Koran by Heart Documentary

Koran by Heart

Objective: to reflect on and analyze the nuances of the Islamic religion and Muslim culture, emphasizing why this competition is so important to the contestants and their families.

When viewing the Film: Students should observe the situations the children in Koran by Heart find themselves in during the recitation competition: some traveled alone and made great sacrifices to be there; some didn't do as well as expected; and some did quite well.

 Character Selection: Students will choose one of the contestants and consider their day-to-day life outside of the competition. What was their life like before and what will it be like after? Again, consider the sacrifices they and their families made to get them there. Look deeper than just the contest, how did this affect their day-to-day life?

Assignment: Write a Reflection Paper: Each student will write a short reflection in the voice of the character they selected that focuses on the trials and tribulations they faced in their life leading up to the contest considering the following: how their lives changed when it was decided they would compete; how they felt during the competition; their family and community’s reaction to their victory or loss. Quality papers will include evidence of a knowledge and understanding of the objective.