Definition:

Courage is the willingness to go beyond fear to face a healthy (not foolish) challenge, even though it  could be painful, risky, or end in failure.  

In short:

Do good, try hard even when it’s scary.

Summary:
Malala is a world-famous young woman activist from Pakistan. When she was school-age, she had big goals to become a doctor. Those dreams were tragically interrupted when extremists gained control of the government. The new leaders in Pakistan interfered in education for girls, and Malala was violently attacked when she tried to go to school. She recovered, moved to England where she pursued an education and gave speeches to leaders around the world, defending basic human rights, especially the right to an education for all. 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. This story could be linked to a unit on social studies comparing human rights in Pakistan to human rights where the student(s) lives.  
2. Students discuss why opportunities for education are important to all children, including themselves.  

Guiding Questions: 

1. Why do you think people thought it was more important to be born a boy than a girl in Pakistan? Do you think that’s fair? 
2. How did Malala’s father encourage her? 
3. What was life like for girls and women in Pakistan? 
4. What happened in Pakistan that interrupted Malala’s schooling? 
5. Why were Malala and her father threatened? 
6. Why did Malala move to England? 
7. Describe what Malala talked about in her speeches.
8. If you’ve ever had to speak in front of a group of people, what was it about and were you nervous? 
9. Imagine you aren’t afraid anymore of giving a speech - all your nervousness disappeared magically. What would you like to talk about? 
10. Do you think that all boys and girls in every part of the world should be able to go to school and get an education? Explain your answer.