29/04/14 English

Returned Bluefish
Borrowed Parvana
Started to read Parvana
NAPLAN Prac
1) Acsesable
2) Veichle
3) Peaceful
4) Variety

17) Overnight
18) Greatfull
19) Fetiged
20) Cupboard
21) Intelligence
22) Impossible
23) Atmosphere
24) Height
25) Kilojoule
26) Excitement
27) Shriek
28) Reluctant
29) Antarctic
30) Convenience
31) Wouldve
32) a
33) Quickly
34) Were
35) Better
36) Whose
37) c
38) d
39) b
!"#$!%&'(!%
Women have specific dress.
Taliban taken over.
Hot and dry country.
No education.
Poor country.
Men work.
Women stay at home.
Chapter 1-3 Questions
1) What is Fathers job and why must Parvana
help him?
Fathers job is to read letters and write letters
for people in the marketplace. Parvana must
help him walk to and from the marketplace.
2) Who are the members of Parvanas family?
The members of Parvanas family are: Mother,
Father, Parvana, Nooria, Maryam and Ali.
3) Describe Parvanas home.
Parvanas home is one small room made of
cement.
4) How has Kabul changed during the war?
Kabul has changed physically during the war
by bombs. Kabul is now in ruins.
5) How has the rule of the Taliban changed the
country?
The rule of the Taliban has brung the downfall
of Afghanistan. It has changed the way that
people live.
6) Why does the family invite friends over?
7) Why do the family have to sell their
belongings?
The family has to sell their belongings so they
can earn money for food.
8) Who was Hossain?
Hossain was the eldest child until a landmine
killed him when he was fourteen.
9) Why do the soldiers take Father away?
The soldiers take Father away because he
went to university in England.
10) Describe the journey Mother and Parvana
made to the jail.
Mother and Parvana made a long and
dangerous journey to the jail by not having a
man with them and having possession of a
photo.


11) What happened when they got to the
jail?
When Mother and Parvana got to the jail,
they were beaten by soldiers and their
photograph of Father was ripped up.
12) Describe how Mother and Parvana
looked and felt after the long walk to and
from the prison.
Mother and Parvana felt almost like they
might die after the walk to and from the
prison.
13) Who had to buy food now? Why?
Parvana had to go out and get food
because Parvanas family was running low.
14) Why was Parvana scared to go
shopping alone? How were women
supposed to shop? Why did the Talib hit
Parvana with the stick for shopping?
Parvana was scared to go shopping
because she had only gone with her father
before. Women were supposed to shop by
calling out to the owners what they wanted
from the store. The Talib hit Parvana with a
stick because she was not covered up.
15) When Parvana ran away and upset
some food on they way, she was clutching
bread too tightly, and she ran into
someone. Why did the person notice how
she was carrying the bread? How did the
person help Parvanas family?
The person noticed she was clutching the
bread too tightly because she was not
covered up. The person helped Parvanas
family by getting things into order again.
16) Why couldnt Parvana have a drink of
water before it was boiled?
Parvana couldnt have a drink of water
before it was boiled because in
Afghanistan, the water isnt clean and you
need to get bacteria out of it by boiling it.
17) In this chapter, Mrs. Weera, Mother and
Nooria help Parvana turn into a boy.
Describe what they do to make her look like
a boy, the story they tell to help, and how
Parvana feels about becoming a boy.
Mother, Mrs Weera and Nooria cut her hair
and put her in Hossains clothes. The story
they put behind her was that she was their
cousin from Jalalabad and she was coming
to stay while Father was away. Parvana
feels very nervous and embarrassed about
being a boy.
18) Who is Malali? Why do you think she is an
inspiration to Parvana?
Malali is a brave little girl from a story. I think
she is an inspiration to Parvana because
women and girls never have a chance to
stand up for themselves in Kabul.


19) Parvana has a nightmare on page 49.
What does this dream reveal about her worst
fears? It also suggests Parvana has courage -
what quote shows this?
In her nightmare on page 49, Parvanas worst
fears are having no voice and being beaten
by soldiers. The quote She even shouted, I
am Malali! I am Malali! but the soldiers paid
no attention. Shows she has courage.

Vocab
Naan
a type of leavened bread, typically of
teardrop shape and traditionally
cooked in a clay oven.
Dari
the form of Persian spoken in
Afghanistan.
Burqa
a long, loose garment covering the
whole body from head to feet, worn in
public by women in many Muslim
countries.
Taliban
a fundamentalist Muslim movement
whose militia took control of much of
Afghanistan from early 1995, and in 1996
took Kabul and set up an Islamic state.
The Taliban were overthrown by US-led
forces and Afghan groups in 2001
following the events of September 11.
Labyrinth
a complicated irregular network of
passages or paths in which it is difficult to
find one's way; a maze.
Preoccupied
Eternety

Scenario 1
1) What would be the first thing you would
do in this scenario?
In this scenario, the first thing I would
probably do would be, get over the
shock and spend the most time I can
with my family.







Portfolio: SPEECH
Imagine living in a country where women have no rights and there are
soldiers wherever you go. The Taliban is an Islamic group who took over
Afghanistan in 1996. They decided that they would enforce the rules of
their religion to incredible lengths. According to one Talib spokesman,
"the face of a woman is a source of corruption" meaning that the face
of a woman should not be seen because they might do something to
upset the government. Part of their belief is that women are not to go
outside without a male escort and with the proper clothing such as a
burka. This affected every family in Afghanistan because it applied to
everyone. Parvanas family, whos main male had just been taken to
jail for incoherent reasons, had almost run out of food and was in a
devastating state. The family had no choice but to change Parvana
into a boy to go into the marketplace to work and buy things. They
had to cut her hair while she marveled at her sisters, and had to wear
boys clothes. She felt sometimes like she was incapable to do
something because she looked like a girl. She had lived her whole life
as a girl and was now asked to change her gender. In this situation, I
would feel hideous. The fact that my family were so deprived that I had
to change gender would overwhelm me with shock and sadness. I also
would loathe my hair if I had to cut it short. I think that what is
happening in Afghanistan is not fair. Many people in real life have had
to do what Parvana did and that is incredibly devastating. Lets all
remember how grateful we are to live in Australia and have so many
rights that others dont have.


To: internationalsales@allenandunwin.com
From: grace.alston@education.nsw.gov.au
Subject: Parvana Improvements
Hi,
My name is Grace Alston and I think there could be some
improvements made on Deborah Elis Parvana. Some of them are:
Use more descriptive language to set the scene, as lots of things
were hard to imagine. Such as the blanket and peoples
appearences.
I would also recommend inserting more about Parvanas familys
past. E.g. Her fathers experience in England and her mothers
life as a journalist. This is not a criticism but I was very intrigued.
You couldve evolved on the woman that threw Parvana trinkets
from her window a bit more like evolving more on her
background.
Thank you for reading this email. I hope you take these improvements
into consideration.
Sincerely,
Grace Alston

Novel Study Questions Synthesis
Design a set of test questions the teacher might choose to administer
to someone who has read this story.
Questions
1. Why do you think the Taliban didnt take into account Parvanas
family after they took her father away? Pages 32-34
I think the Taliban didnt take into account Parvanas family after
they took her father away because they only care about not
getting ideas from other countries into Afghanistan.
2. Why does Parvana trust the window woman? Page 84
Parvana trusts the window woman because she saw her smiling
through a small window.
3. How did Mrs Weera help the family? List 3 things that she did.
Pages 63-65
Cleaned mother up
Turned Parvana into a boy
Cleaned up the room
4. Do you think Mount Parvana is the actual name of the
mountain? Page 168
I dont think Mount Parvana is the actual name of the mountain
because Parvanas father is often making things up.
5. Why is Nooria getting married? Page 137
Nooria is getting married because she can get a good education
where her fiance lives.
Vocab
Soviet
an elected local, district, or national council in the former Soviet Union.
Pashtu
Volatile
easily evaporated at normal temperatures.
Repression
the action of subduing someone or something by force.
Overwhelming
very great in amount.

Vocab
Novel Study Activity
Red Card-
Suppose you were to make three
recommendations to the author and/or the
publisher for improving this story. Describe
your recommendations.
My recommendations to the author and the
publisher would be:
Use more descriptive language to set the
scene, as lots of things were hard to imagine.
I would also recommend inserting more
about Parvanas familys past. E.g. Her
fathers experience in England and her
mothers life as a journalist.
You couldve evolved on the woman that
threw Parvana trinkets from her window a bit
more.
Blessing
Context
a) Where do you think this poem is set?
I think this poem is set in a village in Africa
because of the reasons in question b.
b) What clues does Dharker give the
reader?
Dharker gives the reader a couple of
clues like From the huts and liquid sun.
What is the poem about?
a) Write a short sentence to explain what
you think the poem is about.
I think the poem is about a town that
doesnt have any water but one day the
pipes burst and they get some.
b) What phrases does the poet use to
describe water? What value is placed
on water?
The poet uses liquid sun and silver to
describe the water. The water is treated
like gold.
Portfolio - Parvana Questions
Is the woman in the window young or old?
The woman in the window is old because
Parvana sees a womans face.
Is she wealthy or poor?
The woman in the window is wealthy because if
she was poor, she wouldnt have the money to
throw Parvana gifts.
Why is she giving Parvana gifts?
She is giving Parvana gifts because she knows
what has happened to Parvana and she feels
sorry for her.
Portfolio: Imagine you are the
woman in the window. Write a
paragraph illustrating what this
character is seeing through the
window everyday.
I feel like the four walls are about to
concave on me, so I decide to take
a look out of our only window. I can
smell the brewing tea and the fresh
meat spitting on the barbeque. The
tea boys annoyed me at first but
their feet now sooth me. There are
so many people in the marketplace
that the tea boys really have to
watch their step. I miss when the
Taliban soldiers werent walking
around because wherever they go,
they are quickly followed by a
shadow of fear and eeriness, used
to their advantage. I remember
when there was music and happy
laughter in the air and when
everybody was carefree. Those
were the days.
Novel Study Activity
Using only three words, describe the
physical appearance of the main
character in the story. Give
examples from the story to support
your word choices.
Parvana is:
Feisty
Curios
Gullible
List the who, what, when and where
of the story.
Who:
Parvana, her older sister Nooria,
her younger brother and sister Ali
and Maryam, her mother, her
father, Mrs Weera, Mrss
Weeeras grandchild, the
window woman and the girl
from the camps.
What:
The story is about Parvanas
family and life under the Taliban.
When:
Sometime between 1996 and
2001 when the Taliban were
ruling.
Where:
Kabul, Afghanistan.

Blessing - Dharker
Born in Pakistan, but moved to
Scotland when little.
Describes herself as a Scottish Muslim
Calvinist.
Adopted by India.
Married into Wales.
Works mostly in Bombay, India.
Published 5 books of poetry.
Prominent in English studies.
Main themes of Dharkers poems are
home, freedom.
What is emphasized in the poem?
Water:
Need for water
People collecting it
Climate is very hot
Drought
Lack of water where they live
Context
Poem is set in a place just outside of
Bombay, Dharavi.
Dharavi is a slum. Glossary-
Dari
The form of Persian spoken in Afghanistan.
Eid
A Muslim festival.
Obedience
Compliant with an order.
Escort
One accompanying another.
Refugee

Chapter 7-9 Questions
20) In this chapter, Parvana takes over the job her father used to have. She goes to the market, sits on
a blanket, and reads and writes for people. Describe Parvanas feelings about the experience. How
did it change her? Use quotes to help you.
At the market Parvana felt very scared, expressed in this quote, She was certain that at any moment
someone would stop, point at her and yell, Girl!. Her experience in the marketplace changed her
as she looked differently at the Taliban. Before the Talib got her to read a letter, she thought they had
no feelings.
21) When Parvana returned home from working in the market, who was moving in?
When Parvana returned from the market, Mrs Weera was moving in to clean up her family.
22) What did Parvana show Mrs Weera and Mother?
Parvana showed Mrs Weera and Mother the money she earned at the market.
23) What do Parvana and Mrs Weera use to move Mrs Weeras things?
Parvana and Mrs Weera use a Karachi to move Mrs Weeras things.
24) What happens when Maryam finally gets to go outside with Parvana after a year inside the room?
When Maryam goes outside for the first time in a year, she finds it hard to do basic things because she
has not used her muscles. She was amazed at how the world looked and how nice the water felt on
her skin.
28) Discuss the friendship between Shauzia and Parvana, the boys who worked to feed their families.
What kind of person is Shauzia?
Shauzia and Parvana werent the best of friends when they were at school but from life changing
experiences, they were brought together. Shauzia is a bit of a pessimist and adventurous.

Imagine you wake up one morning to hear someone banging loudly at the front
door. Within moments, armed rebel soldiers burst into your home and drag your father
from his bed. They proceed to rob your house of all jewelry, food and money,
destroying many of your belongings in the process. Your father is proclaiming his
innocence, however, the soldiers refuse to listen and take him with them, saying that
he is guilty of saying negative things about the current rulers of the nation. You, your
mother and brothers and sisters are left alone and confused, terrified for the safety of
your father. On the way out the rebels tell you that your family will be watched very
closely from now on by the rebel leaders. You feel as if youve lost all security and
faith in your nation.
1) What are your feelings about this situation? What is fair/unfair about it?
I think that this is a very unfair situation. The fact that the right of self-expressing and
freedom is lost is unfair.
2) How is this situation different to how police treat people suspected of crimes in
Australia?
This situation is different to how police in Australia treat people suspected of
crimes, because in Australia, police dont use force unless necessary and if they
suspect someone of committing a crime, they dont take the person straight
away, they look into it more.
3) Is it ok for the leaders of a nation use scare tactics to rule its people? Can you
think of any other examples around the world where this has been the case?
Its not ok for a government to use scare tactics because its not ok to let
people live in fear. One example of this happening is in North Korea, ruled by
Kim Gong Un.
4) If the father in this scenario WAS guilty of criticizing the rulers of the nation, is it
more acceptable that he was treated in this way? Why or why not?
If the father was guilty of criticizing the nation, it was not acceptable to treat
him this way because everyone deserves the right of freedom and freedom of
voice.
5) How do you think it would feel to live in a society where you were constantly
under surveillance?
If I lived in a society where I was constantly under surveillance, I would feel like I
couldnt do anything because I might be doing something wrong.