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RSRT Y6 L1 Safiyyah's War

Literacy Counts

Created on July 10, 2025

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Transcript

Ready Steady Read Together

Safiyyah's War: Fiction Lesson 1

What do you think you know?

What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?

Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.

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What do you know and think?

Soldiers had dug bomb shelters around the city and handed out gas masks to families.

How might this extract link to the illustration?

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From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Today's Question(s)

A) What can we infer about Safiyyah’s character?

B) What can we infer about the setting of the story, considering both time and place?

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Let me read today's text

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It is only in holy places of worship and libraries that you have to whisper, for they are both sacred in their own special ways. Safiyyah spent as many afternoons as she could here in the dusty stillness of the library, poring over atlases, maps and travelogues.THE TIME! Safiyyah remembered suddenly that she was supposed to have been home ten minutes ago and leaped up in a panic. She closed the atlas and the book with gilded pages and rolled up the maps carefully, grabbed a bonbon for the journey home and left. Safiyyah ran as quickly as she could through the familiar streets, her schoolbag on her back. Her mother always told her to make sure she was home on time each day, and this would be the second time that week that Safiyyah wouldn’t be. She wove through the streets and alleys, swerving to avoid two women wearing sunglasses and hats so huge it seemed the hats were wearing them. She dodged the people chatting outside cafés, eating macarons and sipping coffee, shop carts laden with plump tomatoes and a hundred types of cheese. All Safiyyah wanted was to get home and tell Setti everything she’d discovered about South America, but dread of her mother’s inevitable scolding loomed like a cloud over her.

From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Her mother hadn’t always been this strict, it had only started in autumn last year when war was declared. Soldiers had dug bomb shelters around the city and handed out gas masks to families. Safiyyah knew it was only really because her mother worried, but there had been no bombs or danger or anything ever since and she longed for her to relax. She ducked beneath the low branches of a magnolia tree bursting with elegant pink flowers, panting and sweaty. Almost in the 5th arrondissement where she lived, Safiyyah stopped to catch her breath for a minute, leaning against a lamppost. In between noisy motorcars spluttering and coughing out fumes, Safiyyah noticed a man standing in front of the shops on the other side of the road. He wore a black suit and had absolutely no hair on his head. He was crying silently, and the child holding his hand, not much other than Safiyyah’s little sister, looked up at him anxiously. Safiyyah had never seen a grown man cry in the street like that before, and she felt bad for the young boy beside him. The whole scene disturbed her deeply, and despite the sun overhead she felt a chill in the air. Safiyyah started running again, almost colliding with a bicycle as she looked back over her shoulder at the pair. She wished she could take them home with her, Setti would definitely know how to fix whatever the problem was. She always did. The man wiped his wet cheeks with a handkerchief, and then Safiyyah was round the corner.

From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Vocabulary

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Hover for definitions!

sacred

travelogues

poring over

gilded

laden

loomed

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From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

I will model the first.

Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner

sacred

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Find Read Talk

It is only in holy places of worship and libraries that you have to whisper, for they are both sacred in their own special ways. Safiyyah spent as many afternoons as she could here in the dusty stillness of the library, poring over atlases, maps and travelogues.

Reveal Vocabulary

From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

sacred

Your turn

poring over

Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner

travelogues

gilded

laden

loomed

Use your text

Explore

Vocabulary Check

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Reveal Vocabulary

Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

It is only in holy places of worship and libraries that you have to whisper, for they are both sacred in their own special ways. Safiyyah spent as many afternoons as she could here in the dusty stillness of the library, poring over atlases, maps and travelogues.THE TIME! Safiyyah remembered suddenly that she was supposed to have been home ten minutes ago and leaped up in a panic. She closed the atlas and the book with gilded pages and rolled up the maps carefully, grabbed a bonbon for the journey home and left. Safiyyah ran as quickly as she could through the familiar streets, her schoolbag on her back. Her mother always told her to make sure she was home on time each day, and this would be the second time that week that Safiyyah wouldn’t be. She wove through the streets and alleys, swerving to avoid two women wearing sunglasses and hats so huge it seemed the hats were wearing them. She dodged the people chatting outside cafés, eating macarons and sipping coffee, shop carts laden with plump tomatoes and a hundred types of cheese. All Safiyyah wanted was to get home and tell Setti everything she’d discovered about South America, but dread of her mother’s inevitable scolding loomed like a cloud over her.

From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Reveal Vocabulary

Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

Her mother hadn’t always been this strict, it had only started in autumn last year when war was declared. Soldiers had dug bomb shelters around the city and handed out gas masks to families. Safiyyah knew it was only really because her mother worried, but there had been no bombs or danger or anything ever since and she longed for her to relax. She ducked beneath the low branches of a magnolia tree bursting with elegant pink flowers, panting and sweaty. Almost in the 5th arrondissement where she lived, Safiyyah stopped to catch her breath for a minute, leaning against a lamppost. In between noisy motorcars spluttering and coughing out fumes, Safiyyah noticed a man standing in front of the shops on the other side of the road. He wore a black suit and had absolutely no hair on his head. He was crying silently, and the child holding his hand, not much other than Safiyyah’s little sister, looked up at him anxiously. Safiyyah had never seen a grown man cry in the street like that before, and she felt bad for the young boy beside him. The whole scene disturbed her deeply, and despite the sun overhead she felt a chill in the air. Safiyyah started running again, almost colliding with a bicycle as she looked back over her shoulder at the pair. She wished she could take them home with her, Setti would definitely know how to fix whatever the problem was. She always did. The man wiped his wet cheeks with a handkerchief, and then Safiyyah was round the corner.

From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Fluency

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Let me use my reader's voice...

Her mother hadn’t always been this strict, it had only started in autumn last year when war was declared. Soldiers had dug bomb shelters around the city and handed out gas masks to families. Safiyyah knew it was only really because her mother worried, but there had been no bombs or danger or anything ever since and she longed for her to relax.

What did you notice?

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From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

My Turn
Your Turn

Echo Read

Her mother hadn’t always been this strict,

it had only started in autumn last year when war was declared.

Soldiers had dug bomb shelters around the city and handed out gas masks to families.

Safiyyah knew it was only really because her mother worried,

but there had been no bombs or danger or anything ever since and she longed for her to relax.

Explore

From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Sound like a reader!
Stand up!

Choral Read

Her mother hadn’t always been this strict, it had only started in autumn last year when war was declared. Soldiers had dug bomb shelters around the city and handed out gas masks to families. Safiyyah knew it was only really because her mother worried, but there had been no bombs or danger or anything ever since and she longed for her to relax.

Explore

From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Strategy Focus

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Strategy: Read Between the Lines

A) What can we infer about Safiyyah’s character?

Be a detective and look for clues!

Teach

Let me show you

Reveal Text Marks

It is only in holy places of worship and libraries that you have to whisper, for they are both sacred in their own special ways.

A) What can we infer about Safiyyah’s character?

Reveal Explainer

Safiyyah uses the word ‘sacred’ to describe libraries. This shows that she thinks they are very special and almost holy. She thinks libraries should be treated with as much respect as a church, temple or mosque. We can infer that Safiyyah loves books, reading and learning.

Teach

From: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Strategy Stop

What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?

Teach

Your Turn

A) What can we infer about Safiyyah’s character?

B) What can we infer about the setting of the story, considering both time and place?

Find the answers
Text mark

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Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence - Safiyyah spent as many afternoons as she could here in the dusty stillness of the library, poring over atlases, maps and travelogues - all Safiyyah wanted was to get home and tell Setti everything she’d discovered about South America

loves books, maps and learning

A) What can we infer about Safiyyah’s character?

Text Mark Evidence - she remembered suddenly that she was supposed to have been home ten minutes ago - this would be the second time this week that Safiyyah wouldn’t be (home on time)

forgetful and often late

Go to the next slide for more....

Text Mark Evidence Safiyyah ran as quickly as she could through the familiar streets, her schoolbag on her back

an older independent school-aged child

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Text Mark Evidence dread of her mother’s inevitable scolding loomed like a cloud over her

worries about getting in trouble

Practise & Apply

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence there had been no bombs or danger or anything and she longed for her (mother) to relax

doesn’t feel threatened by the war

A) What can we infer about Safiyyah’s character?

Text Mark Evidence - Safiyyah had never seen a grown man cry in the street like that before, and she felt bad for the young boy beside him…the whole scene disturbed her deeply - she wished she could take them (man and child) home with her…to fix whatever the problem was

empathetic and caring

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Practise & Apply

Time

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence Safiyyah spent as many afternoons as she could here in the…library

time of day: it is afternoon

Text Mark Evidence - it (mother’s strictness) had only started in autumn last year when war was declared - soldiers had dug bomb shelters around the city and handed out gas masks to families...but there had been no bombs or danger or anything ever since

time in history: World War II

B) What can we infer about the setting of the story, considering both time and place?

Text Mark Evidence - it (mother’s strictness) had only started in autumn last year - a magnolia tree bursting with elegant pink flowers

time of year: it is springtime/after autumn

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

old-fashioned time/not modern

Text Mark Evidence - noisy motorcars spluttering and coughing out fumes - the man wiped his cheeks with a handkerchief

Practise & Apply

Acceptable Answers

Place

Text Mark Evidence here in the dusty stillness of the library

specific building: library

Text Mark Evidence - wove through the streets and alleys, swerving to avoid two women - she dodged the people chatting outside cafés - noisy motorcars spluttering and coughing out fumes - she started running again, almost colliding with a bicycle

a busy city setting

B) What can we infer about the setting of the story, considering both time and place?

Text Mark Evidence - people chatting outside cafés, eating macarons and sipping coffee, shop carts laden with plump tomatoes and a hundred types of cheese - in the 5th arrondissement where she lived

Paris, France

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Practise & Apply

Quiz Time

Start

Picture Me

Which image is the best match for ‘gilded’?

Fill the Gaps

travelogues
poring
sacred

It is only in holy places of worship and libraries that you have to whisper, for they are bothin their own special ways. Safiyyah spent as many afternoons as she could here in the dusty stillness of the library, over atlases, maps and .

Discuss then check
Click if correct

Which One's Right?

She dodged the people chatting outside cafés, eating macarons and sipping coffee, shop carts laden with plump tomatoes and a hundred types of cheese.

Which answer best completes the sentence?The word ‘laden’ suggests that the carts were…

B empty.

A full.

C broken.

D colourful.

True or False?

Safiyyah’s mother is very worried about the war.

False
True

Feedback: Who did what well?

FindRead Talk

EchoRead

ChoralRead

ReadingStrategy

Answers & Text Marks

Other...

To be a book lover, you could...

connect with characters.

Reveal

Consider how the characters feel and what you'd do in their situation.

Copyright Notice

This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan © 2023 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.

sacred
poring
travelogues