This document provides guidance and learning objectives for reading chapters 7-8 of A Long Walk to Water. It includes vocabulary work and discussion questions about the chapters. Students are asked to summarize the key events in each chapter for Salva and Nya in a chart. The document also introduces an essay assignment analyzing factors that allowed Salva to survive and a project creating a poem about how both characters survived. Students are directed to gather textual evidence from chapters 6-8 to support their ideas.

1. DO NOW
• Take out homework (Reader’s Notes)
“Salva staggered forward with yet another
enormous load of reeds in his hands.
Everyone was busy. Some people were
cutting down the tall papyrus grass by the
water’s edge. Others, like Salva, gathered up
the cut stalks…” (pg. 43)
• What is a reed?
• What is papyrus?

2. A Long Walk to Water
Learning Objectives
I can use context clues to determine the
meaning of words.
I can break a word into parts in order to
determine its meaning and figure out what
words it is related to.

3. A Long Walk to Water
More Learning Objectives!
I can analyze the development of a theme in
a noel by identifying challenges to and
factors in survival for Salva and Nya.
I can cite several pieces of text-based
evidence to support my claims about the
factors that allowed Salva and Nya to
survive.

4. A Long Walk to Water
Chapters 7-8
Chapter
&
Page #
Nya’s Story
Salva’s Story
The Gist
The Gist

5. A Long Walk to Water
Dictionary Work
Vocabulary!
• Fill in the definitions on your chart!
terror
puzzled
desperate
reeds
papyrus
massed
shallow canoes
monotonous abundance

6. A Long Walk to Water
Dictionary Work
Definitions!
• Find definitions for 3 words with partner.
• Use a dictionary or context clues!!
terror
puzzled
desperate
reeds
papyrus
massed
shallow canoes
monotonous
abundance

7. A Long Walk to Water
Notebook
Read for vocabulary
• Read along AS we read aloud (Chapters 7
& 8)
• Read for general understanding
• Stop us when you come across any of the
words from the list
• We’ll check definitions together!

8. A Long Walk to Water
Vocabulary
Have you figured it out?
Back of notebooks
• terror=
• puzzled=
• reeds=
• papyrus=

9. A Long Walk to Water
Vocabulary
Have you figured it out?
More….
• prow= the front of a boat
• shallow canoes=
• monotonous=
• abundance=

10. A Long Walk to Water
Vocabulary
Have you figured it out?
More….
• massed=
• gourd= a hollow vegetable
• *desperate= let’s break it down!!

11. A Long Walk to Water
Vocabulary
Of what does “desperate” remind you?
Think of words it sounds like….
Pre-fix “de” = break down; apart from
(i.e. decode, deforest, desegregate)

12. A Long Walk to Water
Vocabulary
“desperate”
Root of the word
Latin: sperare = sper = to hope
+
Pre-fix “de” = down from; apart from
Put it together:
“Desperate” means ______________
Is a desperate person careful?

13. Difficult Texts!
What can we do?
Things Close Readers Do
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Get the gist of what a text is about
Know how YOU deal with emotional text
Talk about what they read!!
Use the text to answer questions
Re-read
Make notes (annotate) as they read
Focus on key vocabulary
Use notes on quizzes!

14. A Long Walk to Water
Chapters 7-8
Think-Pair-Share for the gist
• Talk to your KENYA partner
• Fill in the worksheet with the “gist” for
Chapters 7 & 8
• Five words or less!!

15. A Long Walk to Water
Chapters 7-8
Chapter
&
Page #
Nya’s Story
Salva’s Story
The Gist
The Gist

16. A Long Walk to Water
Reading Closely
How to make a CLAIM
What happened to Salva and Nya?
• Will cite text-based evidence
• Will make a claim
• claim = statement that something is
true, and it must be supported (proof)
• When have we done this already?

17. A Long Walk to Water
Anything to add?
SURVIVAL ANCHOR CHART
Challenges Nya and Salva Face:
•
•
•

18. A Long Walk to Water
All Other Kenya Groups
Salva/Nya Anchor Chart:
What happened to Salva and Nya?
• Need ONE partnership ONLY!
• Meet with Kenya partner
• Read over Chapter 6 summary on page
• Come up with summary for Chapter 7
• Chapter 8, too!

19. A Long Walk to Water
All Other Kenya Groups
Salva/Nya Anchor Chart:
What happened to Salva and Nya?
• Nya Chapter 7:
• Salva Chapter 7:

20. A Long Walk to Water
All Other Kenya Groups
Salva/Nya Anchor Chart:
What happened to Salva and Nya?
• Nya Chapter 8:
• Salva Chapter 8:

21. A Long Walk to Water
Essay – Begin to gather evidence
Essay at end of Unit 2
What factors made survival possible for
Salva in A Long Walk to Water?
Project at end of Module
Poem that explains how both Salva and Nya
survived.

22. A Long Walk to Water
Gathering Evidence
Graphic Organizer
Kenya Partner
• Look at directions on page 1
• Will make a claim
• claim = statement that something is
true, and it must be supported (proof)
• When have we done this already?

23. A Long Walk to Water
Gathering Evidence
Graphic Organizer
Kenya Partner
• Which column is directly from the book?
• Which column tells more about the quote?
• Which column shows your thinking?
• Look at example together…

24. A Long Walk to Water
Chapters 6-8
Evidence
(Quote)
Page
Chapter
Explanation
Significance
(Importance)

25. A Long Walk to Water
Chapters 6-8
Evidence
(Quote)
Page
Chapter
Explanation
Significance
(Importance)

26. A Long Walk to Water
Chapters 6-8…You try one!
Evidence
(Quote)
Page
Chapter
Explanation
Significance
(Importance)

27. A Long Walk to Water
Learning Objectives
I can use context clues to determine the
meaning of words.
I can analyze the development of a theme
in a novel by identifying challenges to and
factors in survival for Salva and Nya in
A Long Walk to Water.

28. A Long Walk to Water
Homework
Read and Re-Read!!
• Skim Chapters 6-8 again!
• Finish your organizer
• Read Chapters 9-10
• Add to Reader’s Notes in notebook