The Other Side of the Sky

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The US war in Afghanistan lasted for roughly two decades, from 1999 to 2021. What was the general nature of this conflict? In broad strokes, describe the key players in the war, the effect the war had (and continues to have) on the region, and how cultural differences between East and West may have played into the conflict.

Teaching Suggestion: For Ahmedi, much of the culture clash she experiences as an Afghan immigrant in both Germany and the US stems from the fact that Afghanistan is an Islamic, war-torn country, which is very different from how most children in the US and Germany are raised. Ahmedi grew up in a world where, from her earliest moments, she never knew peace. Ahmedi’s comparisons of Afghanistan to Germany and the US are somewhat simplistic; since she is a child, she compares her home country to American and European culture in basic terms. In this discussion, students have a chance to explore key historical and cultural background on the US-Afghanistan war and, in doing so, explore religious and cultural differences that exacerbated the conflict.