StoryWorks: Malala's Fight for Education

Based on the sections “Banned From School” and “What Could She Do?,” how did Malala’s fight for girls’ education put her in danger?

Why wasn’t the shooting a surprise to Malala and others around the world?

How did the Taliban change people’s way of life in the Swat Valley?

What tool did Malala use against the Taliban? How was it different from the tools the Taliban used against her?

Reread “A Powerful Weapon.” Why do you think Malala and the Pakistani government challenged the Taliban?

Why do you think students held pictures of Malala during their protest against the Taliban?

Personification is the description of a nonhuman thing as if it were a person. How is hope personified in the poem?

In your own words, what is hope’s secret? What can it teach us about having hope in our own lives?

Both texts have a powerful message about the power of hope. According to “Malala the Powerful” and “Hope,” what does hope lead us to do?

Do you think Malala’s actions were driven by hope’s secret? How did Malala’s actions give others hope for the future of girls’ education?