Introducing The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini:

Our schedule for reading The Kite Runner
Listen to this interview with the author to learn more about his background and his first book The Kite Runner.
And start your exploration by going right to the source - Khaled Hosseini's website!
Check out Ms. Ward's introductory presentation
Keep track of each character's moral leanings using this character grid
And this literary criticism sheet will help us begin to apply our new knowledge of literary criticism approaches
We'll also keep track of recurring motifs using this sheet

Background on the Novel:

This is an excellent site for learning about Afghanistan's history, Hosseini's background, and the setting of The Kite Runner.
This is also a good handout on some of the novel's basic history.
Here is an indexed glossary of all the foreign terms used in the novel.
Vocabulary words to look for as you read
Perceptions of the Middle East, Islam, and Arabs
Take a trip through Google Earth and explore the novel with the Google Lit. Trips for The Kite Runner

Learn about Afghanistan:

This National Geographic site is a great place to learn more about the history, geography, and politics of Afghanistan.
The CIA World Factbook is another great resource.
Learn about the different ethnic groups living in Aghanistan

A map of the distribution of the different groups living in Afghanistan
The Pashtuns make up the majority and are most often Sunni Muslims
The Hazaras make up about one-fifth of Afghanistan's population and are Shiite Muslims
Learn about the various groups in Afghanistan through this interactive map

This is an interesting article by Afghan Magazine - "Afghan History: Kite Flying, Kite Running, and Kite Banning"

Introduction to Kite Runner on Prezi

The Women of Kabul:

A very interesting project sponsored by the Washington Post on the roles and history of women in Afghanistan. This site is loaded with images, video documentary, and a great interviews.
You've probably seen this picture before. It is one of National Geographic's most famous images. But who is this Afghani girl? Where is she now? What does she look like today? See for yourself!

Video Background:

Enjoy this playlist of videos featuring interviews of the author, presentations on the history of Afghanistan, and more about the Kite Runner.

Research Activity for Students (Block 4):

Before we really begin our reading of The Kite Runner, we'll need to explore some of the background of the novel. This will help us better understand the context in which the actions of the story take place, giving us a richer understanding of the events of the novel. To do this, we'll be breaking into pairs to do research on some of the historical events presented in the story. Not only will partners research these topics, but you'll also be putting together a presentation/resource on your research topic which can be shared online. In this way, our class will always have your research to look back on in case we have a question about its importance to the story. So, let's begin!

Pashtuns and Pashtunwali

You will need to answer the following questions in your presentation:

Who are the Pashtuns?
What is Pashtunwali?
On what cultural values does the Pashtunwali code place most importance?
What does it mean to be an outsider in Afghan society? Why are people excluded? What does this exclusion look like?

Here is where you will find the answers to these questions:

LINKED PRESENTATION:

Student PowerPoint on Pashtuns and Pashtunwali

Hazaras

You will need to answer the following questions in your presentation:

Who are the Hazaras?
What do they believe?
How are they treated by the majority Pashtun culture of Afghanistan?
Why are they treated this way?

Here is where you will find the answers to these questions:

Basic cultural overview
BBC's country profile on Afghanistan
"The Outsiders" by National Geographic (also page 26 in your binder)
The Hazara People
Hazaras today

LINKED PRESENTATION:

Hazaras on Prezi

The Taliban

You will need to answer the following questions in your presentation:

Who are the Taliban?
What do they believe?
When did they come to power?
What sort of policies did they institute while they were in power?

Here is where you will find the answers to these questions:

Basic cultural overview
BBC's country profile on Afghanistan
"Who are the Taliban?" by the BBC
Well-cited entry on Wikipedia about the history of the Taliban
Carnegie Endowment's page for the Taliban

LINKED PRESENTATION:

Kite Fighting

You will need to answer the following questions in your presentation:

What is kite fighting?
Who participates in kite fighting?
How is this tradition important to the Afghani culture?

Here is where you will find the answers to these questions:

BBC's country profile on Afghanistan
Afghan History: Kite Flying, Kite Running and Kite Banning
Afghan Fighters (Kites)
Afghanistan : Artistry In The Air -- Kite Flying Is Taken To New Heights Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty
This is an interesting article by Afghan Magazine - "Afghan History: Kite Flying, Kite Running, and Kite Banning"

LINKED PRESENTATION:

Student presentation on Kite Fighting

Religion and Faith

You will need to answer the following questions in your presentation:

What are the differences between Sunni vs. Shiite Islam?
How is Islam integral to Afghan culture?
What are the basic tenets of Islam?
Why do you think these religions, if they are so similar, seem to have difficulty getting along?

Here is where you will find the answers to these questions:

LINKED PRESENTATION:

Student PowerPoint on Religion

Sharia Law and Taboos

You will need to answer the following questions in your presentation:

What is Sharia law?
What are some of the important beliefs of Sharia law?
What are some of the taboos or prohibitions under Sharia law?

Here is where you will find the answers to these questions:

Basic cultural overview
BBC's country profile on Afghanistan
Sharia Law explained by the BBC
Extensive article on Wikipedia on the tenets of Sharia
Prohibitions and Obligations of Islam

LINKED PRESENTATION:

MISSING

The Importance of Family

You will need to answer the following questions in your presentation:

How is are Afghani families structured?
What is most important to families?
What role do women play?
What role do men play in the family?

Here is where you will find the answers to these questions:

LINKED PRESENTATION:

Student PowerPoint on the importance of family

Evaluation

This assignment will be worth 30 points. You will be graded on:

Content (10 pts): Includes the accuracy of your information and your thoroughness in addressing all of the guiding questions.
Presentation (10 pts): Includes all group members participating and having speaking time during the presentation. Presentation is prepared with text and visuals, any quoted information is accurately cited. The presentation materials have been thoroughly proof-read and spell checked.
Class Participation (5 pts): You are on task and focused during the class time, reading the articles and collaborating with your group members.
Preparation (5 pts): Someone from your group emails me (wardhhs@gmail.com) your well designed presentation materials by the end of class Friday.

Literary Criticism and The Kite Runner:

Linked below are student developed resources to help readers better understand the depth and complexities of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. These pages were put together in conjunction with our study of literary criticism.

As We Read:

Resources prepared by students

What do we know about the main characters? Click HERE to learn more about the main characters.
And here are some student produced resources for understanding the characters, motifs, and significant events in the story.

Learning More from Other Students:

Ms. Ward is not an expert in the history and culture of Afghanistan, so why not learn from someone who is? CLICK HERE to learn from other students also reading The Kite Runner and/or currently living in Afghanistan.