The amazing true story of a girl who risked death to help girls go to school
Learning Objective: Students will make connections between two texts that demonstrate the power of hope. The first feature presents Malala Yousafzai’s courageous fight for girls’ education; the second is a poem that personifies hope.
October 9, 2012, was an ordinary afternoon in the Swat Valley, an area of towering mountains and green valleys in the country of Pakistan. A smiling girl named Malala Yousafzai [YOO-suhf-zye] was sitting on a school bus with her classmates. The 15-year-old was on her way home when two men boarded the bus.
“Who is Malala?” one of the men demanded.
A feeling of terror filled the air. And then the
Then the men fled.
How could this have happened? Why would anyone want to hurt an
Shutterstock.com (Swat Valley); Jim McMahon/Mapman ® (Map)
Where in the world: Swat Valley, Pakistan
Banned From School
The shooting was a terrible crime. But to many people around the world—including Malala herself—it was not a surprise.
That’s because Malala was not just a student. She was also a
In the U.S., all children attend school until they are at least 16. Parents who refuse to educate their children can be arrested. But around the world, more than 250 million kids do not go to school, and the majority of these children are girls. In some cases, girls must miss school to help support their families. But often it is
This is the case in parts of Pakistan. The men who shot Malala were part of a dangerous group called the Taliban. The Taliban believe that all music should be banned, as well as television, movies, and games. They believe that girls should not be allowed to go to school. They also think that grown women should be forbidden to work or to go anywhere in public—like shopping or even sitting in a park—without a male relative.
The Taliban are not part of Pakistan’s government, but their forces are powerful in certain parts of the country. In areas under Taliban control, all people must follow their strict rules. Breaking these rules brings severe punishment, which may include public whipping, jail, or even death.
Veronique de Viguerie/Getty Images
Malala, age 12, at her house in the Swat Valley
What Could She Do?
For most of her childhood, Malala did not have to worry about the Taliban. She was born in 1997 in the Swat Valley, a gorgeous place known for its grand mountains, thick forests, and mighty rivers. It was once a popular vacation spot. But starting in 2007, when Malala was 10, the Taliban began taking control of the area. They blew up buildings and threatened anyone who
In January 2009, the Taliban ordered all girls schools to be closed. That included Malala’s school, which her father had owned for more than a decade.
Despite the Taliban’s order, Malala’s father decided to keep his school open. From then on, Malala and her family lived under constant
At first, Malala felt helpless. What could she do?
Fareed Khan/AP Images
Pakistani students hold photographs of Malala during a protest against the Taliban’s attack.
A Powerful Weapon
But Malala soon discovered that she had a powerful weapon: her own voice.
In 2009, she began writing online about what her life was like under the Taliban. She shared her dreams of becoming a doctor. She talked about her fierce
Malala’s posts became incredibly popular. Soon millions of people all over the world were reading them.
In May 2009, the Pakistani army launched a full-scale attack against the Taliban in the Swat Valley. By August, most of the Taliban had been pushed out of the cities and into the countryside.
After that, Malala launched an attack of her own. She went on television shows and gave powerful speeches to Pakistani kids. Her message was always the same: All children deserve to go to school. Her courage gave hope to thousands. In 2011, the president of Pakistan awarded her the country’s first National Youth Peace Prize. It seemed that everyone knew her name.
Including the Taliban.
“I Am Malala”
In 2012, Malala began receiving threats ordering her to give up her cause. But she refused to back down. Then on October 9, 2012, the Taliban gunmen shot her and two others on the bus.
The hours following the shooting were intense. Malala’s friends were not seriously hurt, but Malala suffered injuries to her left ear and her skull. She was flown to a hospital in Birmingham, England. Her family soon joined her.
The Taliban boasted about the shooting, saying it was a warning to other kids not to follow Malala’s example.
Meanwhile, the world waited,
HEIKO JUNGE/AFP via Getty Images
Malala gives a speech while accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. She is the youngest person ever to receive this important award.
Her Fight Continues
Fortunately, Malala survived the attack. She had several surgeries to repair her skull and improve her hearing. And she and her family decided to stay in England, where they would be safer from the Taliban.
Though her life changed forever, Malala’s powerful work has continued. Since her recovery, she has traveled the world, giving speeches, meeting world leaders, and winning major awards. Her book I Am Malala was an international best-seller.
Malala graduated from college in 2020. And her goal remains the same: for girls everywhere to have the right to go to school.
Hope
Art by Nabila Adani
Hope has holes
in its pockets.
It leaves little
crumb trails
so that we,
when anxious,
can follow it.
Hope’s secret:
it doesn’t know
the
it knows only
that all roads
begin with one
foot in front
of the other.
What's the Connection?
One meaning of secret is “a key to success.” In the poem, what is hope’s secret? How is its secret related to Malala’s fight for girls’ education? Answer both questions in a well-organized essay with details from the poem and the article.
This article was originally published in the October/November 2023 issue.
Learn more about Malala’s life and work.
Malala’s Fight for Education
Learn more about Malala’s life and work.
Poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer reads her poem “Hope” in this exciting video read-aloud.
Poetry Read Aloud: Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer reads her poem “Hope” in this exciting video read-aloud.
Storyworks, September 2016
Table of Contents
SEL Focus, Close Reading, Critical Thinking
4. Differentiate and Customize
Striving Readers, Advanced Readers, Multilingual Learners
1. Preparing to Read
Watch a Video, Introduce Vocabulary, Set a Purpose for Reading
2. Reading and Discussing
Close-Reading Questions
“Malala the Powerful”
Based on the sections “Banned From School” and “What Could She Do?,” how did Malala’s fight for girls’ education put her in danger? (identifying a problem) When the Taliban took control of Malala’s home region in Pakistan, the Swat Valley, they established rules against girls getting an education. The punishments for breaking these rules were harsh and included public whippings, jail, and death. However, Malala refused to stop learning and continued to attend her father’s school for girls.
"Hope"
Critical-Thinking Question
3. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: Connecting Texts
Distribute or digitally assign the Connecting Texts Skill Builder, available on two levels. For a deep dive into the poem, have students complete the Poetry Kit. Afterward, students can respond to the writing prompt on page 21.
Differentiate and Customize
Before reading, invite students to listen to the audio version of the story. Then have them listen a second time, reading along with the story. Encourage them to reread or relisten to parts of the story as many times as they need to feel comfortable with their understanding of it. Then have your students discuss the Up Close questions in small guided groups.
Ask students to imagine that they have been invited to give a speech for their school community about a topic they are hopeful and passionate about. After watching Malala’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech (featured in the Can’t-Miss Teaching Extras section), invite your students to write a speech of their own about their chosen topic, telling why it is important.
The poem “Hope” relies on figurative language to convey an important idea (“Hope has holes in its pockets . . .,” “Hope’s secret . . .”). Before students read, explain the type of figurative language used in the poem—personification—and what personification is to support their understanding of it. For extra practice, invite your students to try personifying objects of their choice before reading the poem.
Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Learn about other brave kids who fought for change throughout history in our inspiring plays: “Ayanna the Brave” (February 2019), “The Children’s March” (December2022/January 2023), and “The Fight for What’s Right” (September 2017). Discuss how their courageous actions inspired hope and created powerful change for others.
Watch this inspiring four-minute excerpt of Malala’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech from December 10, 2014. At the time she received the award, Malala was just 17 years old; she became both the youngest person and the first Pakistani to receive the honor.
In this four-minute Poetry Read-Aloud, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer shares a fun personification writing prompt: Pair a feeling with an object, then imagine how they might be connected in a poem. Have your students watch the video before planning and writing their own poems.
In 2013, Malala Yousafzai and her father, Ziauddun Yousafzai, created the Malala Fund, a nonprofit organization that invests in local educators around the world; their mission is to improve education quality in regions where most girls aren’t able to access secondary education. Research the organization and help your students lead an event to raise money for the Malala Fund or a similar nonprofit of their choice.
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