Afghanistan

Sept. Week 4 Monday

» Chapters 1-6 Socratic Seminar  minutes for both groups Group A: Chapters 1-3 Group B: Chapters 4-6  Ask questions, discuss ideas  Support your ideas with proof from the text

o How does the novel begin, and whom do we meet? o Setting? Time frame o How is this chapter “cryptic”? What hints / foreshadowing occurs that make you go, “Hmmm…”? o Questions, ideas, observations you have

"I thought of the life I had lived until the winter of 1975 came along and changed everything. And made me what I am today"

o We meet and learn about various relationships– summarize: Baba-Amir Amir – Hassan Ali-Hassan-Sanaubar o Pashtuns, Hazaras??? o Cleft palette? Which characters seem “whole” and which seem to have physical deformities? o What hints / foreshadowing occurs that make you go, “Hmmm…”? o Questions, ideas, observations you have

»“…a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break"

o This chapter is all about Baba and Amir and how they relate to each other—discuss what you think you are beginning to understand about their relationship. o What tidbits have we learned about each character here o Baba…a bear…what’s going on here? o Empathize! How does each character seem to feel about the other and why? o Who is Rahim?

“…a boy who can't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up for anything"

Discuss this bit of wisdom from Baba to Amir-- All sins proceed from a single sin: theft. Postulate ideas as to why Baba feels so strongly about this:

How is the author beginning to create the THEME of FRIENDSHIP in the novel?

1.Comment on your individual reactions to the book & the characters so far-- why you feel that way? 2.How are you feeling about Hosseini’s writing style?

Switch places!  Seminar #2: Chapters 4-6

o Sum up the story of the Judge, the Hazara boy and Baba that Amir tells o Discuss what you see & understand about the relationship NOW between Amir and Hassan- how do they treat each other? Why? What motivates each boy, do you think? o What seems to be Amirs gift and passion? How do you know and what hints were there in chapters 1-3 about it?

" My favourite part of reading to Hassan was when we came across a big word he didn't know. I'd tease him, expose his ignorance.“

o What happens in 1973 and how does it impact our characters? o Talk about Assef, his buddies, and what goes down between them and Amir and Hassan: o Discuss Hassan’s birthday gift and why this quote is significant: "Because that was the winter Hassan stopped smiling”-foreshadowing?

"I wished I too had a scar that would beget Baba's sympathy. It wasn't fair.“ "Why did I only play with Hassan when no one else was around?“

o What do you learn about Afghanistan, children, and winter kite-fighting? o How does the author hint to the reader in a few different ways that he may win the tournament the next day? o How and WHY is the kite tournament important to various characters?

"Baba and I lived in the same house but in different spheres of existence. Kites were the one paper-thin slice of intersection between those spheres."

Amir asks Hassan if Hassan would ever lie to him. Hassan says no, and that he'd "sooner eat dirt“ – What does this say about both characters? Amir for asking it…and Hassan’s answer to it:

How is the author beginning to create the THEME of COURAGE in the novel?

Predict what you think will happen to Amir and Hassan, Rahim and Assef further into the story:

» Everything so far has been a SET-UP for chapter 7 » Chapter 7 is THE chapter… » Everything after this chapter is the fallout of events which occur at this point in the story

45 minute TIMED ESSAY In the novel The Kite Runner, one of the major themes is FRIENDSHIP. Evaluate this theme as it has been presented, so far, in chapters 1-6. Consider Amir and Hassan: What does it mean to be a friend? Can people from different backgrounds maintain friendships? Can friendship endure when the friends are not together? How does age influence friendship? Material you may use for the essay: Novel Study guide Notes you took, including your quotes and citations In the novel The Kite Runner, one of the major themes is COURAGE. Evaluate this theme as it has been presented, so far, in chapters 1-6. Consider various characters in the novel so far and perhaps choose one to focus on or three separate people: What does courage look like throughout the novel? Why is courage important? Can courage be silent? OR stopwatch.com/eggtimer- countdown/full-screen/