The Red Pencil

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

Short Answer

1. Locate the country of Sudan on a world map and take note of its neighboring countries. What do you know about the culture of Sudan? Who are the Janjaweed, and what role have they played in the country’s history?

Teaching Suggestion: The Red Pencil takes place within the specific sociohistorical context of the Sudanese government-backed Janjaweed attacks on villages in Darfur. Establishing the location of Sudan on the world map will help students comprehend how the country is composed of people of both Arab and African ethnicities; this provides history context for the Janjaweed and why the group initially emerged.

• Consider introducing the Janjaweed using this Britannica article, which gives a succinct summary of how the militia formed and their impact on Darfur, until their activities were curtailed in 2008.
• Although the book is set in 2003 when the Janjaweed’s initial clashes took place, it may be relevant to explore their continuing influence in Sudan using this BBC News article; it reports on an attack that took place in April 2022, detailing why the Janjaweed are active again.
• What does the term “displaced people” mean? How does it differ from “refugees”?

Teaching Suggestion: In The Red Pencil, Amira and her village are forced to flee their land in search of asylum after the Janjaweed attack and raze their homes to the ground. Despite that they do not cross any national borders and eventually arrive at a camp within Sudan, they have undeniably lost their homes. Having students think about the differences between displaced people and refugees, and connecting them to the idea that belonging to a nation does not always offer the same protection and safety among citizens, may be helpful in preparing them to explore the theme of Land and Home.

• Consider using this video, created by the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency), which explains the term “Internally Displaced Person” (IDP).

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Think back to a time in your life when you experienced something particularly painful. How did you grieve? What are some of the things that helped you manage or overcome the pain of the experience? What lessons did you take away from the experience?

Teaching Suggestion: Having students think about, discuss, and share times in which they have overcome painful circumstances will help set the stage for the theme of Resilience and Growth in the Face of Change. Depending on the responses, this exercise may even touch on another important theme in the book: how art and creative expression can help in healing.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who may be uncomfortable talking to the group about a personal experience may present a journal entry or short essay to the teacher instead.