Part Five

Part Five: A New Life, Far from Home

1. A Place called Birmingham (two chapters together)
2. Problems, Solutions

• Malala is very concerned about money during her stay at the hospital. What deeper quality is revealed by this?
• Why do you think that Malala and her father were told not to cry on their phone call?

3. A Hundred Questions

• Is it surprising that Malala doesn’t cry when she talks with Dr. Fiona? How would Malala answer that question?

4. Passing the Hours

• Malala finally learns about her ordeal from Dr. Fiona. Which of these is the most shocking to you? Why?

5. We Are All Here Now

• Malala has a very mature answer for her mother when asked about her face. What would a typical response sound like? What about Malala makes her able to face this (no pun intended) as bravely as she does?

6. Filling in the Blanks (khaista)

• What decisions were made that ultimately saved Malala’s life?
• “It is my belief that God sends the solution first and the problem later, “--Dr. Javid. What can you infer from this quote about the type of man Dr. Javid is?
• The Taliban shot Malala to silence her. What effect did it have instead?

7. Messages from Around the World

• Of all of the gifts Malala received from around the world, she received two scarves that were once owned by Benazir Bhutto. Was is the significance of this gift, sent by her children? (See Chapter 8 for reference).
• After tragedies, communities are flooded with gifts from complete strangers. Why do we do this? Is it more for the victim or more for the giver?

8. A Bittersweet Day

• Why bittersweet? What does Malala realize after Zardari’s visit?

9. Miracles

• What are some things that Malala finds “overwhelming and fascinating” in Birmingham? Can we learn anything about our Western culture from an “outsider” like Malala?
• Malala has her own definition of a ‘miracle’. Do you agree with it? Why or why not?

10. This New Place

• Malala’s new school is much different from her school in Pakistan. What are some differences? What is her greatest regret about her new school?

11. The One Thing We All Know

• Malala is a world famous activist, orator, and champion for educational rights. Why is it still unsafe for her to travel back home to Swat?
• After all of her father’s accomplishments, what is the one thing that Malala is (seemingly) most excited about? Why is this?

12. Anniversary

• What do the reporters focus on most when talking to Malala? Why is this? Is this the same in the United States?

Part Four

Part Four:

1. A Death Threat against Me

• “Everybody knows they will die someday. No one can stop death. It doesn’t matter if it comes from a Talib for from cancer.”—Malala Yousafzai

Reflect on this quote. Would you be as calm as Malala if a death threat had been made against you? If so, what qualities do you share with Malala to approach death in this manner? If not, why not?

2. The Promise of Spring

• Malala is now an internationally famous advocate for education. She is also a teenage girl. What event showcases this contrast? Why is this included in the book, do you think?
• What of the letter that arrives at the house? What recurring theme can you point to regarding the Taliban and their motives? Why are they so threatened?

3. Omens

• Have you ever had strange dreams or premonitions similar to those that Malala had? Were they triggered by some event or emotional issue (you can keep personal details just that—personal)? Did anything ever come of those?

4. A Day like any Other

• Reflect on Malala’s account of this day. It’s clear what happens at the end of the chapter, but what of all of the details prior to that? Why were these included? What tone does it imply?

Part Two, and Part Three

Part Two: A Shadow over Our Valley

1. Radio Mullah (imam, mullah, haram, Taliban)

• Why was the radio broadcast so effective? Can you think of media who still do this today?
• What do the authors mean by Fazlullah “cast a long shadow, indeed?”

2. The Taliban in Swat (allahu akbar)

• Malala asks, “How had this happened? How did an unschooled fanatic turn himself into a kind of radio god? And why was no one prepared to defy him?” Discuss some possible reasons, using evidence from previous chapters.
• What was the Green Square renamed? Why?
• What is different about Malala’s mother and father?

3. No One is Safe (mushaira,

• Explain the quote: “You have put the first stone in standing water.” Would this quote apply to you? Why or why not?
• Describe the incident with Benazir Bhutto. What did Malala decide to do after this incident?

4. Candy from the Sky

• Describe the Pakistani military? How is it similar and different from today’s U.S. military?

5. 2008: What Terrorism Feels Like

• Reflect on Malala’s excitement over the her teachers’ praise. Do you still feel this way when a teacher tells you, “Good job!”?
• How does Malala’s experience with terrorism differ with your own personal experience –or- how does it differ with your understanding of terrorism?

Part Three:

6. A Chance to Speak

• Read Malala’s quote at the top of page 71. Was she being consciously brave or unwittingly brave?
• How did Malala’s family life help mold her views? What are some pros and cons of this?

7. A Schoolgirl’s Diary

• Malala’s mother states that “falsehood has to die. And truth has to come forward.” What do you think this means for an 11 year old girl?
• Under what name does Malala write her diary? What is the significance of the name and the connotation?

8. Class Dismissed

• What of the criticism that Malala was doing this for fame? Could there be any truth to this?
• Does Malala’s views on the importance of school make you see your own education in a different light? Why or why not?

9. Secret School

• Think about this quote: “But I learned another lesson watching the show. Although Betty and her friends had certain rights, women in the United States were still not completely equal; their images were used to sell things. In some ways, I decided, women are showpieces in American society, too.”  Is there any truth to this? What responsibility do we have to our freedoms?
• In this chapter, Fazlullah’s forces closed the rest of the girls’ schools in Pakistan but also destroy five schools. As Malala also asked, why did they also have to be destroyed?
• Was it worth Madam Maryam to risk her life to re-open the girls’ school to Malala and other “older” girls?

10. Peace? (pakha jenai)—New York Times documentary video is referenced in this chapter—around 12 minutes long. Could watch the video and then pose questions or engage in a discussion/mini Socratic Seminar

11. Displaced (tapa)

• Connect the journey of Malala’s family with a trip you had to take out of necessity (a family emergency, a funeral, etc.). What risks did you have to endure? How do they compare with Malala’s risks?

12. Home

• The Pakistani army leaves a letter for Ziauddin upon their return to the Khushal School. What about this letter is disturbing? What can you infer about the Pakistani military who left it?

13. A Humble Request and a Strange Peace (raakat nafl, mujahideen)

• Malala plants a mango seed outside her home. Why?
• What events (international, political, and natural) were happening during this time? Why did the authors include these details in the book?

14. Good News at Last

• Malala is nominated for the international peace prize of Kids Rights by Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. Do some quick internet searches to summarize Archbiship Tutu’s work. What similarities does his fight against apartheid have to do with Malala’s fight?
• Why is Malala’s mother upset that a prize was named after her? What can we expect in later chapters?

Part 1 Questions

I am Malala

Blog Questions

Expectations: 1.You need to choose TWO blog questions and write paragraph responses. 2. Skim the other questions and have an idea of how you would respond. 3. Make a comment to TWO of your classmates responses.

Part One: Before Taliban

1. Free as a Bird (Pashtunwali code, badal, purdah, niqab, burqa)

• Malala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
• Describe the context of the chapter title (Free as a Bird) as it relates to Malala? What are some examples that reveal this?

2. Dreams

• Malala’s cousins think she is a “city girl” because of her slang, her clothes, and her mannerisms. Do we still cling to these stereotypes when we meet others different from us? When has this happened to you?
• As hard as life was (is) for Pakistani women, how did Ziauddin answer Malala’s question about why life was this hard? Why did he do this?

3. A Magic Pencil

• What would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
• What of Malala’s reaction to seeing the children at the dump? Why do you think she reacted in this way?
• Discuss the incident where Malala learns that some of the wealthier children wouldn’t be returning to school. Do we have comparable issues in the U.S. today?

I Am Malala Prologue

Expectations: 1.You need to choose TWO blog questions and write paragraph responses. 2. Skim the other questions and have an idea of how you would respond. 3. Choose TWO other questions you did not write an original response for and respond to a classmate’s response.

Prologue (jani, pisho)

• What are some startling similarities and differences between Malala’s life and your own? What parallels can you draw between her and yourself?
• Malala talks about the things that are important to her at home including her trophies and medals. What in your room would you miss if you had to leave?
• What can you infer about life in Pakistan based on her life in Birmingham, England?
• What is the relationship between Malala and her father? What evidence supports this?
• What literary techniques do the authors use to heighten the opening of the book?