Ground Zero

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. Which major world event happened on September 11, 2001? What were some of the reasons that this catastrophe occurred?

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students with the setting of Brandon’s portion of the novel. Gratz divides his story into two protagonists’ narratives, the first being Brandon’s eyewitness account of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (“9/11”). Some direct instruction may be useful in clarifying the historical context; alternatively, guiding questions might help students navigate the abundance of information online. The following information may help outline the main points of historical context.

As a result of lingering political tension of the US involvement in the 1990s Gulf War, Saudi Islamic extremist Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization waged a religious war against the presence of Western countries in the Middle East. In the years following, al-Qaeda organized a multi-faced terrorist attack on four significant US landmarks: the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a fourth location in Washington, DC.

On the morning of 9/11, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked and diverted two planes into the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board the planes and almost 3,000 people in both towers and the surrounding areas. One hundred eighty-four people were killed from the aircraft diverted to the Pentagon, and 44 people died on the fourth flight; however, passengers overtook the plane from the hijackers, ultimately diverting it from al-Qaeda’s original target.

(Gratz thoroughly explains the 9/11 attacks in his Author’s Note.)

• The 9/11 Memorial and Museum website shares a teaching-facing resource, complete with questions, activities, and a video, on the warning signs before 9/11.
• This timeline from the World Economic Forum covers the events of 9/11.

2. What happened as a result of 9/11? How did this event transform US domestic and international policy?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might brainstorm in small groups and address the main areas of social and political change. The 9/11 terrorist attacks drastically changed people’s lives worldwide. Socially, Americans experienced a range of emotional distress, most of which was related to processing the trauma from the terrorist attacks. Furthermore, communities of color experienced increased targeted hate crimes due to misinformation about Islam and terrorism. Politically, the Bush Administration took a hardline approach to terrorism, introducing the controversial Patriot Act, creating the Department of Homeland Security, and invading Afghanistan and Iraq.

Gratz’s second protagonist, Reshmina, explores some of the lasting consequences of the US invasion of Afghanistan, most of which are related to continued political, economic, and social instability for Afghans despite the US military’s promises of ousting the Taliban and bringing stability and peace to the region. Furthermore, the power vacuum left by toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq resulted in the rise of religious extremist groups, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Gratz portrays the controversial and polemic opinions about the US presence in Afghanistan in the conversations between Reshmina and Taz.

• The Wilson Center describes the various impacts of 9/11 on global diplomatic relations in this teacher-facing resource.
• This article from the Pew Research Center discusses the effects of 9/11 on Americans two decades after the attack. This is a teacher-facing resource that includes charts and graphs that may be helpful for students.

Short Activity

Working in small groups, research the World Trade Center buildings in New York City. What were these buildings used for? What was special about the buildings’ construction? How many people worked at the World Trade Center, and what jobs did they have? Why was the World Trade Center an important symbol for the US?

Teaching Suggestion: This activity invites students to explore basic information, including the importance of the World Trade Center as a symbol of American global economic dominance. Based on the number of students in the class, each group may focus on either the North or South Tower for their research. The links below are starting points for students’ research.

• The 9/11 Memorial and Museum shares facts and figures of the World Trade Center.
• This article discusses the importance of the World Trade Center as a symbol of engineering prowess.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

Think of a time you were angry with someone for hurting your feelings. How did you handle the situation? For example, did you seek revenge? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to consider the novel’s theme of Refuge Over Revenge in their personal contexts. In the novel, Reshmina and her family struggle with the consequences of the US invasion of Afghanistan; however, they also recognize the importance of helping those in need. This idea is reflected in the discussion of badal and nanawatai, both essential to the Pashtun code of honor but are dichotomous concepts.

Differentiation Suggestion: For more advanced classes, this prompt may be amended to the following critical thinking question: Do you believe that revenge is an appropriate course of action in certain situations? Why or why not? If so, when?