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Journey to the Stars: A 8-Week adventure to Write Space Stories
Course Overview
In this exciting 8-week course, children ages 7–12 will explore the galaxy of storytelling as they read, write, illustrate, and create their very own space-themed picture book. Step by step, they'll learn how to bring their cosmic ideas to life—from the first spark of imagination to a fully illustrated story.
By the end of the journey, each child will have the opportunity to publish their very own book with us and proudly become a young author and illustrator!
Target Audience: Children aged 7-12 in the UK.
Class Format: Small-group (8 children max) , live online sessions with a qualified teacher.
Date/Time : Start from 14 Dec 2025 to 1st Feb 2026 | Every Sunday 14:00 - 15:00 ( 60 mins)
Weekly Lesson Plan
Week 1 (Read ) : Launch into Reading - What is a Space Story?
Focus : Introduction to the space genre. Understanding different story types.
Activities:
1. Interactive Read-Aloud: The teacher reads excerpts from two selected space-themed books:
2. Genre Discovery
3. "Inspiration Log" Introduction: Each child starts a digital scrapbook to collect ideas, favourite words, and images.
Week 2 (Read ) : Deconstructing a Story - The SPACE Hero's Journey
· Focus : Analysing story structure.
· Activities:
1. Interactive Read-Aloud: Analyse the simple structure via reading.
2. Story Mapping: As a class, create a story map for the selected book to identify the key elements: Character, Goal, Problem, Solution.
3. Idea Refinement: Children use the story map structure to refine their favourite story idea from Week 1.
Week 3 ( write ) : Creating an Unforgettable Character
· Focus : Character development.
· Activities:
1. Character Workshop: "Meet Your Main Character." Guide children through a worksheet:
2. Write a full character profile and a short scene showing your character in action.
Week 4 ( write ) : Building Your World & Plot
· Focus: Setting and plot development.
· Activities:
1. World-Building: "Design Your Planet." Is it a gas giant with crystal forests? A frozen moon with underground oceans? Use mind maps and descriptive writing.
2. Plotting the Adventure: Using their story map, children outline their plot: What happens first? What is the big problem? How is it solved?
3. Peer Feedback: In small "author circles," children share their plots and give one another "two stars and a wish" (two things they like, one suggestion).
Week 5 ( write ) : The Final Draft & Editing
· Focus : Revision and polishing.
· Activities:
1. Self-Editing: Teach simple editing skills: checking for capital letters, full stops, and exciting vocabulary.
2. Teacher Feedback: The teacher provides live, gentle feedback on each child's draft, focusing on clarity and creativity.
3. Final Touches: Children incorporate feedback and produce a final, polished manuscript, and prepare for illustration.
Week 6 ( Illustrate ) : The Art of Visual Storytelling - Storyboarding
· Focus : Translating words into pictures.
· Activities:
1. Introduction to Storyboarding: The teacher explains how pictures in a book show action, set the mood, and complement the text.
2. Creating a Storyboard: Using a template, children sketch rough drawings for each page of their book. They decide what part of the text goes on each page and what the illustration will show.
3. Style Exploration: Look at different illustration styles (e.g., cartoonish, realistic, watercolour) and discuss how colour can create mood (e.g., cool blues for loneliness, bright yellows for joy).
Week 7 ( Illustrate ) : Final Illustrations & Book Design
· Focus : Creating final artwork and learning book design.
· Activities:
1. Illustration Studio: Children create final illustrations for key scenes in their book. The teacher provides guidance on composition and colour.
2. Book Design 101: Introduce the parts of a book: Front Cover, Title Page, Dedication Page, and "About the Author" page.
3. Design Time: Children start designing their front cover and title page.
Week 8 : The Grand Author Celebration!
Focus : Finalising the book and celebrating achievement.
· Activities:
1. Final Assembly: With teacher support, children upload their final text and illustrations into the Imagimosaic digital book template.
2. The Author's Bio: Each child writes a short, fun biography for their "About the Author" page.
3. The Book Launch Party!: Each child takes turns as the "Author in the Spotlight," sharing their screen to show their finished book and reading one favourite page aloud to the class and any invited family members. They receive enthusiastic applause and a digital "Published Author" badge.