A Long Walk to Water Activity - Human Rights Novel Analysis Slides & Assignment
Help students connect fiction to world issues with this A Long Walk to Water human rights analysis activity. Using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, students will analyze how the characters in Linda Sue Park’s novel confront real-world human rights violations. With a mix of structured guidance and reflection, students will build critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of the novel’s historical and ethical context.
This is included in a unit plan:
>>> A Long Walk to Water Unit Plan
Included in the A Long Walk to Water Human Rights Analysis Activity:
➡️ Human Rights Lesson Presentation: Present the activity step-by-step using a 16-slide instructional slideshow that covers key concepts and directions. The slides will walk students through the different universal rights, allowing them to consider how they relate to the ethical issues in A Long Walk to Water.
➡️ Abridged Handout of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Use this abridged version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to introduce students to the 30 universal rights in a student-friendly format.
➡️ Human Rights Analysis Assignment: Guide students in applying what they learn about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the novel. They will analyze human rights violations through a structured assignment that asks them to make connections between Nya’s and Salva’s stories.
➡️ Human Rights Analysis Assignment Teacher Answer Key: Use this completed teacher answer key to support class discussion, streamline grading, or offer guidance to students who need additional support.
How the A Long Walk to Water Human Rights Analysis Activity Works:
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Students will begin by reviewing the simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to understand what protections should exist for all people.
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Next, they will complete a chart connecting these rights to the novel’s events, analyzing how Nya and Salva each experience violations and challenges.
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Finally, students will write one paragraph per character, using text evidence to support their analysis of the human rights issues represented in the novel.
This activity works well toward the beginning of the novel study to introduce students to the core struggle in A Long Walk to Water and help them understand how human rights connect to Nya’s and Salva’s experiences.
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