Year 8 Week 4 - Asha and the Spirit Bird

🎓 Learning Objectives Covered

• English:

  • Analyse character development under pressure

  • Use narrative techniques to show mood and emotion

  • Expand vocabulary related to setting, survival, and myth

  • Interpret symbolism and literary devices (foreshadowing, metaphor)

• Geography / Science:

  • Understand avalanche formation and mountain terrain hazards

  • Explore human-environment interaction in extreme landscapes

• Religious Education / Cultural Literacy:

  • Identify how cultural stories and beliefs influence behaviour

  • Understand the symbolic role of animals and nature in myth

  
  

🚂Introduction to the Week

This week marks a tense, emotional shift in Asha’s journey. She escapes on her own, makes a bold move to disguise herself, and arrives at the train station alone. But just when everything feels uncertain, Jeevan returns.

These chapters are packed with questions about identity, loyalty, and independence. What does it take to survive when you're completely on your own? And what does it mean to let someone back in?

Read Chapters 9-11

Reading & Vocabulary: Chapters 9–11

In your journal answer:

• Why does Asha decide to cut her hair? What does this mean symbolically?

• What challenges does she face when travelling alone on the cart?

• Why does Jeevan choose to come back?

• How do these chapters change the relationship between Asha and Jeevan?

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Key Vocabulary Words:

Choose 6–8 to explore in context and apply in your writing.

• Disguise

• Vulnerability

• Reunion

• Hesitation

• Grit

• Isolation

• Companion

• Unspoken

Task

Describe the moment Asha sees Jeevan again at the train station, but from Jeevan’s point of view. Focus on what he sees, thinks, and feels. Use at least 4 vocabulary words.

Geography Spotlight: The Transport System

This week introduces us to India’s transport systems, especially trains, one of the most common ways people travel across long distances.

Key Facts:

• India’s railway system is one of the largest and oldest in the world

• Trains connect rural villages to massive cities like Delhi and Mumbai

• Travel can be slow, crowded, and unpredictable, especially for people without tickets or money

Task

Add the next part of the journey, from her village to the train station, to the map you started last week. Include:

• Mode of transport (cart, foot, train)

• Hazards faced

• Emotions experienced

• Where geography plays a role (e.g. distance, terrain, time of day)

Other Spotlight: Hair, Identity, and Cultural Meaning

One of the most powerful moments in these chapters is Asha cutting off her hair. In many cultures, especially in South Asia, hair is connected to identity, femininity, and honour. Her decision is bold and painful.

Discussion Points:

• Why is hair such a big deal in this context?

• Is Asha giving something up, or gaining something new?

• How can changing appearance be a way of taking control?

  
  

Read the start of the article down to the paragraph 'These reigning beliefs have taken root so firmly through classical and popular culture, that snipping off hair has become unthinkable for many.'

Task

Write a paragraph exploring this question:How does Asha’s decision to cut her hair show her strength? Use evidence from the text and link it to the theme of identity.

🎯 Challenge of the Week

Choose one task:

Option 2: Disguise Kit — “How to Disappear”

Create a “Disguise Kit” guidebook for someone like Asha trying to travel alone and stay unnoticed.

Include:

• 5–7 essential disguise items (clothing, behaviour, mindset)

• Instructions for staying calm and blending in

• A warning list: things to avoid that might give you away

• A quote or thought from Asha for inspiration

Present your guide visually (e.g. as a poster or digital slide) and include at least 4 vocabulary words in the content or labels.

Option 2: Internal Monologue

Write a 1st-person monologue from Asha’s perspective as she sits alone at the train station.

• What is she thinking about?

• Is she scared? Hopeful? Angry?

• End the monologue with her seeing Jeevan arrive

• Use at least 5 vocabulary words