£5.00 (inc. VAT)
KS: Upper KS2
Year Group: Year 5
Literary Theme: Belonging & Equality
Author(s): Jerdine Nolen
Short/’instant’ non-narrative poem, explanation, dialogue, postcard, letter of advice, description in the form of a letter, recount, narrative poem
Biography
15 sessions, 3 weeks
This is a three-week Writing Root for the book Freedom Bird by Jerdine Nolen, which tells the story of John and Millicent Wheeler, whose parents were sold as enslaved people and who now live and work on Simon Plenty’s North Carolina Plantation. Before being sold, their parents told them stories of how one day their people would fly away to freedom; these are the hopes and dreams that remain alive in their hearts. The sequence of learning begins with children considering the difference between their needs and wants, before going on to research the history of the transatlantic slave trade in America. Children will write in role as the enslaved children, considering their experiences from a first-hand perspective, create dialogue of a conversation between the two siblings and write them a letter of advice to help them through their situation. The Writing Root culminates with children writing a biography of Harriet Tubman, one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad.
There was nothing civil about that war. They should have called it what it was: a big, bad war.
Brother and sister Millicent and John are slaves on Simon Plenty's plantation and have suffered one hurt and heartbreak after another. Their parents had told them old tales of how their ancestors had flown away to freedom just as free and easy as a bird. Millicent and John hold these stories in their hearts long after their parents are gone. "Maybe such a time will come for you," their parents said. Then one day a mysterious bird appears in their lives. The bird transforms them and gives them the courage to set their plan into motion and escape to freedom.
This important book by Jerdine Nolen tells the inspiring story of an enslaved brother and sister who dream their way to freedom. In the tradition of African American folktales, the motif of flying and recurrent theme of freedom are explored. Told in prose reminiscent of oral storytelling, the book provides a context for children to explore the history of transatlantic slavery and humanises the suffering and bravery of people who had no other choice. Providing links to the history and PSHE curriculums, themes of courage, hopes and dreams are also woven throughout.
Slavery, slave trade, freedom, bird, hopes, dreams, flying, courage, hope
Date written: October 2020
A Spelling Seed is available for Freedom Bird.
This is a three-session spelling seed for the book Freedom Bird by Jerdine Nolen. 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.
accompany, desperate, necessary, persuade, prejudice, privilege, sufficient
Words containing the suffix –ate, –ify, – en
Endings which sound like /ʃəl/
View Freedom Bird Spelling Seed
