Overview and Outcomes:

This is a three-week Writing Root for The Legend of Sally Jones by Jakob Wegelius. It would be best placed towards the end of Year 3 or as a transition sequence for Year 4. It uses the illustrated novel to inspire children to write for a range of purposeful reasons, building towards writing their own further adventure for Sally Jones that would follow on from the book. Grammar, spelling and vocabulary are woven throughout with chances for children to apply these in their writing.

Synopsis of Text:

Deep in the African rainforest, in the midst of a tropical storm, a gorilla is born - a gorilla like no other.  This is the story of that gorilla's fantastic voyage across the world, from the Congolese jungle to the grand bazaar of Istanbul, from Borneo to London, Singapore and beyond. The story of a mysterious jewel thief and a sad sailor with a heart of gold. A story of friendship and adventure on the high seas.  This is the story of Sally Jones.

Links:

Conservationism, speciesism, trust, exploration, captivity

Date written: March 2020