Vocabulary and Allusion in Amal Unbound

In this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary found in the book Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed. Students will create a spider map of 3-5 terms at the teachers discretion. Each cell will contain a term or allusion, its definition or description, and an appropriate illustration.

Examples of Vocabulary from Amal Unbound

Abu: Father

Alif: The first letter in the Arabic alphabet

Amma: Mother

Baba: Papa

Baji: Big sister

Beef korma: A curry dish made with beef

Bey: The second letter in the Arabic alphabet

Call to prayers: A speaker placed on a minaret signals to Muslims that it is time to pray. The call to prayer happens five times a day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night.

Chador: An article of clothing worn by Muslim women that wraps around the head and body leaving only the face exposed.

Chai: A type of tea made by boiling tea leaves with milk, sugar, and strong spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger.

Cholay: Curried chickpeas

Cricket: Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a 22-yard pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps.

Dowry: Payment given from the bride’s family to the husband’s family as a part of the marriage. In Pakistan it is typical to include jewelry, clothing, and money. It could also be animals or land.

Eid: Eid al-Fitr is an important holiday celebrated by Muslims that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Henna: a dye prepared from a flowering plant known as hina.

Hijab: A headscarf worn to cover the hair.

Jinn: A spirit in Arabian and Muslim mythology.

Kameez: An article of clothing worn by both men and women. It can be a long shirt or more of a dress.

Kebabs: Grilled meat often cooked on a skewer.

Kulfis: A frozen dairy dessert that has also been called “traditional Indian ice cream”.

Laddus: Round sweets made from sugar, flour, and some sort of nuts.

Mehndi: Body art drawn on the skin using henna paste.

Minaret: A tall, thin tower that is part of a mosque.

Mosque: A Muslim place of worship.

Nihari: A stew of slow-cooked meat.

Pakoras: Battered and fried snack food can include onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, and more.

Punjabi village: A village in the Punjab region. The Punjab region is an area in Northeast Pakistan and Northwest India. It was once a province of Great Britain.

Rickshaws: A wheeled cart that people ride in that is pulled by a person.

Roti: A flatbread that looks similar to a tortilla.

Samosas: Filled pastries that are usually fried. The samosas in the Punjab region are spicy and mostly contain vegetable or potato fillings.

Sari: A cloth that is draped and wrapped to be worn as a dress for formal functions in Pakistan.

Zenith Irfan: The first female motorcyclist to ride across Pakistan.

Due Date:

Objective: Create a spider map that defines and illustrates key vocabulary from Amal Unbound.

Student Instructions:

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. In the title boxes, identify the vocabulary terms you have chosen.
3. In the description boxes, write the definition or description of the term.
4. Create an illustration for each term using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.

Requirements: Must have 3 vocabulary terms, correct definitions or descriptions, and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding of the words.