Consider the methods of survival that Viji, Rukku, Aral, and Muthu employ to navigate daily life in the city. How do their means of survival help to develop the theme of The Creativity and Resourcefulness of People Experiencing Poverty?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to connect their responses from the Personal Connection Prompt in the context of the novel. Throughout the novel, each of the children must make difficult decisions regarding what little money they save or earn; with most of their expenses going to food, purchasing other items is particularly difficult, even with necessities such as protective gear to create shelters and medicine for illnesses. Viji is faced with this decision when she sells their dog Kutti to a wealthy family in order to buy medicine for Rukku and Muthu. Students might benefit from small group discussion or the opportunity to work with a partner to locate and cite strong examples from the text before engaging in whole-group discussion or a Socratic seminar.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Global Landfills”

In this activity, students will research and prepare a presentation regarding global landfills and their effect on the local environment.