English I: Reading Nonfiction for Author’s Purpose
How far would you go
to find freedom?
Think about how you might
respond if you were forced to
leave everything you knew –
your home, your family, your
friends, and your belongings.
Imagine:
“You’re a young boy—maybe as young
as three or four—separated from your
family by civil war, traversing deserts
and mountains with little food or water,
no medical care, and no protection
from wild animals. Imagine watching
hundreds of boys perish around you
from hunger, disease, or attacks by
enemy soldiers and wild animals” (Joan
Hecht).
“To most of us, it is unimaginable, but this was
reality for “The Lost Boys of Sudan,”
thousands of young boys who were separated
from their families and forced to walk
approximately 1,000 miles to reach safe
refuge from war and certain death” (Joan Hecht).
The “Lost Boys” journey to safety is the equivalent of
you and I walking from Haltom City to the center of
North Dakota.
We will read about these
boys, but before we do, there
are some things you need to
know.
• What is a refugee?
• A person who flees their home country to a
foreign country for safety and protection.
• A refugee leaves his/her home country in order
to escape danger & unfair treatment because of
race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or political
beliefs
What is a refugee camp?
A place built by governments or organizations to
receive refugees.
People may stay in these camps, receiving
emergency food and medical aid, until it is safe
to return to their homes or until they are
retrieved by other people outside the camps.
Fact:
There are more than 14 million
refugees in the world today.
What is a civil war?
A war between organized groups
within the same nation or country
The African country of Sudan was in a
civil war from 1983 to 2005.
Where is Sudan?
The Civil War in Sudan:
A civil war in Sudan that lasted more
than 20 years led to the death of 2
million people. However recent events
have pointed to what some are calling
genocide and there are estimates of 2.2
million people at risk of dying in the
near future due to inadequate
humanitarian relief.
Who are the “Lost Boys”?
The Lost Boys of Sudan are a group of thousands of
young Sudanese boys and men that were forced to
flee their homeland due to Civil War. Most of these
boys lost their families in the conflict and were only
left with each other. Their perilous journey took
them throughout war-torn Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya
and Uganda where they not only dodged bullets,
but also the wildlife, the heat, and the hunger of
the journey. After years of wandering and living in
refugee camps, the stories of the boys reached the
United States where various charitable
organizations helped thousands of boys to enter the
United States.
We will read the story of one of
Sudan’s “Lost Boys,” Peter Dut.
Quick-Write:
 Respond to what you have just learned in
a one page quick-write.
 Your response should be thoughtful and
meaningful.
 Truly think and reflect while you write;
don’t just fill up the page with words,
words, words; blah, blah, blah.
 Be respectful of your “topic.”