Overview and Outcomes:

This is a three-week Writing Root using Send for a Superhero by Michael Rosen and Katharine McEwen in which children create their own superheroes and use them to defeat baddies set to destroy their school. During the sequence of learning, they write letters and emails asking for help, create wanted posters, generate character descriptions for their invented superheroes and the create their own version of the Send for the Superhero story.

Synopsis of Text:

It's time for bed and Dad is reading Emily and little Elmer a story... "Danger! Filth and Vacuum, The Terrible Two, are trying to destroy the world!" Who will save the day? Steel Man isn't strong enough; Flying-Through-the-Air-Very-Fast-Man isn't fast enough and Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green-Man isn't big, strong and green enough. Who can help? Clever young Brad 40 has a brilliant idea: he calls on a most unlikely superhero: Incredibly Boring Man, who sends the villains - and everyone else - to sleep! Filth and Vacuum are captured by the army, Brad is a hero, and Dad thinks Emily and Elmer have fallen asleep too. But he's wrong...

Text of Rationale:

This is a fun take on the super-hero, comic genre which will engage children with its colourful style and characters. The fast-paced story provides an ideal opportunity to discuss the attributes of a hero and everyday heroes in our communities. Michael Rosen and Katherine McEwen are both award-winning in their respective fields.

Links and themes:

Superheroes, heroes, heroes in the community, attributes of a hero, villains

Date written: November 2016