabbit.com/national-trust-spring-at-hill-top/ and https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wray-castle ). The World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness-on-Windermere also offers daily theatre http://www.hop-skip-jump.com
To investigate Potter’s ‘fascination with fungi’ or the early days of female gardeners, visit Kew Gardens in London or https://www.kew.org/blogs/library-art-and-archives/beatrix-potter-tales-from-the-archives online instead!
Film Fun
Hop along to http://www.peterrabbit-movie.com for simple online games and official information. Compare the style of the books to the new Peter Rabbit movie and research the modern film-making techniques used.
