1. TOUGH QUESTIONS SIGNPOST 3
DO NOW: THINK ABOUT ONE OF THE HARDEST TEST QUESTIONS YOU’VE SEEN ON ANY SCHOOL TEST BEFORE.

2. INTERNAL CONFLICT
IN A NOVEL, WHEN A CHARACTER SHARES SOMETHINGS THAT’S BOTHERING HIM OR HER, WE CALL THAT AN INTERNAL CONFLICT. THE CHARACTER WILL EITHER RELY ON HIMSELF OR A FRIEND.A TOUGH QUESTION IS ONE KIND OF INTERNAL CONFLICT.

3. WHAT IS A TOUGH QUESTION?
THE MAIN CHARACTER EITHER ASKS A TRUSTED PERSON OR HIM- OR HERSELF A QUESTION THAT OBVIOUSLY DOESN’T HAVE AN EASY ANSWER.
OFTEN TOUGH QUESTIONS SHOW UP IN PAIRS: “WHY WON’T THEY TALK TO ME ANYMORE? WHY IS EVERYONE TREATING ME THIS WAY?”
OCCASIONALLY, THE CHARACTER MIGHT NOT ASK A QUESTION, BUT MIGHT SAY SOMETHING LIKE “I WONDER IF…”

4. WHAT DOES THIS QUESTION MAKE ME WONDER ABOUT?
AFTER FINDING THE TOUGH QUESTION, ALWAYS ASKS WHAT IT MAKES YOU WONDER ABOUT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HEAR THERE’S A PARTY AND YOU’RE NOT INVITED, YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF, “WHY DID I GET LEFT OUT?” AND FROM THAT QUESTION, YOU MIGHT WONDER IF YOU HAD DONE SOMETHING TO HURT SOMEONE’S FEELINGS OR IF IT’S REALLY WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS YOU DON’T KNOW WELL SO NO ONE FIGURED YOU’D WANT TO GO.
ONE TOUGH QUESTION USUALLY MAKES US WONDER ABOUT OTHER THINGS.

5. LET’S WATCH A LITTLE VIDEO……..

6. LET’S APPLY WHAT WE’VE LEARNED………...
WE ARE GOING TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS IN EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK A LONG WALK TO WATER. THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD WHO LIVES IN SUDAN DURING A TIME IN WHICH REBELS ARE RAIDING VILLAGES. IN A SCENE EARLY IN THE NOVEL, ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD SALVA HAS BECOME SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF HIS FAMILY AFTER REBELS HAVE ATTACKED HIS SMALL SUDANESE VILLAGE, AND HE’S NOW ALONE AND SCARED AND RUNNING.

7. PART ONE
Salva lowered his head and ran. He ran until he could not run anymore. Then he walked. For hours, until the sun was nearly gone from the sky. Other people were walking, too. There were so many of them that they couldn’t all be from the school village; they must have come from the whole area. As Salva walked, the same thoughts kept going through his head in rhythm with his steps. Where are we going? Where is my family? When will I see them again?

8. PART ONE
LET’S LIST THE SEVERAL TOUGH QUESTIONS, WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY PAINFUL QUESTIONS FOR AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD-BOY:
THESE QUESTIONS SHOW US THE CONFLICTS THE CHARACTER IS WORRIED ABOUT. WHAT DO THESE QUESTIONS MAKE US WONDER ABOUT?
I WONDER IF I COULD’VE SURVIVED WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE MY FAMILY WAS OR EVEN IF THEY WERE STILL ALIVE.
I WONDER HOW THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM WILL REACT. WILL THEY IGNORE HIM, OR WILL THEY HELP HIM?
LET’S READ ON. WE’RE SKIPPING AHEAD IN THE STORY TO A POINT WHERE SALVA, WHO HAS BEEN ON HIS OWN FOR A WHILE, FINDS A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO SURVIVE.

9. PART TWO
Sure enough, there were now three women giving water to the on the ground. Like a miracle, the small amounts of water revived them. They were able to stagger to their feet and join the group as the walking continued. But their five dead companions were left behind. There were no tools with which to dig, and besides, burying the dead men would’ve taken too much time. Salva tried not to look as he walked past the bodies, but eyes were drawn in their direction. He knew what would happen. Vultures would find the bodies and strip them of their rotting flesh until only the bones remained. He felt sick at the thought of those men- first dying in such a horrible way, and then having even their corpses ravaged. If he were older and stronger, would he have given water to those men? Or would he, like most of the group, have kept his water for himself? It was the group’s third day in the desert. By sunset, they would be out of the desert, and after that, it would be not be far to the Itang refugee camp in Ethiopia.

10. PART TWO
TOUGH QUESTION= “WOULD HE HAVE GIVEN WATER TO THOSE MEN? OR WOULD HE, LIKE MOST OF THE GROUP, HAVE KEPT HIS WATER FOR HIMSELF?”
TURN AND TALK WITH YOUR PARTNER WHAT THIS MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT REMEMBER, TAKING THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE TOUGH QUESTIONS HELPS US PUT OURSELVES IN THE STORY, VISUALIZE WHAT’S HAPPENING, AND IMAGINE HOW CHARACTERS ARE FEELING. IF WE DO THAT, WE’LL UNDERSTAND WHAT SALVA IS GOING THROUGH.
LET’S READ ONE MORE PASSAGE. IN THIS SCENE, SALVA IS ALONE. YOU’LL EASILY SPOT THE TOUGH QUESTIONS.

11. LAST SECTION
I am alone now. I am all that is left of my family. His father, who had sent Salva to school…..brought him treats, like mangoes….trusted him to take care of the herd…. His mother, always ready with food and milk and a soft hand to stroke Salva’s head. His brothers and sisters, whom he had laughed with and played with and looked after….He would never see them again.
How can I go on without them? But how can I not go on? They would want me to survive..to grow up and make something of my life...to honor their memories.

12. LAST SECTION
TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO THINK ABOUT THE TOUGH QUESTIONS YOU NOTICED AND YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ANCHOR QUESTION. IF YOU’VE FORGOTTEN IT, IT’S RIGHT ON THE BOARD.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE QUESTION, JOT DOWN YOUR ANSWER ON A POST IT AND THEN TURN AND TALK WITH THE SAME PARTNER ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS.
THIS IS A POWERFUL SCENE-LET’S DISCUSS YOUR THOUGHTS.
MINE?
I DON’T KNOW HOW I WOULD’VE BEEN ABLE TO GO ON.
IT’S HARD TO SURVIVE IN SOME AREAS AROUND HERE AND IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT THAT’S NOTHING LIKE WHAT SALVA IS FACING.
WHAT IN HIS BACKGROUND MADE HIM BRAVE?
WHAT IF HE WAS A GIRL?

13. NEED HELP? COME AFTER SCHOOL!
TOMORROW: STORY WITH QUESTIONS: QUIZ GRADE
NEED HELP? COME AFTER SCHOOL!