8th Grade English Language Art Novel Unit Name: Class

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy
8^th Grade English Language Art Novel Unit
Name:__________________________

Class:__________________________



Essential Questions

• 
  How does Seven Daughters reflect social and personal values?
  
• 
  How does Seven Daughters reflect the time period in which it was written?
  
• 
  How do the two POVs from which Seven Daughters is told affect the reader?
  
• 
  What major events in Seven Daughters serve to move the plot forward?
  
• 
  How do traditional gender roles limit Buran, the protagonist, in the story? What do these limitations teach us?
  

Learning Objectives

By the end of this novel unit, students will be able to:

• 
  Determine a central theme and analyze its development
  
• 
  Analyze point of view and the affect it has on the reader
  
• 
  Determine meaning of cultural jargon in context of story
  
• 
  Analyze events in the story to reveal qualities of a character
  
• 
  Analyze how a work of fiction can draw from history
  

What is Culture?

These are some example of cultures that you may be a member of:

• 
  
  

• 
  School
  
• 
  Church
  
• 
  Scouting
  
• 
  Sports
  
• 
  Family
  
• 
  Friends
  

In order for something to be considered a culture, what do you think it needs to have?

Culture refers to the collected and shared ________________, ________________, ________________, ________________, ________________ that give meaning, security, or identity to a group.
Cultural Identity
Cultural identity: the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of people’s perception of themselves and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.




Why might it be important to understand our own cultural identities?

Background Info
This novel is based on an Iraqi folktale that has been part of their oral tradition since the eleventh century. The book is written in the first-person narrative of the two main characters, Buran and Mahmud. Seven Daughters reveals timeless issues in a Middle East context.
Free-Write

In the space provided, write all that you know about the Middle East during the 11^th century and today.

Hint: Think back to your social studies classes with religion, values and beliefs, countries, cities, bodies of water, resources or products, interesting facts, etc.

Gallery Walk

After we have shared what we know, use the space below to fill in anything new that you learned from the gallery walk.

Vocabulary Activity

Define:

1. 
   Find each of these words in the novel.
   
2. 
   Using your context skills and a dictionary, identify the meaning of the word as it is used in the novel.
   
3. 
   Draw an image to represent each vocabulary word.
   

Vocabulary	Definition in Context	Illustration
Allah (1)
arabic (1)
suq (4)
hijab (20)
jinns (28)
kismet (31)
dinar (33)
bazaar (35)
Mohammed (40)
muezzin (40)
minarets (40)
khan (41)
“alsalamu alaykun” (42)
mosque (45)
vizier (61)
Koran or Quran  (176)

Folk Tale

Notes

Setting
Plot Movement
Characters
Descriptions
Tricksters
Conflict

Shahrazad Notes

Directions: Using your Folk Tale notes, complete the following table based on the story of Shahrazade by analyzing what components of the story clearly make it a folk tale.

Setting
Plot Movement
Characters
Descriptions
Tricksters
Conflict

Map Activity
Log on to the Internet and go to the website: http://mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org/.

Use the interactive map model.

Create a map of the main character’s journey by searching each of the following places. Then, place a dot at the appropriate locations.

Baghdad, Iraq

Alexandria, Egypt

Cyprus (The Country)

Antioch (Antakya), Turkey

Al-Raqqa (Ar Raqqah), Syria

Aleppo, Syria

Damascus, Syria

Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Syria

Tyre (Sur), Lebanon

Beirut, Lebanon

Sidon (Sayda), Lebanon

Tripoli, Lebanon

Label the following on your map: Tigris River, Euphrates River, Mediterranean Sea

Save the map. Copy the link that you are given and paste it into a word document. Then, label the document “Seven Daughters Journey Map”.

Print the map from the website. Get it from the printer and put it in a safe place in your binder.

As you read Seven Daughters, we will trace the journey with a red pen drawing an arrow from one city to another.

Make a Prediction

Based on the title and the locations on the map, why might the main character be going on this journey? Use evidence from today’s work and the rest of this packet to support your answer. This should be one paragraph (5-8 sentences).

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons Anticipation Guide

Before we start reading the novel, complete the following anticipation guide. Place statement in the column for whether you agree or disagree with the statement. As we read the book, we will refer back to the statements and discuss how the characters in the novel would respond.

Statement	Explain your thoughts
Girls are more valuable than boys. Agree Disagree
Boys are smarter than girls. Agree Disagree
It is important for a child’s parents to approve of their girlfriend or boyfriend. Agree Disagree
Money can buy happiness. Agree Disagree
Sometimes doing what is right is not always popular. Agree Disagree

Child’s Name _____________________________________

Dear Parent/Guardian or Grown Up from Home:

We are learning about Islam and arranged marriages in Language Arts class through our reading of the novel Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen. As you may know, arranged marriages were, and still are, common around the world. In arranged marriages, parents have the responsibility to choose their child’s perfect mate. On a separate worksheet, your student has been asked to answer the same survey questions. Now, I’m going to ask you to do the same, without having looked at their lists first. Naturally, you’re welcome to read what they have said after you’ve answered the questions. Once you have answered the survey questions, please seal this sheet in an envelope for your child to bring to class tomorrow. Your child will have an opportunity to compare his/ her answers with yours. The purpose of this activity is to allow students to experience what it may be like to have their parents/guardians choose their suitors for them.

1. 
   What physical traits would you choose for your student’s mate?
   

2. 
   What personality traits would you choose for your student’s mate?
   

3. 
   What other traits (religious, social) would you choose for your student’s mate?
   

4. 
   Now what traits would you consider most important if you were choosing the perfect mate for your student?
   

Name ___________________________________

Arranged Marriages… Could You Live with It?

1. 
   What physical traits would you choose for your mate?
   

2. 
   What personality traits would you choose for your mate?
   

3. 
   What other traits (religions, social, etc.) would you choose for your mate?
   

4. 
   Now, what traits would you consider most important if you were choosing your perfect mate?
   

Do you think your parents/guardians or grown up at home would agree with your choices? How would their choices compare with yours?

Suqs	An Arab market or bazaar
Jubbas	Long loose garment with tide sleeves worn by Muslim men and women
Iwan	Rectangular hall or space walled on three sides, with one entirely open; arched hallway
Caliph	Chief Muslim or religious leader
Unguents	Soft, greasy or viscous substance; solve, ointment
Hijab	A head covering worn in public by some Muslim women
Fez	A flat-topped conical red hat with a black tassel on top worn by Muslims
Rayyis	Chief
Houdaj	Used for animal transport; saddle
Muezzin	A man who calls Muslims to prayer from the minaret of a mosque; crier
Paltry	Lacking importance or work
Melancholy	A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause
Condescension	An attitude of patronizing superiority; design
Asperity	Harshness of tone or manner
Complacently	A self-satisfied manner; easy to please
Caravan	A vehicle equipped for living in, used to cross deserts; company of travelers
Omen	An event regarded as a portent of good or evil; sign
Theology	A study of the nature of God and religious belief
Melee	Confused fight, skirmish or scuffle; brawl
Haughtily	Scornfully and condescendingly proud
Naiveté	Lack of experience, wisdom or judgment
Mosque	A Muslim place of worship
Minaret	Tall, slender tower with a balcony, typically on a mosque
Vizier	High official in some Muslim countries
Charlatan	A person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill; poser, fraud, faker

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

Part 1 Vocabulary

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

Sycophants	Self-seeker who tries to win over by flattering
Pompous	Excessive self-esteem
Emulate	Strive to equal by excel
Harem	Section of a household reserved for Muslim women
Pallets	Narrow hard bed of straw
Aristocracy	High ruling hereditary class
Quay	Landing place beside water for ships; wharf
Caftan	Full length garment with elbow length sleeves for Muslim men
Obsequious	Seeking attention
Reprobates	Morally unprincipled person
Petulant	Unreasonably irritable
Fastidious	Careful meticulous detail
Indignantly	Angrily
Raucous	Rough-sounding and harsh
Sinuously	Moving wildly
Entourage	Group of associates surrounding a person
Dissembling	Disguise or concealing behind a false appearance
Unconscionable	Not restrained by conscious
Beneficence	Being king or charitable
Sanguine	Color of red or confident or optimistic
Portentously	Doing something in a dangerous or evil way
Mollified	To calm in temper or sooth
Assent	To agree
Consummation	Fulfillment of a goal
Ignoramus	Ignorant or stupid person
Diadem	A crown
Asp	A verminous snake

Part 2 Vocabulary
Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

Part 3 Vocabulary

Dhow	Arabian ship
Aba	A light weight fabric of goat's hair
Khan	Inn or hotel
Gingerly	Carefully; with great care or delicacy
Talisman	Magic figure or good luck charm
Interlocutor	A person taking part in a conversation
Demeaning	Humiliating or degrading
Adamant	Unyielding, stubborn or inflexible
Becalmed	To sooth or make calm
Retinue	Attendant or servant of a high-ranking person

Literature Circle - Journal Entry Prompts

I will assign journal entries as homework and warm up assignments throughout the course of this unit . Please write the topic number and date at the top of each entry. Minimum length for each entry to receive full credit is one page – without skipping lines. To get full credit for an entry, you many choose one topic and write for one page. Alternatively, you may choose two topics and write a half-page for each one. You may only use a category once. In other words, once you have done a topic from “Characters,” you cannot use a topic from that category again.

Characters

1. 
   What problems do the characters have, and how do they solve them?
   
2. 
   Which characters would make good next-door neighbors? Which ones wouldn’t? Why?
   
3. 
   What would the main character be likely to do if s/he visited our classroom?
   
4. 
   Choose one character. Rewrite a section of the story from this character's point of view.
   
5. 
   Pretend you want to make a movie for this book. Explain what actors you would choose to play the parts and why you would choose them.
   
6. 
   Imagine Oprah was going to interview one of the characters. What questions would/should she ask and how would the character respond to each one?
   
7. 
   Choose an interesting character from your book. Think of what he or she likes; then think of a gift you would like to give him/her. Write a description of the present you would give him/her and why you think the character would like it.
   
8. 
   If you could only save one character from the book in the event of a disaster, which one would it be and why?
   
9. 
   Which character in the book would you choose for a friend? Why?
   
10. 
    Which character do you most like? How would the book be different if the character weren't present?
    
11. 
    What was your first impression of the main character? How have your first impressions grown or changed as you’ve read the novel? (This can not be done until you are at least more than half way through the novel).
    
12. 
    Write a diary entry of a minor character’s view of a major event. Write this in the form of a diary that the minor character has written.
    
13. 
    Make a comparison of two of the most opposite characters in the novel and describe an interaction between these two characters. What causes conflict between them?
    
14. 
    Martin Luther King wrote, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘…that all men are created equal.’” What would the main character in your novel dream for? Write this wish as MLK did, “I have a dream that…” Then explain why your character has this dream for the future.
    
15. 
    Write a letter to “Dear Abby” (advice columnist) from a character in your novel asking Abby for advice. Then write a letter from “Dear Abby” offering advice for the character.
    
16. 
    Pretend you are one of the characters in the book. Write a diary about the happenings in your life for two days.
    
17. 
    Describe your least favorite character and explain why.
    
18. 
    What are two emotions the main character has felt? What made the main character feel that way?
    
19. 
    Imagine that one of the main characters was attending your school. Make a list of the classes he or she would be taking. Tell what grade you think the character would get in each class, and why he or she would get each grade.
    

Setting

20. 
    Describe the setting (time and place) for your book. Could the story take place in a different setting? Why or why not?
    
21. 
    Tell in your own words how the setting of the story made it more interesting.
    
22. 
    What changes would have to be made if the book occurred 200 years ago?
    
23. 
    If part of your story happened in a foreign land, compare/contrast that land to the United States.
    
24. 
    If your story occurred long ago, compare that time with today. If it was a modern story, compare it with a long time ago and tell what would be different.
    

Connections

25. 
    Did this section remind you of anything that has happened to you? What? Why? Did this section give you any new ideas about yourself? Why?
    
26. 
    Tell about a time something similar to what happened in the story happened to you or to someone you know.
    
27. 
    Describe ways in which the character is like you. How is the character different?
    
28. 
    Compare this book with the last book you read.
    
29. 
    Write a poem or song or rap about something in the book. It must be a least twelve lines long.
    
30. 
    Write a short story or another chapter for the book using the same characters.
    
31. 
    Imagine that you are the author of the book. Explain why you chose to write this book, who you wanted to read it, and what inspired you.
    
32. 
    Find a news or magazine article either online or in print that relates to an issue in your book. Summarize the article and tell how it connects to your novel.
    
33. 
    Describe the author’s style of writing and compare it to the style of a different author whose books you’ve read.
    
34. 
    Select a quote from the book – something a character or the narrator said that had an impact on you. Explain why you connected to that quote.
    
35. 
    What lesson did you learn (are you learning) from the story?
    
36. 
    If you were a character in this book, who would you be? Why?
    
37. 
    What emotions do you feel about your reading? Describe what is going on in the reading that makes you feel that way.
    
38. 
    What event could have happened in real life? What would be similar in real life? What would be different in real life?
    

Conflict

39. 
    If you were in a problem situation like one in the book, how would you have acted? Be sure to tell what the situation is.
    
40. 
    Identify one problem in the book and give an alternate solution that was not given by the author.
    
41. 
    Describe the major conflict and predict how you think the problem will be solved and why.
    
42. 
    List at least three problems the characters faced. Which was the most life changing? Explain.
    

Evaluation

43. 
    Write a letter to a friend recommending this book or advising against reading it.
    
44. 
    Did you like the way the story ended? Why or why not?
    
45. 
    What did you think was the most interesting part of the book? Why?
    
46. 
    Describe what was either believable or unbelievable about your reading and defend your opinion.
    
47. 
    Imagine that your book has been nominated for a national book award. Explain why you think it should or should receive an award.
    

Visualizing

48. 
    List the places in the book that are important. Then make up a map including these places as you imagine they may look. It may be a city map or a country map or any other kind of map.**
    
49. 
    Pick one of the main characters. Think of a shape that fits that person's traits. Draw the shape. Then inside the shape, explain how the character is like the shape. **
    
50. 
    Prepare a book jacket that illustrates the kind of book as well as the story.**
    
51. 
    Divide your paper in four squares. Design and draw four outfits with clothing for the characters**.
    
52. 
    Most well-rounded characters have two sides to them. Draw a mandala with symbols that represent the good and not-so-good sides of one of the story characters.**
    
53. 
    Create a values poster or collage advertisement. Choose quotes (2 or more) from the book that express what the society values. Then create a collage or poster (using artwork, magazine pictures, electronic media, etc.) that can be scanned or digitally photographed for posting. This collage or poster should combine with the quotes to clearly sell or promote these values to people today.**
    
54. 
    Create a map that shows the main character’s journey of change or discovery.**
    
55. 
    Create a “Wanted” poster for the antagonist in the story. Draw the character’s picture. Write a physical description of the character, and describe what trouble he/she has caused.**
    
56. 
    Divide your paper into four squares. Imagine that each square is a page in your character’s scrapbook. Draw a picture in each square to show four important objects that the character would want to save and remember. Write one or two sentences for each object explaining its importance.**
    

Plot

57. 
    Pick an event in the story and decide what the five W's (who, what, when, where, why) and the H (how) would be for that event. Then write a newspaper article including these facts.
    
58. 
    Write a different ending to a chapter in the book. Tell why you changed it. What part would you change in the story, and why?
    
59. 
    Make an eight section comic strip with captions showing the main events of a part of the story.**
    
60. 
    The climax of any book or story is the usually the most interesting part. Describe the most exciting point in the book and explain why it’s the climax.
    
61. 
    Summarize the most exciting part of the book and explain why it was so exciting.
    
62. 
    Create a plot outline of the book.
    
63. 
    If you could continue the story, what events would you include? Why?
    

Questioning

64. 
    If the author were here, what ten questions would you ask him or her? Write the questions, and then write a response for each one the way you think the author might answer.
    
65. 
    If you could talk to one of the characters in the story, what ten questions would you want to ask him or her? Write the questions, and then write a response for each one the way you think the character might answer.
    

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons A-Z Summary


Identify as many key terms, ideas, names, or connections you make through your reading that start with each of these letters. You need a MINIMUM of 10 letters filled per reading assignment. You can also use character traits, cultural words, themes, events, historical terms, etc. Each box needs at least one sentence to explain or describe your word choice for the letter.

Example: “B is for Buran. She is the main character. She is smart and has more privileges than her sisters.”

A				G
B				H
C				I
D				J
E				K
F				L
M			T
N			U
O			V
P			W
Q			X
R			Y
S			Z