Lesson Plans Presentation:

THE KITE RUNNER

A. Tachouet CI 548: LA

Professor LenskiMarch 2009

How can a flawed hero seek redemption?

Week 1: AgendaMON. MAY 4 WED. MAY 6 FRI. MAY 8Begin The Kite Runner

Historical Perspective

HMWK: Read p. 1-34

Characters & Friendship in The Kite Runner

HMWK: Read p. 35-79

Writing Response

Tradition of Kites

HMWK:Read p. 80-109

Lesson 1: AgendaHow does our history impact our

stories?• Discuss similar and different words, themes

and relationships found in the wordle.• Take pre-test.• Powerpoint presentation about author and

novel’s historical context.• Listen to Hosseini reading chapter one aloud.• Discuss allusions to history, friendship

and kites.

Khaled Hosseini• Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965,

the son of a diplomat and a teacher.• Lived in Tehran, Iran, and Paris, France, for

parts of his childhood. In 1980, granted political asylum and moved to California.

• Graduated from high school, college and medical school in California.

• Practiced medicine and now a writer. The Kite Runner was his first novel, published 2003.• Works with the United Nations Refugee

Agency, as a goodwill envoy.

Inspiration…• Relationship: Khaled taught Hossein

Khan, the family’s racial Hazara cook to read and write despite the social

injustice and racial bias imposed by their society.

• Memories: Fond recollections of pre-Soviet era childhood in Afghanistan.

• Literature: Persian stories and poems, characters and themes presented in John

Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.

Where is Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is:

Before The Kite Runner

• A landlocked country located in central Asia, focal point of regional trade and

migration.• 1800-1900s: Buffer state in rivalry

between British Indian Empire and Russia.• 1919, 1924: Declared full independence

and first constitution is established. • Through 1970s: Ruled by monarchy then

constitutional monarchy. • 1933 – 1973: King Mohammad Zahir Shah

reigned during the longest period of stability.

Afghanistan during The Kite Runner

• 1973: King’s brother-in-law waged a coup and declared a republic.

• 1978: People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan organized an coup d’état,

promoted freedom of religion and women’s rights.

• 1979: USSR invaded, killed the president and up to 2 million civilians.

Over 5 million fled the country. • 1989: U.S. sent aid to the mujahideen

to stop communist expansion, Soviets withdrew.

Historical perspective:

• Since 1979, Afghanistan has been in a continuous state of open warfare.

• There are various ethnic groups: Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and others. Pashtu and Dari are considered the official languages.

• Approximately 99% of the population is Muslim; of those 84% are of the Sunni sect.

• There has been a long history of an ethnic hierarchy. Traditionally, Pashtuns have dominated the country.

Let’s begin the book!

With an audio recording of Hosseini reading chapter one aloud…

• What is the setting and time frame of the opening of he novel? What history is referenced?

• How are we introduced to friendship?• When are kites mentioned and how?

"It is better to be in chains with friends,

than to be in a garden with strangers."

-Persian Proverb

Lesson 2: AgendaWhat is the role of friendship in the

novel?1)Discuss

characters we have met

2)Look at dynamics and relationships between characters with Venn Diagrams

3)Textual Evidence

4)Exit Slip

What FRIENDS have we met so far?

____________ & ____________ ____________ & ____________ ____________ & ____________ ____________ & ____________

Protagonist: AMIR

HASSAN

In groups, discuss the similarities/ differences between the core characters in the novel:

• Amir & Hassan (sons) – Group 1 & 4

• Baba & Ali (fathers) – Group 2 & 5• Baba & Amir – Group 3 & 6

Then, share your main ideas with the class.

AMIR HASSAN

BABA ALI

BABA AMIR

AnticipationWhat can we see about

characters early on based on

* how they act * things they say?

Textual evidence helps us support ideas we

form about characters.

AMIR & HASSANP. 4 – Amir about Hassan: “Hassan never

wanted to, but if I asked, really asked, he wouldn’t deny me. Hassan never denied me anything.

P. 29 – Amir to Hassan: “You don’t know what it means?.. Everyone in my school knows what (that word) means… ‘Imbecile.’ It means smart, intelligent.”

P. 34 – Hassan to Amir: “No. You will be great and famous”

BABA & ALI

P. 8 – Amir about Ali: “Ali turned around, caught me aping him. He didn’t say anything. Not then, not ever. He just kept walking.”

P. 15 – Amir about Baba: “People were always doubting him… so Baba proved them all wrong by not only running his own business but becoming one of the richest merchants in Kabul.”

BABA & AMIR

• P. 17 – Baba to Amir: “I mean to speak to you man to man. Do you think you can handle that for once?”

• P. 22 - Baba to friend Rahim Khan: “There is something missing in that boy.”

• P. 14 – Amir about Baba: “Baba was there, watching, and he patted Hassan on the back. Even put his arm around his shoulder.”

• What qualities do I appreciate in a friend?

• Do any of the characters in the novel have those qualities?

• Which characters (if any) do I see as someone I could befriend?

SLIP

Lesson 3:Who is a kite runner?

What is it like to be a refugee?

One that flees to a foreign country or nation to escape

danger or persecution

Lesson 4: AgendaWhat does it mean to be a

refugee?• Discuss: what it’s like to be a

refugee, who is a refugee.• Read:

– quotes from Afghan refugees who fleed as teenagers.

– poem from Huang Xiang and look at • Compare: With experience of Baba and

Amir• Write: How would you feel?

Refugee Experiences• 10.3 million refugees worldwide in 2003 which

means one new refugee every 21 seconds.• The United States resettles more of these

refugees than any other country in the world. In 2001, the majority of refugees came from Afghanistan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Angola, Sudan and Congo.

• Many refugees see America as a haven, but fleeing from their own country can be dangerous and strenuous.

I am from Afghanistan. It's a very beautiful country in the heart of Asia. It has very nice,

peaceful, hospitable, brave, innocent, war-threatened and poor people.

I am from Ningarhar, the border province of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We were living a

peaceful life. Everyone was happy, everything

was OK. Suddenly a plan was made by the Russians and they invaded our homeland. A

war started, a holy war against the Russians.

-Farid Ahmad, 16, Afghan refugee who fled to London leaving family behind

When we were in Afghanistan my father always wished that

we were educated. I wasn’t in school for very long in Afghanistan. After the conditions got worse, all the schools closed and there was nowhere that you could go to every day. It wasn’t safe, there were so many risks, you wouldn’t just go

outside, you might get shot.

-Waheed Safi, 18, Afghan refugee, admitted to Oxford University

Refusing Exile, by: Huang Xiang

• What does he say about exits and

entrances?

• How does he describe America?

• What are Huang’s “bygone days”?

Comparing to the book• How do these refugees’ perspectives compare

to that of Baba and Amir?• What does being from a privileged background

mean for them in this experience?• How are they treated? How do they treat

fellow refugees?• What differences between father and son are

presented as they flee their country, as they acclimate to the U.S.?

How would you feel?Write in your journal on ONE topic:• If you were moving to Afghanistan today,

what would you look forward to? What would you not look forward to?

• How have you felt when you have moved homes or cities? What did you do?

• What did you think when you first spent time in an uncomfortable setting (away from family or your home)?

References:http://www.afghanmagazine.com/2004_06/articles/hsadat.shtml

http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=900http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1607320.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/us/21fugees.html?scp=5&sq=refugees&st=csehttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writerdetails.asp?cid=1145572

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/kiterunner.jpg http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov1999/wellfoundedfear/questions/char_poet.php3