Rebellions are built on hope.
Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.
With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards.
Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today.
BL 8.2
11 Points
Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.
With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards.
Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today.
BL 8.2
11 Points
Activity 1:
Here are ten different statements that I want you to agree or disagree with after you have read the novel.
Explain to me why you agree/disagree with any of these statements. Did you feel differently before you read the book?
Here are ten different statements that I want you to agree or disagree with after you have read the novel.
- It is better to live another day, than to fight a losing battle.
- You should do anything you need to do in order to protect the majority.
- Anything goes in times of war.
- Doing nothing to stop injustice is the same as committing the injustice yourself.
- If you live in America, you should do your best to act American.
- Freedom is a human right and everyone should have it.
- People should make the best of an unfortunate situation, rather than take risks to change it.
- A government has it citizens’ best interests at heart.
- Peaceful protests don’t do much to change things for the better.
- A society needs to work together to protect itself from all enemies.
Explain to me why you agree/disagree with any of these statements. Did you feel differently before you read the book?
Activity 2:
Use this quote from the book and create a poster to go along with it.
“A COMPASS DOESN’T TELL YOU WHERE YOU ARE, AND IT DOESN’T TELL YOU WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO. IT CAN ONLY POINT YOU IN THE DIRECTION. IT’S UP TO YOU TO ALWAYS FIND YOUR TRUE NORTH.”
Use this quote from the book and create a poster to go along with it.
“A COMPASS DOESN’T TELL YOU WHERE YOU ARE, AND IT DOESN’T TELL YOU WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO. IT CAN ONLY POINT YOU IN THE DIRECTION. IT’S UP TO YOU TO ALWAYS FIND YOUR TRUE NORTH.”
Activity 3:
Islam’s have five pillars of faith, or guides for daily life for Muslims
SHAHADAH – declaration of faith – testifying that there is only one god, or Allah
SALAT – ritual prayer, five daily prayers that are done at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. These are said in Arabic and done facing Mecca.
ZAKAH – alms tax, giving 2.5% of one’s money to the poor and needy
SAWM – fasting – during Ramadan, which happens during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Muslim’s fast during daylight hours. They do this to remind people of the goodness of what they have and to show equality with the poor
HAJJ – pilgrimage – once during a Muslim’s life, he or she should visit Mecca, a sacred place in the Islamic tradition
Layla didn’t follow any of these “rules” of being a Muslim very faithfully, but it didn’t matter to the government, she was still labeled as one and sent to an internment camp. Do you think this is a good practice? Do you think that something like this could happen in the near future in the United States? What would you do if the government decided that your religion was “wrong” and decided to put everyone in your church to an internment camp.
You can either write a paper, video yourself talking about the situation, or create some type of physical presentation (poster, diorama, etc.) that shows how you feel about the situation.
Islam’s have five pillars of faith, or guides for daily life for Muslims
SHAHADAH – declaration of faith – testifying that there is only one god, or Allah
SALAT – ritual prayer, five daily prayers that are done at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. These are said in Arabic and done facing Mecca.
ZAKAH – alms tax, giving 2.5% of one’s money to the poor and needy
SAWM – fasting – during Ramadan, which happens during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Muslim’s fast during daylight hours. They do this to remind people of the goodness of what they have and to show equality with the poor
HAJJ – pilgrimage – once during a Muslim’s life, he or she should visit Mecca, a sacred place in the Islamic tradition
Layla didn’t follow any of these “rules” of being a Muslim very faithfully, but it didn’t matter to the government, she was still labeled as one and sent to an internment camp. Do you think this is a good practice? Do you think that something like this could happen in the near future in the United States? What would you do if the government decided that your religion was “wrong” and decided to put everyone in your church to an internment camp.
You can either write a paper, video yourself talking about the situation, or create some type of physical presentation (poster, diorama, etc.) that shows how you feel about the situation.