Beatrix Potter Unit Study
Posted by Mary on Jun-27-2010
Beatrix Potter was born and raised in England, and the areas surrounding it. She led a sheltered childhood, which often lent itself to the exploration and study of nature. These passions stayed with her throughout her life, and helped her in her ambitions as an author, artist, scientist, and countrywoman. Explore the life and times of Beatrix Potter with this Unit Study Guide.
Objectives
At the completion of this unit the child will be able to:
- Define characters, title, author, biography, plot, climax,
- List some basic information about Beatrix Potter, such as where and when she was born, some of the Titles she wrote, etc.
- Draw a map of their room, home, neighborhood, or city, depending on prior level of child.
- Find England on a globe or map.
- Describe the basic parts of a street map.
- Recite basic facts about the child labor laws.
Vocabulary List
tale; tail; characters; plot; climax; title; author; biography
Introduction
- Define biography. Have the child make a short biography about someone he or she knows. Older children can research an author who interests them and write a biography about them.
- Discuss how the Gospels were a biography of Jesus, four books with four different viewpoints on the life of Jesus. Compare a passage that is found in all four.
- The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:3-2; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14)
Her Childhood
- Read the biography Beatrix Potter by Alexandra Wallner aloud. (Another good biography is The Country Artist by David R. Collins. You may want to have older children read this book silently, or read it aloud over a series of days.)
- Finish the story problem:
- Beatrix Potter was born in England on July 28, 1866. She died on December 22, 1943. How old was Beatrix when she died? (You may want to adjust the problem to the level of your child.)
- Born in South Kensington, Middlesex, England. Find England on a globe or European map.
- She spent her childhood in No. 2 Bolton Gardens Square in London, England. Find this address on a map. Discuss the various parts of a street map.
- Read Jeremiah 1:5 and Revelation 21:4.
- Read excerpts from The Journal of Beatrix Potter 1881-1897 by Leslie Linder “”Some of Beatrix’s journal is exciting and interesting. Many times it is funny. Sometimes it shows her great imagination. Often, it is poignant a and rather sad. Reading between the lines, you can imagine a lonely life, the kind of life that encouraged Beatrix to develop her own imagination and learn to write children’s stories that have endured to this day.”" (Storey, “”The Secret Journal of Beatrix Potter”")
- Read about Child Labor, which was prevalent during Beatrix’s childhood. Describe how her childhood was different from some of the less fortunate children of that time. (United States: Read about our child labor laws, which protect our children.)
- Beatrix and her brother Bertram loved to collect animal specimens as children and study them. Her artwork is a reflection of this study. Have the child start a nature notebook, if they haven’t already, and in particular draw a still life of a live animal or insect. (This is a good project to do with a pet, or at the park, or even on a trip to the zoo.)
- Mark 10:13-16 and Proverbs 20:11.
The Setting
- She spent a lot of time in Cumbria and The Lake District. View some pictures of the places she may have seen.
- See Beatrix Potter’s Cottage. (There are also some beautiful pictures of her home in the Introduction in the book The History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder.) “”At a time when many house museums have difficulty keeping their doors open, a small cottage in the English Lake District can barely manage to close its doors at all. Hill Top (Pl. VII), the two-hundred-acre farm where Beatrix Potter lived for the last thirty-eight years of her life, is so overwhelmed with visitors each summer that the National Trust, which has owned and operated the property since Potter’s death in 1943, has imposed a limit of eight hundred visitors a day to avoid overcrowding.”" (McCracken Peck, “”Beatrix Potter, Scientific Illustrator.”")
- Beatrix Potter loved the Lake District so much that this poem, believed to be one of the last things written by her hand, was found in her papers at her death. Have the child read the poem, with good prose, and rewrite it their own hand, decorating the page with artwork as well. Younger children can simply illustrate.
- On page xxiii of A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder, there is a map of the village of Near Sawrey showing Hill Top and other places associated with Beatrix Potter’s books. Point out the various parts of the map, i.e. the compass, and have the children draw a map of a place familiar to them. Each map should have the appropriate parts, i.e. key, compass, mile indicators, etc.
- (grade K) Draw a map of your bedroom.
- (grades 1-3) Draw a map of your home.
- (grades 4-6) Draw a map of your neighborhood.
- (grades 7+) Draw a map of your city, or state.
- Read about Creation, Genesis 1
The Scientist
- In 1896 Beatrix Potter was working on the preparation of a paper ‘On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae,’ developing her own theories, which were well in advance of her time. The paper was read at a Meeting of the Linnean Society of London on April 1, 1987 (National Book League, 1966, p.11) (The Illustrators Project: Helen Beatrix Potter)
- “”SORRY, BEATRIX Agnes Sieger A century later, the Linnean Society of London has finally apologized to Beatrix Potter for scorning her paper on the germination of mushroom spores, which she tried to submit to the Society in 1897. Largely known today for her children’s stories, Beatrix Potter was also an enthusiastic and knowledgeable amateur mycologist. In another time, she would have been a respected scientist, but intellectual women of her day were considered dilettantes. Her watercolors of fungi had superb taxonomic detail, but were dismissed as too artistic to have scientific value. She was the first person in England to realize that lichens are symbiotic relationships between algae and fungi, but her idea was ridiculed by an esteemed botanist. Learning that mycologists didn’t know how to culture fungal spores, she studied spore growth through the microscope for long hours, and in April 1897 submitted a paper, “”The Germination of the Spore of Agaricineae,”" to the Linnean Society. According to John Marsden, present executive secretary of the Society, “”Her paper had to be refereed by two people, one of whom was Sir William Thistleton-Dyer. Although he apparently knew next to nothing about botany, he became the director of Kew Gardens, so was highly respected.”" He scorned her ideas and suggested she should go back to school before trying to teach experts. She withdrew the paper, and it was burned with other papers after her death in 1943. One-hundred years later, a booklet, Flora for Fauna, illustrated with her drawings is being published by the Linnean Society, and their Program of Events for April features a talk by Dr. Roy Watling, FLS, on “”Beatrix Potter as a Mycologist—The Period Before Peter Rabbit and Friends.”" (BULLETIN OF THE PUGET SOUND MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY)
- Look at some of the sketches she drew of mushrooms in her experience on pages 42 and 43 of The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter by Margaret Lane.
The Author
- Discuss the parts of a story. i.e. characters, plot, climax.. etc
- Begin keeping a notebook on the characters in Beatrix Potter’s stories. (Pages should include characters names, descriptions, which book it was found in, and child’s notes/feelings about the character.)
- Discuss the parts of a book. i.e. author, title, dedication, copyright
- (grades 5+) What was the political climate when she wrote The Tale of Peter Rabbit? Do you think it influenced her writing? See timeline for general information. Have the child do some brief research and write a short essay.
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit began as a letter to a little boy. Teach the parts of a friendly letter. Write a friendly letter to a relative and be sure to mail it!.
- Jesus was the Master Storyteller (Luke 8:10) Read one of his parables:
- Mustard Seed: Mark 4:30-32
- Hidden Treasure: Matthew 13:44
- Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37
- Lost Sheep/Coin: Luke 15:4-10
- Payment of Workers: Matthew 20:1-16
The Artist
- “”As a small child Beatrix discovered she could draw, and used her pencil and paintbox to help her cope with her extreme loneliness. By the time Beatrix was eight her parents recognized that her drawings demonstrated unusual talent and began to encourage her artistic talents. Her earliest drawings were of birds and animals copied from plates in books on natural history. The earliest of Potter’s drawings to have survived go back to the summer of 1875 when Beatrix was nine years old. When Beatrix was twelve, Miss Cameron was hired as her drawing teacher and remained for five years. While the pupil and teacher did not always get along, Beatrix credited Miss Cameron with teaching her freehand, model, perspective and a little water-color flower painting (Taylor, 1986, p.20). In late 1883, Beatrix took twelve expensive painting lessons with an unidentified ‘Mrs. A’ recommended to her parents by Lady Eastlake. The lessons were in oil and figure painting, and she disliked them for she said they were spoiling her for watercolors. Beatrix announced, “”I don’t want lessons, I want practice”" (Hobbs, 1989, p.9). By the end on 1884 the painting question was dropped. From this time on drawing was indulged and not always supervised. Beatrix once said, “”thank goodness my education was neglected and the originality was not rubbed off”" (Hobbs, 1989, p. 8). “” (The Illustrators Project: Helen Beatrix Potter)
- Do some watercolor paintings of plants, animals, etc.
- Research the painting the Last Supper. Read passages on the actual last supper:
- Matthew 26: 26-29
- Mark 4:22-25
- Luke: 22:15-20
Countrywoman
- In 1913 she married William Heelis, stopped writing, and spent the rest of her life raising Herdwick sheep. Read about Herdwick Sheep here. You can see another picture here.
- “”They built up a celebrated flock of Herdwick sheep, a breed of small hardy sheep with course dark wool which is indiginous to the Lake District. Even in the 1920’s they were a breed under threat as more and more farmers bred other breads of sheep with softer fleeces and more productive lambs.”" (Troutbeck Park Farm)
- “”Herdwick sheep yield one of the tenderest, leanest and most distinctively flavoured meats. A free life on the high Lakeland fells and a diet of ling, heather and blaeberry gives Herdwick a taste said to be much different from generic lamb.”" (Herdwick & Lakeland Lamb)
- Do the worksheet Can You Count 10 Sheep? and color.
- Read Revelation 5:12-14. Have the children illustrate the passage.
- And they sang in a mighty chorus: “”The Lamb is worthy – the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”" And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They also sang: “”Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”" And the four living beings said, “”Amen!”" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped God and the Lamb.
- Ask the children if they know who the Lamb is. [Jesus] If they are confused, research the topic with the study helps on Bible Study Tools.
The Stories
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- Read The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.
- Read What Time Is It Peter Rabbit? by Beatrix Potter.
- Began as a letter to Noel Moore on September 4, 1893. It was first published by Beatrix Potter in 1902.
- The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
- Retell the story in your own words and illustrate.
- The Tale of Jemima Puddle-duck
- Look at a map of areas associated with Beatrix Potter’s stories.
- The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
- Each child chooses to plant one type of vegetable, such as carrot, radish, cucumber, tomato or bean. Keep a journal stating what happens to your plant each day.
- The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
- The Tailor of Gloucester
- The Fierce Bad Rabbit
- The Tale of Tom Kitten
- Watch the clip The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck and Tom Kitten.
- Visit The World of Peter Rabbit for more activities.
- Read Revelation 1:3
Where Does God fit in?
- Very little is said of Beatrix Potter’s religious beliefs. While we do not know for certain her place with God, a quote by Beatrix Potter herself seems to sum up her attitude toward God and religion “”All outward forms of religion are almost useless, and are the causes of endless strife. . . . Believe there is a great power silently working all things for good, behave yourself and never mind the rest.“”
- Research what the Bible has to say about “”outward forms of religion”", i.e. the church, pagan religions, etc. (A good Topical reference is necessary for this, or you can visit the website Bible Study Tools.)
- Characteristics of a worthwhile religion: James 1:26-27
- Revelation 2-3 speaks of the conditions of different types of churches. Although they actually existed, these seven are believed to be representations of church conditions throughout the ages, partly due to the fact they were singled out from many churches of their time.
Culmination and Field Trip Ideas
- Character Day!
- Have child choose a character, and dress up as that character.
- Make “”ear headbands”"
- Face Painting: paint a pink nose and some whiskers, or other distinguishing features
- Make a carrot cake.
- Read our Bunny Stories aloud.
- Have child choose a character, and dress up as that character.
- The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction is situated in Bowness-on-Windermere, in the heart of the Lake District in England. For more information ring or fax (015394) 88444
- Get a small notebook for each child and go to a place where you are fairly sure you will see some wildlife. A quiet park or a clearing in a wood is ideal. Let them draw the nature around them. You may also want to let them experiment with watercolor paints, sketches, etc.
- Find a park or beach that needs cleaned up. Clean up the area, separating the aluminum cans from the rest of the trash. Take the cans to a recycling center and donate the monies earned to Beatrix Potter’s favorite charity: The National Trust.
“Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.” Quote by Beatrix Potter
Books
- Beatrix Potter by Alexandra Wallner
- The Country Artist: A Story About Beatrix Potter by David Collins
- Peter Rabbit’s Big Book of Fun Water-Painting, Puzzles, Games, Recipes (World of Peter Rabbit and Friends) by Beatrix Potter, Elizabeth Law
- Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales The 23 Original Peter Rabbit Books & 4 Unpublished Works by Beatrix Potter
- Peter Rabbit’s Natural Foods Cookbook by Arnold Dobrin
- Beatrix Potter What Time Is It Peter Rabbit? by Beatrix Potter
- The Journal of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder
- A History of The Writings of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder
- The Story of Child Labor Laws by Conrad Stein
- The Gate in The Wall by Ellen Howard
- What Makes a Leonardo a Leonardo? by Richard Muhlberger
Magazine Articles
- Storey, Betsy. “”The secret journal of Beatrix Potter.”" Hopscotch (Bluffton News Publishing & Printing Company), April-May 1998, 20.
- Golden, Catherine, Pam Golden, and Rita Speroni. “”Following in Beatrix Potter’s footsteps.”" School Arts, April, 1996, 24. McCracken
- Peck, Robert. “”Beatrix Potter, Scientific Illustrator.”" The Magazine Antiques, June 1996, 868.
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