Sunday, June 28, 2020

Free as a Bird : the Story of Malala by Lina Maslo. 2018

Even One Voice Becomes Powerful

Inspiration Book:
Free as a bird : the story of Malala by Maslo, Lina — Balzer & Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2018. 371.822; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.5.   A picture book biography of Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, discussing her childhood and her political activism. 
Rationale: Malala Yousfzai was shot by the Taliban in the fall of 2012 when just 15 years old. She had been a voice for the education of girls in Pakistan at that young age, and that was one of the reasons she was shot. After a long recuperation, she continues to speak out for education of girls in an area of the world where women and children have few freedoms and rights. She has written books and had books written about her and won the Nobel Peace Prize at a very young age. This spring, 2020,  she received degrees from Oxford in economics, politics, and philosophy.
It is her story and the struggle for freedom of women of color in the Middle East that this entry represents during our summer look at freedom and justice and some of the people who worked for freedom and justice.
One of the first Inspiration Books posted on My Books Alive was Nasreen’s Secret School  by Jeannette Winter (Beach Lane Books, 2009). This is a story about the struggles girls in Afghanistan face just trying to go to school. That entry includes background information about the countries of the area, and you may want to use ideas and materials from that more general entry, especially with Grades 3-8,  before learning specifically about Malala. Check out the entry at https://www.mybooksalive.com/search?q=nasreen%27s+secret+school
In this entry that features Malala Yousafzai, we take a closer look at this young woman who has been a beacon for suppressed and oppressed women and the value of education. One of her oft quoted statements, “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful” runs throughout this posting. There are three short lessons, one for each grade level grouping. In Grades K-3, Malala is introduced and the value of education is emphasized. In Grades 3-6 we explore other female advocates in addition to Malala. In Grades 5-8, when students are developmentally capable of understanding, internalizing, and noting several sides to an issue, three options for study and discussion are provided.
Grades K-3--What Can a Girl Do?
Background: There is no particular library lesson for this grade grouping, except reading for understanding. That is the reason for the detailed discussion questions. Our U.S. children don’t always value the PK-12 education system. 

Preparation: Have a world map or globe available.
Write the discussion questions from the Teaching Guide from HarperCollins on sentence strips.
When Malala was born, people said, “A girl. . . . What bad luck.” What does that tell you about the culture of her country? Did her father share this belief? How do you know?
Was Malala’s name appropriate for her? Why or why not?
What did Malala’s father do for a living? How did this affect Malala?
In Pakistan, what were women expected to do when they grew up? How did Malala feel about this?
Malala’s father said, “Malala will be free as a bird!” What did he mean? How did he encourage her?
What happened when the “new enemy” (the Taliban) rose to power? How did Malala and her family respond?
After Malala was attacked by the Taliban, where was she taken to recover?
How did Malala react to being attacked?
What character traits would describe Malala? Why?
Introduction: For years, girls in the U.S. have been told they can be anything they want to be or do anything they want to do. But that isn’t true in other parts of the world. In the country of Pakistan (show on map) and many countries around Pakistan, girls often don’t have the chance to go to school Our Inspiration Book today is about a girl from Pakistan who thought it was very important to go to school. 
Before we read her story, I’m going to give every two students a question on a sentence strip. Listen for the answers to the questions. Many of the questions are thought questions and may have more than one answer. With your partner, read the question you have. (If students need help reading the questions, read aloud  the question as you hand out the sentence strips.It might be helpful to pair students by skill, stronger with weaker.)
Read Aloud: Free as a bird : the story of Malala by Maslo, Lina — Balzer & Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2018. 371.822; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.5.   A picture book biography of Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, discussing her childhood and her political activism. 
(Spend the remaining time discussing the questions drawn from the HarperCollins Teaching Guide. Allow students to stray a bit if they refer to personal experiences or items heard on the news. End with a thought question, but don’t ask for an answer. For the next several weeks, conclude each lesson with the same question. Is your education as important to you as Malala’s was to her?)
Teacher/Librarian Resources and Additional Books to Substitute or Expand the Lesson: 
Use the books and resources below to expand the discussion of Malala and the importance of education.
Four feet, two sandals by Williams, Karen Lynn  — Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007 -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.0. Two young Afghani girls living in a refugee camp in Pakistan share a precious pair of sandals brought by relief workers. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at www.titlewave.com CBS
Malala, a brave girl from Pakistan by Winter, Jeanette — Beach Lane Books, 2014. 331.3; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.3.  Contains two stories of brave, young Pakistanis, Malala Yousafzai and Iqbal Masih, who stood up for their rights to education and freedom. 
Malala's magic pencil by Yousafzai, Malala  — Little, Brown and Company, 2017. 371.822; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.6. As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil. She would use it to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as she grew older, Malala saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing. And even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true. 
One Person Makes a Difference lesson plan from Teach Peace Now Interview (video) with Malala for Little Brown Young Readers https://www.teachingbooks.net/author_interview.cgi?id=26953
Nadia's hands by English, Karen  — Boyds Mills Press, c1999 p2010 -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.9. Nadia is excited to be asked to be flower girl in her aunt's wedding, but she is concerned about what her friends will say when they see her hands which have been decorated for the ceremony with traditional Pakistani henna designs.
Malala : activist for girls' education by Frier, Raphaele — Charlesbridge, 2017. 371.822; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.2. An illustrated biography of Malala Yousafzai, a Muslim teenage girl from Pakistan, who advocates for education of women and children, and whom the Taliban attempted to assassinate on October 9, 2012. CCBC
Grades 3-6--Girls with Dreams Become Women with Vision
Background: It isn’t often that we find a young girl freedom fighter--perhaps Joan of Arc or Ruby Bridges. Students will explore another female freedom fighter as part of the lesson.  Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Eleanor Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, Indira Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Molly Williams, Annette Kellerman, Nellie Bly, Pura Belpre, Frida Kahlo, Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne, Frances Moore Lappe, Mae Jemison, Ruby Bridges, and Angela Zhang or others of you choice. Students share their research with the class by creating a poster or PowerPoint highlighting the most important aspects of the person’s life. Because this is a short research project, limit the number of resources students need to use and limit the amount of time for research and project development. Two session should be fine. 
Preparation: Decide whether the research will result in a poster or a Powerpoint slide or student choice. 
Arrange for necessary supplies.
Post or make print guidelines such as : a slogan epitomizing freedom fighter, freedom fighter’s name, two or three pictures representing action of the freedom fighter, graphically attractive.
Write name of each woman on 3 x 5 card.
Determine the resources students should use: print, nonprint, online. 
Projection and Internet capability to share Video Book Trailer for Shaking Things Up https://www.teachingbooks.net/booktrailer.cgi?id=4296
Introduction: It isn’t often that we find a young girl who is a fighter for freedom. The Inspiration Book is about a young Pakisani girl who was a fighter for education for girls. Not every girl in her country could go to school and some people didn’t want girls to go to school.
Read aloud one of the following titles:
Free as a bird : the story of Malala by Maslo, Lina — Balzer & Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2018. 371.822; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.5.   A picture book biography of Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, discussing her childhood and her political activism. 
OR
Malala's magic pencil by Yousafzai, Malala  — Little, Brown and Company, 2017. 371.822; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.6. As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil. She would use it to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as she grew older, Malala saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing. And even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true. 
Malala hasn’t been the only girl to shake things up. This book trailer tells about fourteen additional women who have shook-up their world, some in art, some in education, some in government. While we watch the video notice how each person is introduced with a poster or slide. Notice that each has a slogan, the person’s name and graphic art. They’re simple. Later you will make a similar poster or PowerPoint slide. Watch carefully. It’s short and I’ll play it twice.
View:
Did you notice that each had a slogan that told what the person did, her name, and a graphic picture of the person. You will need those items plus another statement that tells why the person was outstanding in what she did. That will mean a little research on your part, not much just enough to tell why the person deserves to be identified as a leader in the field. Let’s look at the trailer again.
View: 
You have seen some examples of our project. I’ve written the names of the women represented in the book trailer and others who have been leaders on 3 x 5 cards. Your job is to do quick research using the resources I’ve identified (see section under Background) to find out why your leader was important. Jot that information on the 3 x 5 card, and draw a sketch of your poster of PowerPoint slide on the back. You may use illustrations that you find online for either presentation method or do all “art” freehand.
Allow time you and the teacher agreed upon and additional time for presentation either in the classroom or library.
Other Resources About Leaders and Fighters for Freedom and Ideals:

More girls who rocked the world : heroines from Ada Lovelace to Misty Copeland by McCann, Michelle Roehm — Aladdin ,Beyond Words, 2017 920.72; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 7.3. Recounts the stories of forty-five women throughout history who impacted the world when they were teenagers or younger, covering Cleopatra, Jazz Jennings, Emma Watson, Beverly Cleary, and others.
Nasreen's secret school : a true story from Afghanistan by Winter, Jeanette — Beach Lane Books, 2009 371.823; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.9. Nasreen stops speaking and tries to isolate herself after the Taliban take her parents, but with the help of a good friend and a secret school, Nasreen slowly begins to break out of her shell. 
Shaking things up : 14 young women who changed the world by Hood, Susan — Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2018. 920.72; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.7. Shares stories of fourteen inspiring young female rebels ... who broke down walls to pursue their interests, talents, and rights. They fought fires, discovered prehistoric animals, circled the globe, braved Nazis, championed sports, changed the way we eat, integrated schools, improved medicine and more. Readers will also hear about Molly Williams, Annette Kellerman, Nellie Bly, Pura Belpre, Frida Kahlo, Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne, Frances Moore Lappe, Mae Jemison, Angela Zhang, and Malala Yousafzai--all whose stories will enthrall and inspire. CCBC, NFD, RB

Iqbal : a novel by D'Adamo, Francesco  — Aladdin Paperbacks, c2003 p2005 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.5. A fictionalized account of the Pakistani child who escaped from bondage in a carpet factory and went on to help liberate other children like him before being gunned down at the age of thirteen. 

Three cups of tea by Thomson, Sarah L  — Puffin Books, 2009 371.822; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.6. Adapts for young readers Greg Mortenson's book in which he recounts the experiences he had while trying to help impoverished villages in Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya build schools for their children.


Grades 5-8 -- Even One Voice Becomes Powerful
Background: If the students already have a knowledge of Malala, view one of  the videos in which Malala is featured as a follow-up. If students no little about Malala, you may choose to do the lesson for Grades 3-6 and then follow-up with one of the options: viewing of one of the videos, exploring Malala’s quotations, or debating the meaning of freedom.
Option 1: Speak Up! Show one of the videos below. Have  students record five ideas from her speech that stand out to them. Working in pairs or small groups students share and discuss what they recorded. 
Malala addressing the United Nations Youth Assemblyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNhZu3ttIU
Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOqIotJrFVM

Option 2: Malala Said! Students choose one of the quotes of Malala’s at the site below.  Then students write a reflection about how her words demonstrate bravery and the power of education
Option 3: Free-for-All. Hold a debate in class about freedom in America. What does freedom mean? In what ways are we free? Is everyone free? Have students prepare statements to support their ideas, and then present to the class. Support or refute their classmates’ statements with their own beliefs about freedom.
Option 4: Read Another. Listed below are a number of novels about living in Afghanistan, Pakistan or India. For those students interested, have them read one of the books to read and two weeks later have a book discussion in the form of a panel discussion. Those who read the book, share the book they read and try to encourage others to read it. Use the additional resources listed after each title to develop discussion questions or even a mini unit.
Additional Books for Extended Reading:
Mud city by Ellis, Deborah  — Groundwood Books, 2003 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8. The story of fourteen-year-old Shauzia, who escaped from Kabul, Afghanistan and who is unhappy with her life as a refugee in a camp in Pakistan. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at www.titlewave.com

Lesson Plan from Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies http://www.csames.illinois.edu/documents/outreach/The_Traveling_Girl_Lesson_Plan.pdf

Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Meera Simhan (5:12 min.) https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=6463


The night diary by Hiranandani, Veera — Dial Books for Young Readers, 2018 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.5.  Shy twelve-year-old Nisha, forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India, tries to find her voice and make sense of the world falling apart around her by writing to her deceased Muslim mother in the pages of her diary. CCBC, CBS, NSSTB List 2019, Newbery Honor 2019
Writing Prompt from Penguin Random House Marketing https://vimeo.com/showcase/7063614/video/409367228





Teaching Ideas from Classroom Bookshelf http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2018/06/the-night-diary/

Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Priya Ayyar (5:18 min.) https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=14707

Amal unbound by Saeed, Aisha — Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.2. In Pakistan, Amal holds onto her dream of being a teacher even after becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family's debt to the wealthy and corrupt Khan family. CCBC, NSSTB List 2019


Discussion Guide from Penguin Publishing Group USA https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/Penguin/AmalUnbound_Brochure.pdf
Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Priya Ayyar (4:38 min.) https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=14690

I am Malala : how one girl stood up for education and changed the world by Yousafzai, Malala— Little, Brown and Company, 2014--370.82; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.8 Malala Yousafzai's describes her fight for education for girls under Taliban rule, the support she received from her parents to pursue an education, and how the Taliban retaliated against her by trying to kill her. 

Educator’s Guide from Little, Brown and Company https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/LittleBrown/IAmMalala.pdf
Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Neela Vaswani (4.47 min.) https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=15999
Website for Movie Adaptation of I Am Malala https://www.henamedmemalalamovie.com

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