KR Discussions

1. KR Discussions

2. Day 1 • SWBAT: Create a visual representation of a group of basic principles that they believe humans should live by. • List • Poster • Presentation

3. Rationale • This activity serves as a pre-reading exercise to focus your reading if preparation of The Kite Runner. Close relationships often define who we are as a person. Our family and friends are often the only people we can count on during hard times or to help us make difficult decisions. This is the basis of the trust, support and love that we all need to surround ourselves with. But there are times in all of our lives when we make choices that can hurt those closest to us by either action or omission of action. These moral successes and failures stay with us through memories and may end up haunting us.

4. Procedure • Brainstorm a list of your own personal “basic principles,” values, or rules to live by. • Next, think of a time in your life when you either did or did not intentionally follow your basic principle. • Review your list and decide which incidents you would like to create a visual representation for (minimum of 3). • Create your poster and make sure to label or indicate somehow which principle you either did follow, or should have followed. • We will present these during the last 15 minutes of class.

5. Day 2 • SWBAT: learn about the political and cultural issues that form the background of The Kite Runner. • Concept Mapping • Journaling • Discussion

6. Concept Map • Each student sits in own pod • Center circle: Mystery text title (you create your own) • Circles surrounding: thoughts about text, questions, understandings

7. Concept Map 2 • Travel around the room and continue your concept map, connecting other pictures with your original • What common themes do you see?

8. Mystery text discussion

9. Day 3 • SWBAT: increase their knowledge by reading a provocative text • Text selection • Annotation • Concept map continuation • Share text information

10. Day 4 • SWBAT: strengthen their understanding through expert texts • Finish provocative text discussion • Expert text analysis jigsaw • Sharing of new knowledge • Discussion

11. Expert Text Jigsaw • On pods, there are multiple examples of expert texts (informative documents) • Choose a text, read it, annotate, and connect to a picture/provocative/other expert text. Rinse and repeat. You should try to read more than three texts. • What are you learning about Afghanistan??? • This should be a quiet activity—we will regroup and decompress during the last 10 minutes

12. Day 5 • SWBAT: understand the basic principles of Islam • Video/Notes • https://youtu.be/hJ2kKdva71M • How did the video fit into what we learned through our text analysis activities???

13. Quick Facts about Afghanistan • A land-locked country just a bit smaller than Texas • A lot of the terrain is rugged mountains • The winters are cold and the summers are hot (90 degrees in summer and 40 degrees in winter) • Life expectancy is low (43 years) relative to US (78 years)

14. Islam is the predominant religion with about 80% of people being Sunni Muslims and about 19% Shi’a Muslims • The official languages are Dari and Pashto • The literacy rate, meaning those over the age of 15 being able to read and write, is 51% male and 21% female; the US literacy rate is 97% for both males and females • The form of government is Islamic Republic

15. In the 1990s after the Soviet withdrawal, the Taliban assumed control and introduced strict adherence to Islamic law • Between 1992 and 2001, Afghanistan became the site for the worst battles, ethnic genocide, pillage, famine, and misery since Genghis Khan had swept through the region centuries earlier. • Al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, has also built training camps in Afghanistan

16. Following 9/11/2001, and a US led coalition military campaign, the Taliban lost control of Afghanistan • Afghan government faces many tough obstacles including corruption of state officials, drug trade, inability to understand the culture and customs of Afghanistan and the support for the Taliban resistance across the border in Pakistan

17. Day 6 • SWBAT: continue their understandings of the background of TKR. • Vocab • AoW: Due next class

18. List 1 • Affluent • Congenital • Intricacies • Melee • Obstinacy • Trepidation • Lorries • Squabbling • Gnarled • Demise

19. Day 7 • SWBAT: understand the significance of the Taliban’s influence on the Afghan people. • AoW discussion • Check out KR • SSR Ch 1-3

20. Topics for Notes • Ch 1 • Foreshadowing (4 items) • Ch 2 • Hassan’s attributes • Baba’s priorities • Similarities between Amir and Hassan • Discrimination • Religion • Brotherhood • Ch 3 • Baba’s legacy • Amir’s jealousy • Teaching v. learning • Only sin and explanation • Baba’s disconnect with Amir

21. Day 8 • SWBAT: understand the impact that disconnect can have on a relationship • Journal • Discussion • Notes for next class

22. Journal #1 • Describe a time when you felt inadequate. Did you communicate your feelings to the person(s) that made you feel that way or did you keep your feelings to yourself? What happens to a person who feels that they are never good enough?

23. Discussion What happens to a man who is unwilling or unable or refuses to follow his own moral code? --pg 17 “There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft.” --How did your ideas coincide with Baba’s views

24. Character Relationships • Amir v Baba • Amir v Hassan

25. Topics for Notes • Ch 4 • Religion • Amir and Hassan---Ali and Baba • Amir’s lack of self worth • Education v. intelligence • Ch 5 • Violence • Assef • Hassan’s bravery • Foreshadowing

26. Day 9 • SWBAT: Discuss the negative impacts that bullying can have on a child. • Journal • Discussion in groups/whole share out • Notes for next class

27. Journal #2 • Bullying is one of the major epidemics among children. What impact does Assef have on Hassan and Amir? Why is the idea of having power over someone who appears to be weaker thrill Assef so much? Have you ever had an experience with a bully?

28. Ch 4-5 Group Think Topics • Find specific quotes to support your understanding of these themes: • Brothers • Violence/Destruction • Baba and Amir’s relationship

29. Notes Topics • Ch 6 • Kite Running • Jealousy • Inner Compass • Foreshadowing (x3) • Amir’s drive to win • Ch 7 • Dreams v. memories • Education v. intelligence • Tournament • “For you a thousand times over” • Assef • Price paid for Amir and innocence

30. Day 10 • SWBAT: debate the significance of sacrifice • Vocab due/vocab 2 • Journal • Discussion • Notes topics 8-9

31. List 2 • Drone • Shrouded • Cretin • Permeate • Cardamom • Tarpaulin • Carcinoma • Palliative • Metastasized • Chastise

32. Journal #3 (chapters 6-7) Describe the differences in character between Amir and Baba. How does this connect with the idea of theft? What about the inability to accept responsibility? What about the importance of friendship? Or the bond between a parent and child?

33. Ch 6-7 Topics • Inability to accept responsibility • Importance of friendships (bonds/rivalries) • Parent/Child relationships • Dreams

34. Notes Topics Ch 8-9 • Ch 8 • Amir’s guilt • Hassan’s loyalty • Amir’s b-day presents • “In the end the world always wins” • Ch 9 • Amir’s realization • Ali and Hassan’s gift to Amir • How Amir repays Hassan • Sin • Ali and Hassan • Rain symbolism

35. Day 11 • SWBAT: understand the implications of guilt • Ch 8-9 guilt chart • SSR

36. Notes Topics Ch 10-11 • Ch10 • Leaving Afghanistan • Baba’s bravery • Kamal and his father • Dirt • Ch11 • Baba in America • Memories • Baba’s work ethic • Amir’s determination for success • Amir’s sins • Flea market • Soraya • “It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir”

37. Day 12 • SWBAT: compare the ways that Amir handles his guilt, with that of Baba • Journal • Ch 10-11 chart • Discussion • SSR

38. Journal #4 (Chapter 10-11) “It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir.” --pg 142 In what ways does this quote speak of Amir, Soraya, and yourself?

39. Notes Topics Ch 12-13 • Ch 12 • Amir and Soraya • Baba’s cough • Treatment • Engagement • Ch 13 • Lafz • Wedding • Baba and the bear • Things Amir learned about the Taheris • Baby • “Blood is a powerful thing” • Punishment of infertility

40. Day 13 • SWBAT: analyze the various relationships between parents and their children. • Venn Diagrams/Discussion • Hand out article and organizer for Seminar

41. Venn Diagram Discussion • Fill out Venn diagrams using specific examples from your notes and your life

42. Quotes for Discussion • Last paragraph on 146-first paragraph on 147 • What is the “Afghan double standard”? Who benefits? What are double standards in other cultures? • Pg 178 “Every woman needed a husband. Even if he did silence the song in her.” • What does this mean? What does the song represent? How could this change? What would happen to the husbands if this changed? What would happened to the men? Who perpetuates this condition of dependency?

43. Quotes Cont… • Pg 182 “Successful,” Soraya hissed. “At least I’m not like him, sitting around while other people fight the Shorawi (Russians), waiting for when the dust settles so he can move in and reclaim his post little government position. Teaching may not pay much, but it’s what I want to do! It’s what I love, and it’s a whole lot better than collecting welfare, by the way.” • What does this say about women and careers? What careers are respected? Is this different in the US? • How does Soraya’s actions about teaching differ from Amir’s? Why?

44. Quotes Cont.. • Pg 188 “Now if you were American, it wouldn’t matter. People here marry for love, family name and ancestry never even into the equation. They adopt that way too, as long as the baby is healthy, everyone is happy. But we are Afghans…” • Is this an accurate view of America’s attitude regarding adoption? Why do some people think that blood is thicker than water? Why don’t others think it matters? What is intrinsically valuable in a relationship?

45. Notes Topics Ch 14-17 • Ch 14 • Rahim Khan • “There is a way to be good again” • “For you a thousand times over” • Ch 15 • Rahim Khan’s health • Taliban • Hassan • Ch 16 • Hassan’s wife and family • Sanaubar • Sohrab • 1998 • Ch 17 • Letter and picture • Hassan and Farzana • Sohrab • “Rahim, a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’s stand up to anything” • Living a lie

46. Day 14 • SWBAT: discuss the values of pashtunwali and how each character fits into those beliefs • Discussion

47. Pashtunwali article questions • Who follows Pashtunwali teachings? • How do others benefit? • Is anyone harmed? • What is the role of women? • “There is a way to be good again.” pg 2 • “And I’ll tell you this, Amir, jan: In the end, the world always wins. That’s just the way of things” pg 99.

48. Day 16 • SWBAT: understand how social and societal influences can impact a persons personal belief system. • Chart/Discussion

50. Notes Topics Ch 18-20 • Ch 18 • Theft • Hope • Ch 19 • Farid’s assumptions • Watch and money • Ch 20 • Current state of Kabul • Taliban • Beggar • Zamen’s news about Sohrab • Taliban official