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?