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✍ Brief Summary:
"The Arabic Quilt" follows Kanzi, a young Egyptian-American girl who feels nervous about fitting in at her new school. She is especially self-conscious about her culture, her Arabic name, and the food she brings for lunch. However, with the support of her teacher and a meaningful classroom project, Kanzi begins to share her heritage proudly.
The class creates an "Arabic quilt" by writing their names in Arabic on squares of paper. This action sparks curiosity and appreciation among her classmates, helping Kanzi feel seen and valued. Through this project, the students learn to celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity, and Kanzi gains confidence in embracing her identity.
📚 Here’s how the book meaningfully supports the program:
"The Arabic Quilt" by Aya Khalil was an excellent resource to support our Title III Afterschool Enhancement Program because it directly aligned with the program’s goals: supporting our students in developing English proficiency while valuing and building upon their native language and cultural identity:
- The book Promotes Native Language Pride and Inclusion.
- The story celebrates diverse languages, modeling how schools can embrace student’s home languages.
- It sends our MLLs a powerful message that their language is not a barrier but it is rather a bridge to learning, identity and community.
- It encourages students to take pride in their bilingual or multilingual identities, reinforcing one of the core goals of our Title II Program.
- It supports English Language Development
- The text contains rich vocabulary, dialogue, and culturally relevant contexts for students to engage with English.
- It ws used in literacy-building activities: fead -alouds, retelling, vocabulary practice, and writing prompts.
- It encourages Cultural Exchange and Cross-Linguistic Learning
- The book promotes peer learning and cross-cultural appreciation, helping both MLLs and non-ELL students value multilinguism and multiculturalism.
- The book builds Social-Emotional Conections and Confidence
- The main character’s journey, navigating shame, acceptance, and pride, reflects the experiences of many immigrant and multilingual students.
- The story helps MLLs feel seen and undersood, while helping others learn empathy and inclusion.
- It also aligns with Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education (CRSE) emphasized by NYC Public Schools:
- The book highlights a student’s culture and home language as assets.
- It also helps talk about family engagement, language development, and identity-affirming instruction.
🧩 Activity of Integration: They’re designed to promote language development, cultural reflection, and meaningful conversation—aligned with Title III goals.
- Quilt Project: Students write their names in their home languages. The na,,es are later are displayed as a class mural. Later they become part of the “Life Quilt”
Discussions Questions for the Arabic Quilt: (Includes scaffolded supports for MLL’s at different levels)
Before Reading:
- What do you know about quilts? Show a picture of a quilt and ask, have you seen one before?
- What do you know about the languages spoken in your class or the Arabic language spoken by Farah? Point to a world map; encourage students to share the languages they know.
- Have you ever started a new school or felt nervous about being different? How did you feel on your first day of school?
During the Reading:
- Why does Kanzi feel embarrassed when her mom brings lunch?
(Support: “What kind of food does she bring? How do her classmates react?”)
- What does Kanzi’s teacher do to help her feel proud of her language and culture?
(Support: “What is the classroom project?”)
- How do the other students feel about learning Arabic words? Why is that important?
(Support: “How do their feelings change from the beginning to the end?”)
After Reading:
- Why do you think the book is called The Arabic Quilt? What does the quilt represent?
(Support: “What do the names on the quilt show about the class?”)
- What makes your name special? How is it written or pronounced in your home language?
(Support: Use a name chart or allow students to share with visuals.)
- What message does this book teach about language and culture?
(Support: “Does the book say it’s okay to be different?”)
- If your class made a quilt like Kanzi’s, what would you put on your square? Why?
(Support: Let students draw their quilt square as a follow-up activity.)
🗣Speaking & Listening Sentence Frames
- My name is ______. It means ______.
- My name is special because ______.
- I speak ______ at home.
- I feel ______ when I speak my language at school.
- In the story, Kanzi felt ______ because ______.
- Arabic is important to Kanzi because ______.
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