Haroun and the Sea of Stories:

Important Research
Even though Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a fantasy novel Salman Rushdie wrote
for his young son, this text is extremely rich with all kinds of allusions and symbols.
As well, many factors in Salman Rushdies life influenced his writing, so there are
also topics which may have influenced him.
Your Task:
provide a one-page, point-form summary of your findings of an assigned idea
from the book.
find out and understand enough about your assigned allusion or symbol so that
you may speak for 1-2 minutes on the topic. You need to be clear and concise
when you explain the information about your topic: the class needs a clear and
thorough understanding of the key ideas.
YOU MUST use colour, bolding, underlining, photos, etc... to make key
ideas stand out. The easier your information is to read, the better your
classmates will comprehend the information.
Ensure that the content (facts, ideas and organization) of your short presentation
as well as the completed page is sophisticated, not just a regurgitation of the
information you found.
Think about what youve read and EXPLAIN THE TOPIC IN YOUR OWN WORDS .
Provide a completed and correctly formatted Works Cited Page (separate
page) when you submit your assignment. Remember that you must cite images
as well as sources.
You are strongly advised to use Reference Works such as Encyclopedias (print
or online) as they have already condensed large topics into brief, understandable
explanations of the key ideas. Internet websites will also be helpful. HOWEVER, be
cautious, evaluate the website author carefully, and a void using sites that have
a strong bias.
We will present the topics relating to each chapter of the book just before we begin
our study of the novel. It is extremely important that you are ready and in class
when it is time to enlighten us!!

Evaluation Rubric:
Level 4
Handout:
Page Content
(IN OWN WORDS)
(10)

Handout provides
thorough and useful
information about
topic. Limited
errors/omissions of
important ideas

Level 3
Handout provides
sufficient information
about topic. A few
minor
errors/omissions, but
overall effective

Level 2
Handout may offer
ordinary information
or is too full of
information; hard to
read. Several minor
errors/omissions

Level 1
Handout is brief; only
provides basic
information to
classmates about topic.
Flawed ideas; several
major errors/omissions.

Below Level

Handout not
submitted or is a
cursory attempt at
summarising. Majo
errors/omissions.
Work is plagiarised

Handout is organised
in a highly effective
manner. Excellent use
of colour, photos or
diagrams, subtitles,
etc highly and
effectively creative

Handout is organised
in an effective manner.
Good use of colour,
photos or diagrams,
subtitles, etc Clear
and understandable
presentation of all
ideas

Presentation
Skills: volume,
pace, word
choice, eye
contact (5)

Demonstrates aboveaverage presentation

skills in all aspects

Demonstrates aboveaverage presentation

skills in most aspects

Works Cited
(10)

Complete and correct

or near
flawless/perfect

Only a few minor

errors; no major
distractions

Handout:
Organization
(5)

Handout is organised
in a somewhat
effective manner.
Some use of colour,
photos or diagrams,
subtitles, etc
adequate
presentation
Must know
information better so
that you can present
it more clearly.
Demonstrates
average presentation
skills
Several
minor/formatting
errors/problems

An attempt has been

made to organise
information. Limited use
of colour, photos or
diagrams, subtitles,
etc limited use of
organisation/presentatio
n
Some parts of the
presentation are
unclear. Demonstrates
weak presentation skills
and causes distractions

Little to no
organisation obvio
No effort to provid
visual cues to help
classmates follow
information; Messy
highly ineffective
uses

Several major/minor
errors or formatting
problems

Incomplete or too
many errors/proble

TOPICS:
1.
What is a fatwa? How is it related to Rushdie? (This exemplar will be shown

in class)
2.

Salman Rushdie as author (exclude The Satanic Verses and the Fatwa)

3.

What is The Satanic Verses? What is the controversy surrounding it? -

4.

Arabian Nights: Explain what type of literature this is, from where the story
originated and a brief plot summary. -

5.

Who is BlueBeard? What is his story? Should we trust him? -

6.

Who is Haroun Al-Rashid? -

7.

Provide a brief summary of key political figures in Indian politics in the 70s and 80s.
Briefly explain what was happening politically at this time?

8.

Offer ONLY a summary of the main plot in Alice in Wonderland.

9.

Identify and describe the following characters/ideas from Alice in Wonderland: the
Walrus, Logic (can it be present in a world of such unusual characters?), Time - especially
time stopped (the Mad Tea Party). -

10.

Where is Kashmir? What is it known for? Describe it. -

11.

Where is Lake Dahl? Describe it. -

12.

What is Urdu? How are Alif and Bay related to it? -

13.

Offer a summary of the main plot in The Wizard of Oz. How does Dorothy from The
Wizard of Oz follow the heroic quest pattern?

14.

Describe the following characters from Star Wars and Star Trek: Spock and Obi.
What are they known for?

15.

The Beatles wrote a song called "The Walrus. What is the basic premise of the
song? Who is the Walrus and who is the Eggman? -

16.

What is the symbolism of the peacock? Does this symbolism differ depending on the
culture? -

17.

What is a hoopoe? Describe it and explain where it is from and what it is known for?

18.

Who is Carl Jung? What is his shadow archetype? -

Reads from sheet o

paper, demonstrat
below levels skills

19.

Explain the idea of Prince Charming. Offer examples from literature, i.e. kids
stories or movies. -

20.

Explain the idea of Damsel in Distress. Offer examples from literature, i.e. kids
stories or movies. -

21.

What is an Abhinaya? -

22.

Who is Nikolai Gogol? What is he known for? -

23.

Who is Franz Kafka? What is he known for? -

24.

Offer a summary of Kafka's story the "Hunger Artists. What is the lesson in the
story? -

25.

Describe the basic story from the film, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne. Who are Bagha
and Goopy? Who is Rapunzel? What is the message in her story? -

26.

Explain Samuel Coleridges poem "Kubla Khan." -

27.

Explain the third voyage of Gulliver's Travels. -

28.

Describe the following creatures and explain their significance: gryphon, basilisk,
manticore, troll. -

29.

What is the story of Noah's ark? Where is it found?

30.

Describe details of the oil spill following the first Gulf War and the oil spill from the
ExxonValdez. -