KS: Lower KS2
Year Group: Year 4
Literary Theme: Exploration & Discovery
Author(s): Paul Fleischman
Overview:
This is a three-session spelling seed for the book Weslandia by Paul Fleischman. Below is the coverage from Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum 2014.
Spelling Seeds have been designed to complement Writing Roots by providing weekly, contextualised sequences of sessions for the teaching of spelling that include open-ended investigations and opportunities to practise and apply within meaningful and purposeful contexts, linked (where relevant) to other areas of the curriculum and a suggestion of how to extend the investigation into home learning.
There is a Spelling Seed session for every week of the associated Writing Root.
centuries, guide, history, learn, material, reign, believe, different, interest. popular, exercise, opposite
The /ɪ/ sound spelt y elsewhere than at the end of words
The suffix -ous
A Writing Root is available for Weslandia.
Retelling, character description, book review
Non-chronological report
15 sessions, 3 weeks
This is a three-week Writing Root based around the book Weslandia by Paul Fleischman. It begins with children creating a shelter for their own civilisation, as a hook to create engagement with the text. The first part then continues with children making predictions, describing Wesley’s character and eventually retelling the story in their own words. In the second part, children begin by creating a non-chronological report, published as a brochure for Weslandia itself, using planning models and information from and inferred from the text. In the final part, children create their own civilisation, based on Weslandia. Grammar and spelling objectives are embedded throughout.
Enter the witty, intriguing world of Weslandia! Now that school is over, Wesley needs a summer project. He’s learned that each civilisation needs a staple food crop, so he decides to sow a garden and start his own - civilization, that is. He turns over a plot of earth, and plants begin to grow. They soon tower above him and bear a curious-looking fruit. As Wesley experiments, he finds that the plant will provide food, clothing, shelter, and even recreation. It isn’t long before his neighbors and classmates develop more than an idle curiosity about Wesley - and exactly how he is spending his summer vacation.
This is a picture book which encourages inference and has huge potential for relevant links across the curriculum, including to science, PSHE, DT and geography. It is a short story with a tangible dilemma which children can easily relate to. The story can be used to explore connections to wider society and provides a solid platform for exploring life cycles and conservation.
Bullying, being yourself, difference, civilisations, inner-confidence
Date written: August 2016
View Weslandia Writing RootA Home Learning Branch is available for Weslandia.
This is a Home Learning Branch for Weslandia. These branches are designed to support home learners to access literature-based learning using a selection of books we love from Writing Roots. They include purposeful writing suggestions, links to the wider curriculum so that texts can be used across other subjects, key questions as well as spelling or phonics investigations.
View Weslandia Home Learning Branch
