A Long Walk to Water Activity - Salva Dut's Speech Analysis and Discussion
This A Long Walk to Water activity centers on Salva Dut’s speech, “I Kept Walking,” and asks students to analyze his message in relation to the novel. After viewing Salva Dut’s speech, students closely examine key quotations, discuss the themes of perseverance, hope, and leadership, and connect his real-life reflections to events in A Long Walk to Water. Through guided discussion and written response, students evaluate how Salva’s words reinforce the novel’s central ideas and consider how his message applies beyond the text.
This is included in a unit plan:
→ A Long Walk to Water Unit Plan
Included in the A Long Walk to Water Activity - Salva Dut's Speech I Kept Walking Analysis:
➡️ Salva Dut Speech & Discussion Task Cards: In this A Long Walk to Water activityStudents watch Salva Dut’s speech (video link included) and then work with structured discussion task cards that feature important excerpts from the speech. Each card prompts students to analyze a specific quote, identify the theme it reflects, and connect Salva’s words to key events in A Long Walk to Water. Students engage in small-group or whole-class discussion, using text evidence from both the speech and the novel to support their responses.
➡️ Speech Response Assignment: After discussion, students select one quote or idea from the task cards to explore in depth through a written response. In their reflection, they connect Salva Dut’s speech to specific moments in A Long Walk to Water, explain how the quote reinforces a theme, and may also draw connections to their own experiences or current global issues. The assignment requires students to support their thinking with clear references to the novel and the speech.
➡️ Teacher Instructions and Answer Key: A detailed teacher guide provides clear directions for introducing the activity, facilitating discussion, and assessing student responses. The completed answer key includes sample interpretations of key quotes to support feedback, clarify expectations, and guide class conversation.
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