Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.7, W.3, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will read and summarize a text about the recent turmoil in Afghanistan.

Key Skills

summarizing, text features, vocabulary, key details, inference, cause and effect, narrative writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The text describes life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and details one teen’s struggle to escape Afghanistan for a better life.

 

Structure: The text describes a chaotic scene in Afghanistan last summer, then relates events that led to that moment.

 

Language: The text includes some challenging vocabulary, which is defined in the article and in the vocabulary box.

 

Knowledge Demands: Some knowledge of the U.S. war in Afghanistan will help but is not required.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: V 

DRA Level: 50

SEL Connection

Our Learn-Anywhere Activity promotes social awareness!

Lesson Plan: Escape to Freedom

Essential Questions

  • What is a refugee? What does the world owe to refugees? 
  • What rights should every person have? 

Literature Connection

  • Novel: Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

1. Preparing to Read 

Build Background Knowledge (10 minutes)

As a class, view our video “What Is a Refugee?” Then ask each student to write down three problems or challenges that refugees might face.

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the title and subtitle (the text below the title) of the article. Describe what you see in the image that goes with it. What do you think is going on in the image? Sample answer: The image shows an airplane surrounded by a big crowd of people. According to the subtitle, 120,000 people rushed to leave Afghanistan last summer. This scene seems to show people at an airport, trying to leave the country. 
  • Look at the image captioned “Taliban Rules.” How is this classroom different from your classroom? How is it similar? Answers will vary. Differences will likely include that boys and girls are seated separately and that the classroom walls are quite bare. Similarities may include that students have desks and books and are seated facing the teacher. 

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box on page 4. Read the words (seized, extreme, terrorists, invaded, refugee) aloud and discuss the definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading 

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading by explaining to students that the article “Escape to Freedom” will tell them about a war taking place in Afghanistan and the difficulty of leaving that country to find safety.  
  • Point out the Pause and Think boxes. Tell students they can check their understanding of what they’ve read by answering these questions.
  • Point out the activity at the end of the article, and tell students they’ll complete it after reading. Encourage them to briefly scan the questions and to keep them in mind as they read.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Guide students to read the article. Once they understand it well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • In the section “A Country in Chaos,” what do you learn about rules made by the Taliban? (key details) You learn that the Taliban banned most music, movies, and TV, and that women were not allowed to go to school or work outside the home.
  • After the Taliban took power again in 2021, why was it so difficult for people to leave Afghanistan? (inference) Many people wanted to leave the country. You can guess that there weren’t enough flights for everyone. You can also guess that the Taliban might not have wanted people to leave. The article mentions a bomb at the airport; that bomb might have been set by Taliban members.
  • The article says that Rahima hopes to become a doctor. Why? (cause and effect) You can tell that Rahima is grateful for the help she’s gotten and wants to be a doctor so that she can give back. The fact that her mom was a doctor is probably another reason.

Critical-Thinking Question (5 minutes)

  • In what ways will life be better for Rahima in the U.S.? In what ways do you think it might be difficult at first? (inference) Sample answer: Living in the U.S., Rahima will no longer have to worry about the Taliban’s rules and violent practices. She can go to school and enjoy other activities that she used to enjoy, like going to the movies and listening to music. She can pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Still, it may be difficult for Rahima to adjust to her new life. She’ll have to make new friends, and she’ll have to learn new customs and a new language. She will probably miss many things about Afghanistan, including all of the belongings she left behind.

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill activity at the end of the article.
  • Use our Summarizing Skill Builder, available in higher- and lower-level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders for this article.)
  • Writing prompt: Imagine that you write for your school newspaper, and you’ve been asked to interview a new student who is a refugee. List five questions that this student could answer that would interest your classmates. Think about how a refugee’s life might be different from yours: feeling unsafe, leaving home for a new place, learning a new language, and so on.

Learn Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Brainstorm a Solution

After watching the video “What Is a Refugee?,” you made a list of three problems that refugees might face. Choose one of those problems and think of something you could do to help solve it. Briefly list the steps you’d take to make your idea a reality.

For instance,  if the problem you want to help solve is that refugees don’t know many people in their new town or city, maybe the solution is to plan a weekly activity (such as a crafting session or a friendly basketball game) where teen refugees are welcome. The steps might be:

  1. Make sure a space is available for the activity. This can be your school gym, a classroom, or your own backyard.
  2. Ask a few friends to contribute items you need (such as chairs, sports equipment, crafting supplies, or snacks).
  3. Use fliers, posters, social media, etc., to make sure teens (especially refugees) know about the activity.

Now create your plan. When you’re done, see if there’s a way to make it happen.  If you need help, ask an adult you know who’s good at planning.

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