TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS
The following 35 quickwrite slides are
perfect for getting students thinking about
and connecting with major issues and events
in the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda
Sue Park. Project and have students answer
in composition books, journals, or on lined
paper. Great as bellringers, exit tickets, prereading activities, and daily routine writing
Enjoy!
© 2014 Erika Forth - For single classroom use only
CREDITS: Fonts – KG Fonts Images – Open Clipart
EDUCATION
Do you feel that education is important?
How can getting an education change
your life? What are the consequences of
not being educated?
RESPONSIBILITY
What responsibilities do you have at
home? Do you feel your responsibilities
are appropriate for someone your age?
Should kids be given important
responsibilities, or should they be
allowed to just have fun
and be kids?
WAR
Imagine war came to your city and you
had to run for your life at a moment’s
notice. Where would you go? What
would you do first? How would you
survive?
FEAR
What is the scariest moment you have
ever experienced? Describe the memory
in detail. In the end, did you conquer
your fear?
CONFLICT
Think of different groups of people that
have rivalries or conflicts in today’s
world. Why do you think they can’t get
along? Why can it be difficult to change
things when there is a long history of
conflict?
WALKING
Nya has to walk for hours and hours each
day to fetch water for her family. How
might this impact her future? How would
her family be impacted if she decided not
to do this anymore?
RESPECT
Is it important to respect your elders?
Why or why not? In your culture, who do
you respect?
DECISIONS
When Akeer falls sick, her family must
make the choice between staying at
camp and hoping she heals or making a
long, difficult journey to a doctor. If you
were Akeer’s mother, which option
would you choose? Why?
CLEAN WATER
How would your life be different if you did
not have easy access to clean, sanitary
water? Explain in detail how your daily
routine would be impacted.
HARD WORK
Describe a time you worked very hard for
something. Did the hard work pay off?
Was it worth it? How did the hard work
make you feel?
GIVING
Is it important to give to the needy?
Should we help people who are less
fortunate than us, or is it not our
problem to worry about? Why do you
feel this way?
SYMBOLISM
What are some symbolic meanings of
water? Which symbolic meanings have
you seen in the book so far?
HOPELESS
Have you ever felt hopeless, like you
couldn’t go on or nothing would ever
change? What helped you get through
this difficult time? What advice would
you give to others who are feeling
hopeless?
RESCUE
In the Akobo Desert, Salva’s group comes
upon some dying men. The group argues
about whether or not they should give
the men water. If you were there, would
you have given water to the men?
Explain your reasoning.
W.W.S.D.
In the Akobo Desert, Salva wonders if he
were older and stronger, would he have
given water to the dying men? Or would
he, like most of the group, have kept his
water for himself? Knowing Salva’s
character, what do you
think he would have
done if her were older?
Explain.
FAMILY
What makes a family? Does a blood
relationship determine family, or is there
some other criteria? What is your own
definition of the word ‘family’?
ATTACK
Why do you think the Nuer men attacked
Salva’s group in the desert? Did Salva’s
group deserve the attack? What were the
motivations behind the attack?
STRENGTH
After his uncle’s death, Salva actually
feels stronger. Describe a time where a
challenge or hardship made you feel
stronger instead of weaker or defeated.
JOURNEY
Have you ever been on a long journey?
Describe it. Was it a positive or negative
experience? Was it a physical, mental, or
emotional journey for you? Explain.
SOLDIERS
In the text, it states that young Sudanese
men were in danger from both the war
itself as well as armies on both sides
since they were often forced to fight.
Why would armies want children as
soldiers? What would be
The benefits and
Drawbacks of this?
CIVIL WAR
What is the definition of a “civil war”?
What are some examples of civil wars
throughout history? Why do you think
civil wars happen?
FOUND
Do you think Salva will ever find his
family again? Make a prediction. Why do
you think this?
SIX YEARS
Why have Salva and the other refugees
been stuck in a refugee camp for over six
years? What is preventing them from
returning home? What is preventing
them from finding a new place to live?
LEADER
What characteristics makes a person a
good leader? Does Salva make a good
leader? Why or why not?
CAMP
Imagine a refugee camp that is home to
over 80,000+ refugees. What kinds of
challenges or problems do you think
refugees living there might face? What
do you think daily life would be like?
WAITING
At the refugee camp, Salva spends his
days waiting and waiting. Why do you
think this would be difficult? Why do you
think he feels that it is “hard to keep
hope alive when there was so little to
feed it” (Ch. 14)?
REFUGEE
What is the difference between a refugee
and an immigrant? How are they similar
and different? What challenges do
immigrants and refugees face?
CULTURE
How are the cultures of Sudan and
America similar? Different? Explain,
giving specific examples from the novel.
CULTURE SHOCK
Imagine you were sent on a plane to live
in a country far away. What challenges
would you face upon arriving? How
would you feel? How do you think life
would be different than what you are
used to?
HELP
If you were Salva, what would you do to
help your countrymen back in Sudan? Do
you think one person can make a
difference? Explain.
VISITING
Why might it be difficult to travel to or
visit a war-torn country? What
challenges might make this a complicated
task? Do you think it is a good idea to
travel to such a country?
A LONG TIME
Imagine you have not seen a family
member or someone else who is
important to you in over nineteen years.
What would the reunion be like? Would
it be easy or difficult to see this person
again? Explain.
LIFECHANGING
How can one well change the lives of an
entire village of people? Brainstorm
different ways this well will impact the
villagers’ lives. Why is one small well so
significant?
END IN SIGHT
Do you think Sudan and South Sudan will
ever be at peace? What do you think it
will take to stop the war? Explain.
MESSAGE
What is one take-away from this novel?
What will stick with you? What was the
message you got from the novel? Explain.