Shooting Kabul
Written By N.H. Senzai
Published by Simon & Schuster/ Paula Wiseman Books 2010
Awards: Youth Literature Award Winner
Summary:
Fadi and his family are forced to leave home in Afghanistan
and move to California. However, as his family is leaving, Fadi’s little sister
is separated from him and left behind with the Taliban. Fadi is determined to
get his little sister back, but the task becomes nearly impossible after the
attacks on September 11th. It isn’t until Fadi hears of a
photography contest at school that he finds the perfect opportunity to save his
sister. The winner of the contest gets a trip for two to India. Fadi enters and
works hard to take the winning photograph, but can he win it all and save his
sister?
Powerful. Hope. Determination. Family. Peace.
Grade Level: 3-7
Lexile Measure: 800
Description: Fiction
Suggested Delivery: Small Group
Key Vocabulary:
·
Squatter- someone who settle on land without
right or title
·
Naïve- lacking information or instruction
·
Grim- filled with melancholy; gray
·
Asylum- shelter or protection; sanctuary
·
Sacrilegious- disrespect to something that is
considered sacred
·
Impend- to threaten; approach
·
Shooting- fire a weapon, hit someone; record
something on film
Electronic Resources:
SimpleMind App is great for student to use to help map out
brainstorming and ideas. This can help with comprehension during reading.
This is a short book trailer that would be great to
introduce the novel.
Teaching Suggestions:
This includes a full reading guide along with writing and
research activities.
Before: Students
can locate Afghanistan, Kabul, India, and California on the map to get a visual
representation of how far they are from each other and how far Fadi had to
travel with his family. Also students should have some background knowledge of the
attacks on 9/11 so they can make the connections during the reading.
During: Stopping
during key parts of the story, have students make predictions of what they
think will happen next and why. This activity can be written down or just
discussed. It will measure students’ inferential comprehension and create a
great discussion. Examples of stopping points would be before the contest
winner is revealed and before Fadi sees the picture of his sister.
After: Have
students talk about their predictions and what they read. Then continue onto
the Epilogue. I suggest this be a read aloud for the entire class. Finally
students can reflect on their feelings about the book and the ending.
Exit slip: “Can one
photo really bring Mariam home?” “What does the title of the book mean now that
you have finished it?”
Writing Activity: Students
pretend they are entering into the photography contest just like Fadi. Have
them take an “award-winning photograph” and write a short essay to accompany
it. The essay should include what the picture is, a title, why they took it,
the meaning behind it, and why it should win the contest. This could even turn
into a real class competition if you wanted to!
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