Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Describe your knowledge of the country of Afghanistan. On which continent is it located? What languages are spoken there? What is the capital? What religions do Afghans practice? What is the structure of the government? Is there any other information that you know about this country?

Teaching Suggestion: This question prepares students for the setting of the novel. The novel does explain and simplify many important terms related to the politics and history of Afghanistan; however, as this may be the first time that students will interact with a story centered on Afghanistan/Afghan lives in the US, it may be beneficial for students to investigate the above questions using the resources below. This prompt also might be turned into an activity: Students might research the questions in small groups and create a brief presentation of their findings.

• Britannica has compiled notable facts about Afghanistan.
• This article from PBS NewsHour covers major historical events in Afghanistan during the 20th and 21st centuries.

2. The Taliban is a contentious political regime in Afghanistan; in fact, it has drawn attention internationally because of its policies and restrictions.