Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What circumstances might cause a person to become a refugee? Where might refugees temporarily stay before being placed in another country? What struggles might a refugee face throughout their journey to find refuge?

Teaching Suggestion: The protagonist, Omar, is forced to leave his homeland when gunmen enter his village. He is separated from his mother and flees to Dadaab Refugee Camp without parental guidance. As Omar grows, he develops the desire to be placed in the United States and escape his difficult surroundings in the camp. With the experiences and backgrounds of the individuals in the classroom and sensitivity in mind, consider having students share what they already know about the struggles refugees face throughout the process of leaving their homes to enter new countries. This can work well as an open class discussion but may be better as an independent journal prompt if you anticipate students may have a difficult time commenting on personal experiences.

• This video explores what it means to be a refugee.
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