Dinah Brown

“Who was Malala Yousafzai?” is a biography about a girl named Malala from the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Malala is an activist fighting for equal rights of education in Pakistan. The Taliban invaded her country and made it illegal for women to do many things which included going to school. She was outraged by this and began to speak publicly about the situation. As a result of her outspoken activism, she was shot in the head on the way home from school by the Taliban. Malala nearly died from her injuries. Malala now lives in England and attends Oxford University. She continues to speak about educational rights and fights for the education of children worldwide. Malala won a Nobel Peace Prize for her brave actions and activism. The main idea of this text discusses Malala’s life and accomplishments. The book discusses other people who have fought for their cause and change. The main ideas are supported with key details in the text and information boxes throughout the book. The information boxes provide background knowledge to help the reader better understand the text and material. I have read other books and watched documentaries about Malala. I truly admire Malala for her bravery and her fight for the rights of women worldwide. Everyone has the right to an education. If more children had access to education this world would be a much better place.… (more)

Each student in a fourth or fifth grade class would have a copy of this book, and would read this both individually and as a class in the course of a week. Students could research the location of Pakistan and learn more about its culture, landscape, and history. The students could also research a woman in world history that helped advocate education equality. In both cases, the students would either write down or create a presentation of what they learned to share with the class. Students could also watch a speech by Malala and write down what they learned and any questions they would ask her if they could meet her in person.… (more)

I could use this book as a model text for biographies in third through fifth grade. After reading the text aloud, and then having my students read it, I would keep the book available to them for reference throughout the activity process. I would ask the students to get in pairs and tell each other summaries of important events in their lives, 3 to five events. Then, each student would write a biography on their partner, using the book as a model text. I could also use this book in a special education sixth through eight grade class to look at geography and culture of persons around the world. I would read this book aloud to ensure that all students can at least hear the story, even if they can physically read it themselves. Together we could create a map of the region wear Malala is from and make textured symbols using different art materials to represent her culture and important things to her as a person. This will make the lesson more engaging and will help students identify more with Malala.… (more)