KS: R & KS1
Year Group: Year 1
Literary Theme: Journeys & Exploration
Author(s): Ken Wilson-Max
This is a Vocabulary Vine for Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max
A Vocabulary Vine is designed to be a sister resource to a Writing Root and Spelling Seed. It sits within our wider Teach Through a Text approach by explicitly identifying vocabulary from the book and providing additional opportunities for paired, small group and whole class experimentation with this vocabulary in context. Vocabulary Vines further complement spelling development too through exploration of the morphology (word structure) and etymology (origins) of words. They also provide oracy opportunities through a focus on talk tasks and on oral sentence construction. They are designed for short burst oral and vocabulary development.
A Writing Root is available for Astro Girl.
Writing in role, commands,‘how to’ guides
Fact file about being an astronaut
15 sessions, 3 weeks
This is a three week Writing Root using Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max. Children arrive in class to discover a backpack that contains several items and deduce that the owner might be an astronaut. They share part of the text before writing in role as Astrid. Then, reading for retrieval, the children read on in the text before 'book-marking' and using the nouns found to create commands in the format of a 'hot to' guide. They collaborate to pose questions and write predictions as responses before reading to the end of the text. Then they re asked to write a simple leaflet about training to be an astronaut, space-travel and other facts and research layout and language feature of this type of writing. The simple leaflets are instantly published and there is planned opportunity for sharing and presenting writing in the final session.
Astrid has always loved the stars and space. "I want to be an astronaut!" she says. While Mama is away, Papa and Astrid have fun acting out the challenges an astronaut faces on a space mission - eating food from a tube, doing science experiments, living and sleeping in near-zero gravity. Astrid can do it all! Then it's time to meet Mama at the airbase. But where has Mama been?
This book has a strong narrative and a message about following your dreams. The main character is a girl with an accomplished working mother and father who is the main caregiver at home. Facts on inclusive astronaut history are included, offering a vision for all children – particularly girls – who dream of pursuing careers in STEM and space travel.
Space, space travel, astronauts, dreaming big, being ambitious no matter your size
Date written: May 2021, Updated: July 2025
View Astro Girl Writing Root
