A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea

A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea

• Genre: Nonfiction; biography
• Originally Published: 2017
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1040L; grades 9-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 10 chapters plus epilogue; approx. 288 pages; approx. 7 hours, 50 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: Doaa Al Zamel is just a teenager when she and her family flee as refugees from civil war in her country of Syria; later she must survive a tragic accident when she and her fiancé attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Violence; civil war; death, including that of young children; drowning; xenophobia

Melissa Fleming, Author

• Bio: Attended Oberlin College as an undergraduate, then earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism at Boston University; worked in public affairs before serving as spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); presents TED Talks and produces TEDx talks to raise awareness worldwide toward helping refugees
• Awards: YALSA Alex Award (2018); The Amelia Bloomer Book List (2018)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Interconnected World
• The Power of Humanity
• Finding a Sense of Purpose

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the geographical and historical contexts regarding Syrian immigration that incite Doaa’s conflict.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Interconnected World, The Power of Humanity, and Finding a Sense of Purpose.
• Plan and design visual media to convey a nonprofit organization idea to address refugee conflicts using details from the text.
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding Doaa’s early life experiences, her marriage, and other topics.