The Kite Runner Webquest

Introduction

Description:  This webquest is meant to supplement the novel and provide real-world information and connections to enhance understanding of the setting, plot, and characters in The Kite Runner.  It is also designed to allow students to practice research, reading, writing, and independent study skills as they find information on the internet and use it to write a reflection paper connecting their research to the novel.

Curriculum:  English 12

Keywords: The Kite Runner, research, reading, writing, independent study

 

Task

Working independently, you will go to websites that have been selected for you as well as conduct your own research on a topic related to The Kite Runner.  You will use information gained from these sites to answer questions prompting you to connect the information you learned to the novel in a reflection paper.

Process

Read the following articles:

Research the internet to find an article posted within the last five years from a credible source on the topic of daily life in Afghanistan.

As you read, write a 8-10 sentence summary of each article.  Then, note any information that relates to The Kite Runner in a bulleted list.

After compiling information about each of your THREE articles, answer the following questions in one paragraph each (each paragraph will be part of your paper):

1.  When did the Taliban have the most control over Afghanistan?  Does this time coincide with Amir's return there in 2001?

2.  How are the Taliban still affecting Afghanistan in 2018?

3.  How is life in Afghanistan today similar to the way of life Amir describes growing up there in the 1970s?  How is it different?

Evaluation

The Kite Runner Webquest

Criteria

A

(100-90%)

 

B

(89-80%)

 

C

(79-70%)

 

D or F

(59-0%)

 

 

Reflection Paper Content

 

 

 

40

POINTS

 

  • All three articles are referred to in the paper
  • All three questions are answered clearly and thoroughly
  • Connections to The Kite Runner are explicitly made and show understanding of both the novel and the articles.

 

 

  • All three articles are referred to in the paper
  • All three questions are answered clearly and but not thoroughly
  • Connections to The Kite Runner are made and show some understanding of both the novel and the articles.

 

 

  • Two articles are referred to in the paper
  • All three questions are answered but one or two paragraphs are too brief
  • Connections to The Kite Runner are brief and demonstrate only a basic understanding of the novel and the articles.

 

 

  • Only one or two articles are briefly referred to in the paper
  • Only one or two questions are answered.  Paragraphs may be brief.
  • Connections to The Kite Runner are brief and demonstrate only a basic understanding of the novel and the articles cited.

 

 

Research

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 POINTS

 

  • Article found by the student is on topic and from a credible source
  • Student has summarized all three articles clearly.
  • Student has noted connections to The Kite Runner for all three articles.

 

  • Article found by the student is relates to the topic but is not from a credible source
  • Student has summarized all three articles briefly.
  • Student has noted connections to The Kite Runner for two of the articles.

 

  • Article found by the student may not relate to the topic and/or be from a credible source
  • Student has summarized all one or two articles briefly.
  • Student has noted connections to The Kite Runner for one of the articles.

 

  • Student did not find own article, using only those provided by the teacher.
  • Student has summarized one or none of the articles.
  • Student has not noted connections to The Kite Runner for any of the articles.

 

Spelling & Grammar

10 PTS

 

  • No spelling or grammar mistakes

 

  • Three or fewer spelling or grammar mistakes

 

  • Four to nine spelling or grammar mistakes

 

  • Ten or more spelling or grammar mistakes

Conclusion

Though The Kite Runner is fiction, some of the events in the novel reflect real-life events affecting the people of Afghanistan, such as the invasion of the Soviet Union in December 1979 and the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s.  This assignment will help you connect the novel to Afghanistan's recent history and place the novel in historical context.

Credits

Sources:  BBC News and U.S. News and World Report