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RSRT Y6 L3 Safiyyah's War

Literacy Counts

Created on September 5, 2025

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Transcript

Ready Steady Read Together

Safiyyah's War: Fiction Lesson 3

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?

“Quickly, bring water and food! We’ll need the cups we use for Eid, at least one hundred, more if we have them. Many more refugees are arriving from the north and God only knows the last time they ate and drank.”

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)

B) How does the author show the generosity of the Muslim community?

A) What words and phrases does the author use to express how large the crowd of refugees is?

C) What can we infer about the physical condition and emotional state of the refugees?

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Let me read today's text

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Ammo Imam burst through the courtyard doors. He seemed frantic. “Quickly, bring water and food! We’ll need the cups we use for Eid, at least one hundred, more if we have them. Many more refugees are arriving from the north and God only knows the last time they ate and drank.” Yemma and Khala ran into the kitchen, standing on ladders to get down the huge trays and spare cups. As they set about filling them with water, Safiyyah emptied two big bags of biscuits stuffed with nuts and dates onto another tray, sugar powder and crumbs flying everywhere. Next, she piled on pastries and cakes and fetched the untouched pancakes from the courtyard table too. Baba and Ammo Imam arrived to carry the big round trays out through the streets. Setti arrived from upstairs and added a dozen sweet oranges that she’d pulled apart into individual segments onto one of the trays. Within minutes, Safiyyah saw what had rattled Ammo Imam so. She had never seen that many people trudging along the cobbles before, far too many to count. The dense crowd trailed slowly, exhaustion visible on their faces. It was more than just exhaustion, it looked like despair. The people were silent, only the thunder of a thousand weary footsteps sounded. Safiyyah couldn’t see where the beginning or end of the moving line was.

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

A man around Baba’s age limped barefoot, staring ahead as if seeing right through the people and buildings. Almost everyone’s clothes were tattered and dirty, as if they’d been sleeping rough for weeks. A skinny donkey pulled a cart with mattresses tied to it, an elderly woman sleeping on top. Three young children who looked like siblings had dirty loops of yellow ribbon strung around their arms. Safiyyah wondered if it was to prevent them getting lost. Wheelbarrows, pushchairs and bicycles were weighed down with bags and sacks, precious possessions proving there was a life before this. Baba approached the mass of refugees, and Yemma began handing out cups of water to people. Some people swigged the water back as if they hadn’t drunk in days, offering nods of gratitude, while others walked on as if oblivious to anything around them. Safiyyah handed out biscuits. A little boy clutching a photo frame and two books to his chest took half a pancake, his eyes lighting up ever so slightly at the sight of food. A woman with dirt on her face and in her hair popped an orange segment in her mouth. She closed her eyes when the sweetness hit, offering Safiyyah a tiny smile. She cringed at the sight of an old woman’s bloodied arm wrapped in a crusted scarf that barely covered the wounds. Safiyyah passed a pastry to a boy around her age who was carrying a small cat. Its body was twisted a little, in a way that didn’t seem right, and Safiyyah hoped desperately that it was simply asleep.

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!

frantic

trudging

refugees

despair

weary

oblivious

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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

frantic

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Find Read Talk

Ammo Imam burst through the courtyard doors. He seemed frantic. “Quickly, bring water and food! We’ll need the cups we use for Eid, at least one hundred, more if we have them. Many more refugees are arriving from the north and God only knows the last time they ate and drank.”

Reveal Vocabulary

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

frantic

Your turn

refugees

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

trudging

despair

weary

oblivious

Use your text

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Vocabulary Check

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Reveal Vocabulary

Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

Ammo Imam burst through the courtyard doors. He seemed frantic. “Quickly, bring water and food! We’ll need the cups we use for Eid, at least one hundred, more if we have them. Many more refugees are arriving from the north and God only knows the last time they ate and drank.” Yemma and Khala ran into the kitchen, standing on ladders to get down the huge trays and spare cups. As they set about filling them with water, Safiyyah emptied two big bags of biscuits stuffed with nuts and dates onto another tray, sugar powder and crumbs flying everywhere. Next, she piled on pastries and cakes and fetched the untouched pancakes from the courtyard table too. Baba and Ammo Imam arrived to carry the big round trays out through the streets. Setti arrived from upstairs and added a dozen sweet oranges that she’d pulled apart into individual segments onto one of the trays. Within minutes, Safiyyah saw what had rattled Ammo Imam so. She had never seen that many people trudging along the cobbles before, far too many to count. The dense crowd trailed slowly, exhaustion visible on their faces. It was more than just exhaustion, it looked like despair. The people were silent, only the thunder of a thousand weary footsteps sounded. Safiyyah couldn’t see where the beginning or end of the moving line was.

Explore

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.

A man around Baba’s age limped barefoot, staring ahead as if seeing right through the people and buildings. Almost everyone’s clothes were tattered and dirty, as if they’d been sleeping rough for weeks. A skinny donkey pulled a cart with mattresses tied to it, an elderly woman sleeping on top. Three young children who looked like siblings had dirty loops of yellow ribbon strung around their arms. Safiyyah wondered if it was to prevent them getting lost. Wheelbarrows, pushchairs and bicycles were weighed down with bags and sacks, precious possessions proving there was a life before this. Baba approached the mass of refugees, and Yemma began handing out cups of water to people. Some people swigged the water back as if they hadn’t drunk in days, offering nods of gratitude, while others walked on as if oblivious to anything around them. Safiyyah handed out biscuits. A little boy clutching a photo frame and two books to his chest took half a pancake, his eyes lighting up ever so slightly at the sight of food. A woman with dirt on her face and in her hair popped an orange segment in her mouth. She closed her eyes when the sweetness hit, offering Safiyyah a tiny smile. She cringed at the sight of an old woman’s bloodied arm wrapped in a crusted scarf that barely covered the wounds. Safiyyah passed a pastry to a boy around her age who was carrying a small cat. Its body was twisted a little, in a way that didn’t seem right, and Safiyyah hoped desperately that it was simply asleep.

Explore

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...

She had never seen that many people trudging along the cobbles before, far too many to count. The dense crowd trailed slowly, exhaustion visible on their faces. It was more than just exhaustion, it looked like despair. The people were silent, only the thunder of a thousand weary footsteps sounded. Safiyyah couldn’t see where the beginning or end of the moving line was.

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

She had never seen that many people trudging along the cobbles before,

far too many to count.

The dense crowd trailed slowly, exhaustion visible on their faces.

It was more than just exhaustion, it looked like despair.

The people were silent, only the thunder of a thousand weary footsteps sounded.

Safiyyah couldn’t see where the beginning or end of the moving line was.

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

She had never seen that many people trudging along the cobbles before, far too many to count. The dense crowd trailed slowly, exhaustion visible on their faces. It was more than just exhaustion, it looked like despair. The people were silent, only the thunder of a thousand weary footsteps sounded. Safiyyah couldn’t see where the beginning or end of the moving line was.

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: Look Around & Find and Take

Be a word thief and steal what you've been asked to find...

A) What words and phrases does the author use to express how large the crowd of refugees is?

What's the question asking? Now, what are you looking for?

Let me show you

Reveal Text Marks

Ammo Imam burst through the courtyard doors. He seemed frantic. “Quickly, bring water and food! We’ll need the cups we use for Eid, at least one hundred, more if we have them. Many more refugees are arriving from the north and God only knows the last time they ate and drank.”

A) What words and phrases does the author use to express how large the crowd of refugees is?

The word ‘frantic’ hints at Ammo Imam’s panic at the size of the crowd. They have enough cups for the whole congregation of the mosque for the Eid celebrations, so there must be nearly that many refugees. He thinks there may be more than a hundred.

Reveal Explainer

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

B) How does the author show the generosity of the Muslim community?

A) What words and phrases does the author use to express how large the crowd of refugees is?

C) What can we infer about the physical condition and emotional state of the refugees?

Find the answers
Text mark

Explore

Acceptable Answers

she had never seen that many people trudging along the cobbles before

A) What words and phrases does the author use to express how large the crowd of refugees is?

far too many to count

the dense crowd trailed slowly

the thunder of a thousand weary footsteps sounded

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

the mass of refugees

Practise & Apply

Text Mark Evidence - Ammo Imam burst through… he seemed frantic - Yemma and Khala ran into the kitchen to get down the huge trays and spare cups

sense of urgency to help

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence - they set about filling them (cups) with water - Safiyyah emptied two big bags of biscuits…onto another tray - she (Safiyyah) piled on pastries and cakes and fetched the untouched pancakes

prepared food and drink

B) How does the author show the generosity of the Muslim community?

Text Mark Evidence she (Safiyyah)…fetched the untouched pancakes from the courtyard table too

shared the food they were planning to eat themselves

Text Mark Evidence - Baba and Ammo Imam arrived to carry the big round trays out through the streets - Yemma began handing out cups of water to people - Safiyyah handed out biscuits - Safiyyah passed a pastry to a boy

people helped to serve

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Text Mark Evidence Setti arrived from upstairs and added a dozen sweet oranges

shared their own personal food supplies, not just food from the Mosque

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence - God only knows the last time they age and drank - people swigged the water back as if they hadn’t drunk in days - eyes lighting up ever so slightly at the sight of food

hungry and thirsty

C) What can we infer about the physical condition and emotional state of the refugees?

Text Mark Evidence - people trudging along - dense crowd trailed slowly, exhaustion visible on their faces - a man around Baba’s age limped barefoot - an elderly woman sleeping on top (of the mattress)

tired and struggling to walk

Go to the next slide for more....

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Text Mark Evidence it was more than just exhaustion, it looked like despair

hopeless

Practise & Apply

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence - a man…staring ahead as if seeing right though the people and buildings - others walked on as if oblivious to anything around them

state of shock

C) What can we infer about the physical condition and emotional state of the refugees?

Text Mark Evidence - almost everyone’s clothes were tattered and dirty, as if they’d been sleeping rough for weeks - three young children…had dirty loops of yellow ribbon - a woman with dirt on her face and in her hair

dirty

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Text Mark Evidence she cringed at the sight of an old woman’s bloodied arm

wounded

Practise & Apply

Quiz Time

Start

Picture Me

Which image is the best match for ‘oblivious’?

Fill the Gaps

weary
trudging
despair

Within minutes, Safiyyah saw what had rattled Ammo Imam so. She had never seen that many people along the cobbles before, far too many to count. The dense crowd trailed slowly, exhaustion visible on their faces. It was more than just exhaustion, it looked like . The people were silent, only the thunder of a thousand footsteps sounded. Safiyyah couldn’t see where the beginning or end of the moving line was.

Click if correct
Discuss then check

Link Me

Link each person with the correct description:

A sleeping on a mattress on a cart pulled by a donkey

1 a man around Baba’s age

Check

B clutching a photo frame and two books

2 an elderly woman

Click if correct

C limping and unaware of his surroundings

3 three young children

D tied with yellow ribbons to prevent them from getting lost

4 a little boy

Sequence Me

Put the following events in the correct order:

A) Yemma, Khala and Safiyyah quickly prepared large trays with filled food and cups of water.

B) Safiyyah and her family handed out food and drink to the hungry refugees.

C) Baba and Ammo Imam carried the large trays out into the streets.

D) Ammo Imam gave instructions to get food and water for the refugees.

E) A huge crowd of weary refugees trudged along the cobbles in silence.

Click if correct
Check

Feedback: Who did what well?

FindRead Talk

EchoRead

ChoralRead

ReadingStrategy

Answers & Text Marks

Other...

To be a book lover, you could...

say what's next.

Reveal

Predict what might happen next in the story.

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.

trudging
despair
weary