Collect and display a number of items to help students appreciate the difficulties of the journey. For example, provide a bag with items Parvana carries at the beginning (see page 13), and a sling with a bundle that is the weight of the baby Hassan to represent what Asif carries. Display the food as described on page 25: a bit of cooked rice, nan and dried mulberries, as well as the grass, leaves and a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird that they were forced to eat later. Display some muddy water in a plastic bottle. Invite students to feel the weight of the load and to reflect on the meagre supplies of food and water, then write about their thoughts in the form of a poem, letter to one of the characters, artwork or a monologue.
English Language Arts; Health and Life Skills; Visual Arts
