Anchor Text: A Thousand Splendid Suns



Reading Portfolio A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini10th Honors – Multicultural LiteratureMadelyn SchroederTeacher Candidate at Jackson County Comprehensive High Schoolmms12947@uga.eduStrickland LLED 6430December 4, 2019Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Anchor Text: A Thousand Splendid Suns PAGEREF _Toc26370163 \h 3Essential Questions and Supplemental Materials PAGEREF _Toc26370164 \h 4Pre-Reading Strategies PAGEREF _Toc26370165 \h 8Probable Passage (Beers 87) PAGEREF _Toc26370166 \h 8Tea Party (Beers 94) PAGEREF _Toc26370167 \h 13Anticipation Guide (Beers 74) PAGEREF _Toc26370168 \h 18During Reading Strategies PAGEREF _Toc26370169 \h 22Say Something Strategy (Beers 120) PAGEREF _Toc26370170 \h 22Logographs (Beers 130) PAGEREF _Toc26370175 \h 29Bookmarks (Beers 131) PAGEREF _Toc26370177 \h 33After Reading Strategies PAGEREF _Toc26370178 \h 37Semantic Differential Scales (Beers 141) PAGEREF _Toc26370179 \h 37Sketch to Stretch (Beers 171) PAGEREF _Toc26370196 \h 43Most Important Word (Beers 173) PAGEREF _Toc26370211 \h 47Vocabulary Strategy PAGEREF _Toc26370229 \h 51Vocabulary Trees (Beers 188) PAGEREF _Toc26370230 \h 51Discussion Strategy PAGEREF _Toc26370231 \h 56Chalk Talk (Strickland) PAGEREF _Toc26370232 \h 56Anchor Text: A Thousand Splendid SunsA Thousand Splendid Suns is a novel set in Afghanistan amidst thirty years of violence and suffering—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding. It explores concepts of war, fear, hope, and faith through two female protagonists, Laila and Mariam. The novel follows the experiences of these two characters, who eventually are brought together and struggle against war, poverty, abuse, and oppression as they seek family, love and hope in the face of adversity. This novel explores a setting, culture, and experiences that may be unfamiliar to many students, exposing them to a vastly different perspective to inspire reflection on suffering, humanity, the treatment of women, and how we find hope within the hopeless. It is the anchor text for my unit centering on courageous women in world literature to explore women’s oppression and resilience in the face of suffering and adversity. Essential Questions and Supplemental MaterialsHow are women treated in a variety of ways in different societies?What are the historical and social influences surrounding A Thousand Splendid Suns? How do violence and suffering impact who we are as humans? Supplemental Materials: How are women treated in a variety of ways in different societies?I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Christina Lamb and Malala YousafzaiThis novel discusses the life of the young woman named Malala Yousafzai who fought against the limitations placed on women by the Taliban, particularly in terms of education. Malala ultimately was executed for her protests against the oppression of women by the Taliban, and has become a global icon for fighting for women’s rights and education. Her struggle to fight for her freedom within her own society, and her eventual execution is highly reflective of the treatment of women within Afghanistan under the reign of the Taliban, and closely mirrors the struggles of one of the protagonists in A Thousand Splendid Suns, Laila, has with losing her rights to education. This text sheds light not only on the treatment of women within this society, but also exposes students to an important social figure within our society who brought awareness to the oppression and limitations on women and the importance of education. The Color Purple by Alice WalkerThis novel explores the treatment of women within rural, African American communities in the South in the era before the Civil Rights movement. This novel is written in the form of letters, revealing a personal, heart-wrenching perspective on the abuse suffered by women. It features similar topics such as child marriage, abuse, rape, and the oppression of women. This text allows readers to compare and contrast the treatment of women within this society in rural American to the communities within Afghanistan discussed in A Thousand Splendid Suns. It also discusses the power of female friendship and the impacts of poverty, which directly parallel A Thousand Splendid Suns. On the Basis of Sex movie trailer the Basis of Sex (2018) is a film inspired by the true story of how Ruth Bader Ginsberg battled discrimination on the basis of sex to fight for women’s rights. This film discusses the ways the law may limit women within society, and the limitations imposed on women in the United States in fairly recent times. The trailer draws attention to ways in which women fight against discrimination, but also features the struggles endured against systematic, cultural beliefs in the inferiority of women. This relates well to the way A Thousand Splendid Suns features how the law has the power to limit women, and how women find ways to try to combat these injustices. Blood Water Paint by Joy McCulloughThis novel discusses the internal struggles women face in response to the physical atrocity of rape. Particularly, this novel features the concepts of purity and honor related to a woman’s virginity, and how society limits women with these ideas by claiming them as “tainted” after rape. This novel traces a strong female protagonist and how she grapples with these struggles within the oppressive society of the 1600s. This is a young adult novel, providing a relevant, engaging read that draws on similar themes as A Thousand Splendid Suns, but in a vastly different setting and context. What are the historical and social influences surrounding A Thousand Splendid Suns? Children of Kabul BBC Newsround Special short film (24 minutes) dives into the city of Kabul, one of the main settings within A Thousand Splendid Suns. It provides an honest portrayal of what life is truly like in this city that has been thrown into over thirty years of war and strife. The film talks with various citizens of the city as they reflect on what they have lost in these years of war, and how they have overcome the suffering to continue onward. I believe this film—in short clips, if not the full film—allows students to form a visual of the city, the quality of life there, and how the people have grappled with poverty and war in recent years. “The Taliban in Afghanistan” article article gives a comprehensive overview, the rise of the Taliban, how they maintained power, and then how we are still responding and combatting their presence in the Middle East. It is extensive but easy to understand, and provides students with necessary background information to understand the historical context of A Thousand Splendid Suns. This article expands upon the lasting effects of the regime, and how it has influenced the lives of the people in the region. The article also features links to a variety of articles for students to continue to research further into the Taliban and the ongoing violence in the Middle East. “Women’s Rights in Afghanistan” article article also discusses the rise of the Taliban, but focuses particularly on its impacts on women and the freedoms they possess. This article provides a stark contrast of women’s rights before the Taliban, which were progressing, to their limited freedom with the take-over of the Taliban in government. This parallels with Laila’s experience of the drastic shift in her allowed freedom in a few short years after the death of her family and the institution of strict laws limiting the rights of women in A Thousand Splendid Suns. The article features images and clear analysis on the degradation of women’s rights under Taliban rule and the current state of women’s freedom in the region. Persepolis by Marjane SatrapiPersepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. While this graphic novel features a different war and country than A Thousand Splendid Suns, it explores the social context of the oppression of women in many countries in the Middle East and delves into the constructs of society that limit women shared by both Iran and Afghanistan. It also explores the impacts of war on the region and its citizens, particularly women who battle not only loss and poverty but also severe degradation of rights, paralleling well to the experiences of the protagonists in A Thousand Splendid Suns. Centering on a strong female protagonist, this novel reflects many of the historical and social contexts of A Thousand Splendid Suns in an approachable format through beautiful and captivating illustrations. How do violence and suffering impact who we are as humans? “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred OwenThis poem delves into the horrors of war, and the disillusion that comes with real, personal experiences with violence and suffering. It speaks to the ways in which war exposes the brutal capacities of man, and the lie of the claim of the honor and glory found in war. This parallels well with Laila’s experiences with her mother’s perspective on the justice and honor of war after the death of her brothers in A Thousand Splendid Suns. War, violence, and suffering are recurring themes in the novel, and this poem delves into how these ideas still ring true for his experiences in the first World War. Refugee by Alan Gratz This novel explores the impacts of war, violence, and separation in three different contexts. Following three different journeys across three different time periods, this novel focuses on the experiences of refugees as they suffer loss and heartache as they flee from violence. Particularly, this novel focuses on the way suffering can unite people and bring about love in the face of adversity. This novel pairs well with the ways in which characters find love in the face of the violence of war and suffering, and bond together to overcome the obstacles they face in A Thousand Splendid Suns. This novel spans across a variety of time periods and contexts, allowing students to compare the experiences of individuals within war-torn areas. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (Excepts from each section: the hurting, the loving, the breaking, the healing)This book of poetry is written by Rupi Kaur, a writer born in Punjab, India, about her life experiences, featuring her survival of abuse. She grapples with the emotional toll she carries, and how this has impacted her life, the way she experiences the world, and how she continues to grow and evolve as a human. Her poetry is wildly popular, particularly with young adult audiences, and provides a unique portrayal of the experiences of violence and its impact on the human condition. Her poetry relates well to the suffering of both Laila and Mariam in the face of abuse and oppression, and how they both find healing and love through leaning on one another. “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes Recording of Reading Aloud recording features Langston Hughes reading his poem “The Weary Blues” aloud to the rhythm of a Blues song. His poem reflects on the deep-rooted sadness that stems from the generational suffering passed to African Americans from the ages of slavery and their continued suffering under oppression. His poem reflects on the lasting effects of suffering on the human soul, and how pouring this suffering into music is the outlet for a man the narrator has encountered within the poem. This poem forms a bridge to another kind of suffering beyond war, but relates to the pain felt from oppression and lack of freedom. The emotions of loss and pain are most prevalent in this poem, and parallel well with the loss and suffering experienced by both Laila and Mariam. Hearing Hughes’ voice echo the words of this poem will key in readers to the true depth of emotion and its impact on us as humans. Madelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsPre-Reading StrategiesProbable Passage (Beers 87)Benefits of the strategy:The Probable Passage strategy helps to combat passive reading that frequently occurs when students receive a new text. Students jump right in to reading the words on the page, without considering their own prior knowledge or conceptions of topics and ideas addressed in this new text. Probable Passage provides students with the opportunity to taste ideas and key words from a text and make their own predictions for what might happen in the text based on these key words. Students will also pique their curiosity as they outline questions they have yet to discover, stirring excitement to dive into the text to learn the answers to their own questions (and see the accuracy of their predictions). This strategy allows for team work, as students work in groups, and activates prior knowledge in way that allows room for creative predictions and responses. Discussion ensues from the ambiguity of the key words, as students work together to attempt to link these ideas into one cohesive prediction. This strategy encourages students to consider story structure, cause and effect, and theme as students categorize key words and form predictions and questions to discover. This strategy also introduces students to terms and vocabulary they will encounter within the text and encourages inferences on the meaning of unknown words. Drawbacks of the strategy:This strategy requires students to predict what may occur in a text from key words, and some students may become fixated on these predictions in comparison to the actual events that unfold within the text. Some students may become frustrated when their predictions don’t match the actuality of the story. Also, in order for this strategy to be truly effective, the teacher will need to build in time to revisit students’ questions to discover and expand upon the ideas the wanted to explore. Therefore, this strategy requires some pre-planning looking at the larger structure of the unit and may require more than one class period to truly be an effective tool for students to assess what knowledge they have gained after reading a text. Another drawback to this strategy is the reliance on the chosen key words from the text. As a teacher, the words you provide to center this activity on should be carefully chosen, and will require some thought and perusing through the text to find words that stir students curiosity, introduce new concepts and terms, and provide enough known ideas to build upon their prior knowledge. This strategy is highly dependent upon the assortment of key words, so these must be chosen carefully, with purpose, and with enough room for students to creatively discuss and brainstorm. Script:Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this pre-reading strategy. Before we begin reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I would like each of you to read the words within your envelope at your table group. These are all terms and key words that stem from this text. As a group, I would like you to place these terms in the different categories at the top of the sheet you picked up at the beginning of class based on what you know about these categories and what the words in the envelope mean to you. There is a category for characters, setting, problems, outcomes, and words you don’t know the meaning of. Remember, you can only put words in the Unknown category if you are unsure of its meaning, not just unsure what category it should go into. Each word must end up in a category. Then, I would like you all to discuss a prediction you have for this text and write that in the gist statement. Your prediction should include at least seven of the key words to guide what you think may happen in this text. Are there any questions? (Answer any possible questions). Finally, after you have predicted what will happen, write at least three questions you have after looking at these key terms. These can be questions about your predictions, things you’d like to discover and explore further, or even questions about how these terms relate together. If you have more than three questions to explore, feel free to write those on the back of your sheet. Alright, you have fifteen minutes to look at the words and divide them into the categories. Go for it!Alright, as a class let’s discuss where we placed these words. (Take responses from the class and place them in categories you have drawn on the board to match their handouts. Remember to emphasize there is no right or wrong category for each word to belong in). So, it looks like we have quite a few different directions our predictions could go in. Let’s hear some of your predictions from the text. (Take some of the predictions from various groups). Wow! There’s a lot of different ideas about what might happen in this text! Before we dive in, let’s brainstorm and share some of the things we want to discover! Let’s hear some of the things you’d like to explore and find out. (Take some of the questions to discover and write them on the board and encourage students to add questions that resonate with them to their own lists). Alright guys, now that we have looked at some of the key words and thought about what might happen in this story, let’s dive into the actual text itself. Everyone please get out your copies of A Thousand Splendid Suns. Materials: 1. List of Key Words (to be printed, cut into individual words, and placed in an envelope for each group of students)Harami WarFamilyImportant-looking linesMariam Afghanistan Control Forbidden ResilienceMan’s accusing fingerAdapt AzizaFreedom Qanoon 2. Probable Passage Handout (see next page)Probable Passage HandoutName___________________________________________________ Date_________________Title of Literature: _____________________________________________________________CharactersSettingProblemsOutcomesUnknown WordsGist statement: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________To discover:Probable Passage Handout Student SampleName ___Student Sample_________________________________ Date___Spring 2020___Title of Literature: _________A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini______________CharactersSettingProblemsMiriam Afghanistan Aziza WarControlFamilyMan’s Accusing FingerForbidden OutcomesUnknown WordsFreedomAdaptImportant-looking linesResilience Harami QanoonGist statement: A girl named Miriam is living in war-zone. She is afraid for her family, and must take control of her fate by crossing the border into a safer territory, a forbidden act by the government in control. She crosses this important-looking line, and reaches freedom. To discover:Why is Miriam the one who has to take charge?What is the war over and who is fighting?Who is Man’s accusing finger? Who is being accused of what? Madelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsPre-Reading StrategiesTea Party (Beers 94)Benefits of the Strategy: The Tea Party strategy allows students to actively participate with quotes from the text before they read it, and encourages discussion among students. This strategy involves each student receiving a quote from the text, and then working in small groups to construct a “We Think” statement based on their predictions for the text that they infer from their discussions with one another regarding their quotes. This strategy encourages students to work together, and to stretch their skills of inferencing and using context clues within small pieces of text. The Tea party strategy also involves movement throughout a classroom, giving students the opportunity to speak to students they may not sit beside and challenge the expected paradigm of sitting quietly at a desk. Ultimately, this strategy introduces students to the language of the text before they begin reading, encourages teamwork and discussion among students, and require them to think deeply to construct predictions for the text. Drawbacks of the Strategy:This strategy requires students to converse with one another across the classroom. If your classroom has been specially organized to accommodate for reading ability, personal conflicts among students, or to balance dominating voices, this strategy may disrupt the boundaries constructed to ensure all students are prepared to learn. This strategy may require some tweaks (such as color coding and structuring to allow time for students to decode vocabulary and the sentence structure) to accommodate striving readers. This strategy also requires the instructor to monitor many simultaneous discussions, making sure they stay focused on the students’ quotes and crafting predictions. For some classes, this may require more active monitoring from the instructor and may require some re-structuring of the time allotments in order to keep students engaged and on task. Additionally, this strategy is highly dependent on the quotes chosen by the instructor to be intriguing enough to pique students’ curiosity, but also vague enough to allow students room to construct predictions and make inferences. The educator must be prepared to spend some time immersed in the text to find thought-provoking quotes to plan to implement the strategy. Script:Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this pre-reading strategy. Before we begin reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I want everyone to read the quote on the card they received when they walked into the room. Does everyone have a card? (Teacher passes out cards to any student who did not receive one). Alright, on your card is a quote from the novel, so first read your own and see what you notice. What kind you infer based on the quote you have? What do you think this novel might be about? Alright, in a few moments I am going to set a timer to 12 minutes. Once I start the timer, I want all of you to rise from your seats and circulate the room. Read your quotes aloud to one another, and discuss what you see within each other’s quotes. Compare and contrast what you discover among these quotes. I want you all to try to speak with as many people as you can, and move beyond your table group. Are there any questions? (Students may ask for clarification on what they should be discussing with each other. Teacher will answer that they should pay attention to what they can predict the text is about based on these quotes). Alright, let’s start circulating around the room. (Teacher starts timer).(Teacher will circulate around the room, allowing students to have their own student-led discussions. Teacher will intervene with prodding questions such as “what does that tell you about the text?” or “what can you predict about that using context clues?” when students begin to become off task. Teacher will also encourage students to move to a new partner if they have been with one person for too long and the conversation has become repetitive and unproductive). Alright everyone, now I would like you to work in groups of four or five and share your cards with everyone in the group. Discuss what you each heard and what the cards in front of you say. Then, I would like for you all the construct one paragraph for your group that begins with “We think…” that briefly describes what your group thinks this text is all about. Use your skills of predicting and using context clues to help you craft this statement. Are there any questions? Alright, find your group and start discussing! (Teacher will again circulate, listening and redirecting groups that are off-task and assisting groups who begin to feel defeated by the lack of information within the quotes. Teacher will guide these groups to discover what they know from the quotes). (Teacher will allow students to discuss and construct their We Think statements for about 10 minutes). Alright class, now that we have written down what we are thinking what this text might be all about, let’s open A Thousand Splendid Suns and dive in. Materials:List of Quotes/Phrases (about half has many has you have students, place on cards for each student) Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a womanAll Mariam can hear are Nana’s last words, “I’ll die if you go. I’ll just die.”“Even your own sons going to war. How I pleaded with you. But you buried your nose in those cursed books and let our sons go like they were a pair of haramis.” The women in this part of Kabul were a different breed from the women in the poorer neighborhoods—like the one where she and Rasheed lived, where so many of the women covered fully.When the money ran out, hunger began to cast a pall over their lives. It was stunning to Mariam how quickly alleviating hunger became the crux of their existence.To me, it's nonsense—and very dangerous nonsense at that—all this talk of I'm a Tajik and you're a Pashtun and he's Hazara and she's Uzbek. We're all Afghans, and that's all that should matter.This, she thought, was Ahmad and Noor's Afghanistan. This, here in the provinces, was where the war was being fought, after all. Not in Kabul. Kabul was largely at peace.She pictured herself in a classroom with other girls her age. Mariam longed to place a ruler on a page and draw important-looking lines.A society has no chance at success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance.There, men saw it as an insult to their centuries-old tradition, Babi said, to be told by the government—and a godless one at that—that their daughters had to leave home, attend school, and work alongside men.The streets became so unsafe that Babi did an unthinkable thing: He had Laila drop out of school.Her time with Tariq's family always felt natural to Laila, effortless, uncomplicated by […] the personal spites and grudges that infected the air at her own home."It's a matter of qanoon, hamshira, a matter of law," Rahman said, injecting his voice with a grave, self-important tone. "It is my responsibility, you see, to maintain order."Treacherous daughters did not deserve to be mothers, and this was just a punishment. Tea Party Student Sample Group of Five’s Collection of Quotes:"It's a matter of qanoon, hamshira, a matter of law," Rahman said, injecting his voice with a grave, self-important tone. "It is my responsibility, you see, to maintain order."A society has no chance at success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance.All Mariam can hear are Nana’s last words, “I’ll die if you go. I’ll just die.”When the money ran out, hunger began to cast a pall over their lives. It was stunning to Mariam how quickly alleviating hunger became the crux of their existence.The streets became so unsafe that Babi did an unthinkable thing: He had Laila drop out of school.Students’ “We Think” Statement:We think…that there is a war going on, and that there isn’t enough food for everyone. We think that Laila is a young girl and Mariam is her mom. It seems like Rahman is in charge, maybe a military leader, who is trying to keep peace. It seems like people are starving and dying. Madelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsPre-Reading StrategiesAnticipation Guide (Beers 74)Benefits of the Strategy:The Anticipation Guide strategy allows students to engage their curiosity before they read a text, a curiosity that many students have lost when it comes to reading; this strategy is an opportunity to revive that curiosity and stir interest before students approach a text. This strategy focuses on the larger themes and topics discussed within a text, and allows for fodder to return to frequently when students begin reading a text. Anticipation guides allow students to make personal connections to a text and actively participate before they dive into the text itself. This strategy helps to demystify a text, making the text more approachable and allowing students to think deeply about their personal experiences to larger themes before they encounter them in the framework of the text. This strategy provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their own beliefs, and practice how to discuss respectfully on topics they may feel strongly toward. This strategy ultimately is not aimed to change students’ minds, but to encourage them to think deeply and to bring issues to awareness. Students will have the opportunity to discuss with one another their thinking before they engage with a text. With an anticipation guide, students can explore what they already think, anticipate what they might discover within the text, and be prepared to connect these two ideas. Drawbacks of the Strategy:This strategy allows students to reflect on their own thoughts and opinions on thought-provoking issues, but this also opens the opportunity for certain voices to dominate others’. This strategy could provide the opportunity for some opinionated students to passionately defend their opinions in ways that may not be respectful or conducive of open, considerate dialogue. Educators must be prepared to combat dominating and/or disrespectful conversation with the introduction of an anticipation guide, and some class dynamics may be more prone to these heightened conversations. This strategy also requires an educator to carefully word statements so that they require hard thought and are not quickly answerable; students should need to think and reflect before making a definitive answer. Script: Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this pre-reading strategy. Before we begin reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, we are going to look at some of the larger themes and issues this text will cover. Each of you picked up a hand-out when you first walked in titled “Anticipation Guide.” For the first eight minutes, I want you to complete this guide on your own. Fill in “agree” or “disagree” in the Before Reading column for each of the statements. After you each complete this individually, you’ll have the opportunity to talk in your small groups about your choices. Remember, we set up our guidelines for respectful discussion at the beginning of the year and those guidelines still apply today. Are there any questions? (Students may ask if they can write kind of agree in the blank. Teacher will respond that for this exercise, students must make a choice between agree and disagree). Alright, timer is rolling, go ahead and complete this individually. (Teacher starts 8 minute timer). (Teacher will circulate while students complete the guide individually.)Alright everyone, now I want you to discuss within your small group of four your responses. (Teacher will circulate while students discuss. Teacher will try to allow discussion to remain student-led, but will intervene if discussion seems dominated by one voice or if discussion is off task). Alright everyone, were there any statements that were particularly hard for you to make a decision on? (Students will share one of the statements they found challenging). Did you settle on agree or disagree for that statement? (Student will respond.) How did you come to that decision, what was your thinking there? (Student will share their thought-process. Other students may chime in with agreement or disagreement. Teacher will guide this discussion, monitoring that it remains respectful for all students). All of these ideas will be brought up as we A Thousand Splendid Suns, and we will come back to this Anticipation guide after we read the text to see how the text aligns with some of these themes. So please hang on to this sheet and continue reflecting on these statements as we move through the text. MaterialsAnticipation Guide Handout (see below)Name__________________________________________________________ Date__________A Thousand Splendid Suns Anticipation Guide Read each statement and write “Agree” in the blank if you believe the statement and could support it or write “Disagree” if you don’t believe in the statement and couldn’t support it. After you complete your responses, you will have the opportunity to discuss with your peers. We will revisit this guide after we have read A Thousand Splendid Suns. Before Reading____________________________________________________After Reading __________________ Killing another human being can be justified. _________________________________ A government has the right to ban religious symbols. _________________________The law should determine at what age a person is ready to be married.____________________________ Home is where the heart is. ___________________________________War is worth the cost of human life if it is for a good cause.________________________ Loyalty to family is more important than loyalty to the greater good. ________________________The way a woman acts reflects on the reputation of her husband.______________________Education for all is of upmost importance for the success of a society. ___________Name __________________ Student Sample__________________________ Date__________A Thousand Splendid Suns Anticipation Guide Read each statement and write “Agree” in the blank if you believe the statement and could support it or write “Disagree” if you don’t believe in the statement and couldn’t support it. After you complete your responses, you will have the opportunity to discuss with your peers. We will revisit this guide after we have read A Thousand Splendid Suns. Before Reading____________________________________________________After Reading __Agree_________ Killing another human being can be justified. _____Agree________Disagree____ A government has the right to ban religious symbols. ____Disagree______Disagree__ The law should determine at what age a person is ready to be married. __Agree_____Agree_____________ Death is an appropriate punishment for murder. ____Disagree_________Agree_______ War is worth the cost of human life if it is for a good cause. ___Disagree______Agree__ Loyalty to family is more important than loyalty to the greater good. ___Disagree_____Agree_____ The way a woman acts reflects on the reputation of her husband. ___Disagree____Disagree_ Education for all is of upmost importance for the success of a society. __Agree____Madelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsDuring Reading StrategiesSay Something Strategy (Beers 120)Benefits of the Strategy:The Say Something strategy is a practice that entails students reading in small groups. As students read together, they pause occasionally to think aloud about connections they are making, images they are creating, problems with understanding they are encountering, and questions they may have as they move through a text. The frequency of these pauses can be adjusted depending on the class level, text difficulty, and can even be differentiated among reading level groups if that would encourage reader motivation and achievement within the classroom. It is a strategy that easy to accommodate for a variety of readers simultaneously. At the end of using this strategy, particularly after using this strategy with a variety of texts, there is an excellent opportunity to have students reflect on how pausing to think and respond to a text has benefitted their lives as readers and their reading habits. This strategy opens the conversation of reading habits, how to improve them, and how we become more active readers. While this strategy might entail students pausing and writing down their responses in its first implementation, eventually the goal of this strategy is to instill the practice of actively engaging, responding, and reflecting while reading within readers as a natural part of their reading life. This strategy helps move a text away from a passive, flat piece of writing into a work that incites thought and discussion. This strategy also promotes the practice of dialogue regarding a text as they share thoughts and opinions in small groups, which prepares students for larger discussions on the complexity of a text. Working in small groups practicing discussing aloud thoughts and connections helps them practice talking about a text in a focused, direct manner that will help prepare them for larger discussions such as Socratic seminars. Drawbacks of the Strategy:Before sending students into their reading, this strategy must requires modelling by an educator. The educator must frame this strategy as a way to truly stop and think about we are reading. If the educator is not diligently ensuring students are engaging with a text in meaningful ways, it is easy for students to fall into the trap of responding with simple, surface-level comments without truly connecting to the text. Also, this strategy requires frequent pausing that can be frustrating for some readers. The assignment of small groups must be carefully considered, as students who read far faster may become frustrated if they read with group members who are moving significantly more slowly. This strategy requires frequent reminders and modelling of what active, engaged reading looks like, and may require the presentation of starter sentences to direct student thought in a productive, meaningful direction. Script: Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this During Reading Strategy. Now that we have read the first chapter of A Thousand Splendid Suns, I want us to spend some time focused on reading actively, engaging with the text and talking through the ways it makes us think and respond. So, I have here on the Smart Board the first page of Chapter 2 of A Thousand Splendid Suns. I am going to read these aloud to you all, and pause to give myself to share with you all what I am thinking as I am reading through this piece of text. (Teacher begins reading aloud until the third sentence). Here, I am taking a moment to pause and think about this opening dialogue. I had no idea what a “pokeroot” or a mugwort” was when I read those words, but Nana tells Mariam what these mean. Now I see that Nana felt like a nuisance and meaningless to Jalil and his wives, and is now telling Mariam this is how they see her too. I am jotting these notes down here on the side by the text as I read. Let’s keep going. (Teacher continues to read until the sentence that begins “She said she wanted to live…”) Okay, I am going to pause here again and give myself a chance to respond to what I’ve learned about these characters. I have learned that Jalil’s wives despise Nana, and that Jalil allows them to treat her poorly but continues to take care of her because she has Maraim. Did anyone notice anything else in this section of text? (Allow for students to respond). I also learn that Nana is more prideful than I thought she was, and cares about her reputation. I know this because she wanted to live far removed from the judgement of others. Now, I am going to predict that Jalil’s wives may come to be a hinderance on Mariam’s success. I’m just going to write down these thoughts as bullet points here in the margins, but if I was in a copy of my own book I would use a sticky note to give me some more room. So you guys can see, these pauses do not have to be long or drawn out, and I make sure I am sharing aloud my thoughts before I jot them down as a bullet point. As I am reading, I am taking pauses to give myself the chance to reflect on what I’ve read. Now, I want you guys to look on the screen to find the partner you will be working with today. In a moment, you will move to be seated with your partner. At each table you will find a pack of sticky notes. You will take turns reading aloud with one another throughout chapter 2 and 3. At the end of each page, I want you to each pause and respond to what you have read using one of the sentence starters on the handout you picked up at the beginning of class. Each of you should respond to one another’s thoughts on the text, and then jot down your sentence beginning with a sentence starter on a sticky note and place it on the page. The goal here is to actively engage with the text, to take the time to pause and really think about what we are reading. If you want to pause and respond more frequently than at the end of every page, go for it! Are there any questions? (Students may ask about how much they need to write on the sticky note. I will respond that they need at least one full sentence—with or without the sentence starters if they choose—and can write the rest of their thoughts as bullet points). Alright everyone, let’s get reading! (Students read together in pairs, teacher circulates, listens to the short discussions, and interjects to probe for deeper thinking when necessary)Alright class, we have about three minutes left of class. I am going to give you each an index card. I want you to choose one of your sticky notes that you felt you had a revelation, a prediction, or a thought that really struck you. Write this down on the index card and give it to me as you exit the room. I can’t wait to read some of the amazing thoughts and connections you guys made today! Materials:Copies of A Thousand Splendid Suns for each student (reading Chapter 2-3 for this strategy) Handout of Say Something Sentence Starters (see below)Sticky note packsSmart board/projector onto whiteboardSay Something Sentence StartersMake a Prediction* I predict that...* I bet that...* Since ___ happened, I bet ___ will happen* I wonder if...3324803203373Make a Connection* This reminds me of...* This part is like...* The differences are...* This character ___ is like ___ because...* I also/never (name something that happened in the book)...* This character makes me think of...* This setting reminds me of...00Make a Connection* This reminds me of...* This part is like...* The differences are...* This character ___ is like ___ because...* I also/never (name something that happened in the book)...* This character makes me think of...* This setting reminds me of...Ask a Question* What’s this part about...* Why did...* How is ___ like this ___...* Why...* What would happen if...* Who is...* What does this section mean...* Do you think that...Clarify Something* Now I understand...* This makes sense now...* While I see your point, I think it means...* I agree with you. This means...* At first I thought___, but now I think...Make a Comment* This is good because...* This is confusing because...* I like/don’t like the part where...* My favorite part so far is...* I have observed so far that...The Main Idea, 2009Student SampleMadelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid Suns During Reading StrategiesLogographs (Beers 130)Benefits of the Strategy:This strategy allows students to say weighty, high-quality analysis with precision, ease, and little space. Each logograph corresponds to an idea or literary element, and can be placed on sticky notes or written in the margins of a text so that students can quickly—but effectively—interact with a text in an active way. Logographs are also designed by each individual student, so the symbols strike meaning for each reader. These logographs can also be a helpful tool for students to track their most common thoughts while reading, such as the amount attention an author devotes to describing setting, the frequency of conflict, or how often the reader finds themselves confused or asking questions within a text. Logographs are an expansion on annotating, and help students to move actively engage with a text without the longer periods of pause that accompany heavy annotation. These logographs become markers for students to signify the directions a text is taking and to reflect on their own thinking process as they read. This strategy is ultimately a personalized form of annotation that allows students to insert their own thinking into a text and track the way a text is structured and moves through literary elements. This strategy is also an interesting way to check to see what aspects students are noticing and what they might have missed, and can easily lead into a class discussion if the teacher wishes to feature one or more elements (perhaps by asking questions such as “did anyone mark with a logograph an instance of foreshadowing?”). Drawbacks of the Strategy:Logographs require students to create a visual key for the symbols they have chosen to represent a variety of literary elements, and students may run into the problem of having too many symbols or too complex symbols that they are constantly checking back at their key to find the logograph they are looking for to insert into the text. This interrupts their reading and the momentum they have gained while reading, and may also insert some frustration within the reading experience for some readers. Adding more frustration into reading, especially for already struggling readers, may decrease the amount of students who continue to read and interact with a text. Also, because these logographs are visual representations, some students may resist the strategy with a claim of their lack of artistic ability, while others may construct such detailed symbols that they are impractical for quick and meaningful use while reading. Educators will need to be prepared to emphasize the priority of usefulness for these symbols—they need not be masterpieces of art and should simply be a way of identifying literary elements within a text. Script: (this strategy will be used after students are introduced to the first two chapters of the novel and then for the remainder of the novel). Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this During Reading Strategy. Alright everyone, now that we are familiar with the first two chapters of this text and have a feel for how this novel is written, we are going to construct logographs to help us actively engage with the text while we read to ensure we are understanding and reflecting on the text as we read through it. Logographs are symbols to represent larger ideas, and for our purposes these larger ideas will be literary elements. You will each design your own logographs so that each symbol has meaning for you and create a master key to use while you are reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. You will craft 10 logographs to use in addition to your annotations that you make as you read. Let’s look at an example real fast just to give you an idea of what these symbols should look like. (Teacher places example from Beers on the projector). So, as you guys can see, these aren’t super complex drawings. The purpose for these is for them to be quick visuals so that you guys can track the directions the text is moving in and your own thoughts as you read. The important thing when you are creating this symbols is that they have meaning to you, but they shouldn’t be so detailed that you can’t create the symbol rather quickly. Are there any questions? Alright everyone, please take one of the graphic organizers sitting on your table and begin crafting your own logographs for the each of the ten literary elements listed at the top of the sheet! (Students begin completing their logographs while teacher circulates and assists when necessary. Teacher should be sure to encourage students to craft logographs that easily and quickly convey the literary element). Materials:Copies of A Thousand Splendid Suns Logograph example from Beers pg 130Logograph Graphic Organizer (see below) Name_____________________________________________________________ Period______A Thousand Splendid Suns Logograph Graphic OrganizerCreate a logograph to represent each of the following literary elements:SettingConfusion and Questioning – be sure to specify what questions you have when you use this logographConnection Idea – be sure to specify what idea you have when you use this logographProtagonist Antagonist ConflictForeshadowingDescription or ImagerySuspense LogographWhat it representsName _________Student Sample____________________________________ Period______A Thousand Splendid Suns Logograph Graphic OrganizerCreate a logograph to represent each of the following literary elements:SettingConfusion and Questioning – be sure to specify what questions you have when you use this logographConnection Idea – be sure to specify what idea you have when you use this logographProtagonist Antagonist ConflictForeshadowingDescription or ImagerySuspense LogographWhat it representsSettingQuestioningConnection IdeaProtagonistAntagonistConflictSuspenseDescriptionsForeshadowingMadelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid Suns During Reading StrategiesBookmarks (Beers 131)Benefits of the Strategy: This strategy allows students to take an active part in their reading, selecting quotes that speak to them and relate to the topic of the bookmark. There is a wide variety of topics each bookmark can feature, so this strategy can be adapted an infinite amount of ways to draw students’ attention to various aspects of a text. This strategy allows students choice within the quotes they choose, but guides them to track certain elements within the text. With a longer texts, multiple bookmarks can be used or multiple bookmarks of the same topic. These bookmarks are also excellent tools to prompt small group discussion, especially if small groups are formed and each member receives a different bookmark to focus on one aspect of the text. Bookmarks are portable and reside within the books themselves, keeping this task centered on completion while students are reading, immersed within the text. Bookmarks allow students to keep track of what they notice as they read in way that is personal and has few guidelines, allowing students really run with a task that is straightforward and fairly unlimited. Students are free to explore what interests them and what catches their attention as they move through a text. Drawbacks of the Strategy: This strategy has few limits or guidelines—which is part of why it is so effective—but also can overwhelm some students who have become reliant on strict guidelines to structure their assignments. Educators should be prepared to provide encouragement and praise for students who will crave more straightforward guidelines to their bookmarks. Also, the bookmark is fairly small, so by design space is fairly limited for students to expand upon their thoughts. For each quote students select, there is fairly limited space for students to really dig into what they think or feel in depth. Also, because these slips of paper are small, students may be prone to losing their bookmarks and therefore losing any of the progress they have made as they have read through the novel (or section of the novel). While the bookmarks are portable and move with the reader as they read, this also opens up for opportunities for that paper to become lost in the shuffle and not allow students the space to explore their thoughts in depth. Script: (this strategy should be introduced early into the novel, and maintained throughout the novel as a consistent way for students to interact with the text as they read). Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this During Reading Strategy. Hey guys! Now that we have read the three chapters of A Thousand Splendid Suns, we are going to each work choose a topic to pay attention to as we read, and place these thoughts on a bookmark as we read. Each bookmark has six slots for you to mark phrases and words that stick out to you and a space for you to write your thoughts. Here’s an example of one student’s completed bookmark (teacher shares on the projector one example of a completed bookmark from Beers 131). There are lots of different options for topics that might interest you! (Teacher projects the list of options on the projector). The first option is called “Mark My Words.” You will record interesting or unusual words you encounter while reading with this bookmark. The next option is called “Marking Time” where you will record how the setting changes as we read. Next we have the “Question Mark” bookmark where you will record questions you have as you read. There’s also the “Mark Who” bookmark where you focus on one character as you read and record words and phrases that stuck out to you. You’ll have the opportunity to try out many of these bookmarks, so just choose the one that seems most interesting to you at the moment. You are going to fill up this bookmark for the next five chapters of the novel, and then you will have a chance to discuss your findings within your table groups. So for this first bookmark, you will select quotes from chapters 3-8. Are there any questions? (Students may ask if they need to write in complete sentences. Teacher will respond that short phrases are acceptable, as long as they are thorough and reflect your thoughts on each quote). Alright once you have read through these options, write on the top of your bookmark the title of the choice of topic you have chosen to track as you read. Once you have done this, go ahead and start reading the beginning of chapter two as we dive back into the novel. Materials:Copies of A Thousand Splendid SunsCompleted Bookmark example from Beers pg 131Bookmark template for each student (see below)Bookmark TemplateTopic to Trace:__________________Title of Text: ____________________Author: ________________________Word/phrase: ___________________Pg # _________ Thoughts:Word/phrase: ___________________Pg # _________ Thoughts:Word/phrase: ___________________Pg # _________ Thoughts:Word/phrase: ___________________Pg # _________ Thoughts:Word/phrase: ___________________Pg # _________ Thoughts:Word/phrase: ___________________Pg # _________ Thoughts:Student Sample (would be handwritten not typed)Topic to Trace: Mark Who? MariamTitle of Text: A Thousand Splendid SunsAuthor: Khaled HosseiniWord/phrase: __queen__________Pg # ___24______ Thoughts:Mariam feels like such a queen because of the pendant Jalil gives her. He gives her a lot of gifts.Word/phrase: ___daughter_______Pg # ___27______ Thoughts:Mariam so desperately wishes her father would claim her as his daughter and not keep her hidden away. Word/phrase: ____cinema__Pg # __28_______ Thoughts:Mariam’s only wish for her birthday is to get to experience the pleasure of a movie in her father’s theatre Word/phrase: _____blackness_____Pg # ____40_____ Thoughts:Mariam is consumed with a darkness as she grieves for her mother and is exiled to the small room by her father and his wives. Word/phrase: _fifteen__________Pg # ____47_____ Thoughts:Mariam is 15 and Jalil’s wives want to marry her off. But this age is too young for their own daughters. She is so young to be married. Word/phrase: ____jerked________Pg # _____55____ Thoughts:Mariam has just been jerked from her whole life and thrust into this whole new life. She’s a wife now to a guy who is a lot older than her and leaving everything she’s ever known. Madelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsAfter Reading StrategiesSemantic Differential Scales (Beers 141)Benefits of the Strategy:This strategy allows students to focus on characters and their development throughout a text. This is a particularly useful tool to track how a character shifts and changes due the events within a piece of writing. The focus of this strategy is not on correct or accurate answers, but rather on students defending their stance on why they make a particular choice in regards to a certain character. This strategy helps distance students away from “right” or “correct” answers and emphasizes the use of evidence from a text to support an educated opinion. This strategy gives students the opportunity to discuss their ideas and opinions among their peers, and defend how much (or how little) a character has changed. By design, this strategy encourages readers to discuss the events within the text that have shaped a character’s personality traits, and ultimately reflect on how the text is portraying an array of characters. The answers to these scales, at the end of the day, stem from the text but are sourced from students’ own minds. These responses encourage students to not only discuss their reasoning, but also make inferences, draw conclusions, and connect personally to the text. This strategy can also be adapted to include a heavier written portion rather than discussion, making it an easily adaptable strategy for a variety of texts and class dynamics. Drawbacks of the Strategy:This strategy involves some written elements such as the placement of a marker on the scale, but is ultimately discussion based (unless adapted to include a more substantial written element). Educators should be prepared to develop their own system for assessing the quality of discussion among small groups as students discuss their choices. This may pose a challenge for some classes, depending on class size and student personalities, as the teacher will need to be actively circulating and listening throughout the strategy. Also, the number of items within the scale is vastly important, as too many may overwhelm striving readers and too few may bore more active readers. An educator must choose an appropriate number (between 4 and 6) items that are engaging, thought-provoking, and do not have a clear-cut answer; the objective is to inspire discussion and reflection on a character’s progress. This strategy also does not include an obvious way to track that students are citing evidence from the text, personal experience, or prior knowledge, and may need to be adapted by the educator to ensure students are using these sources to support their choices. Script: Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this pre-reading strategy. Alright everyone, now that we have finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, we are going to take some time to assess how the characters have changed from the beginning to the end of the novel. I want you all to look at the sheet you picked up when you came into the room today. For each of the major characters in the novel, there is a scale with two opposite traits on either end. For each scale, I want you to reflect on how the character acted in the beginning of the novel, and draw a circle on the scale to represent where you believe that character fell on that spectrum of personality traits. You can place your marker all the way on each side, or anywhere in the middle region—where ever you feel that character’s personality falls. Consider evidence from the text that supports your choice, and jot down a few bullet points on your reasoning. Then, I want you to reflect on how the character changed throughout the story, and use a triangle to mark where you believe that characters falls on the spectrum by the end of the novel. Again, consider what actions or thoughts your character has within the text that support your choice, and jot down some bullet point notes. There are no right or wrong answers here as long as you support your reasoning with evidence from the novel, your personal experiences, or prior knowledge. I am going to place ten minutes on the timer, and I want you all to work through this individually first. Then, once the timer goes off, you will have the opportunity to discuss with your small groups the choices you made. Are there any questions? (students may ask if their notes need to be in complete sentences or if they need to cite the book. Teacher will answer that the notes can be phrases and bullet points. Notes should be specific to the events within the novel to help them discuss their reasoning, but do not need a parenthetical citation). Alright, let’s get going!(Students begin working individually on the scales for 10 minutes. Teacher circulates and answers any questions about the assignment, but is careful to not provide students with answers to where characters fall on the scales—that is up for the students to think and reflect about to come to a decision). Alright, time is up! If you need to complete a few more of the scales as we start this discussion, that is alright. In each of your small groups of four, discuss what changes you saw in each character from the beginning of the novel to the end, where you placed each marker on the scale, and why you placed them there. Remember to discuss respectfully, and there are no right or wrong answers. Go for it! (Teacher will circulate as students discuss. Teacher may have to reign in discussions that become off task, unproductive, or highly critical of some student’s opinions). Materials:A Thousand Splendid Suns Semantic Differential Scales Handout (see below) Name__________________________________________________________ Period_________A Thousand Splendid Suns Semantic Differential Scales HandoutMariam is…637308182765CowardlyBraveNotes:Mariam is…637308182765ResentfulLovingNotes:Laila is…637308182765Bold Shy Notes:Laila is…637308182765DependentIndependentNotes:Rasheed is…637308182765KindCruel Notes:Rasheed is…637308182765ForgivingVindictive Notes:Name ______Student Sample______________________________________ Period_________ A Thousand Splendid Suns Semantic Differential Scales HandoutMaraim is…4479232364842438400128905637308182765CowardlyBraveNotes:In the beginning- Mariam is afraid to leave her mother, but chooses the journey out of the hut to see the cityIn the end – Mariam dies in order to protect Laila and the children, and is brave enough to murder RasheedMaraim is…4414577356760166254511320300637308182765ResentfulLovingNotes: In the beginning- Maraim resents her mother for being so cruel and then her father for marrying her off. She then resents Laila when she first marries RasheedIn the end- Maraim learns to love the children of the home and embrace LailaLaila is…29002196892713485096026700637308182765Loud Silenced Notes: In the beginning- Laila was raised to believe she was equal to men and could have a say. She voiced her opinionIn the end- Laila had to learn how to make some sacrifices in order to survive and not always say what she thought. But she ended up with Tariq and could speak her mindLaila is…360189372275041009467296700637308182765DependentIndependentNotes:In the beginning – Laila was very independent and educated because her family believed in her educationIn the end- after being dominated by Rasheed, she still ends up with Tariq working to help others with her independence Rasheed is…46917843221113856857423700637308182765KindCruel Notes: In the beginning – Rasheed was sort of kind to Maraim and bought her nice things. He was kind to Laila at first because he thought she was prettyIn the end – Rasheed was awful to both Maraim and Laila, abusing them and the childrenRasheed is…19850685778500469201554610637308182765ForgivingVindictive Notes:In the beginning - Rasheed was kind of forgiving at first to Maraim when they first got married when she was still sad about leaving her home. He also started off kind of forgiving when she was learning to cookIn the end – Rasheed was cruel and abusive, torturing Maraim and Laila when he beat them and locked them in the roomMadelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsAfter Reading StrategiesSketch to Stretch (Beers 171)Benefits of the Strategy:This strategy allows readers to construct meaning from a text they have read that provides room for students to be creative. With this strategy, students must reflect on their own interpretations of a text and design a visual representation of that interpretation. Their visual representation stretches students’ abilities to think about how to symbolize their discoveries within a text in a visual format. This strategy can be adapted to include partner work or to have students work individually. The strategy allows for creative license and for experimentation of how to transfer an interpretation to a visual format. It also provides the opportunity for students to gather in small groups to share their work, to conduct student-led discussions about their own interpretations of the text. This strategy emphasizes that there are no right or wrong interpretations, and gives students the opportunity to share their own take-aways from the text. The small group discussion on the sketches allows for a launching point for larger discussion on larger interpretations of the text. This strategy also includes a written explanation on the back of the sketch to ensure that the visual interpretation is rooted in an analysis of the text. Drawbacks of the Strategy: This strategy ultimately requires students to participate in an artistic-based activity, and will most likely be met with a fair share of reluctance from students who do not see themselves as artists. Educators must be prepared that this activity is about how students represent their own interpretations of the text symbolically, rather than on their ability to draw. Educators should also emphasize that the written explanation on the back of the sketch that explains the interpretation allows students to be more creative and try their best with the drawing without fear of being misunderstood. The focus must be redirected away from artistic ability and toward an interpretative creation. Students also may struggle with the idea of representing an interpretation symbolically in a visual context. Educators should be prepared to perhaps provide an example to help show students how to construct a visual representation that is symbolic. Some scaffolding might be required to narrow the scope of the task with more approachable guidelines. Also, this strategy could require arts and crafts materials for some students who wish to take creative license with color and visual elements.Script: Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this pre-reading strategy. Alright everyone, now that we have finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, we are going to take some time to reflect on our own interpretations of the text. I want you all to choose one of the larger themes we have been tracing, one of the major characters, or one of the major plot events from within the novel to interpret. Today, you will craft a visual representation that symbolically sketches your interpretation. On the back of your sketch, you will write a paragraph explanation for your sketch. Let’s look at an example together. (Teacher will show class an example of a student drawing from To Kill a Mockingbird. Teacher will emphasize how this drawing is not a literal drawing of the events within the novel, but rather a symbolic representation of this student’s interpretation of the character Bo). Does everyone understand how crafting a visual sketch of your own interpretation operates? Once you create your own, you will have the opportunity to share your interpretation with your small group. (Teacher allows time for questions regarding the assignment, but will be sure to not guide how they should interpret the novel). Alright, I want you all to take a sheet of white paper from the center of your table and have one student get a materials basket from the back of the room, and go ahead and get started on crafting your sketches! (Students will begin working on their own sketches. Teacher will circulate the room and assist as needed. Teacher will gauge the room and when everyone—or almost everyone—has completed their sketch, teacher will redirect groups to begin discussion). Alright everyone, now I want you all the take some time and share your interpretations with one another in your small groups. Be sure to respond to one other, paying attention to similarities and differences among your interpretations. Remember to provide each other with constructive criticism and positive feedback. (Students begin discussing in their small groups. Teacher will circulate to ensure that discussions remain respectful, productive, and on task). Materials:White paper for each students Craft supplies such as colored pencils and markersSketch to Stretch Example (from Beers pg. 172) [see below]Student Sample of “Sketch to Stretch”Madelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsAfter Reading StrategiesMost Important Word (Beers 173)Benefits of the Strategy: This strategy asks students to identify what they believe to be the most important word within a text. The selection of these words ensures a lively debate, as students passionately discuss what they believe to be the largest take-aways from the text or novel. While encouraging participatory debate, this strategy also requires students return to the text itself to consider what they believe to be the most important aspect of idea within that text. This strategy bridges the divide that often separates looking at a text closely and examining larger, important ideas, themes, and issues a text explores. Students must point to where they find the word within the text, and explain why it is the most important word within the whole text. This strategy combines some aspects of close reading with viewing the text through a larger lens, as well as incorporating discussion. Students must have thorough explanations for their choice to defend their chosen word to other students who choose a different word as the most important. This strategy tests students’ abilities to assess larger meaning from a text, while also stretching their abilities to discuss and debate in a respectful, productive manner that sheds light on new perspectives. This strategy is also highly adaptable, and can be changed to feature the most important chapter or most important passage depending on the objectives of the teacher. Drawbacks of the Strategy:This strategy encourages passionate debate, which can often lead to heated, critical remarks from some students. Educators should be prepared to keep discussions productive and constructive. Educators may also need to adjust groupings within the classroom to prevent certain voices from dominating others within discussion. This strategy also requires some anticipation from the educator to prevent students from choosing “the” or “of” or the names of characters. Also, some students may require more guidance using a sheet that outlines how a word relates to characters, conflict, plot, setting, and theme within a text. Educators should be prepared to gauge which classes would benefit from the sheet and anticipate ways to introduce the sheet to students who may need it without singling them out. Script:Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this pre-reading strategy. Alright guys, now that we have finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I want to give everyone the opportunity to dive back into the text and find what you believe to be the most important word in the whole novel. (Teacher should expect an excited/overwhelmed response from the class here). I want you to choose a word that affects the novel’s characters, conflict, plot, setting, and theme—so that means you cannot choose words such as “of,” “and,” or “the.” You also cannot choose names of characters or words that are featured in the title. Once you have chosen your word, I want you to write a paragraph explanation on why you believe this is the most important word in the novel. Remember to relate the word to its impact on different aspects of the novel. You will have a chance to share your Most Important Word after you construct your explanation. Are there any questions? (Students may ask if they can only choose one word. Teacher will reiterate that they can only choose one word). Alright, everybody, start diving into your books to choose your word! (Students begin to look for their most important word. Teacher will circulate and assist as needed. Teacher will gauge when students appear ready to discuss their findings and explanations). Alright guys, I want you all to discuss in your small groups your choices and your reasoning for those choices. Remember there are no right or wrong choices here, and that these discussions should remain productive and constructive. (Students begin discussing, and teacher circulates and intervenes when needed but allows discussion to remain student-led). Materials:Copies of A Thousand Splendid SunsMost Important Word Handout (see below)Name____________________________________________________________ Period_______A Thousand Splendid Suns Most Important Word Handout73891166947Most Important Word in the Novel:00Most Important Word in the Novel:This Word’s Impact on…CharactersThemeConflict and PlotSettingExplanation on why you chose this as the most important word in the novel:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Name _____Student Sample_______________________________________ Period_______A Thousand Splendid Suns Most Important Word Handout73891162618Most Important Word in the Novel:Harami00Most Important Word in the Novel:HaramiThis Word’s Impact on…CharactersMaraim is called a harami by her mother, revealing how her mother feels ashamed of their status in society. Laila gives birth to a harami with Tariq as a father, but raises her child with love and affection unlike Maraim’s upbringing. ThemeHarami relates to the themes of acceptance, home and family. It is a shameful term that means “bastard,” and throughout the novel there is a theme of finding family beyond bloodlines. Conflict and PlotThe label of harami is one of the ways Nana degrades Maraim, and is the label that causes Jalil’s wives to marry her off to Rasheed. Rasheed discovers Laila’s child is a harami and uses this as a weapon and excuse to beat her. SettingThis word is specific to Afghanistan and reveals the cultural structures of family blood lines, marriage, and status labels. Explanation on why you chose this as the most important word in the novel:I chose this word as the most important word in the novel because it is the shameful label that reveals the supposed importance of family by blood, which Mariam and Laila ultimately discover is not the key to family. Family is based on love and support, not on blood or marriage. This relates to the mistreatment of Mariam by her mother and father, and eventually both women by Rasheed. Maraim and Laila discover how family extends past bloodlines as they learn to love each other and the children together. Madelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsVocabulary StrategyVocabulary Trees (Beers 188)Benefits of the strategy:Creating Vocabulary Trees requires students to look beyond just the meaning of the word itself and discover the meaning of the root of that word. The original strategy begins with a root and moves forward from there, but I see this strategy as most applicable for students to expand on an unknown word in-depth. After identifying an unknown word, students find other words that share its root, shedding light on the meaning of these new words. Finally, students make personal connections to places they have encountered these words, whether that be in a book they read, show they watched, or conversation they heard. Vocabulary Trees expand beyond understanding just one unknown word; they connect the unknown word to a multitude of other words and real-world applications, allowing the student to have an expanded understanding of the word beyond just a simple definition. This strategy also is easily expandable, as students add more and more branches over time throughout the reading of a text. This is a tool students can continue to grow and expand as they encounter new words within their lives, and becomes a dynamic, evolving representation of their growing personal vocabulary. This strategy ultimately expands students’ knowledge beyond a single word, ties these words to personal connections, and is a constantly developing depiction of their progressing vocabulary. Drawbacks of the Strategy:This strategy takes the unknown word out if its context within a text and both breaks it down into its root and then expands upon it in real-world applications. This, however, removes the word from its place within the text and does not address how to decipher meaning of a word as a student reads using inferencing skills. If a student was reading and encountered an unknown word, using this strategy would require a student to stop reading, look up the root and then other related words, and then perhaps resume reading and later add real-world applications of the word when she encounters them. This strategy—if used while reading—interrupts the flow of the reader within the plot of a novel. With that in mind, this strategy is best used in conjunction with inferencing and context clues strategies. Students can infer the meaning of a word as they read using inferencing skills and make note of the unknown word, and further investigate the work after reading using the Vocabulary Tree. In addition to this limitation, Vocabulary Trees require some level of drawing and art work, and some students may claim lack of artistic ability as a preventative of using this strategy. An educator should be prepared to emphasize it is the connections between the root, the words, and their real-world application that is important; a flow-chart with arrows instead of branches would be an equally effective alternative for students would might find drawing a challenge or who might spend far too much time perfecting their tree into a masterpiece. Script: Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this vocabulary strategy.Alright everyone, as we read through A Thousand Splendid Suns, we may encounter some unfamiliar vocabulary. As you read, I want you to underline words that are unknown to you, and then make an annotation sticky-note list at the end of each chapter of these words. For each chapter, you will choose one word to construct a Vocabulary Tree for so that you can further investigate this word. A Vocabulary Tree starts with you finding the root of the unknown word and then finding at least three other words that share this root. Then, you add to your tree branches for when you encounter these words in the world, whether that is in a book, a movie, or a conversation. The purpose here is to show the relationship between these words and how they are truly used, and build on this tree as your personal vocabulary grows! Let’s look at an example real fast so you can get an idea of what this might look like for you all. (Teacher projects example from Beers page 189). So, here at the base of the tree is the root of the unknown word, which is here in the middle of the tree. These branches are the words that share this root, and then here at the top of the tree are where this student added personal encounters with each of these words. This tree is an evolving, growing visual representation of these words, so ultimately you should continue to add and expand your tree as you read and experience these words outside our classroom. Also, another thing to note, the point here is to show the connections between these words, not construct an artistic masterpiece. I am not expecting any of you to be artists, so just try your best to construct a diagram that shows how these words stem from the base of the root. Are there any questions?Alright, so now that we have read through chapter one, I want each of you to pull out your copies of A Thousand Splendid Suns and find a word that was unfamiliar to you. Then, take a white sheet of paper from the front of the room and construct a Vocabulary Tree for that word. Use your chrome books to explore the root of this word. Then, mine your own personal vocabulary and discuss with your peers to determine other words that share the same root. Fill in branches for these words if you can remember an instance when you have encountered each word. If you cannot remember an instance, come back to your tree in the next week and add moments when you hear or read this word used. Are there any questions? Alright, let’s get to it! Materials: Copies of A Thousand Splendid SunsVocabulary Tree Example from Beers page 189Vocabulary Tree Instruction Handout (see below) Vocabulary Tree Instruction HandoutFind unknown word within a text. Find the definition of this word, and place in the center of the trunk of your tree. Research the root of this word. Find the meaning of this root, and place at the base of the tree where the roots would be. Discover at least three other words that share this root. Find brief definitions of each of these words and create branches for each of them.For each of the three branches, find instances in which you encounter these words in your reading or personal life. Write the sentence in which this word was used on a new branch stemming off each word, and specify where you encountered the word. Here’s an example to help guide you:Student SampleMadelyn Schroeder A Thousand Splendid SunsDiscussion StrategyChalk Talk (Strickland)Benefits of the Strategy: Chalk-Talks are one version of a student-led silent discussion in which students work together to “discuss” a central word or phrase related to a text. The Chalk Talk is designed to allow students to informally reflect their thoughts on a topic and respond to one another’s thoughts. This strategy allows students to think through their thoughts in way that feels safer than having to speak aloud to a whole class, and allows for multiple thoughts to be shared at once with multiple students at the board writing simultaneously. Students have the opportunity to build off of one another’s ideas with this strategy, noting which ideas branch off into more ideas, which questions still remain regarding the topic, and which directions a class as a whole takes the discussion further. This strategy gives students the opportunity to freely make connections, comments, pose questions and ideas, reflect, and think independently on a word or topic. This strategy can be used to introduce a topic or theme before reading a text, expand upon a topic emerging while reading a text, or used post-reading as a way to reflect and unearth what students have learned about a topic or idea after reading a text that explores this concept. It is a versatile, engaging way for students to discuss in a way that refines their skills at building off one another’s ideas, rather than responding to questions posed by a teacher. This strategy shifts the focus away from a teacher affirming correct responses in a discussion toward students responding and exploring an idea with one another. Drawbacks of the Strategy:Because there is so much freedom involved in the participation in a chalk-talk, an educator must be prepared to provide very clear, direct directions for the strategy, especially the first time it is used within your classroom. The guidelines must be very clearly laid out: no talking aloud, everyone must write something a determined amount of times, all responses should be respectful and considerate of others’ opinions, no erasing other students’ comments, if you agree or support a student’s comment circle the comment, responses can be questions, comments, and connections, we are trying our best to fill the board with our class’s thoughts. Chalk Talks work beautifully when all of these guidelines are followed, but if these guidelines are not clearly presented students may have trouble gaining momentum and responding in a productive way. Chalk Talks also require fairly close monitoring to prevent some students from not participating at all and others from dominating the board. Script: Below is a rough outline of how I would give instructions for students to complete this discussion strategy. For the use in A Thousand Splendid Suns, I would use this once students have read through Part 1 and Part 2, when students have a firm understanding of the different lifestyles of Mariam and Laila in terms of freedom and independence. Alright everyone, now that we’ve read through parts one and two of A Thousand Splendid Suns, we are going to take a pause and participate in a form of silent discussion called a Chalk Talk. Basically, we are going to use our white board—since we no longer have a chalk board—to talk and discuss with one another a larger idea A Thousand Splendid Suns has been exploring. There will be one central word in the center of the board, and each of you will come up whenever you are ready to add questions, comments, and connections to the center word. Once the first couple of individuals have written some thoughts on the board, you are free to respond to either the center word or to the other thoughts written on the board. If you agree with the response of someone else, circle that response and add your own thoughts to the board. The same rules for our class discussions still apply: responses should be respectful and considerate of other’s opinions. This means no erasing other’s comments, no marking through comments, and always responding in a considerate way. Everyone must go up to the board at least twice. We are trying our best to fill the board with our class’s thoughts, all without saying a word. So, the room should be totally silent as we all go up to the board—in no particular order, just go up when you have a thought you want to share—and have a class discussion on the board. Are there any questions? Alright, the center word for today is “Freedom.” Once everyone is quiet, we’ll get started. (Teacher waits for room to fall silent). Alright, whoever has a thought to share, go on up. (Teacher monitors class while students go up to the board when they feel ready. Teacher makes sure everyone is participating, and that no students are dominating the board space. Teacher may also need to prompt students to continue going up to the board if there is a lapse in participation, encouraging the class to fill up the entire board with thoughts). Alright, it looks like we are almost completely out of room here guys, well-done! Materials:White board and expo markersList of possible Center WordsFreedomGenderIndependenceFamilyWar MarriagePovertyEducation Student SampleReferences Beers, K. ?When kids can’t read: What teachers can do: A guide for 6-12. ?Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 2007. ................
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