A Long Walk to Water Activity Bundle - Creative Novel Activities and Assignments
Engage your students with these eight ready-to-use activities and assignments designed to bring A Long Walk to Water to life. This activity bundle encourages students to make meaningful connections to Nya’s and Salva’s journeys while developing essential ELA skills. Students will explore the novel through symbolism, nonfiction connections, human rights discussions, creative writing, and projects. The assignments are fun and creative and will also meet many ELA skills and standards while allowing students to explore the text in creative and interesting ways.
This is included in a unit plan:
>>> A Long Walk to Water Unit Plan
Included in the A Long Walk to Water Activity Bundle:
Chapters 1–5:
➡️ Water Crisis Lesson & Water Walk Challenge: In A Long Walk to Water, Nya’s daily walk for water reveals the harsh reality faced by millions around the world. In this multi-part activity, students learn about global water scarcity, track their own water use, participate in a Water Walk simulation, and take part in a Walk-A-Thon fundraiser to raise awareness for clean water access.
➡️ Water Symbolism Assignment: Water carries symbolic meanings throughout the novel, from survival and hardship to hope and transformation. In this activity, students analyze how the symbolism of water changes over the course of the novel by selecting key quotes and explaining what water represents in each moment.
Chapters 6–10:
➡️ Lost Boys of Sudan WebQuest: In this WebQuest, students explore the real events that inspired Salva’s story. Through videos, maps, and articles, they learn about the Lost Boys of Sudan, including their long journey across Africa, life in refugee camps, and resettlement in new countries. This background helps students better understand the historical and human context behind Salva’s experiences.
➡️ “Thirst” Nonfiction Response: Students read Kristin Lewis’s nonfiction article “Thirst” to explore the real-life story of Natalia, a 13-year-old girl from Mozambique whose struggle for clean water mirrors Nya’s in A Long Walk to Water. Through structured response questions, students compare both experiences, analyze the impact of contaminated water on their families, and reflect on the global significance of access to safe, clean water.
Chapters 11–14:
➡️ Human Rights Lesson & Analysis: This lesson challenges students to think critically about human rights and how they’re denied in times of war, poverty, and crisis. After studying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, students connect its core principles to A Long Walk to Water, analyzing how Salva’s and Nya’s stories reveal violations of rights to safety, education, equality, and access to clean water.
Chapters 15–18:
➡️ Nya’s Letter to Salva Writing Activity: In this creative writing task, students take on Nya’s voice to write a reflective letter to Salva, connecting the novel’s dual narratives in a meaningful way. They may express gratitude, describe how access to clean water has transformed life in their village, and imagine Nya’s hopes for the future, strengthening empathy, voice, and understanding of the novel’s themes.
➡️ “I Kept Walking” – Salva Dut Speech Activity: After watching Salva Dut’s inspiring TED Talk, students reflect on the power of perseverance, hope, and leadership. Using discussion task cards, they analyze key quotes from his speech, connect his words to events in A Long Walk to Water, and respond to one prompt in depth, exploring how Salva’s message of “keeping walking” continues to impact lives today.
➡️ Front Page Newspaper Article Project: Stepping into the role of a journalist, students write a headline news story about Salva Dut’s inspiring work at the end of A Long Walk to Water. Using details and quotes from the novel, they craft a lead paragraph, supporting details, and a conclusion that highlight Salva’s achievements and the global impact of his well-building mission.
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