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. Palestine is a territory in the Middle East, comprised of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, that is often in the news. List any facts, ideas, and speculations you have about Palestine and Palestinian culture. What is the nature of the conflict in this region, both present-day and historically?

Teaching Suggestion: Palestinian culture and history—including its Muslim roots, but also the wars that have ravaged the region—are inextricable parts of Barakat’s memoir. Students may have some background knowledge of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine, but they may not understand the nature of the conflict. It may be helpful to make students aware of the difficulty in summarizing this long-standing conflict in one session. Let them know that it is not possible to capture the full, rich history of Palestine in a brief conversation, and that this discussion is only meant to skim the surface and give students more context.

• Vox’s “Everything You Need to Know about Israel-Palestine” is a concise, yet comprehensive, overview of the conflict in the region.