Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Chart the Impact of Fiction”

In this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of the theme of The Importance of Stories by creating a chart linking quotes from the novel to evidence from their research into novels that changed people’s thinking.

One of the main claims that Haroun and the Sea of Stories makes is that fictional stories have the capacity to change people’s lives. In this activity, you will gather four quotes from the novel that support this idea. Then, you will do some research into novels that critics and historians agree have made a substantial impact on the way people think. Finally, you will create a chart that links the quotes from Haroun to the novels you have researched.

1. Gather Your Quotes

• Choose four quotes, from four different places in the novel. Remember that quotes are not the same thing as dialogue—your quotes can be the narrator’s words, too.
• “Prune” your quotes, using ellipses, so that they are as short as they can be and still express a complete idea that supports the power of made-up stories.