Breadwinner

Have students each research two facts about Afghanistan (e.g., languages, religion, population, area, capital, life expectancy, literacy rate, monetary unit, flag, geographical features, climate, historical information, art, architecture, music, media). Have volunteers compile the information for a “Quick Facts” sheet or a bulletin board display.

Read the Author’s Note (pages 167–69) for background information and context.

Provide information about the author, Deborah Ellis, from online interviews, videos and the About the Author section on the final page of The Breadwinner.

Talk about the meaning of the term breadwinner.

Display a series of maps of Afghanistan and have students consider its geographical features such as its landlocked situation, bodies of water, regions, major cities and bordering countries. Have them discuss the effects of these features on the people who live there. Have them also figure out where it is relative to your latitudinal location, and its size compared with your province or state.

Have students view photo essays or other collections of photographs of Afghanistan and have them discuss their responses with a partner or small group.

What characters do you meet in this chapter? Begin character profiles for each one: write their names or sketch the character and write some notes about what you have learned about each of them.

How has life changed for Parvana’s family in ten years?

How long has it been since the mother and children, except for Parvana, have been outside the house? How have you coped during a time when you could not leave your home?

What did the soldiers do to the family? Where do you think they have taken the father?

Why do you think the books are so important to the family? What do they represent?

Draw a sketch of the room where the family lives and its contents.

What happened to Hossain, the oldest brother?

When you are reading, what techniques do you use to figure out a word you don’t know (e.g., read ahead and back to see if it is defined; use the glossary; use context)? How does the author give clues to a word’s meaning (e.g., how does “stretched out on a toshak” help a reader understand what a “toshak” is)?

Why did the Taliban order all windows to be painted over with black paint?

What emotions did you feel as you were reading this chapter? What caused them?

What character strengths has Parvana shown in the novel so far?

What has happened to the mother?

How do Parvana and Nooria differ on how they should handle their mother?

“Everybody leans on everybody in this family” (page 18). What does Parvana mean by this? Would you say this is true in your own family? How could you be a better support for family and/or friends?

What are your first impressions of Mrs. Weera? Find two things she says or does that give you a strong sense of her character.

Parvana is responsible for bringing in water for the family. Why is it such an important and tiring job? Why must the water be boiled before they can drink it?

A reference to an Afghan Women’s Union appears on page 56. What kind of services and support do you think this organization would offer?

What is the plan that Mrs. Weera thought of? How well did it work on the first day?

How does Parvana feel when she is out in the market as a boy?

The author mentions Parvana’s special red shalwar kameez on page 69, already described on page 24. Why is it important to Parvana? As you read, watch for further mentions of it and think about what it might symbolize.

What is Parvana’s job? How does she feel about it?

Why do you think the author included the scene with Parvana reading the letter for the Talib?

Parvana must sell her special shalwar kameez. How would you feel if you were forced to sell something that was important to you?

How does the family’s life change when Mrs. Weera moves in?

Nooria says that she had forgotten how good the sun feels on her face. Maryam has to be helped to walk down the stairs. If you were forced to stay indoors, what would you miss most about being outside? Why is it unhealthy to be indoors for so long?

Why do you think the woman in the window is throwing small items down to Parvana?

What do you predict will happen when the “tea boy” recognizes Parvana?

How are Parvana’s and Shauzia’s lives similar? How are they different?

What two plans do Mrs. Weera and the mother have? Why are the plans dangerous?

What is the job the girls do? Do you think you would be able to do it? What do you think makes them able to do it?

“Kabul has more land mines than flowers,” the father used to say (page 109). Share what you know about land mines.

The girls say that they must remember the experience of bone-digging when they are rich old ladies drinking tea together. Do you think that vision of their future will come true? Why do you think that?

Why did Parvana end up telling her family about the bone-digging even though she had said she wouldn’t?

How did digging bones lead to the girls’ new job?

How is the relationship between Parvana and Nooria changing?

What happens at the soccer stadium? Why do you think the author chooses to include scenes like this one and the scene about the bone-digging?

What is Shauzia’s dream? What is your opinion of her wanting to leave?

Why did Parvana’s parents disagree about leaving Afghanistan?

What does Parvana want her life to be like? Are you surprised by what she wants?

Pages 131–32 describe areas in Afghanistan outside of Kabul. Locate the areas on the map. How do the descriptions differ from those of Kabul? Why is it valuable for Parvana to talk to the people from these outside areas?

What do we learn about the reasons for the Window Woman’s little gifts to Parvana?

How is Nooria’s life going to change? How does she feel about it?

Parvana feels both relieved and sulky about not going to Mazar-e-Sharif. Describe a time you have felt that kind of mixed emotion.

What do we learn about Parvana’s character from her actions toward Homa, the woman she finds?

Why was getting back to Parvana’s house so dangerous?

What news does Homa report to Parvana and Mrs. Weera? How do their responses to the news differ? How do you think you would have responded?

What do you predict has happened to Parvana’s family?

Had you predicted that the father would return? Why or why not?

What do Parvana and Shauzia say they are working toward? Why are their plans different?

What do you know about refugee camps and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs)? What do you think the camps are like?

How does Parvana say goodbye to the Window Woman? What has their interaction meant to both Parvana and the woman?

How does the author give a sense of hope in this chapter?

What do Parvana and Shauzia plan to do in twenty years? Do you think this plan will come true? Explain your reasoning.

Have students create a large Venn diagram or a T-chart to compare Parvana and her family’s life before and after the Taliban took over Kabul. Alternatively, ask students to create a Venn diagram or T-chart to compare their own lives with Parvana’s.

English Language Arts; Social Studies

Have students skim the novel to make a list of the restrictions the Taliban placed on women. Point out that sometimes the restriction is obviously stated, as in “The Taliban had ordered all the girls and women in Afghanistan to stay inside their homes” (page 7) and sometimes it can be inferred, as in “Their mother had been kicked out of her job as a writer for a Kabul radio station” (page 7). Have students compare and discuss their lists in small groups.

English Language Arts; Social Studies

Have students make a video of a series of interviews with people who have read The Breadwinner. Encourage them to prepare interview questions that ask about the novel’s themes, the author’s style, thoughts on characters, favorite scenes and so on.

English Language Arts; ICT

Draw students’ attention to the symbolism of flowers in the book. Have them create a piece of artwork (e.g., painting, sculpture, collage, photograph or video) that reflects this symbol and what it represents in The Breadwinner.

English Language Arts; Visual Arts

Have students work in pairs to study the relationship between Parvana and Nooria and trace how it changes during the novel. They can present their findings in the form of diary entries for both sisters; an exchange of letters; monologues or a role-play of the girls as older women looking back on their relationship.

Drama; English Language Arts; Health and Life Skills

In the classroom or another area in the school, work with students to create an area that is the same size as Parvana’s (“ten regular steps one way and twelve regular steps the other way”). You might set up sheets or large pieces of cardboard for walls and include other setting features using details from the novel (pages 22–23, 36). Have groups of students enter the area to play the roles of the family members, and possibly Mrs. Weera, in a scene from the novel or an improvisation. If feasible, you might also have students take turns fetching pails of water (or similarly weighted pails) to get an idea of how arduous Parvana’s chore was. At some point in the activity, ask the groups to sit quietly in the area to reflect on how it might feel to be in that space for a year and a half without being allowed to leave. After the activity, have students write about their thoughts.

Drama; English Language Arts; Health and Life Skills; Social Studies

Talk with students about how the book is told from Parvana’s point of view (even though it is written in the third person). Have students choose a scene from the book and think about it from another character’s point of view. Have them write and perform (live or on video) a monologue based on the scene in role as that character.

Drama; English Language Arts

Talk with students about how the author infuses the novel with some humor, despite the grimness of the themes. Ask students to recall or look for examples of humor in the novel, and discuss how the author has created it (e.g., through dialogue, Parvana’s thoughts, the character of Mrs. Weera).

English Language Arts

Draw students’ attention to the mother and Mrs. Weera’s magazine and why it was so brave of them to have created it. Read from page 164 “… copies are being sent out to women all over the world. She has helped to let the world know what is happening in Afghanistan.” Ask groups of students to think about what type of stories and information might have been in the first issue of that magazine, and what they would have wanted other women, or the outside world, to know about what was happening. Then, have them create a contents page with brief annotations about each article (5–6 articles).

English Language Arts; Social Studies

Read Mrs. Weera’s words (page 116): “These are unusual times. They call for ordinary people to do unusual things just to get by.” Ask students to draw or paint a scene or image from the novel that they think best illustrates this idea. Have them include a title for their artwork.

English Language Arts; Health and Life Skills; Social Studies; Visual Arts

Ask students to imagine they are creating a display of artifacts for a museum in Afghanistan to represent the time The Breadwinner describes. Have them choose 6–10 artifacts and write a brief description of each one and why it was chosen. They could design a web page about the artifacts, or sketch the display as it would look in the museum.

English Language Arts; ICT; Social Studies; Visual Arts

Have students create a “Malali” award to give to Parvana for her courage. The award (e.g., medal, plaque, plate, trophy or statue) should represent the Malali story in some way. Students will also write and present a brief speech describing something Parvana did that they found particularly courageous.

Drama; English Language Arts; Visual Arts

Ask students to research aid organizations that provide support to Afghan citizens, including organizations created by Afghans themselves. Students could work in pairs to research one organization and report their findings to the class. The following are organizations listed in Kids of Kabul. Be sure to check the websites first to ensure suitability for your class.

English Language Arts; Social Studies