Issues and Activities

The activities selected here are intended to help encourage problem-solving skills on the part of readers as they examine complex social issues that are raised in The Carpet Boy's Gift. We hope adults will be able to help place this particular story in a larger cultural and historical context.

• Learning to be Part of the Solution! It's important to give children hope that they can help to make the world a better place.
  
  
  1. Making a Difference: Create a display which celebrates the lives of hero's who have dedicated themselves to making life better for others.
     
     Why do this activity: As children investigate stories of others who have made discoveries and sacrifices, they learn that they too can make a difference in the world, as Iqbal Masih did.
  2. International Aid: Build a class directory with information in it about the different programs of charitable organizations to help children and families in developing countries.
     
     Why do this activity: Since not everyone can be a hero, this activity will show some alternative approaches to making the world a better place. This activity will result in better understanding of groups that make a contribution to their community.
• Education: a Universal Right of Children? Conversations about basic human rights as well as rights of children need not be distant or abstract.
  
  
  1. The Carpet Boy's Gift: Write and produce a play which envisions Nadeem and Amina's future where they attend school. Encourage the children to write the dialog, and develop dramatic scenes.
     
     Why do this activity: Challenging children to visualize the school experiences of students in other parts of the world will help build greater awareness about the value of education for all children.
  2. Schools Rule: Travel the Internet to learn about different schools around the globe.
     
     Why do this activity: Schools vary greatly from country to country and continent to continent. Children will benefit from learning about the ways that schools are alike and different especially in the resources and rules they have. Older children may want to reflect on whether all "educations" are equal and what they think the value of education is for them.
  3. Exploring the Rights of Children: Brainstorm a list of "rights of child" then compare with the U.N.'s own declaration on the Rights of the Child.
     
     Why do this activity: Children have strong ideas about how they think they should be treated, and this is a valuable conversation to have in today's world where there are many differences of opinion.
     
     Want more info? http://www.childrensworld.org/wcpswe/childrensrights/engindex.asp
• Understanding Issues in the World of Work
• Introduce students to what it means to work with and without wages. Explain that The Carpet Boy's Gift depicts the realities of oppressive child labor. Ask readers to discuss what types of work are acceptable and unacceptable for children. Discuss the idea of a living wage.
  
  Why do this activity: To help children begin to understand that work can give people a sense of dignity, or it can deny that sense and make people feel demeaned.
  
  Want more info? http://www.behindthelabel.org (Look for the photo gallery of children working in sweatshops over time.)
• Re-inventing Labor Day: Plan a class celebration to honor the different chores that members of the class do in their homes, and that honors the different types of work that parents do in and outside the home.
  
  Why do this activity: Children in our society generally know very little about adult work. This activity will build awareness and decrease the sense of isolation and separation between the worlds of the child and the adult.
• Looking Back at Child Labor in the U.S. Research the impact of early photographers such as Walker Evans and Louis Hines on the movement to end child labor in the U.S.
  
  Why do this activity: This activity will build historical awareness about and help children see that social change is possible.
• Middle East Cultures: Traditions & Transition:
  1. Exploring the traditional arts: Build a gallery and display student watercolors of rug designs. Assign children to research the history of different rug designs used in the Middle East.
     
     Why do this activity: The rich history and beautiful work of these rugs has made them treasured for hundreds of years. Learning more about the designs and manufacturing techniques of rugs and the influence of Western buying habits will provide a lesson in "market economy."
  2. Food Rituals: Discover Middle Eastern foods that are now served frequently in the West.
     
     Why do this activity: Children will enjoy sharing their favorites with classmates and be inspired to try new foods as they celebrate being together
  3. What to Wear? Finding Faces Behind Fashions, Blowing the Corporate Cover
     
     
     • Old-Fashioned Clothes: Design or purchase simple sewing patterns and have children work together to sew one or more clothing items of their choice.
           
       Why do this activity: Sewing will help children develop an appreciation for the hard work and skill involved in being a tailor.
     • Made in the USA? Map the sources of clothes you wear.
           
       Why do this activity: Survey the clothing labels to find where clothing is manufactured. Locate the major assembly places on a map. Compare the pros and cons of buying clothes made in places where the labor practices are questionable. This information may help children become thoughtful consumers.
           
       Want More Info? http://www.cleanclothes.org or http://www.responsible shopper.org
     • The Ecology of Fashion: Create a series of fashion system collages.
           
       Why do this activity: Develop several models that illustrate what's involved in the production and delivery of popular clothes to consumers. The activity will help children see the faces behind the trends so they can look at the big picture of popular fashions.
     • Visit a Local Resale Store: Organize a field trip to a local business.
           
       Why do this activity: This field trip will provide children with the opportunities to learn about how clothing can be recycled, and who benefits from doing so.