A Thousand Splendid Suns Conflict Activity

Activity Overview

Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflict. Have your students choose an example of each literary conflict and depict them using the Storyboard Creator. In the storyboard, an example of each conflict should be visually represented, along with an explanation of the scene, and how it fits the particular category of conflict.

Literary Conflict in A Thousand Splendid Suns

Types of Literary Conflict Graphic Organizer

MAN vs. MAN

After Tariq hears that neighborhood bully Khadim had sprayed Laila with urine from a water gun to mock her “yellow hair”, he attacks Khadim with his prosthetic leg. After the fight, Khadim never bothers Laila again.

MAN vs. SELF

Laila wakes up after her parents are killed by a rocket that hit their house, finding that she has been saved and taken care of by Rasheed. She also knows that she is pregnant with Tariq’s child, and that as an unwed mother, she will be in danger. Despite Mariam’s objections and obvious anger at the threat she feels Laila poses, Laila agrees to marry Rasheed to protect herself and her baby.

MAN vs. SOCIETY

Laila and Mariam try to escape on a bus to Peshawar with Aziza. However, they cannot board the bus without a male family member, so they enlist the help of someone they deem to be a friendly man. He turns them in to the authorities, who send them back to Rasheed. It is a crime for a woman to run away from her husband, according to the Taliban.

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Template and Class Instructions

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Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Identify conflicts in A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Categorize each conflict as Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Nature, or Character vs. Technology.
Illustrate conflicts in the cells, using characters from the story.
Write a short description of the conflict below the cell.

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Types of Literary Conflict

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/3] Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/5] Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise
[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/6] Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature

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Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Types of Literary Conflict Rubric

Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict from the story. Support your choices with evidence from the text.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning	Try Again
Conflict Identification	Student identifies correct major conflicts and uses strong, clear textual evidence to support choice.	Student identifies correct major conflict and uses few or unclear details to support their choice.	Student identifies incorrect major conflict, and uses some details from the text to support their choice.	Student does not attempt to identify major conflict or identifies incorrect major conflict with no explanation.
Understanding Outcome	Student clearly shows the outcome of the conflict and its effects on the protagonist with evidence from the text.	Student shows the outcome of the conflict and its effect on the protagonist, but some evidence is unclear.	Student shows the outcome of the conflict, but does not examine its effect on the protagonist and uses some vague textual evidence.	Student does not clearly show the outcome of the conflict or use textual evidence.
Character	Storyboard includes all required characters and clearly names them. Goes above and beyond by adding additional details.	Storyboard includes all required characters and clearly names them.	Storyboard includes protagonist and antagonist but leaves out other required characters.	Storyboard does not include the names of required characters.
Storyboard	Student clearly shows effort to convey the setting the scene of the book	Student attempts to convey setting and scene of the book, but lacks some clarity.	Student does not clearly convey the setting and scene.	Student makes little or no attempt to convey the setting or scene.
Spelling and Grammar	Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors.	Student makes a minor error in spelling and grammar.	Student makes several minor errors in spelling and grammar.	Student makes many errors in spelling and grammar; little attempt at spellchecking.