Discussion guide: grades 3-6
Transcript of Discussion guide: grades 3-6
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RiceFromHeaven:
TheSecretMissiontoFeedNorthKoreansByTinaCho,IllustratedbyKeumJinSong
9781499806823,$17.99
Discussionguide:grades3-6
EssentialQuestions
1. WhereisKorea?HowisKoreadivided?(refertomapattheendofbook)2. WhatdoyoualreadyknowaboutNorthandSouthKorea?3. Whatisfreedom?4. Howdoespoweraffectfairnessandjustice?5. Whatareouressentialliberties?WhatdoessocietyNEEDtosurvive?6. Howhaveessentiallibertieschangedovertime?7. Whatisoppression?(Prolongedcruelorunjusttreatmentorcontrol)8. Whatissocialjustice?(Justiceintermsofthedistributionofwealth,opportunities,andprivileges
withinasociety)9. Howdoindividualsdevelopvaluesandbeliefs?10. Whathappenswhenbeliefsystemsofsocietiesandindividualscomeintoconflict?11. Whataretheresponsibilitiesoftheindividualinregardtoissuesofsocialjustice?12. Whydopeoplefleeordefectfromtheirhomeland?13. Howcanliteratureserveasavehicleforsocialchange?14. Whyisitimportanttoexperienceculturesandperspectivesthataredifferentfromyourown?
Lookatthetitleandcoverillustrationanddiscuss.
• Whatdoesthetitlemeantoyou?Whatdoyouthinktheword“heaven”implies?• Whatisa“mission”?• WhywouldthepeopleofNorthKoreaneedtobefed?Whywouldthisbedoneinsecret?• Describewhatishappeninginthecoverart.Predictwhatthestorywillbeabout.
*Previewthestructureofthebook.Thisisastorybasedonfactandinformationalbackmatter.
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Asyoureadthestorythinkabout:
• Whatisthesetting?• Howdoestheillustrator,KeumJinSongusepicturestodevelopthesetting,charactersandevents?• Howdotheillustrationscontributetothemeaningandtoneofthebook?• Fromwhatpointofviewisthestorytold?IsYooriabelievablecharacter?• Explainhowwordsandphrasesimpactthemeaning.FindexamplesofhowTinaChousesfigurative
languageandhowitcreatesimagery.• Whatstrategiesdoyouusetofigureoutunknownwordsandphrasesinthebook?Usecontext
cluestofigureoutthemeaningof“Appa”.• Compareandcontrastthegirlsintheillustrationwhoareseparatedbyariver.Usethewordsand
pictures.• WhatinformationdidyoulearnaboutNorthKoreathroughoutthestory?Takenotesasyouread.• WhydopeopleescapeNorthKorea?Useexamplesfromthestory.• WhatdoesYoorimeanwhenshetellsherfatherthatsheisonlya“grainofrice”?• HowdoesYoorichallengethebeliefsofothersinhercommunity?• WhereistheborderofNorthandSouthKorea?Finditonyourmapandhighlightit.• Whydothepeopleofthiscommunitycometogetherforacommonpurpose?• HowdotheysendthericetothehungrypeopleofNorthKorea?• WhyisYoori’sheartbubblingattheendofthestory?Howisshefeeling?• Whatarethemajorthemesinthestory?Howarethethemesreflectedthroughthecharacters’
behaviorsandmajoreventsinthestory?(hope,bravery,freedom,andcompassion)• WhatisthehopeandgoaloftheRiceBalloonProject?• Dotheparticipantsinthemissionevertrulyknowifthericegetstothehungrychildren?• Howdoyoufeelaboutthis?Doesitmatter?
Whosaiditandwhy?
• “Wereachaplacewheremountainsbecomeawall.Sohigh,noonedarestoclimb.”• “NorthKoreaisagigantic,enormousricebowlwithagovernmentwhodoesnothingtohelpits
people.”• “Don’tfeedtheenemy!”• “Iamsorry;Iwillsharethericefrommyfather’sfields.”• “Youaremystrongsunflower.”• “Ibowlow,butthehopeinmyheartgrowstall.”• “Inthemorning,hungrychildrenwillfindricefromheaven.”
*ReadtheinformationalBackMatter
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Maketext-to-selfandtext-to-worldconnections—Whatdoyouthink?
• WhydoyouthinkTinaChowroteRicefromheaven?• DoyouthinkthattheRiceBalloonProjectshouldcontinueeventhoughnooneknowsifthefoodis
reachingthepeople?• Afterreadingaboutthe“numbers”oftheproject,whatwasthemostsurprisingthingthatyou
learned?• Whyisitimportanttoseeissuessuchasfreedomandhumanrightsfromothers’pointofview?• Howdoesfamilyplayaroleinshapingourvaluesandbeliefs?ExplainhowthisrelatestoYoori
fromthestory.• Discussthethemesofhope,bravery,freedom,andcompassion.• Howhasthisbookchangedthewayyouthink?• Whatcreatesprejudice?Cananindividualovercomeit?How?• HowdoesYoorichangethewayothersinhercommunityfeelaboutthe“enemy”?• Whatarethecausesandconsequencesofprejudiceandinjustice,andhowdoesanindividual’s
responsetothemrevealhis/hertruecharacter?Describethecharactersinthestoryinwhattheythink,sayanddotorevealthemselves.
• Whatfactorsdoyouthinkcontributetoallowsomepeopletotakeastandagainstprejudice/oppression?UseexamplesfromthestoryandtheAuthor’sNotes.
• AfterreadingFactsonNorthKorea,writeaparagraphtellingwhatwouldbethethreemostdifficultthingsforyoutolivewith.
• Whenshouldanindividualtakeastandagainstwhathe/shebelievestobeaninjustice?Whatarethemosteffectivewaystodothis?
• Howdoesanindividual’spointofviewaffectthewaytheydealwithconflict?Findrealworldexamplesofhowdifferentpeopledealwithconflictdifferently.
• Whatpersonalqualitieshavehelpedyoutodealwithconflictandchange?Howmightiffeeltolivethroughaconflictthatdisruptsyourwayoflife?
• Howarepeopletransformedthroughtheirrelationshipswithothers?Describeapersonwhohasinfluencedthewayyouseelifeandhelpedyouseethingsinanewway.
• Doesgovernmenteverhavetherighttorestrictthefreedomsofpeople?
Expressyourself• Createaposter,artwork,song,orpoemrepresentingwhoyouareandreflectingthefreedomsyou
enjoyandthatmost“define”you.
• Chooseaquoteandexplainwhatitmeanstoyou.o “Freedommakesahugerequirementofeveryhumanbeing.Withfreedomcomes
responsibility.Forthepersonwhoisunwillingtogrowup,thepersonwhodoesnotwanttocarryhisownweight,thisisafrighteningprospect.”~EleanorRoosevelt
o “Freedomhasitslifeinthehearts,theactions,thespiritofmenandsoitmustbedailyearnedandrefreshed-elselikeaflowercutfromitslife-givingroots,itwillwitheranddie.”~DwightD.Eisenhower
o “Thosewhodenyfreedomtoothersdeserveitnotforthemselves.”~AbrahamLincoln
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ResearchHistoryandCulture;Exploringthepast,learningaboutthefuture
• CreateastackofcardscontaininginterestingfactsaboutthecultureandthepeopleofKorea.Draw(orprint)apicturefortheflipside.Arrangethecardspicturesideup.Chooseanycardanddiscussthefactfromtheback.
• WhywastheKoreanconflictfoughtinthe1950s?• HowdidKoreaoriginallysplitintotwoconflictingnations?• WhyhaveNorthandSouthKoreadevelopedalongdramaticallydifferentpathspoliticallyand
economically?• WhyisNorthKoreaconsidereda“dangerousroguenation”whileSouthKoreaavaluedand
importantally?• CreateatimelineshowingthePoliticsoftheKoreanPeninsula.• FindacurrenteventsarticleintheworldnewsaboutKorea.Summarizeandshare.
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