discussion guide: grades 3-6

1

RiceFromHeaven:

TheSecretMissiontoFeedNorthKoreansByTinaCho,IllustratedbyKeumJinSong

9781499806823,$17.99

Discussionguide:grades3-6

EssentialQuestions

1. WhereisKorea?HowisKoreadivided?(refertomapattheendofbook)2. WhatdoyoualreadyknowaboutNorthandSouthKorea?3. Whatisfreedom?4. Howdoespoweraffectfairnessandjustice?5. Whatareouressentialliberties?WhatdoessocietyNEEDtosurvive?6. Howhaveessentiallibertieschangedovertime?7. Whatisoppression?(Prolongedcruelorunjusttreatmentorcontrol)8. Whatissocialjustice?(Justiceintermsofthedistributionofwealth,opportunities,andprivileges

withinasociety)9. Howdoindividualsdevelopvaluesandbeliefs?10. Whathappenswhenbeliefsystemsofsocietiesandindividualscomeintoconflict?11. Whataretheresponsibilitiesoftheindividualinregardtoissuesofsocialjustice?12. Whydopeoplefleeordefectfromtheirhomeland?13. Howcanliteratureserveasavehicleforsocialchange?14. Whyisitimportanttoexperienceculturesandperspectivesthataredifferentfromyourown?

Lookatthetitleandcoverillustrationanddiscuss.

• Whatdoesthetitlemeantoyou?Whatdoyouthinktheword“heaven”implies?• Whatisa“mission”?• WhywouldthepeopleofNorthKoreaneedtobefed?Whywouldthisbedoneinsecret?• Describewhatishappeninginthecoverart.Predictwhatthestorywillbeabout.

*Previewthestructureofthebook.Thisisastorybasedonfactandinformationalbackmatter.

2

Asyoureadthestorythinkabout:

• Whatisthesetting?• Howdoestheillustrator,KeumJinSongusepicturestodevelopthesetting,charactersandevents?• Howdotheillustrationscontributetothemeaningandtoneofthebook?• Fromwhatpointofviewisthestorytold?IsYooriabelievablecharacter?• Explainhowwordsandphrasesimpactthemeaning.FindexamplesofhowTinaChousesfigurative

languageandhowitcreatesimagery.• Whatstrategiesdoyouusetofigureoutunknownwordsandphrasesinthebook?Usecontext

cluestofigureoutthemeaningof“Appa”.• Compareandcontrastthegirlsintheillustrationwhoareseparatedbyariver.Usethewordsand

pictures.• WhatinformationdidyoulearnaboutNorthKoreathroughoutthestory?Takenotesasyouread.• WhydopeopleescapeNorthKorea?Useexamplesfromthestory.• WhatdoesYoorimeanwhenshetellsherfatherthatsheisonlya“grainofrice”?• HowdoesYoorichallengethebeliefsofothersinhercommunity?• WhereistheborderofNorthandSouthKorea?Finditonyourmapandhighlightit.• Whydothepeopleofthiscommunitycometogetherforacommonpurpose?• HowdotheysendthericetothehungrypeopleofNorthKorea?• WhyisYoori’sheartbubblingattheendofthestory?Howisshefeeling?• Whatarethemajorthemesinthestory?Howarethethemesreflectedthroughthecharacters’

behaviorsandmajoreventsinthestory?(hope,bravery,freedom,andcompassion)• WhatisthehopeandgoaloftheRiceBalloonProject?• Dotheparticipantsinthemissionevertrulyknowifthericegetstothehungrychildren?• Howdoyoufeelaboutthis?Doesitmatter?

Whosaiditandwhy?

• “Wereachaplacewheremountainsbecomeawall.Sohigh,noonedarestoclimb.”• “NorthKoreaisagigantic,enormousricebowlwithagovernmentwhodoesnothingtohelpits

people.”• “Don’tfeedtheenemy!”• “Iamsorry;Iwillsharethericefrommyfather’sfields.”• “Youaremystrongsunflower.”• “Ibowlow,butthehopeinmyheartgrowstall.”• “Inthemorning,hungrychildrenwillfindricefromheaven.”

*ReadtheinformationalBackMatter

3

Maketext-to-selfandtext-to-worldconnections—Whatdoyouthink?

• WhydoyouthinkTinaChowroteRicefromheaven?• DoyouthinkthattheRiceBalloonProjectshouldcontinueeventhoughnooneknowsifthefoodis

reachingthepeople?• Afterreadingaboutthe“numbers”oftheproject,whatwasthemostsurprisingthingthatyou

learned?• Whyisitimportanttoseeissuessuchasfreedomandhumanrightsfromothers’pointofview?• Howdoesfamilyplayaroleinshapingourvaluesandbeliefs?ExplainhowthisrelatestoYoori

fromthestory.• Discussthethemesofhope,bravery,freedom,andcompassion.• Howhasthisbookchangedthewayyouthink?• Whatcreatesprejudice?Cananindividualovercomeit?How?• HowdoesYoorichangethewayothersinhercommunityfeelaboutthe“enemy”?• Whatarethecausesandconsequencesofprejudiceandinjustice,andhowdoesanindividual’s

responsetothemrevealhis/hertruecharacter?Describethecharactersinthestoryinwhattheythink,sayanddotorevealthemselves.

• Whatfactorsdoyouthinkcontributetoallowsomepeopletotakeastandagainstprejudice/oppression?UseexamplesfromthestoryandtheAuthor’sNotes.

• AfterreadingFactsonNorthKorea,writeaparagraphtellingwhatwouldbethethreemostdifficultthingsforyoutolivewith.

• Whenshouldanindividualtakeastandagainstwhathe/shebelievestobeaninjustice?Whatarethemosteffectivewaystodothis?

• Howdoesanindividual’spointofviewaffectthewaytheydealwithconflict?Findrealworldexamplesofhowdifferentpeopledealwithconflictdifferently.

• Whatpersonalqualitieshavehelpedyoutodealwithconflictandchange?Howmightiffeeltolivethroughaconflictthatdisruptsyourwayoflife?

• Howarepeopletransformedthroughtheirrelationshipswithothers?Describeapersonwhohasinfluencedthewayyouseelifeandhelpedyouseethingsinanewway.

• Doesgovernmenteverhavetherighttorestrictthefreedomsofpeople?

Expressyourself• Createaposter,artwork,song,orpoemrepresentingwhoyouareandreflectingthefreedomsyou

enjoyandthatmost“define”you.

• Chooseaquoteandexplainwhatitmeanstoyou.o “Freedommakesahugerequirementofeveryhumanbeing.Withfreedomcomes

responsibility.Forthepersonwhoisunwillingtogrowup,thepersonwhodoesnotwanttocarryhisownweight,thisisafrighteningprospect.”~EleanorRoosevelt

o “Freedomhasitslifeinthehearts,theactions,thespiritofmenandsoitmustbedailyearnedandrefreshed-elselikeaflowercutfromitslife-givingroots,itwillwitheranddie.”~DwightD.Eisenhower

o “Thosewhodenyfreedomtoothersdeserveitnotforthemselves.”~AbrahamLincoln

4

ResearchHistoryandCulture;Exploringthepast,learningaboutthefuture

• CreateastackofcardscontaininginterestingfactsaboutthecultureandthepeopleofKorea.Draw(orprint)apicturefortheflipside.Arrangethecardspicturesideup.Chooseanycardanddiscussthefactfromtheback.

• WhywastheKoreanconflictfoughtinthe1950s?• HowdidKoreaoriginallysplitintotwoconflictingnations?• WhyhaveNorthandSouthKoreadevelopedalongdramaticallydifferentpathspoliticallyand

economically?• WhyisNorthKoreaconsidereda“dangerousroguenation”whileSouthKoreaavaluedand

importantally?• CreateatimelineshowingthePoliticsoftheKoreanPeninsula.• FindacurrenteventsarticleintheworldnewsaboutKorea.Summarizeandshare.

5