A Long Walk to Water Lesson Plans

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A Long Walk to Water is one of my favorite books to assign my kids in middle school because that is an age where I really try to expose my kids to lives different than their own. This short novel tells the true story of Salva Dut. His tale of escaping war in his Southern Sudan village, walking long distances, living in a refugee camp, and life in the United States are sure to hold everyone’s attention.

These ideas are the perfect addition to A Long Walk to Water lesson plans.

Typically, I assign this book around Thanksgiving. That is a time of year when we are focusing on things we are thankful for, but we often forget the things that seem so simple to us. However, this is a great book to read any time of the year. he subject matter provides important lessons year-round.

Family, food, clean water, and a safe place to lay our heads at night are not small things when you remember that we are fortunate to have these things.

A Long Walk to Water would also be a great choice for a language arts novel study, a social studies unit, or even read in book clubs.

A Long Walk to Water Lesson Plans

Activities and Project Ideas

I love to combine hands-on activities with books whenever possible. It is a fun way to teach multiple subject areas at once. These activities and project ideas are a great addition to A Long Walk to Water lesson plans.

Locate the Countries On A Map

Many kids are not very familiar with the African countries of Sudan and Ethiopia. Help them locate the countries on a map or a globe. This helps them understand the magnitude of walking from Sudan to Ethiopia. The African continent is quite large!

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Water Pump Project

A portion of each chapter follows Nya’s story. She is an adolescent girl from South Sudan who travels to gather water for her family. Each day she spends the majority of her time walking to and from the water source. Eventually, her village receives a water pump. This is absolutely life-changing!

Learn more about water pumps with this water pump science project.

Take a Long Walk

The Lost Boys of Sudan walked for over 1,000 miles. That is an amazing feat! It can be really hard to imagine what that would feel like.

Challenge your kids to walk a set distance and imagine multiplying it to reach 1,000 miles. I asked my son to walk 2 miles. Then he imagined completing that walk 500 times . . . without guaranteed food . . . and without loving adult supervision.

This is one of my favorite activities to include in A Long Walk to Water lesson plans because it is quite sobering. It makes a big impact.

Discussion Questions

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Discussion questions are a great way to help students develop critical thinking skills. The author, Linda Sue Park, put together a free PDF full of fantastic A Long Walk to Water discussion questions to accompany the book. Who better to create discussion questions than the author?

This PDF file includes:

• Pre-writing activities
• Discussion questions
• Post-reading activity
• Curricular activities

I asked a few questions while my son was reading to check for comprehension. After he finishes the book we will have a snack and discuss the book. He is always willing to stay at the table and chat as long as there is food available.

Here are a few additional discussion questions for A Long Walk to Water.

• What are a few character traits to describe Salva?
• How would you summarize Salva’s story?
• What was your opinion of the end of the book?

TedX Videos

There are two TedX videos that are a great part of A Long Walk to Water lesson plans.

I Kept Walking by Salva Dut

A Long Walk to Water focuses on the journey of Salva Dut, so I appreciated the opportunity to hear about the walk directly from him. He is truly inspiring.

My son knew this novel was a true story, but being able to see the main character and hear him describe his ordeal really made it much more concrete.

Can A Children’s Book Change the World? by Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park is the author of A Long Walk to Water. She helped bring Salva Dut’s story to children everywhere.

This TedX talk explains why children’s books are an important way to teach empathy and be the spark for real lasting change.

Additional Reading

Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Brothers in Hope is a picture book that tells about a young boy who becomes one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. The 8-year-old is tending the cattle at his family home when war breaks out. He flees the country on foot with thousands of other young children.

Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time by Linda Sue Park

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

This picture book, Nya’s Long Walk, tells the tale of Nya, the young lady in A Long Walk to Water who travels a great distance every day to bring water to her family. This is a quick read.

I assigned this book to my son while he was reading A Long Walk to Water, but it would also be a great book to read to young children.

The Water Princess by Susan Verde

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

This picture book tells the true story of Georgie Badiel, affectionately known as Princess Gie Gie. This young girl loves her home in Burkina Faso, but walking miles each day is a hardship. The water is so necessary, but so far away.

Additional Resources for A Long Walk to Water Lesson Plans

Water for South Sudan, the organization started by Salva, contains a ton of fantastic A Long Walk to Water lesson plans. You will find:

• Discussion questions
• Videos
• Google Earth map of Salva’s route
• Engineering project idea
• Teacher’s Guide

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