Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (UK)Little, Brown and Company (US)
Honors and Awards:
Goodreads Choice Awards Best Memoir & Autobiography (2021)
Nobel Peace Prize (2020)
Book Summary:
The book, I am Malala is such an inspiration, and begins with her life in England in 2013.
She introduces herself and gives a little history about her life, how she was born in Pakistan to a forward-thinking father who valued girls and education, and a loving mother who is beautiful and devoted. She mentions her younger brothers Khushaland Atal, and lovingly talks about how they used to fight each other.
Malala’s story reflects the differences between life in England compared with Pakistan She recalls the story of how a year prior to arriving in England, she went to school in Pakistan and never returned home (she was just 14 years old when she was shot). She explains how it was a typical school day, and how on her way home from school, she was on the bus when two men stopped the school bus, one jumps in and wants to know who Malala is. He then points his gun at her, shooting her three time. This is at the beginning of when she started campaigning for girls’ education from Pakistan. Although she faced adversity, she continued her work and became the youngest person ever to win the world-famous Nobel Peace Prize.
Reading Level:
Lexile Measure: 1000
Guided Reading Level: Z
Page count: 272
Vocabulary
Chaos - Complete disorder and confusion.
Oblige - make someone legally or morally bound to an action.
Wrath - Extreme anger.
Wretched - A person who is very unhappy.
Dwell - Live in or at a specified place.
Illiterate - Unable to read or write.
Uproarious - Characterized by loud noise or uproar.
Menacing - Suggesting the presence of danger.
Resources to Support Text
Major themes examples:
Building / activating schema
Lesson Activity
Select a historical, social, political, or cultural event and create a fake blog about it, using your digital notebook. Consider what it is like to write a running history based on your own experience. Use the following links as an example when creating your blog.
Recommended grade level:
8th - 12th grade
Common Core State Standard
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Key words or phrases
Threat
Invitation
Reassure
Dialogue
Humanitarian
Extremism
Authoritative
Accost
Militant
Before reading activity
Writing a memoir: review the examples of a memoir and write a brief memoir that focuses on one memorable instance where everything seemed to change. This event can be personal and directly related to family, birth, death, marriage or something of global significance.
During reading activity
While reading the book, form opinions concerning Malala's journey, and explain your thoughts on canva to share with the class.
After reading activity
Review the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature website. Construct an analysis based on Malala Yousafzai's story addressing the following any major theme, and also including these points:
How do you think that educating girls can benefit a town? A community? A country?
In you own life, what are the benefits of your education to the following: You, as a person? Your family? Your community? Your state? Your country?
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