A Land of Permanent Goodbyes

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 factors characterize a modern civil war, and what causes might contribute to one? List any facts or ideas you have about the Syrian Civil War, based on what you’ve studied, read, or seen in media. What countries have been involved in the Syrian conflict, and how long has it lasted?

Teaching Suggestion: Tareq—the novel’s protagonist—is living in Syria when his home is bombed and some of his family members are killed. Tareq and his remaining family members are forced to flee Syria to create a better life. When introducing this text to the class with this prompt, small groups might work together to compile ideas and then share with the whole class. Depending on their understanding of the Syrian Civil War, students may find it beneficial to first explore these or similar resources before answering the questions.

• This 5-minute video explores the reasons behind the Syrian conflict. (Content Warning: wartime violence and graphic images)
• This article describes the Syrian Civil War and the countries that have contributed to the war in some way.

2. What is ISIS? What factors may have contributed to the rise of ISIS?

Teaching Suggestion: Tareq’s family flees to Daesh-controlled territory where they are forced to adhere to strict guidelines. Students may find it beneficial to learn that Daesh and ISIS are the same organization. It might be helpful to list on the board or visual display what students know or speculate about ISIS before examining these or similar resources to better understand the organization’s motivations and events associated with the group. Students can then correct or adjust the initial thoughts they had before taking notes on the class-generated compilation of ideas.

• This 6-minute video explains the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. (Content Warning: terrorism, violence, and graphic images)
• This article explains where ISIS originates and describes some of the ideologies supported by ISIS.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

Describe your first awareness of refugees. Where did the refugees come from? Why did they flee their country? How did the stories of the refugees affect you?

Teaching Suggestion: When Tareq’s home is bombed, his family flees Syria to live temporarily in Turkey. Students can approach this question from the frame of reference that best suits them and their comfort level—personal experience, experience of family or friends, learning about refugees in school, or seeing or reading a refugee’s story in books or film. Consider discussing some of the struggles refugees may face on their journeys.

Differentiation Suggestion: Consider asking advanced students or students who might benefit from an opportunity in research to map refugee migration around the world in particular time periods or over a certain length of time. Students can post their maps in the classroom for future reference as they read the novel.

For students who may be refugees themselves or have other first-hand experience, an alternate assignment or text of their choice might be an optional accommodation.