Beano is a comic that is about fun, mischief and mayhem. It has always had one rule – rules should be broken - and this attitude means that the new Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules exhibition at Somerset House, in London, will be a show like no other. This resources pack includes an article from The Week Junior magazine, along with a sheet of activities designed to get children thinking, talking and writing about what the story means to them.
Debate
Dennis the Menace might well be popular, but should he ever have been allowed at all? Should we really be promoting the antics of such a disruptive child? Or do you think it is just harmless fun and the vast majority of youngsters already know the difference between right and wrong? Just because we laugh at someone’s poor choices doesn’t mean we will copy them. What do you think?
Writing challenges
Create your own brief cartoon strip about a modern-day Dennis-style character.
Or
Write a recount of a time when you were a bit naughty. (Don’t mention anything that might get you into serious trouble!) Describe what happened in an amusing way and explain what the consequences were.
Investigate
Research five other regular characters from The Beano who are not mentioned in the article. For each one, write a brief pen-portrait of who they were and the sort of trouble they got into.
Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download here.
What is The Week Junior?
The Week Junior magazine looks at current affairs and helps children make sense of the world, provides context and clarity to complex issues, improves general knowledge and encourages discussion and debate.
To find out more about The Week Junior and to download its free resources, please go to schools.theweekjunior.co.uk.