Asli's Story

This morning in during literacy studies, we started reading the text, "Asli's Story."  Within the first couple of pages, where the setting and context was laid out, students already began engaging with the text in meaningful ways.  A sign that a reader is actively involved in a piece of writing is that they ask questions about the its content.

Students are invited to jot questions down on post-it notes while the reading, or a class discussion is occurring.  Three questions that came from the first pages of Asli's Story:

1.  Is Somalia a country with justice?
2.  Is Somalia, communist?
3.  What's the difference between Sunni muslim and Muslim?

Though these inquires are not considered central understandings or facts to be taken from Asli's Story, they are indeed relevant and meaningful in painting a bigger picture of what is occurring in the plot.


Here are some resources that can help answer some of those questions.

Types of Muslims - Two major denominations of Islam are Sunni and Shia.  Each group believes in a different successor to the prophet, Muhammad.  Sunni Muslims believe that Abu Bakr Siddique is the rightful successor, while Shia Muslims believe Ali ibn Abu Talib is the leader of the Muslim community.

Government of Somalia (BBC)